18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 102

After considerable effort, Stella finally managed to pry up the toilet and store it in her Arcadia.

The living room was so ostentatiously luxurious it was inhumane – paintings, antiques, geode ornaments, crystal stones, and gold masks.

As Stella collected these items, she noticed Jasper's gaze on her – it was complicated.

Well, she admitted that her actions were a bit unsightly, but these were desperate times. She wouldn’t be throw into jail for this anywy.

Seeing him standing still, Stella felt a bit awkward, "Shall we split the loot?"

"No need," Jasper declined her offer, "There are a few safes in the bedroom. Could you take care of them?"

So he had his own needs. That was understandable.

Without further ado, Stella entered the palatial bedroom, where five massive safes were lined up side by side. S

he graciously helped him collect them.

She didn't miss out on the other valuable items either, considering them as payment for her day's work.

As for the rest of the Unity Village assets, she left them to law enforcement.

Just as they were about to leave, the door in the corridor was suddenly smashed.

Damn, it must be the law enforcement guys raiding the boss' residence.

The opponents were professionals, and a head-on confrontation would be suicide. It was better to make a swift exit.

Jasper once again enjoyed a privilege others didn't have, but his sharp senses quickly detected something amiss. The vast living room in Arcadia was now empty except for the five safes they had collected and their discarded clothes.

All the items she had desperately thrown into the Arcadia were gone, especially that golden toilet.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Stella pointed outside.

Jasper looked towards The Garden, his eyes revealing surprise - her Arcadia could expand. All content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Stella was equally shocked. The increase this time was significant, she estimated about 200 square feet, or 1200 cubic feet.

At the same time, she detected an additional room on the second floor.

However, according to her experience, she felt that the items she had collected shouldn't have been that valuable. Her Arcadia wouldn't be so generous.

It didn't matter anymore; it had already swallowed everything. Whether it gave more or less was not her call.

Stella was concerned about the time wasted, "How long do we have to stay here?"

"It's hard to say, at least 5 to 10 hours before it's safe to leave."

If this were before the apocalypse, it would take at least three days for the transition of the property, and the unsealing process would take over half a year.

5 to 10 hours?

Stella nearly screamed.

Arcadia only provided 2 hours each day, and apart from brushing her teeth, washing her face, and using the restroom, she was reluctant to enter.

Did he understand how hard it was to save 5 to 10 hours?

Stella's most precious asset was her time in Arcadia, and now she had to waste so much time, it felt like she was being skinned alive.

But what could she do? If they left now, they would be sitting ducks.

Now that they were in Arcadia, they couldn't just sit around.

Stella handed him the crowbar, "Do you want to open the safes?"

"Is it safe to do it here?"

"Yes, it's soundproof."

So, they began to pry open the safes, the sound grating on their ears.

After great difficulty, they managed to open one, only to find it empty.

Jasper furrowed his brows but said nothing.

Having been together for a while, Stella could tell by his expression that there was supposed to be something in there.

"Um... my Arcadia is a bit ruthless. It will swallow anything spiritual, like gold, silver, jade, or antiques, and convert them into square footage for me."

She knew it. Her stingy Arcadia wouldn't be so generous. The real treasures were kept in the safes.

Now that it had swallowed Jasper's items, how was she going to compensate him?

Jasper remained silent, continuing to pry open the safes.

All four safes were empty, which made Stella feel awkward. Thankfully, the fifth one had something.

A submachine gun, two handguns, and many boxes of ammunition.

Stella sat down to count. There were 2000 bullets in total.

1000 for the handguns and 1000 for the submachine gun.

Jasper checked the guns, handing one of the handguns to her, "This one has low recoil, suitable for you."

"I... I don't need it, Arcadia took so much from you."

"It's okay. I wasn't after those things."

Stella was stunned by his generosity.

Not just one handgun, but all the items were split evenly. Each got a submachine gun and 1000 bullets.

His generosity made Stella feel a bit ashamed, but she also remained vigilant. It could be a trap.

"Are you really giving this to me?"

"Yes."

"Can I really take it?"

Jasper couldn't help but smile, "In your mind, am I so untrustworthy?"

"It's not about you," Stella quickly explained, "I grew up in an orphanage, endured a lot of bullying, and witnessed countless schemes. Over time, I became suspicious."

Jasper contemplated for a moment, "I may not be a good man, but I'm certainly not a bad one. You don't need to be so guarded against me."

What could escape his sharp eyes? Stella gave a forced laugh.

Sometimes, she didn't even trust herself, let alone others.

Whether he was trustworthy or not, only time would tell.

Sitting around idly was quite uncomfortable. Thinking about the ticking clock, Stella kept glancing at the timer, "Do you think they've left yet?"

"This operation is massive, involving many criminals. It won't end that quickly."

Jasper seemed thoughtful, "You want to go out?"

If she had a choice, she would prefer to retire in Arcadia, "No, Arcadia only adds two hours each day. Once the accumulated time is used up, I'll be kicked out."

Jasper was surprised, no wonder she dared to climb the mountain to chop wood in the bitter cold, and did her training in bone-chilling weather, "Does Cody and the others know?"

Stella shook her head, "Besides you, nobody knows."

For some reason, Jasper felt a warm feeling in his heart.

She was willing to risk danger to bring him here. It seemed he held some place in her heart.

Everyone had secrets, and unless she was willing to share, Jasper wouldn't ask.

Feeling awkward just sitting around, Stella thought that she couldn't let him do nothing, "If you have nothing to do, could you help weed my cornfield?"

Jasper was taken aback, "I can, but I've never done it before."

"That's fine. I'll teach you."

So, Stella took him to the cornfield to weed, teaching him to distinguish between corn seedlings and weeds.

He learned quickly and was diligent in his work.

Stella felt happy, stealing glances at him while working. However, to her surprise, she looked up to find him pulling up the corn seedlings, mistaking them for weeds.

He really was clueless about this kind of stuff.

Holding back her dismay, Stella suggested gently, "How about you chop some firewood for me?"

The last tree they'd cut down had left a lot of branches behind, taking up too much space.

Jasper, not proficient in weeding, agreed, "Sure."

So, while Stella weeded, he chopped firewood on the other side.

He was a good sport, didn't laze around and managed to chop a lot of firewood in just a few hours. He even had blisters on his palms, but didn't complain a bit. He neatly stacked the firewood too.

Stella was no miser, "You can ask me for firewood anytime in the future, no need to go chopping in the woods."

If she could rely on him, she could slack off a bit.

Strong people didn't need to chop firewood for warmth, they can survive the intense cold with their muscle alone. This would leave Cody and the others speechless.

Jasper nodded, "Okay."

After working up a sweat, Stella picked two bunches of red grapes as a reward, "For you."

Jasper declined, "Keep it here. Give it to Rosie after the cold spell."

Ah well, okay then.

He didn't seem interested in food. For someone as desireless as him, she wondered what could stir his passion.