The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 213

Chapter 213

The man had once been part of a local art association. Before everything fell apart, he took pride in his work. People used to seek him out for his paintings, and even a single piece never sold for less than thousands of dollars.

Then the disasters hit.

Everything he had once been proud of was suddenly worthless. He couldn’t trade it for even a grain of

rice.

Things at home were already tight. If he didn’t bring food back soon, they wouldn’t even make it to Christmas.

Nicole had plenty of rice and flour in her storage space, but none of it could be replaced. Even though she had planted a small patch of wheat, whether it would grow at all was still uncertain. She wasn’t willing to part with what she had.

“One pound of potatoes?” she offered instead.

Those, at least, were renewable. The next batch was almost ready to harvest anyway.

The man froze for a second, then nodded quickly, relief washing over his face.

He had asked for half a pound of rice or flour, leaving room to bargain. Just yesterday, a customer had talked him down to a fraction of that, then walked away without buying anything.

Nicole pulled four dark-skinned potatoes from her bag. They weighed a little over a pound. Using the painting as cover, she handed them over.

She had frozen them a few days earlier on purpose. Fresh ones would draw too much attention.

The man scratched the skin with his nail and saw how fresh the flesh was underneath. His eyes lit up.

He stuffed them into his pocket without hesitation.

Making money was one thing. Getting food home was what really mattered.

With the painting in hand, Nicole continued browsing.

By coincidence, she ran into the same person who had run the pet clinic before.

The deworming medicine she had would last three or four years, but it still didn’t feel like enough. Cola

was going to be with her for a long time.

The expiration dates looked fine, so she took all of it. She skipped the toys, though.

Cola had gotten smarter and no longer cared for them. He would rather pin a rabbit to the ground and play with that. 1

She did pick out a backpack and a few sharp-looking outfits for pets. Altogether, it was still quite a bit. She paid with three pounds of frozen potatoes.

1/3

+15 Bonus

As she walked, someone bumped into her.

Nicole reacted instantly. She turned, grabbed the man’s wrist, and pressed a dagger against his waist.

“Got a death wish?” she asked, her voice low.

He was a cutpurse. He had a blade hidden between his fingers.

He had probably thought she would be easy to deal with. Even if he got caught, a little intimidation usually worked.

This time, he picked the wrong person.

The man tried to pull free, but Nicole didn’t hold back. She drove her fist straight into his temple.

It wouldn’t kill him, but it was enough. He dropped on the spot, out cold.

Nicole didn’t look back. She kept walking.

No one around reacted. Their faces stayed blank, as if nothing had happened. Most of them were still trying to figure out how to survive. They had no energy left to care about anyone else.

The patrol team arrived soon after. Seeing that the man was still breathing, they tried to revive him, only to find blades, daggers, and even a kitchen knife on him.

They quickly labeled him just another criminal. They took him away to be sent off to Mount Rushburn to

mine coal.

After wandering for a while longer, Nicole was about to head back when a man bundled up in layers approached her.

“Miss, want some meat?”

The voice sounded familiar.

Nicole studied him for a moment. “Weasel?”

He blinked in surprise. “You know me?”

His sharp features were hard to miss. The nickname really fit him.

Nicole pulled down her scarf and mask. “It’s me.”

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