The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 161

Chapter 161

As Oliver spoke, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

The crowd erupted in anger. Other buildings only had to pay three pounds, so why were they being charged six?

But seeing Oliver take the beating for them, all that anger got stuck in their throats.

Still, it didn’t sit right.

Someone finally shouted, “Fine, we’ll hand over food, but make the people on the 18th floor pay first!”

The others froze for a second, then quickly backed him up. “Yeah! If they pay, we’ll pay, too. Not a pound less!”

“And the 17th floor, too! They’ve got plenty of food stashed away. If you’ve got the nerve, make them hand it over instead of picking on people like us!”

The words spread like wildfire. The whole crowd grew louder, more agitated.

The leader frowned. It was clear that if they didn’t break the 17th and 18th floors today, there was no way

this would end.

That worked out fine. They had come for the 18th floor, anyway. Once those people were crushed, no one else would dare resist.

With Oliver leading the way, the group swaggered upstairs to collect their protection rations, while the more reckless survivors trailed behind, watching with barely hidden excitement.

No matter who won, it would vent their frustration. If both sides got hurt, even better!

Before long, the stairwell door on the 16th floor was slammed over and over again.

Nicole and the others stood by the stairs, hearing everything. They had nothing to say about the idiots downstairs.

Since they were already here, they might as well meet them.

Fully armed, the group headed down. Cola eagerly volunteered to take point in the formation.

Poppy, locked in the room again, felt helpless.

By the time they reached the 17th floor, the Goodmans were already waiting at the stairwell, gripping baseball bats in their hands.

They looked tense, even scared, but they didn’t back down.

Nicole frowned. “Where are they?”

She meant 1702 and 1703. Why hadn’t they come out?

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Gabrielle looked awkward. “We knocked, but no one answered. They’re probably out looking for supplies.”

That was what she said, but anyone with half a brain knew what was really going on.

The 18th-floor group hadn’t been counting on them anyway, so they kept moving down. It was the same formation and order, the only difference now was that the Goodmans were tagging along at the rear.

One door after another opened.

A long-legged girl stepped out, a finely crafted blade catching the light in her hand. Her eyes were calm and cold, set against a pale, striking face.

For a split second, the gun-wielding leader lost focus, as if some dramatic soundtrack had suddenly started playing in his head.

In this disaster, most survivors looked half dead. And yet, the girl at the front looked well-fed and polished. That, and the woman standing behind her had thighs thicker than most men’s. He wondered how much she had to eat to build a body like that.

And then there was the pretty boy with the spiked club. His face was smoother than any woman’s. Their boss had been bored lately, looking for something new. Dragging that one back would definitely keep

him entertained.

It seemed like the 18th floor had some real prizes tucked away. They were taking it all today.

The leader raised his gun, aiming straight at Nicole through the railing.

“You’re from the 17th and 18th floors, right? This whole complex belongs to us now. Starting today, each of you will hand over 100 pounds of food every month. In return, we’ll keep you safe. If you don’t…”

He smirked, tapping the gun.

“Maybe this’ll change your mind.”

A hundred pounds a month?

The survivors’ eyes widened in shock. They smirked to themselves, convinced the eighteenth floor had it coming for hoarding their food before.

Now, it was their turn to get steamrolled!

Somehow, they seemed to think that 100 pounds would somehow end up in their own hands. They never stopped to think what would happen when someone couldn’t even scrape together three.

Still, as long as the 18th floor suffered, they felt satisfied.

Nicole didn’t respond right away. She turned to look at Zeph instead.

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