The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 305

Chapter 305

To show good faith, Sven had personally picked every item himself, making sure they were all supposed to be top-quality pieces.

Nicole smiled faintly. “My family’s been into antiques for generations. I know enough not to get fooled easily.”

Sven went quiet for a second. He wasn’t actually an expert himself.

“Then I probably got burned, too,” he said. “I’ll replace it tomorrow.”

All the paintings and antiques had come from trades with wealthy collectors. He hadn’t expected counterfeits mixed in, but if he had misjudged one, then he would take the loss.

Once he got back, he planned to check his records and cut ties with whoever sold it to him.

After the deal wrapped up, Nicole slung the backpack over her shoulder and left with Zeph.

By then, dawn had already started breaking over the horizon. Pale morning light slowly pushed back the darkness as another brutal day began.

If not for the heat and drought, the view actually would’ve been beautiful. The cloudless blue sky glowed red under the rising sun, streaks of light spreading across the horizon.

As they headed back toward the neighborhood, more people started appearing on the streets.

Some were just getting off work and heading home. Others wandered around, searching for food or supplies. And some…were looking for easier targets.

“Help!”

A thin young girl clutched a dead snake she had somehow managed to scavenge, while an equally gaunt man with a knife blocked her path and demanded she hand it over.

It was happening right in the middle of the street with plenty of people nearby, but nobody stepped in.

Most barely even looked. They just hurried past with numb expressions, afraid trouble might land on

them next.

Nicole originally had no intention of interfering. Looking at the girl’s desperate expression, however, she suddenly saw herself from three years ago.

Back then, she had caught a rat, only to have several starving people rush her the moment she turned around.

Their eyes had looked almost feral as they stared at the dead rat in her hands.

Watching the girl struggle now, Nicole bent down, picked up a rock, and hurled it.

The distance was pretty far, but it still slammed squarely into the man’s back hard enough to send him

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stumbling face-first onto the pavement.

The girl grabbed the snake and ran immediately. Forget thanking them, she didn’t even look back once.

The man scrambled up and looked around furiously for whoever had hit him. When he spotted Nicole and Zeph across the street, he instantly realized he was outmatched and stormed off instead.

With temperatures this high, people wore almost nothing. There was no hiding whether you were starving or well-fed. One glance told the whole story.

Even with their disguises, Nicole and Zeph still attracted attention. Before long, more and more people started quietly trailing behind them.

As they neared downtown, Zeph stopped and turned around without a word. He pulled out his weapon.

The group following them scattered instantly like startled birds.

Before the sun fully climbed overhead, the two of them finally made it home safely.

Poppy was already awake, brushing her teeth and washing up before starting her usual morning routine. without fail: punching drills, archery practice, and target training.

Cola wasn’t idle either, hanging suspended in the hallway harness setup for endurance training.

After showering and changing clothes, Nicole brought out milk and bread rolls. She called everyone over for breakfast.

This trade had been more than worth it. The third floor gained two extra rooms, and the black soil garden expanded by another 1,000 square feet.

After eating, Nicole went straight to bed to catch up on sleep.

Zeph spent some time teaching Poppy and assigning her homework before finally going to rest himself.

Cola stayed nearby supervising. Poppy had to finish her homework before cartoon time was allowed.

Nicole slept until afternoon, then got up to spar with Zeph before dinner. Afterward, they watched shows and lounged around petting the dog until it was time to head out and retrieve the tanker.

This time, neither Sven nor Weasel showed up personally.

Instead, the guy who had traded condoms with them before came with the delivery truck. He also brought a replacement vase.

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