18 Floors Above the Apocalypse novel Chapter 132

As a trainer, handling dogs was a walk in the park for Jasper, but he chose to be patient instead.

Stella couldn't help but laugh as she called Cooper to come home. "Come on, Cooper. Time to go."

As she reached the door, Cooper gave one last intimidating glance towards Jasper.

Jasper, who had been on the receiving end of Cooper's threats, sighed in exasperation.

The residents of apartment 1803 returned, carrying their beddings. The 18th floor was lively once again.

Stella had brought over 30 pounds of winter potatoes.

The generous trio didn't take it for free, though. Angela returned the favor by giving Stella 10 pounds of dog food. "Stella, are we having meat tomorrow?"

Stella had a balanced diet of meat and vegetables, but she kept this to herself.

"Sure, what would you guys like to have?"

"Anything would do as long as it has meat."

Cody brought home a few frozen sausages, planning to let Jasper take over the cooking.

Jasper surprised everyone. "Tomorrow, Stella and I will treat you all to a meal."

Angela was taken aback, but Lukas was quick to respond, grinning mischievously. "Great, we've been looking forward to this."

After saying this, he shot meaningful glances at Stella and Jasper.

Stella frowned at his impure intentions. Well, why not? They had been together for a while, and it was better to admit their relationship themselves than to be discovered by others.

What would happen in the future? Who knew? They would just take one step at a time.

Just as she was about to leave, Lukas found an excuse to keep her, and had Jasper leave. "So, how far have you guys gone?"

Stella was speechless. Did Lukas really think everyone was as casual as him?

Angela gave him a light kick.

"Honey." Lukas affectionately embraced Angela.

Angela found him annoying. "Stella, you have much better taste in men than I do."

As a friend, she genuinely wished Stella well. She was glad Stella had found a good guy like Jasper.

"Honey, are you annoyed with me?"

"Yes, I was blind when I chose you."

Another round of sweet bickering began, and Stella made a quick exit, leaving a helpless Cody behind.

The next day, they had a feast. They cooked ribs with winter potatoes, pork trotters stew, and stir-fried sausages with dried cabbage.

Finally, the cat was out of the bag and the people of 1803 no longer had to pretend.

Jasper nodded approvingly. "Stella is wonderful. I consider myself lucky to have met her."

Stella nudged him secretly. Stop showing off. They said couples who were overly affectionate were doomed.

Jasper smiled and put a piece of pork trotter in her bowl.

Cooper immediately came over. Jasper was a master at dealing with people and dogs, and he gave Cooper two pieces.

After a month of close monitoring, Cooper started to lower his guard towards Jasper, as he remained consistent and Stella didn't seem to disdain him. Cooper stopped staring at Jasper all the time and started to check up on him occasionally.

Cooper would even play with the little girl, and show her the rabbits.

The temperature finally stopped dropping at -72 degrees and stayed steady for a week.

When it was almost time for the potatoes to be harvested, Stella went out to sell them. Jasper wanted to accompany her, but she refused. It was too cold outside, with their eyebrows freezing instantly. Some people would collapse while walking and never get up again.

Despite wearing a thermal suit and arctic gear, Stella still felt chilly. She covered herself with heating pads, put on windproof goggles, and wrapped herself in several scarves.

Selling individually was too risky, so she went directly to Monkey. He was truly dedicated, still involved in trading even at -72 degrees Fahrenheit.

Jasper walked over. "Are you cold?"

The cold was bone-chilling, and even with a thermal suit, she was shivering. She wondered how the survivors managed to endure the cold.

Jasper took out a hot water bottle from his coat. "There's a charcoal fire upstairs."

Holding the hot water bottle, Stella hunched her neck and headed upstairs. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just came down."

As if she would believe him. Rosie had been chasing Cooper around for who knows how many rounds and was panting heavily.

Rosie was very energetic. "I'm not cold."

Yes, she had been trained by Jasper. Her boxing, crossbow shooting, and posture with a knife or gun were all standard. She was a little powerhouse with a cute face.

When she opened the door to apartment 1801, a wave of warmth greeted her. At that moment, she felt a bit of happiness.

Jasper poured her a cup of hot water, and after drinking it, she felt much better.

After resting for a while, Stella went into the master bedroom and took out the protective suits and boots. Jasper meticulously inspected, taking both acidic and alkaline liquid samples, "All clear."

Dealing with Monkey's crew wasn't new to him, and they had proven to be reliable. Stella looked at him with a newfound respect, "They are planning to deliver the next batch of potatoes, and I've requested gas masks and oxygen tanks."

Jasper didn't object, "These supplies will be hard to gather in the future. Now is the best time to trade for them."

"Was Cooper behaving today?"

"Not bad. He's not as hostile towards me as before."

The old dog seemed to be turning over a new leaf, proving that Jasper indeed had some tricks up his sleeve still.

"And you?" Jasper closed the door, plunging the master bedroom into darkness.

Stella perked up instantly, "What are you up to?"