The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 249

Chapter 249

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Nicole didn’t forget to add more compound fertilizer, hoping the extra nutrients would help the potatoes grow faster.

They also extended the supplemental lighting as much as possible, keeping the lamps on longer every day.

One morning, about a month into the growth cycle, Zeph suddenly spoke up.

“The temperature’s rising.”

That fast?

According to the timeline, there should still have been another month left.

“What’s it at now?”

“Negative 92.”

The deep freeze had stayed locked at -98 degrees for months without changing. Now, the temperature had suddenly risen 6 degrees.

Did that mean the deep freeze was finally ending?

Back in her previous life, Nicole hadn’t even owned a thermometer. She had wrapped herself in every blanket and layer she could find and still felt cold down to her bones. Frostbite and rashes had flared across her skin again and again.

She honestly couldn’t tell whether the temperature had risen back then, but she did remember one thing clearly.

The weather had seemed to warm slightly for a few days, and then overnight, the ice began melting while temperatures skyrocketed without warning.

Zeph had participated in the rescue operations throughout the entire disaster, so his memory was

clearer.

“The temperature did rise gradually,” he explained. “It’s just that survivors without proper heating couldn’t really feel the difference. Later, it suddenly spiked.”

From then on, the two of them began recording temperatures every day. And the numbers were definitely climbing.

To prepare for the coming extreme heat, Nicole immediately started making ice.

When she had bought induction cookers before, they had come with several soup pots, buckets, washbasins, and other containers. She cleaned all of them thoroughly, filled them with water inside the storage space, and then carried them into the living room.

At 70-something degrees, the water froze into solid blocks almost instantly.

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There weren’t enough containers at home, so she casually borrowed the ones from Zeph’s apartment,

too.

Large blocks could help cool rooms later, while smaller ones could be used for drinks.

Nicole hadn’t enjoyed iced coffee or ice-cold cola in so long that just thinking about it nearly made her drool.

Zeph helped her move the ice around. “You’re just like Poppy. Greedy for snacks

Nicole laughed. “Girls are supposed to be greedy. What’s the point of surviving if you can’t satisfy your cravings?” 1

After several months together, their relationship had gradually settled into something comfortable, and Nicole’s personality had softened noticeably.

“Besides,” she continued, “Cola’s even greedier than we are. The weird one is you. You don’t seem interested in anything.”

“Who says I’m not?”

That caught Nicole’s attention immediately. “Then what are you interested in?”

He never cared much about food, clothes, or comfort. No matter the situation, he always seemed calm

and detached.

Zeph looked at her, the corner of his lips lifting slightly. “You.”

Nicole froze for half a second, then her face slowly turned red.

Finally, she grabbed a chunk of ice and threw it at him. “Cut it out.”

They spent two weeks making ice, eventually storing enough to last several years, and by then, the temperature had already risen to around -58 degrees.

Nicole still refused to relax.

She went through another full checklist of supplies needed for the coming heatwave, including water purification tablets, electric fans, portable air coolers, mosquito repellent, bug spray, disinfectant spray, and other basic supplies.

Most of the things she had prepared already existed in Zeph’s stockpile as well, enough to cover basic survival needs. Even so, the two of them still sat down together to discuss what they might be missing.

Anything they lacked had to be acquired before the deep freeze ended.

Zeph spoke first

We should trade for stainless steel mesh screens and reinforce the balcony gaps. Otherwise, cockroaches, snakes, rats, and everything else will climb in

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They would need several layers, too. The red-eyed rats had terrifyingly sharp teeth.

The moment Nicole imagined another insect plague, goosebumps spread across her skin. The mental image alone was horrifying enough.

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