The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 159

Chapter 159

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To be blunt, Zeph’s shoulder injury was just soft tissue damage. It wasn’t like he couldn’t move at all. He just couldn’t lift heavy things or make big movements. Day-to-day life wasn’t really affected.

If someone helped you and then leveraged it, they usually wanted something in return. Plus, whatever they wanted probably wasn’t just basic supplies.

Nicole couldn’t help it. Years of struggling through the apocalypse had changed her. Even with a second chance, her mindset didn’t reset. She looked at everyone with suspicion.

Especially with the secret of her storage space, she couldn’t afford to gamble.

Still, the way Zeph handled things made her see him in a different light.

Gabrielle came knocking again, her expression caught between relief and worry.

Derek and Victor, both technical researchers, passed their interviews easily and got jobs. Their pay was 15 pounds of rice or flour a month.

Lydia was a teacher. She didn’t qualify for technical positions, but she managed to get hired for the lowest-tier job: corpse collection. It sounded grim, and the pay was low, but people lined up for it anyway.

Five pounds of grain a month wasn’t much, but it came with one meal during the workday. It wouldn’t leave you stuffed, but for manual labor, getting about 70% full was enough. There were also a few extra

benefits.

The rejection rate was high. Lydia’s chances weren’t great, but Gabrielle knew how to play the game. She had Lydia quietly slip two pounds of wild arrowroot flour to the interviewer, and that sealed it.

“Nicole, if any of you want to try for a job, I can ask Lydia to take you along,” Gabrielle offered.

She worried these young people were too stubborn, unwilling to pull strings or give gifts. But a job meant survival. This wasn’t the time for pride.

Unfortunately, the 18th floor had no interest in working. Still, they appreciated her concern.

If Gabrielle had come all this way in the cold, it wasn’t just for that.

Sure enough, her expression darkened.

“Those people collecting protection rations have already reached Building 8. They’ll be here soon. What are you going to do?”

Food was life. Who would willingly hand that over?

Gabrielle might be old, but that didn’t mean she wanted to die. If there was a chance to live, no one would choose death.

Even if she didn’t care about herself, she had a family to think about.

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Chapter 159

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And greed only grew.

They charged three pounds per person now. If they managed to collect it smoothly, soon, it would be five.

Gabrielle had lived through famine before. She had seen what these kinds of people were capable of. They wouldn’t stop until they squeezed every last drop out of you.

Once you gave in, it would never end. It would only get worse.

But the Goodmans were all scholars; not a single one of them could fight. They wouldn’t stand a chance. Even if they risked their lives, they probably wouldn’t be able to do a thing to them.

That was why she swallowed her pride and came to the 18th floor.

Nicole understood exactly what Gabrielle was asking, but she didn’t answer right away. “This is a big complex. If everyone worked together and rushed them, wouldn’t that be enough?”

Gabrielle sighed. “Those people know how to play it. They deal with leaders like Oliver first, throw them some benefits, and just like that, they turn into accomplices.”

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