The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 300

Chapter 300

“Out for a walk. Just passing through.” Nicole got straight to the point. “How much for the seawater?”

“Nothing.”

Nicole blinked, caught off guard for a second.

Weasel grinned, his face carrying that constant half-smile he wore around everyone. “You’re my best customer. I’ll give it to you for free.”

Seawater itself wasn’t worth much to begin with. Selling it to strangers turned a profit, but selling it to her was different. He would rather do her a favor and earn some goodwill.

Nicole didn’t smile back. “I’m serious. How much?”

Weasel studied her briefly. She didn’t look like someone struggling for water, so he answered honestly,” One bucket for half a pound of rice. If you’re trading potatoes or sweet potatoes, one pound gets you a

bucket. Other supplies work, too.”

Nicole widened her eyes on purpose. “Why don’t you just rob people outright?”

Weasel immediately looked offended.

“Come on! Don’t say that like it’s easy money. We drive over 40 miles to the Grayport coast just to haul water back. Trucks burn fuel. There are toll collectors along the way, too. We earn every bit of this the hard way. Go ask around if you don’t believe me! Our prices are already the fairest out there. Other sellers charge at least double.”

Nicole smacked his shoulder lightly. “Look at you, acting all wronged.”

Then she walked off.

Weasel instantly grew nervous. Nicole wouldn’t be planning to steal his business, right?

Nicole and Zeph continued toward Liberty Square on foot.

Along the way, they passed several groups carrying pots, bowls, backpacks, and bundles of belongings. They walked slowly, expressions numb with exhaustion.

Westbridge technically counted as a coastal city, but it didn’t actually border the sea. Instead, it sat between Grayport and Ashmont in a triangular region, both coastlines roughly an hour away.

Judging by the direction those people traveled, they weren’t heading toward the bases.

They were heading for the ocean, trying to survive by the coast.

Weasel’s earlier comment reminded Nicole that even reaching the shoreline wasn’t easy. Plenty of people along the roads charged “toll fees.”

Thinking back on her previous life, Nicole felt the old bitterness creep up again. Surviving had been

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miserable. Just staying alive had taken everything she had.

This time, at least, she had the storage space. She was no longer surviving alone, either.

Night settled in gradually. Zeph held Nicole’s hand while using a flashlight to guide them toward the market plaza.

After months of brutal heat, the market still had plenty of people, but the atmosphere felt noticeably quieter than before.

Some had died. Some had fled. Many of the remaining working-class survivors spent every waking hour laboring just to stay alive.

Silence came naturally after that.

Other than food, water remained the most valuable thing in circulation.

A starving person could survive about a week. Without water, maybe three days. Almost nobody wanted to trade it away.

Bottled water and soda still appeared occasionally, but those only lasted a few gulps. They solved

nothing long-term.

The two of them circled the market once without finding anyone selling antiques, paintings, or anything

similar.

Instead, they witnessed several people snatching water and running.

One thief sprinted while chugging the stolen bottle at the same time. By the time the furious stall owner caught him, every drop was already gone. Even beating him wouldn’t make the water come back up.

Nicole finally realized small-scale trading wouldn’t work. The people she needed weren’t down here among ordinary survivors.

She needed to find people with real inventory.

Since they found nothing useful and were still worried about the little ones left behind, Nicole and Zeph stopped wasting time and took a shortcut home.

The shortcut carried risks. It passed through quieter streets with fewer people around. Zeph kept hold of Nicole’s hand while staying alert the entire way.

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