18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

Upon hearing the voice, Cody and Lukas snapped to his feet, "Evan."

Just as she feared, Evan seemed to be an unshakeable presence. Stella was that close to biting into her juicy meat.

Evan nodded, "You are Stella?"

Stella smiled, "Good to see you again, Evan."

After exchanging pleasantries, Evan, with a smile on his face, didn't seem to be leaving.

What to do when the boss didn't leave? Cody reacted quickly, immediately pulling up a chair for him, "Come on, Evan, have a seat. We're having a little get-together. If you don't mind, would you like something to eat or drink?" "Am I intruding?"

Cody couldn't tell the truth, "Well, not at all."

"Alright then." Evan signaled for the waiter and ordered another round of barbecue.

Cody pulled out a glass, pouring beer for Evan.

Evan picked up the beer and sniffed it, "Hmm, this beer is good. It's been three years since the disaster, and it hasn't expired."

"Bran gave it as an apology." Stella said with a hint of awkwardness, her face calm as a summer's day, "I don't know how they preserved it, but they did a good job."

Evan laughed, "Ah, the Porras family's beer, that's good stuff. Let me try."

Sensing Stella's slight discomfort, Cody quickly changed the subject, "Evan, try the barbecue."

The barbecue was a bit damp in the thermal box and cooled off quickly once taken out, but it still tasted great.

Evan praised while eating, "Hmm, I don't know who cooked this, but it tastes more authentic than the takeouts before the disaster."

"Stella made it." Cody chatted with Evan, "Stella is the most talented among us. She's worked in restaurants, barbecue joints, bakeries, you name it. Her culinary skills are top-notch. Her dishes can easily match those of a five-star chef." Evan sincerely complimented, "Indeed, impressive. She even excels in fights."

"Right? Back in the orphanage, when someone bullied Stella, she would chase them around the building with a brick for five laps."

Cody didn't mind sharing embarrassing stories, "Lukas and I didn't know better and once upset her, she knocked our teeth out."

Stella laughed, "Well, that's how we met."

"Exactly, after that, Lukas and I started hanging out with her."

The waiter brought over the barbecue, and the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the cook were immediately apparent, leaving everyone with mouthfuls of chewy bits.

However, the pan-fried potato noodles were quite good, the starchy potatoes withstood the cold well, resulting in very chewy noodles. Aside from being expensive, there was nothing wrong with them.

Stella planned to get some for home too. They'd be perfect for hot pot.

While eating and chatting, Evan started the conversation again, "How's the neighborhood recently? They haven't been giving you trouble, have they?"

"Thanks for your concern, Evan." Stella's voice was full of gratitude, "Ever since you came over, those people have calmed down a lot. They haven't dared to give us any trouble."

Who? Cody and Lukas were a bit confused. They wondered who bullied Stella.

They didn't hear wrong, did they? Stella was always the one doing the bullying, who would dare to mess with her?

Their surprise was genuine, but they didn't ask in front of Evan. Especially Cody, he nudged Lukas under the table, signaling that something was off and they needed to be on guard. Evan didn't stay long. After tasting the food he got up to leave, "I have to get back to the police station. You guys enjoy your meal, I'll take my leave."

Cody rose to his feet, escorting Evan to the door. Returning to their seats, Cody and Lukas immediately asked Stella, "What's going on?"

Stella didn't hide anything. She told them about the harassment she had been receiving from the wealthy residents.

Lukas was speechless, "The bandits outside love to rob the rich, and countless people die every day. These rich people still think they're better than everyone else."

Cody scoffed, "People like that should stay inside. Otherwise, they'll get chopped into minced meat."

Stella, having had her fill, almost wanted to light up a cigarette, "I put them in their place a few times, and they've been behaving themselves lately."

There was still a fair amount of beer left, so the three of them continued to chat, sharing their experiences.

In the middle of their conversation, Cody suddenly leaned in, "Stella, could you help me find some medicine?"

"What kind?" Drugs were becoming more and more difficult to come by.

"Uh, you know, for that."

That? What was that?

Stella glanced at him and quickly realized what he was talking about, showing a sympathetic look, "Sorry, I don't have any of that. Just eat more oysters, it'll do the trick." Cody nearly choked, "What are you talking about?"

Lukas was straightforward, "Birth control pills."

Well, just say it directly then, and don't beat around the bush. She thought it was something special.

"Stella, can you help Cody out?" Lukas felt sorry for his friend, "He and Kitty haven't been together long, and Angela had a miscarriage due to poor care. He was scared by the pain she suffered."

The physical relationship between a man and a woman was a natural part of life, but without protection, it could easily lead to fatal consequences. Lukas and Angela had been living together for several years, but Cody was still new at this, constantly repressing his desires. Not only Cody, but ever since Angela had her miscarriage, Lukas had also abstained from any physical intimacy. It felt like there were tons of dynamite buried in his body. Day by day, it was surprisingly agonizing.

Stella was different. Just by looking at her, it was clear she was not lacking in that department.

Ah, truly brothers in distress. Stella couldn't help but laugh, albeit a bit unkind.

The two men were frustrated. Stella just didn't understand their pain.

"Is that all? I thought the sky was falling." Stella agreed without hesitation, "Alright, I'll take care of it for you."

There might not be a lot of other things, but there were plenty of contraceptives, thanks to that Chairman's generous gift.

The two men were overjoyed, especially Lukas, who was afraid he wouldn't get any, reminded her, "I want some too."

There was no choice, it was a natural part of being an adult, and besides, Angela was almost recovered.

After a while, Lukas got up to pay the bill, only to be told by the cashier that Evan had already paid.

Stella was a bit surprised, but remembering what Jasper had said, she wasn't too shocked.

After saying goodbye, Stella rode her bike home.

Not long after they left, the walkie-talkie in Stella's bag suddenly rang. "Stella, are you still with Cody and Lukas?" Angela's voice was filled with urgency, "I'm with Kitty. We're hurt, on the west side of town near Liberty Street. Can you get them to come quick?" "Wait, what happened?"

"We've been attacked."

Stella immediately whipped her bike around, "There's a police station on the west side. Try to get in touch with them. I'm going with Cody and Lukas now."

Angela blurted out their exact location, "No, don't bother the police, just come."

Stella hit the gas, quickly catching up to Cody and Lukas, "Angela and Kitty are in trouble."

Their expressions changed suddenly, and they ran frantically from behind.