18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 155

With the prolonged high temperatures, the water level decreased rapidly. The survivors who had been staying inside started coming out in the morning and evening.

Determined to keep her secret safe, Stella made a resolute decision to stop her outdoor excursions.

After several days of working from dawn to dusk, exhaustion took over, forcing her to rest for several days to recover her strength.

Sitting under the cool breeze of the fan, enjoying a chilled watermelon, Stella started to strategize for the 1803 group, planning how to ensure their safe arrival in Lincoln.

She took a batch of fresh vegetables from Arcadia and handed them over to Cody and Lukas to dry on the balcony. "These are freshly harvested. Dry them out and store them tightly. You can eat them whenever you want."

Touched, Lukas asked, "Stella, you're giving all your vegetables to us. What will you and Jasper eat?"

"The seeds are meant to be shared," she replied. "We don't know what conditions you'll face there, so we're preparing some for you. We'll just eat less."

Having grown up together, words of gratitude were deemed unnecessary.

Cody and Lukas took the vegetables to the rooftop, where the concrete floor was scorching. The fresh leaves wilted visibly within moments of being spread out.

In less than half a day, the leaves crumbled at a touch. Once packed in bags, they resembled broken crumbs.

Not only did Lukas and Cody not complain, they treasured the dried vegetables immensely. While others were surviving on cockroaches and rats, they were fortunate to have vegetables. Expressing discontent would seem ungrateful.

However, they had their concerns.

"Do you think we can survive without Stella?" Lukas asked Cody with a gloomy expression.

"We just have to try our best," Cody replied thoughtfully. "We can't rely on Stella forever, can we?"

Stella wasn't their mother. It was already commendable that she, as a friend, had gone to such great lengths to help them. They knew they would eventually have to fend for themselves.

Both of them understood what this separation implied. It might mean they would never see each other again in this lifetime. Just the thought of it weighed heavily on their hearts.

Whether it was their past or the two years of disaster, they had always supported each other. Having grown up as orphans, they had few close friends, let alone family. Over the years, they had come to see each other as family.

Unfortunately, everyone had different paths to choose.

In preparation for their journey to Lincoln, the 1803 group didn't rest for a single day. Their immediate task was to procure a vehicle and learn auto repair skills on their own, in case the car broke down on the way?

Knowing Jasper had books on the subject, they borrowed them for study. If they encountered any difficulties, they would ask Jasper via walkie-talkie.

As more and more people ventured out to search for supplies, Lukas grew anxious, "Jasper, do you think it's time for us to find a car?"

The water level had dropped to the second floor, and more and more survivors were diving to salvage supplies.

Jasper gave them directions, "It's not time to search for a car yet, but you can start looking for gasoline."

As long as the disaster continued, gasoline would only become more scarce. Even if they couldn't find a good car, having enough gasoline might enable them to barter for one.

The 1803 group showed interest and immediately sought advice.

The city authorities had drained gasoline from the gas stations, but they didn't have the time or energy to drain every car. Most of the cars were still submerged. To find gasoline, they would have to go to higher grounds.

For example, the highways and service stations should be almost dry by now. They should first target the large trucks. If there was a large amount of gasoline or if they could identify the type of gasoline, it should be stored separately. If the amount was small and the type was unclear, they would have to mix it. When the time came, they could barter with it.

Stella quietly gave Jasper a siphon pump to facilitate Lukas and Cody's mission, so they wouldn't have to use their mouths to suck the gasoline out.

Jasper handed it over to them, "I happen to have a siphon pump. You guys can borrow it."