Apocalyptic World: Surviving with my husband and my cute little babies
Chapter 216: Team Gathering

Chapter 216: Team Gathering

"I heard that you vomited. Are you okay?" Grandpa Caldwell asked, his eyes filled with concern as he looked at Elena.

After hearing about the incident, he had almost rushed into their house, eager to check on her condition himself.

Even though he trusted his grandson to take good care of his wife, the worry still gnawed at him.

But once he heard the full story from his daughter, he finally relaxed and chose to wait for them at the gathering.

’Being a soon-to-be great-grandfather is tough.’

"Grandpa, I’m fine. It was just a small reaction—probably from the seafood earlier," Elena replied, trying to ease his worry.

"Alright, then don’t push yourself too hard. Let your husband handle most of the work. You need to rest as much as you can," Grandpa Caldwell advised gently.

"I’ll listen to Grandpa," she said with a soft smile.

Soon after, the others began entering the space and made their way to Elena’s house to give their reports.

The last to arrive was Jetro, who had just finished a meeting with his team.

Their building had become crowded and full of life, but it also brought problems.

Arguments and criminal activity were increasing, and Jetro had to stay on-site to keep things under control.

Thankfully, the military had stepped in to help—without interfering with his leadership.

When he finally saw them, he greeted everyone calmly, "Hello, sister-in-law. Chief Ethan."

"It’s good to see you, Jetro. Since everyone is here, let’s have a meal first," Ethan replied, starting the feast.

Today’s meal was buffet-style, giving everyone the chance to enjoy a wide variety of dishes.

Elena had arranged it to thank them for all their hard work.

Everyone had been doing their best with the tasks she gave them, and as their leader, she wanted to show her appreciation.

The spread included both Western and Asian dishes, with a sweet dessert table on the side.

The kids lined up excitedly, eating with joy, their faces smudged with chocolate as they giggled and chattered.

Usually, Elena didn’t let them have too many sweets.

She worried that if they got used to it, they might start asking for dessert every day.

So the kids took this chance to eat as much as they could.

"Slow down! No one’s fighting you for the dessert!" Grandma Ford said as she helped wipe the chocolate off their messy faces.

"Hmph, Grandma, I like chocolates," little Mia replied, savoring the sweet taste.

"Alright, but don’t eat too much," Grandma Ford warned gently.

The kids nodded and kept eating happily while the adults chatted casually about their lives before the disaster, enjoying the dishes as if they had returned to peaceful days.

They savored the fresh, flavorful, and truly delicious meals.

But Elena reminded them not to indulge too much.

They should only enjoy this kind of food when they truly crave it, so they can stay used to the simpler meals available outside.

Everyone nodded and took her reminder seriously.

"Aunt Joana, did you ask the military about your husband?" Jessa inquired.

Little Erick had been talking about his father not showing up ever since the disaster happened, and the adults were starting to worry about the boy’s dilemma.

"I did, but the officers who arrived here don’t know anything about my husband," Aunt Joana replied with a sigh, still hoping he was safe somewhere.

"Don’t lose hope. Maybe you’ll see him again soon."

Everyone then consoled her, offering words of encouragement and support.

After the meal, everyone gathered to share their updates.

Grandpa Ford started first, reporting that the Farming Section was doing well—fruits, vegetables, and crops were thriving.

Next, Grandpa Caldwell shared that the Livestock Section had accumulated a large supply of meat.

Aunt Liza then gave an update on the pharmaceutical factory.

She mentioned that they were not only producing medicine but also working on a more advanced version of the Paradise ointment.

Elena listened, amazed by her aunt’s work. Afterwards, she proceeded to share her own update.

"I’ve already built an additional pond. It’s ready to support new marine livestock. Coordinate with Butler Aki to figure out which types are most marketable, and use that as the guide for what we should raise more of," Elena instructed, turning to Ramon, the head of the Eastern Lake sector.

Ramon nodded and proceeded with his report on the water refilling station.

He explained that it was running smoothly, operating 24/7 without any signs of overheating.

Since being integrated into the [Building] function, the entire factory has become more efficient and no longer requires maintenance.

"Oh, [Building] has that function? Well, that’s good news," Elena said with interest.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Then Xander spoke up.

"As for Paradise Homes, I’ve already adopted thirty children," he said.

They then continued their discussion about creating job opportunities for some teenagers to work at Paradise Shop, while assigning others to gather useful information in the surrounding area.

Jetro spoke next, reporting that their branch shop had become stable.

Although a few troublemakers still caused issues, the military’s presence had helped calm things down.

However, they were still short on staff.

"Hire from your side. The residents in your building should be good enough to pack items and handle customer service," Ethan suggested.

"Alright," Jetro replied.

"Are there a lot of orphaned kids in your building?" Ethan asked.

"There are many. I honestly don’t know where to place them."

"If that’s the case, create a branch of Paradise Homes on your side. Talk to Xander for the details."

"Noted."

On Oslo’s side, the main shop was doing well, attracting many customers, and now, it needs more staff.

However, with the kids from Paradise Homes set to help soon, he felt relieved.

Lydia would teach them their tasks later.

"Let them rest for a day to get used to their new home. Oslo and Lydia, you will lead the kids at Paradise Homes," Elena suggested, then assigned Aunt Joana and Mrs. Benette as assistants.

"Okay," the two nodded in agreement.

Elena then shared her plans to build more infrastructure within the space, such as a sugar processor and salt production unit.

The idea caught everyone’s attention.

They continued discussing until late in the evening before deciding to end the meeting and rest.

One by one, everyone left the space.

Inside Grandpa Caldwell’s unit, Ethan prepared the bed and turned the heating devices to maximum to make sure Elena would be warm and comfortable.

Elena smiled as she changed into her sleeping clothes.

"Let’s go to bed. We need to wake up early to bring the supplies to the abandoned building. Did you already tell Xander, or are you going alone, and I’ll just exit to your location later?" Elena asked as she lay down.

"Xander will go. We’ll exit to his location together," Ethan replied, hugging his wife and placing a gentle kiss on her belly.

Elena nodded, and soon, the two of them drifted off to sleep.