The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 209

Chapter 209

Chapter 209

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The gift might’ve been simple, but the thought behind it mattered. Nicole wanted Hughie’s group to have

a proper meal, and now, she didn’t even need an excuse.

“I’ve still got some frozen fish. How about grilled fish?”

There was also roasted pork belly, and she could throw together a spicy rabbit dish, too.

Grilled fish?

All three of them immediately started drooling. “Sounds perfect!”

Jeremy looked at her with envy. “Nicole, your supplies are seriously stacked.”

Nicole shot him a look. “Well, obviously. While you guys were drinking and eating meat, Cola and I were scraping by on scraps. I don’t even eat this stuff most days.”

“Woof!”

Cola looked deeply wronged. He ate that stuff every day and felt like he was wasting away.

Hughie raised his hands in protest. “Hey, come on, we never hid meat from you.”

Nicole smiled faintly. They had practically grown up together. There was no way she didn’t know them inside out. “You sure you weren’t sneaking drinks?”

Both of them stiffened. “No. We swear!”

They were men. When things got tough, what was wrong with having a drink? They just didn’t dare overdo it. A few sips at a time, maybe some jerky on the side. 1

Hughie, desperate to survive this interrogation, grabbed Beatrice and kissed her. “Honey, I swear. You’ve got to trust me.”

Nicole, who had just been dragged out of bed and was now watching this, felt her patience run thin. “If you’re going to act all lovey-dovey, take it inside. This is a shared space. Think about the single people here.”

Jeremy looked like he was about to cry.

Finally, someone said it!

The noise at the door carried down the hall, and the door to Zeph’s apartment opened. He stepped out.

Hughie greeted him right away. “Zeph, it’s Nicole’s birthday today. Come by for lunch.”

Zeph looked mildly surprised, then glanced at Nicole. “It’s your birthday?”

“Yeah.” Nicole nodded. “What do you and Poppy want to eat? I’m cooking today.”

“I’m good with anything.” Zeph wasn’t picky. “You cook well. Whatever you make is fine.”

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Chaplie 209

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The other three immediately exchanged looks.

Sure, Zeph was a disaster in the kitchen, but that didn’t stop him from having high standards. Jeremy’s crossbow skills were top-notch, and he had never once gotten a compliment.

Nicole hadn’t even started cooking yet, and Zeph was already praising her.

The double standard was obvious.

Well, that was how it went. Guys competed, girls got the praise.

Nicole felt a little embarrassed. “I mean, I’m decent. As long as you’re not picky.”

Picky? In times like this, having something to eat at all was already a blessing.

She went back inside to get everything ready.

She picked out a grass carp weighing around seven or eight pounds from her storage space. The rabbit was from a domestic breed, and she cut about four pounds of pork belly. 1

Her unit was only a two-bedroom, cramped with barely any room to move around. She usually avoided letting the others inside, using the excuse that raising rabbits made the place smell.

Nicole cleaned the fish, cut the meat, and got everything prepped. Since she didn’t have seasoning specifically for grilled fish, she improvised with some of the stew seasoning. 1

With everything ready, she stepped out and ran into Zeph and Poppy. He took the items from her hands and handed her a box in return.

“Happy birthday.”

Inside was a box of finely packaged chocolates.

There was no refusing a birthday gift. Nicole accepted it. “Thanks.”

She put the chocolates away, then headed to Hughie’s place to start cooking. 1

Jeremy and Hughie moved the stove out to the balcony to grill the fish. Zeph followed Nicole into the

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