The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The man’s assault boat was loaded down with supplies.

These days, the more you had, the more dangerous it was.

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While visibility was still poor, Nicole slipped her hand behind her back and pulled two backpacks out of her storage space. Then, she paddled straight toward him.

Judging by the build and height, it could only be Zeph. Even though he was wearing a raincoat and a mask, she recognized him instantly.

No wonder Poppy looked so well-fed. As it turned out, he had been running shopping trips nonstop.

Since they were doing the same thing, there was no reason to feel awkward.

Zeph recognized Nicole, too, mask and all. In the pouring rain, he gave her a brief nod.

After securing his assault boat, he reached out to help.

Nicole didn’t hesitate. She handed over the two waterproof backpacks, let him pull her up, then quietly stowed her inflatable boat.

No one spoke. They carried and slung bags over their shoulders, moving lightly up the stairs.

Zeph had a lot of supplies and would probably need several trips. Nicole casually took two more bags to help.

Back on the 18th floor, they exchanged a glance, turned away at the same time, and pulled out their keys to open their doors quietly.

After dumping her things, Nicole drank a bowl of hot ginger tea, changed out of her wet clothes, showered fast,

and dried her hair.

Dawn was creeping in. Zeph had finished moving his supplies.

Nicole wiped the water off the hallway floor, then knocked on Beatrice’s door.

Beatrice and Hughie came out holding knives, thinking someone was breaking in.

Nicole gave them 400 dollars and lowered her voice.

“The typhoon’s stopped. You should head out quietly while it’s still early. Don’t let anyone notice. There’s a four- story supermarket up the slope near the university district. It’s on higher ground, so it probably isn’t fully flooded

yet.

“I remember the owner’s family lives upstairs. There’s a chance they’ll open. Don’t worry about prices. Buy food that keeps you full and lasts.”

She had taken a detour on the way back earlier and seen the lights on from a distance, with several assault boats parked outside.

This disaster had come without warning. Supermarkets and wholesale markets were flooded, and even the city’s grain reserves might be underwater.

Most of the food supply was submerged. Even if the authorities wanted to help, there was nothing to distribute.

So there was no real aid.

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Chapter 26

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Chaos would come fast. There would be smashing, looting, and fighting, all for a chance to stay alive one more day.

Nicole remembered it clearly from her last life. The government eventually took over that supermarket and opened it early with purchase limits. It was cash only, on a first-come, first-served basis.

In a world used to digital payments, who still carried cash? And who thought to withdraw money before a typhoon?

People without cash, but desperate to live, turned to violence.

The police had guns, but who would they shoot? With so many starving people, who deserved the bullets?

No one wanted to become a criminal. But money was just numbers trapped in banks and apps, useless when you couldn’t access it.

Nicole had gotten the news late. By the afternoon, she had swum there holding a plastic barrel. Everything was gone. The floors and walls were streaked with blood.

Beatrice snapped back to reality. “The supermarket might really be open?”

“I can’t be sure,” Nicole said. “But it beats waiting around. Go early. Once people wake up and realize what’s happening, there won’t be anything left for you.”

Beatrice jolted into action. She and Hughie rushed back to change and came right out again.

“Let’s go together,” Beatrice suggested.

“I still have a bag of rice at home,” Nicole said, already prepared with an excuse. “And if we all leave, what if someone breaks in? You spend the money. If you buy a lot, just share some with me.”

Beatrice nodded. “Right. We’ll be quick.”

She was flustered. Nicole had already given her money. How could she ask her to go out, too?

“I’ll pay you back,” Beatrice said. “If we get supplies, we split them evenly.”

“Bring something for self-defense. Be careful.”

Daylight was coming fast. Nicole hurried them downstairs.

She had done her part. How much they could get now depended on luck.

After locking her door, Nicole didn’t rest. She immediately started reorganizing her overflowing storage space.

The solar battery units stayed inside. The other components were moved into the larger bedroom of the rental apartment.

She dumped out piles of supermarket loot, stripped away bulky packaging, and sorted everything into heavy-duty bags or sealed boxes.

Critical supplies went into storage. Snacks and non-essentials stayed in the apartment, freeing up dozens more cubic feet.

Nicole turned into a compression machine, fully focused as she reorganized more than 3,000 cubic feet of precious supplies.

She didn’t know how long she would live. This was enough to last her a normal lifetime, but who knew what would come next?

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Chapter 28

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If you had the means, who wouldn’t want to live better, eat better, enjoy more?

Planning ahead was never wrong.

She didn’t even spare the RV. After sorting a batch of essentials, she filled its internal storage, too.

Time flew. By a little after nine, the noise downstairs grew noticeably louder.

The typhoon was gone, but the rain had intensified.

With the immediate danger reduced, young people who could swim poured out in every way imaginable. Some hugged buckets or basins. Some wore life rings. Others clung to wooden boards.

Westbridge sat in the south, a land of rivers and fish ponds. Even with decades of industrial growth, the outskirts were still crisscrossed with waterways. Many villagers owned wooden boats.

Some paddled into the complex searching for family they hadn’t heard from in days. Others dragged out old rowing shells from community centers, banding together to search for survivors and supplies.

Inflatable rafts and assault boats existed, but they were rare. This wasn’t a water city. Who stocked things like that at home?

Nicole watched the complex from her balcony, keeping track of time, scanning for Beatrice and Hughie. About half an hour later, she spotted the familiar color of their inflatable raft. There were supplies piled on it.

She was about to head downstairs when several men swam out from Building 3 and rushed toward the boat.

They moved fast, but Beatrice and Hughie reacted just as quickly. Hughie paddled as if his life depended on it, while Beatrice raised the paddle and swung at their heads.

Nicole grabbed her knife and stepped out. At the same moment, 1801’s door opened.

Zeph stepped out in casual clothes, his expression calm as ever.

“I’ll go with you.”

So many people had their eyes on the 18th floor. They both understood what it meant to stand together.

Nicole didn’t refuse. The two of them hurried downstairs.

The water had already reached the fourth floor. The stairwell was packed with people desperate to get out and find a way to live.

As Beatrice’s inflatable boat drew closer, especially with life-saving supplies on board, the crowd’s eyes burned with resentment and anger.

Some even watched eagerly, hoping the two would get robbed.

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