The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 174

Chapter 174

Nicole ignored the people on the 16th floor. Her gaze dropped to a round stainless steel piece on the floor. It must have fallen off one of the bodies. It looked like an access token for Liora Estates.

Hughie and Jeremy had thought it was useless and hadn’t taken it.

Nicole crouched and picked it up. It looked like a backpack charm, probably mass produced somewhere

and handed out to members.

Back upstairs, Beatrice opened the door the second she heard movement. She froze for a moment when she saw the two of them return together. “Why are you so late? Did you find anything?”

Since Zeph didn’t say anything, Nicole nodded. “I hadn’t gone far when I saw a group collecting protection rations. I followed them and watched where they went. They headed into Liora Estates.”

Beatrice’s eyes widened. “You’re saying their base is inside that complex?”

Liora Estates was huge, with over 20 residential buildings alone. How many people could be inside? Had the group formed from residents, or had it been taken over by outside criminals?

If it was taken over, were the original residents even still alive?

They weren’t just collecting rations. They used scavenging as an excuse to break into survivors’ homes and take whatever they wanted.

That was exactly why the 18th floor had been targeted.

Jeremy and Hughie felt their heads buzz. They had thought they were dealing with a few dozen people at

most.

Now…

There were only five fighters on the eighteenth floor. Against that kind of number, they wouldn’t stand a

chance.

Without thinking, they both looked at Nicole and Zeph. “So what do we do now?”

What could they do? Worst case, they were finished.

Nicole played it off, turning to look at Zeph instead.

With everyone’s attention on him, Zeph thought for a moment. “Don’t rush into anything. I’ll go take a look

tomorrow.”

No one on the 18th floor slept that night. The 17th floor was even more on edge.

Lydia came back shaken, her voice unsteady. “When I got back earlier, I almost stepped on a body on the 16th floor. The door downstairs is broken, too. What happened?”

She had been afraid something had happened at home. Thankfully, her mother-in-law was safe.

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Chapter 174

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They had gotten through the day, but Gabrielle was still shaken. She let out a long sigh. “Something big happened.”

After hearing everything, Lydia was stunned.

“Has Nelson lost his mind?! We agreed to face things together. Instead, he hid and then stabbed Nicole in the back? And that family in 1702… We’ve really misjudged them. What do we do now?”

Lydia couldn’t hide her worry. Derek and Victor were both at their work unit. At home, it was just her and Gabrielle. If the 18th floor decided not to protect them, what would they do?

Two bad apples had ruined everything.

“Worrying won’t help,” Gabrielle said quietly. “You’ve had a long day. Get some rest. We’ll figure it out

tomorrow.”

Gabrielle didn’t sleep. After making sure Lydia was asleep, she quietly went to the kitchen and heated a pot of water.

She stepped out and poured it along the gap of 1702’s door. In the freezing cold, the water turned to ice almost instantly. 2

Gabrielle stood in the hallway, letting out a long breath in the dark.

Her life didn’t matter anymore, but she couldn’t leave danger behind for the younger ones.

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