18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Chapter 154

Jasper couldn't help but chuckle at Stella's childlike excitement, "Well, they're all yours."

Who knew she had such a cute, straightforward side to her? She was like a kid in a candy store.

As they walked into the shipping container, Stella was thrilled to find brand new SUVs still covered in their protective films. They must've just arrived and hadn't had a chance to be modified yet.

The vehicles were top-tier SUVs with near-perfect factory configurations. Any modifications would be a waste, just a fancy gimmick for the wealthy, resulting in roaring engines that could be heard halfway across the city.

Right now, they were perfect.

After a thorough inspection, Jasper confirmed that the vehicles were in pristine condition. Not only were the cars high-performing, but the sealed shipping container also played a significant part in preserving them through floods and freezing temperatures.

They were truly gifts from above.

These shipping containers were like blind boxes, and the first one had already hit the jackpot. Stella was eager to see what was next.

As they opened the next one, they found no luxury cars, no treasures, just a container full of automobile parts. If they hadn't moved quickly, they could've been knocked out by falling tires.

The tires were perfectly packaged and, according to the manual, were from the renowned brand, Michelin. Yes, the same brand that provided tires for the American lunar rover.

World-class vehicles preferred Michelin, with each tire retailing for a small fortune.

The shipping container didn't just contain tires, but also engines, seals, belts, interiors, seats, exteriors, clutches, brakes, shock absorbers, and other big parts.

With a mischievous grin, Jasper turned to Stella and said, "This one's mine."

Stella was ecstatic, "Yes!"

He reminded her, "We still need to find the keys, though."

So they swam back to the clubhouse and started searching through the maintenance and customer service departments.

Luxury cars wouldn't just have their keys hanging on a wall. They weren't in the drawers either, so they took the safe from the service department back to Arcadia.

After prying it open, they found over a dozen keys, but none matched the vehicles.

Stella was puzzled, "Where could the keys be? Did the rich kids wear them as necklaces or something?" Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

While contemplating, she accidentally spotted two other safes in the living room. They were from the rich kids' study.

So, they decided to pry them open as well. Sure enough, the keys were inside. They were still brand new and sealed in a box.

In addition to the car keys, there were also several account books.

The safes were waterproof, but due to being submerged for too long, the account books were damp, and the ink had spread, making it almost impossible to read the contents.

Stella took out the car keys, dried them with a hairdryer, and pressed them towards the SUVs.

They all responded. All three were hers now!

They had spent too much time in Arcadia, and Stella was mindful of the time. Saving time was harder than saving money. She quickly waved Jasper over, "Hurry, let's go."

After another late return home, they were exhausted and collapsed on the couch after their showers.

Jasper came and sat next to her, offering his shoulder for her to lean on.

Despite feeling drained, the thrill of their haul was intoxicating. Stella was hooked, "Shall we go out again tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, we can check out the gas station."

With three new SUVs, all gas guzzlers, they had to move fast before all fuel was gone.

Stella was full of energy, "Great, tomorrow we'll raid the gas station."

After setting their target and setting their alarms, they happily went to bed.

However, reality was harsher than their dreams.

They sneaked into a flooded gas station under the cover of darkness, only to find it completely empty. Not one to give up easily, they checked two more gas stations, but they were all devoid of fuel.

Jasper speculated, "The city officials must've sent professionals to extract the fuel."

As the water level dropped, the city government would lead the recovery efforts. They would have planned ahead and secured all essential supplies.

Since city officials were involved, it was unlikely there would be any leftovers. Stella was disappointed, "Should we head back home or look for other things?"

Jasper considered for a moment, "Let's check out the highway service stations."

The city's fuel supply had been exhausted, but the highway service stations were far from the city. Perhaps they hadn't been emptied yet.

After traveling 60 miles, they found two service stations, both empty.

They hadn't expected the highway services to fall as well. Further travel probably wouldn't yield any results. Moreover, enduring the 50 degrees Celsius heat was taxing, even with their temperature- controlled suits. They were sweating profusely.

After downing two bottles of Gatorade, they decided to abandon their mission. Life was more important. Besides, between them, they had over a ton of gasoline. They just had to be conservative with their use.

As they sped across the water surface in their assault boat, Stella suddenly tapped Jasper's shoulder, "Stop!"

The boat came to a halt, and she pointed towards a spot not far from the service station entrance, "What's that?"

Jasper squinted in the direction she was pointing. From what he could see protruding from the water, it looked like a large tanker.

These vehicles were typically used to transport fuel or hazardous chemical liquids.

As they neared the tanker in the assault boat and circled it, it was hard to determine what it was carrying since only a small part of the tank was visible above the water.

Jasper donned his diving suit and jumped into the water to investigate. A few minutes later, he resurfaced, "Stella, it's a fuel tanker."

Stella was thrilled. She hadn't expected it to actually be a fuel tanker. If their guess was right, the tanker was probably delivering fuel to the service station. But due to the early arrival of the typhoon, many vehicles had taken refuge in service stations, causing a traffic jam.

However, whether the tanker was delivering fuel or was an empty vehicle taking refuge, they couldn't be sure. To find out, they had to open it and look inside.

Jasper took out his binoculars and made sure there was no one in sight before allowing Stella to proceed.

The tanker was transported into Arcadia, instantly causing the surrounding water to rush in, making the assault boat rock violently. Stella almost fell into the water, but Jasper quickly pulled her back, "Be careful."

The water quickly calmed down, and they steered the assault boat into the service station, using the wall as a shield before entering Arcadia.

The tanker was huge, with a capacity of 44,000 liters. Jasper opened the tank and a strong smell of gasoline wafted out, "It's full."

Stella was on the verge of screaming. 44,000 liters of gasoline, which was around 32.5 tons, would last them for quite some time.

They hadn't expected that just a second glance at the water surface would bring them over 30 tons of gasoline.

When luck strikes, nothing can stand in its way.

However, luck can't always be on one's side. If it hadn't been for the early arrival of the typhoon causing the vehicles to seek refuge in the service stations, the tanker wouldn't have been stuck on the road.

The two of them didn't press on with their search. After a brief rest, they hopped back into their inflatable raft and paddled home.

Over the next couple of days, they went to a glassworks, a window manufacturer, and even made a trip to an agricultural machinery factory. However, any smart devices they found had been ruined by the water.