18 Floors Above the Apocalypse

The herbs that Jasper and his team were sent to look for were likely rare, or on the brink of extinction due to natural disasters. Stella, always one to prepare ahead, looked at him with an urgency that couldn't be ignored, but Jasper remained silent.

He...he'd forgotten.

The names of the herbs weren't easy to remember. Especially with a professor leading the team, they were merely carrying out the escort mission at that time. Ten years had passed, a lot of things had faded from his memory, let alone the rare herbs.

"I can't remember the names, but I think I'd recognize them if I saw them."

What could Stella say to that? Thanks a bunch!

Oh well, she'd just cross that bridge when she got there.

She had hoarded air filters and face masks. With some nourishing food and drink to support her lungs and liver, she should be able to endure through it. "Did you get sick back then?"

Jasper nodded. "I had a good constitution. I got infected later. I held on for two months before the medicine arrived."

Stella felt a chill down her spine. "Did you cough up lung matter?"

Afraid to scare her, Jasper thought for a moment. "No."

...

The heatwave was ending, temperatures dropping day by day.

When the temperature dropped to 45 degrees, Stella finally felt a sense of happiness and relaxation.

Rosie and Cooper felt the same, their spirits lifted, no longer drenched in sweat all day.

The refugee camp moved away. Some went to work in the agricultural institute, rebuilding and replanting. The rest went to Hope Bay to join the rebuilding project.

Although they lived in temporary shelters, they received a monthly wage and bonus points. It was tough, the wages weren't much, but rebuilding meant hope, a new light at the end of the tunnel. With the refugees gone, Eastwood Eden finally breathed a sigh of relief.

As the temperature gradually dropped, they, who had experienced the 60 degree heat, felt comfortably cool at 45 degrees and took the opportunity to farm vigorously.

Who knows what other disasters were waiting for them? They could only try their best to hoard food.

...

After much thought, Mark approached Jasper.

"Jasper, both you and Stella are capable people. Many residents in the community are facing problems that I've been unable to solve. Do you have any solutions?" Jasper replied politely, "What is it?"

"Ever since the ocean was infected with the ancient virus, no one dares to eat seafood. But salt is a necessity."

Mark explained, "We sweat a lot in the extreme heat, so we consume a lot of salt. Many families in the community are running out."

A lack of salt made food tasteless, but the main issue was the physical discomfort. Symptoms included fatigue, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and decreased urination. In severe cases, it could lead to shock.

But unscrupulous merchants, knowing that the government advised against consuming contaminated sea salt, immediately hoarded their stock, refusing to sell. The market price had risen to 10 pounds of grain for 1 pound of salt.

It was expensive, but a pound of salt could last a long time if used sparingly. People could still afford it if they tightened their belts. However, the merchants were selling in bulk, hoarding the rest to increase the price. Mark had approached several second-hand dealers, negotiating to buy a batch of salt, but was ruthlessly rejected.

One dealer was willing, but requested 30 pounds of sweet potatoes for 1 pound of salt.

Eastwood Eden had harvested a batch of sweet potatoes, but due to drought and high temperatures, the yield wasn't good. It wouldn't last until the next harvest, let alone exchange for salt.

So, Mark wanted to ask if Jasper had any ways to get salt.

Jasper thought for a moment. "I do know a couple of second-hand dealers, but I'm not sure if they sell salt. I'll ask and get back to you."

"Okay, thanks." Mark thanked him profusely, then added, "If they don't have salt, could you ask if they have any seeds?"

The temperature was dropping, and sweet potatoes took a long time to grow. If they could get some vegetable seeds or anything else, it might solve the hunger problem.

Jasper only promised to ask, not guaranteeing success. Even so, it relieved Mark's worry.

Back at 401, Jasper told Stella about Mark's request for salt. "I didn't promise him anything. I wanted to see if you could do the trade. If not, I'll let him know."

Both of them had hoarded several thousand pounds of sea salt, but Arcadia was Stella's. He couldn't make the decision on his own.

Stella pondered for a moment. "How much does he want?"

"There are over a hundred people in Eastwood Eden. Even if everyone wanted some, a few pounds each would be plenty. Any more than that would raise suspicions."

They had hoarded their own supply, as well as the one that they collected along the way. Arcadia had several tons of refined salt, so the sea salt would eventually have to be traded.

But the residents of Eastwood Eden had nothing that Stella wanted.

However, the government had also planned ahead, hoarding a lot of salt and seafood before the tsunami. The wealthy would never lack money if they had the means. So, sea salt only had value to poorer people.

A few hundred pounds of salt was a drop in the bucket for Stella. It was impossible for her to give it away for free, but how much grain to exchange it for was a question.

Requesting oo much grain and they'd feel reluctant. Too little and aside from whether it was worth it, it would also raise suspicions.

Getting it too easily would only lead to frequent requests in the future.

The salt belonged to both of them, so Stella asked, "How much grain do you think we should exchange for a pound of salt?"

"The market price is 10 pounds of grain for a pound of salt, but the dealers are selling sparingly," Jasper considered. "How about we set the price at 10 pounds of grain, and let Mark decide how much they need? Our bottom line is no more than 3 pounds per person." Stella thought it was reasonable and agreed. As for seeds, she could provide those too. She'd give 5 pounds of corn seeds, and for vegetable seeds, 1 pound perhaps?

The Garden had grown a lot of vegetables. What they couldn't eat was allowed to flower and seed. After two years, they had quite a stash.

The second generation vegetables might not be as good as the original, but having any at all in the apocalypse was good enough. Besides, seeds like eggplants, gourds, pumpkins, etc. were definitely fine.

Seeds were a scarce resource, but Stella decided to give them away. Not for their sweet potatoes, but out of respect for people like Mark who remained steadfast in the apocalypse.

She couldn't do it, but she admired them. It was because of him that this Eden existed. Even if they moved away in the future, she hoped they'd be okay.

However, giving it away without raising suspicions was the real challenge.

The next day, they went out for a spin and brought back a pound of salt for Mark. "This is from their previous stock. You can try it first. If it's okay then we'll talk."

Mark felt somewhat embarrassed. "Alright, thanks for your help."

Stella was a tad curious. "Mark," she began, "This person has a long-standing bond with Jasper, and they've always been trustworthy in business. They claim that these goods were stockpiled before the outbreak, but there's no way to verify that. If there's a problem, we can't afford the fallout. How do you plan to verify the goods?"

Mark, on the other hand, seemed unperturbed. "The virus is usually sensitive to high temperatures," he explained. "I'll boil the salt in hot water for a couple of hours, or use an iron pan to fry the salt. That should do it. You guys have gone out of your way to broker this deal, and I absolutely won't hold you responsible if anything goes awry."

He was, of course, referring to the salt and not the potentially mutated seafood.

That was his plan. Using salt might not be a foolproof solution, but in the post-apocalyptic world, simply surviving was a risk in itself.