18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 457

Cole wasn't exactly sure what was missing. "I heard it was around 30 cases," he said, "all parts for the automatic dredging ship."

The mention of the automatic dredging ship immediately brought to mind the South China Sea's island-building giant, the Tianjin.

"It seems like the parts that were lost weren't the big ones, but with machinery, even losing a single screw can prevent it from working properly."

So, the island-building project was on hold. The higher-ups were still figuring things out and keeping it under wraps. The folks on the ground, the survivors, were clueless.

After dinner, Cole thanked them and headed out.

He also lived in Area B2, not too far from Stella and the others. "Next time I get a day off, dinner's on me."

That's the way social currency worked—give and take kept things running smoothly.

Once the door closed behind him, Rosie started clearing the table while Stella sat on the couch, lost in thought. The stuff they had salvaged from the seabed could very well be parts of the automatic dredging ship.

Twenty-five cases in total, which was pretty close.

But there was no way she could just go to the base and ask, "Hey, did you guys lose some parts that we happened to fish out and store in Arcadia?"

The containers were sealed, and even if they forced them open, she wouldn't recognize the contents.

"Should we return them?" she wondered aloud.

Jasper considered it. "Returning them is the right thing to do, but how we do it is the tricky part."

Hope Point's territory spanned hundreds of nautical miles and was patrolled by guard ships. It was a national base with fighter jets and warships—not some small private operation.

Handing it over within the base's territory could get them caught; dropping it off outside could lead to other survivors from different countries finding it and using it for leverage or trade.

Returning it was the right thing to do, but not at the expense of their own safety.

Jasper spoke carefully, "There's no rush. We're settled in at the base now; we'll find a foolproof way."

Stella agreed—her safety had to come first.

If an opportunity came up, they would return the parts. If not, they wouldn't.

Days turned into weeks, and Stella found herself lounging around at home.

Rosie, new to the workforce, faced her own challenges. Some people, seeing her youth as a weakness, tried to push her around with backhanded compliments or by trying to curry favor selfishly.

She might have been inexperienced with office politics, but under her siblings' guidance, Rosie understood the principle well—don't get played.

"Don't get played" meant not losing out materially.

A few harsh words wouldn't hurt her, and she could endure most things, but when push came to shove, she wasn't afraid to push back.

With a smile on her face, her words were clean but sharp, leaving her opponents speechless.

After a few of these exchanges, those trying to take advantage of her backed off considerably.

Especially once they learned she lived in Area B2, their attitudes changed drastically, some even becoming sycophantic.

Rosie, however, kept her distance from everyone.

A month flew by, and she came home one day, holding a bunch of greens triumphantly, "Sis, I've been made permanent at work."

Today, the maggot farm gave out bonuses—everyone got a small serving of maggots to boost their protein intake. Everyone was overjoyed except for Rosie, who was visibly distressed, just as someone from the gardening crew was looking to get ahead.

Rosie quickly traded her maggots for the greens.

Her colleagues snickered behind her back, thinking her a fool for trading protein for vegetables, expecting she'd get a scolding at home.

But protein wasn't an issue—meat was!

The vegetables were doing well, and Stella was pleased. "We'll have them stir-fried tonight."

So Rosie eagerly washed and stir-fried the greens, and Stella ate with relish, unable to help but compliment, "Mmm, Rosie, the greens you bargained for are delicious."

Rosie beamed with pride, then shared more good news. "Sis, they're expanding the maggot farm, adding a new production line. I've been promoted to team leader because of my good work."

Stella immediately rewarded her with an extra piece of chicken, "Wow, our Rosie is so amazing."

"Thanks, sis." Rosie's eyes twinkled with joy. "You're always the best to me."

Time marched on, and another month passed.