18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 484

Stella gazed at the figures in the distance, a wry smile crossing her lips as she was reminded of characters from her favorite drama series—the traitorous collaborators, only now they seemed to have taken on a more global flair.

When they realized Stella was from the East, they sent three of their own to probe the situation.

Stella didn't mince words. "Beat it!"

Instead of anger, the trio seemed oddly pleased at her dismissal.

Dillyn, a master of appearances, nodded and bowed, the picture of polite attentiveness. "Folks, all comers are friends here. We're just looking to make connections."

Vietnam, visibly uncomfortable, stood as still as a statue, while Belarus wore a look of smug superiority, as if the world was theirs for the taking.

To Stella, they were nothing but a bunch of creeps. "I said, beat it!"

Belarus was fuming, ready to spew profanity, but Dillyn clamped a hand over his mouth, muttering a frustrated "Damn it."

Vietnam whispered a word of caution, "Ease up a bit, will you? We're all part of the same cultural sphere."

Belarus, unable to contain their disdain, spat out, "Psh, Confucius is ours, they dare to pilfer and still have the gall..."

Dillyn and Vietnam could only share a look of disbelief at their self-deluding companion. "Do you even care about the mission our leader entrusted us with?"

The mention of the 'big brother' made Belarus grudgingly fall silent.

Dillyn continued with a servile smile, "Friends from Australia, we come with sincere intentions. In times of hardship, those from the East should stick together for survival."

Stella almost laughed, "Who's 'us,' and where's 'there'?"

Sensing a sliver of hope, Dillyn proudly shared, "We represent Union Base, aiming to band together all survivors worldwide to weather this catastrophe. We have individuals from seventeen nations so far."

Stella was not interested in his rosy rhetoric, "And who calls the shots at this base?"

"We believe in peace, democracy, freedom, solidarity..."

Stella was losing patience. "Who's in charge, talk or get lost!"

Dillyn's expression soured, but he still managed a smile: "It's China."

"What's required to join?"

Seeing an opportunity, Dillyn brightened up, "You'd need to relocate to Union Base, surrender all your supplies and weapons. The base will handle distribution—you won't go hungry."

"And who'll be distributing?" Stella pressed.

Dillyn hesitated before admitting, "China."

"Is there meat to eat inside the base?"

"If you toe the line, you'll get your share of meat."

"When's the last time you had meat?"

Dillyn was confused, unsure of her angle.

"You look all skin and bones. How long's it been since your daddy China fed you any meat?"

Dillyn was livid but forced himself to hold back. "What do you mean by that?"

"You just said we Easterners should stick together for survival. So why are you all kowtowing to westernized China?"

Stella's smile was sardonic, "Does daddy feed you meat and let you lick the plate clean? Or maybe you three are supposed to fight over it, and the winner gets to lick the dish?"

Dillyn was about to explode, fists clenched. "The world's flooded, lands have sunk; there's no East or West anymore, we're all one family."

"One family, yet you're not calling the shots—China is? They send you, and you come wagging your tails?"

Dillyn's forced smile was now a grimace, "So, you've decided against joining Union Base?"