18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 258

Several SUVs rolled in, their black-suited, sunglasses-wearing bodyguards positioning themselves around the entrance of the prime villa, effectively blocking the side-street.

Soon after, a Winnebago appeared, followed by a Palazzo, disgorging a party of more than twenty people. Men, women, old, and young, all were dressed in extravagant and noble attire, seemingly untouched by the dust of the apocalypse.

The wealthy folks put on what they thought were their most appropriate smiles, initiating conversations and paying compliments. "Good day, Shane. Nice to see you, Sarah..."

Stella didn't expect to have a chance to interact with such affluent people. She continued to gossip with Jasper about them. "That man in the middle, nearly sixty, is the head of Porras Corporation."

Before she could finish her sentence, another Mercedes-Benz G-Class pulled up.

The car door opened, revealing a pair of Hermes slippers, followed by a pair of cropped casual trousers. As he stepped out of the car, he immediately became the center of attention for all the unmarried socialites. Text © owned by NôvelDrama.Org.

Stella's expression changed instantly when she recognized him, and she quickly dragged Jasper away. "Let's go, now."

Jasper was puzzled. "What's wrong?"

What was wrong? The owner of those three top-of-the-line SUVs had just appeared. Why on earth would the richest family decide to settle in Griffith? Couldn’t they go to the bases?

With him around, she wouldn't even dare to show off her beloved car.

Jasper clarified her confusion. "In a pre-apocalyptic world, the Porras family would be adored wherever they went. But in this post-apocalyptic world, power lies with the strong. They wouldn't be able to throw their weight around in a military base. And as for the official base, it's not only filled with power struggles but also has its share of influential military and political second generations. It's not easy for the Porras family to stand out with just their wealth. Besides, the tallest trees catch the most wind. Rather than being targeted in an official base, it's better for them to live freely in Griffith."

Stella had to agree. With the apocalypse temporarily easing, the super-rich who had initially sought refuge in the base had been ground down over three years. Now, with cities being rebuilt, they had plenty of resources and wealth, which were exactly what was scarce.

One side sought status, and the other was willing to flatter. It was a perfect match.

Once the Porras family arrived, the influential figures in the villa area were settled.

All this had nothing to do with Stella. As long as people didn't bother her, she wouldn't bother them. She just wanted to live quietly in her corner.

She went home, closed the door, and took a nap.

In the evening, Dylan called for Rosie on the balcony. Rosie was playing with Cooper, seemingly oblivious to his call.

Stella was puzzled. "Rosie, why are you ignoring Dylan? Did he upset you?"

Rosie hesitated for a while before answering. "Dylan is nice to me, but his friends ask me for food and drool over Cooper. I don't like them."

Hmph, she wouldn't play with them then.

Apparently, it was those children who had made Rosie feel threatened. Despite her cute and soft appearance, she was actually quite alert. It seemed her years of training hadn't been in vain.

......

The truck didn't have bulletproof glass installed, so Stella was worried about their safety. The trio, along with Cooper, set off together.

One drove while the other kept watch.

In just over a month, the old city had become practically deserted. Other than the blinding sunlight, all they could see was a place devoid of life.

Upon reaching Eastwood Eden, Patrick had already finished making the door. Not only was the quality of the door excellent, but it also came with five bolts. It wouldn't be easy to break in with brute force.

At the same time, the Patrick's family started packing, planning to move in the next few days. Everyone in the small neighborhood would depart together.

After they loaded the heavy door onto the truck, Stella chatted for a bit before driving away.

Patrick's wife complained, "You really should have asked Stella to help us move our stuff. We have so much of it."

"Do you think I didn't want to? But Mark told me that we can't keep relying on them for everything." Patrick glared at her. "Besides, she never haggles over price when she asks us to make wooden doors. Try that with someone else. Let's not be greedy."

His wife thought for a moment and nodded. But she was still worried. "With so many people moving tomorrow, do you think it'll be safe?"

"There was over a hundred of us leaving together. If it's still not safe, then it's just fate." Patrick sighed. "Don't worry too much. Mark has already found us jobs. The young and strong can work as security patrol officers or in the plantation. Our son and I can do carpentry. We won't starve."

As the truck pulled up to the gate, they ran into Mark. Stella greeted him with a smile. "Long time no see, Mark."

Mark was in a good mood. "It's been a while. How have you and Jasper been?"

"We're doing fine." Stella waved goodbye. "See you in Newtown."

On the way, they ran into some patrolling soldiers. They hadn't completely evacuated yet, but it looked like they would be leaving soon.

Back in Newtown, the two of them managed to unload the door from the truck.

Installing the door was a bit of a struggle, but fortunately, Austin arrived in his car and lent a hand. "Did you guys know that our community has set up a homeowners association?"

Stella wasn't one to socialize, so she was clueless about this. However, from the tone of his voice, he sounded both frustrated and angry. It seemed that he had just gotten the news as well.

Even the homeowners' association was chosen without notifying these two families. The rich clearly drew a line between them and the two families that they deemed didn’t belong.

Even though they all stayed in villas, the rich folks had ostracized the two families and chosen the homeowners' association on their own.

Stella didn't care. As long as she was allowed to eat, drink, and live her life, she wouldn't mind being treated as invisible. But Austin was different. He wanted to integrate into high society. If she

wasn't mistaken, he had probably invited some of his wealthy acquaintances to his housewarming party, but none of them showed up.

"The name of the community was chosen by the Porras family. It's called Hopefield from now on. They're setting up a security patrol team and plan to hire 40 security officers to patrol the area around the clock. Each household will have to pay 20 pounds of grain each month as property fees. The first month, we have to pay 50 pounds for the construction of a security booth, dormitory, and other community infrastructure."

Austin couldn't help but curse inwardly at the news. These snobs!

Stella was quite alright with it. "Is the chairman of the homeowners' association from the Porras family?"

"The chairman is the butler of the Porras family, and the other six seats were also named by them."

Well, the Porras family sure did have a grand presence. They had barely arrived and were already calling the shots.

Stella pondered, "Paying a bit extra for the first month is understandable, but handing over 20 pounds every month seems a bit overkill, doesn't it? Fifty households amount to 1000 pounds - isn't that a bit much?"

How much they paid didn’t ruffle Austin's feathers. What irked him was these rich people looking down on them. Other families were asked to hand over fine grains, while he and Stella were expected to offer coarse grains?

What did that mean? Were they looking down on them? This was a clear insult.

Other families had to deliver fine grains, while they had to hand over coarse grains? That was fine by her.

As long as there were no bribes involved, Stella was more than happy to give 20 pounds of potatoes or sweet potatoes each month.

Austin wondered, "Aren’t you guys upset?"

"Upset about what?" Stella replied honestly, "We can provide coarse grains and still enjoy the same security services. That’s a great deal."

Austin, taken aback by her retort, admitted, "I guess I was being narrow-minded."

Teasing him, Stella said, "You sure were. Living in a big house and having the luxury to eat steak and drink wine, only those who survive till the end are the real winners. Everything else is just smoke and mirrors."