The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 447

Chapter 447

Nicole reacted on instinct, twisting the throttle. The scooter surged forward, slipping past the incoming rock.

Zeph raised his crossbow and fired without hesitation. A scream came from the rubble behind them.

They didn’t slow down. They kept going.

The closer they got to the city hall, the more people they saw. The main hall was already packed.

The building had survived the quake, likely because it had been properly constructed, but it had lost its former presence. The ground outside was cracked, the walls were weathered, and the structure showed fractures.

Inside, survivors filled the hall, all drawn by the new city plan.

Some things didn’t change, even during the apocalypse. A house still meant a home.

Those with resources were looking for a way to secure one. Those without were trying to earn points to trade for supplies.

Bulletin boards were covered in sheets listing materials and their point values. A working display screen still hung on the wall, cycling through the same information.

It took them half an hour to read through everything. When they finished, they exchanged a look.

Rebar alone was valuable, but finished housing cost far more.

A two-room unit required 5,000 points. A villa cost 50,000.

“Villa” was a loose term now. It meant a two-story standalone unit with a small yard. The two-room units were exactly what they sounded like: two rooms, no living space, no bathroom, about 160 square feet. 1

It wasn’t because the authorities lacked compassion. Resources were simply stretched too thin, forcing them to raise the bar so they could help at least some survivors.

No living room was understandable. No bathroom… Now that was pushing it.

Nicole tugged at Zeph’s sleeve, waiting for him to fill her in.

He lowered his voice. “Construction materials are scarce these days. Without waterproofing, bathrooms aren’t an option. If water leaks through, it could damage the building.”

The rebar had gone through a deep freeze. Its integrity wasn’t perfect. Buildings couldn’t go too high, five or six floors at most.

Public bathhouses and toilets would be built instead. That would solve the bathroom problem.

Nicole frowned. That would mean going outside in the middle of the night just to use the bathroom. Or they could keep a poop bucket at home.

After committing the important details to memory, Zeph led Nicole away from the crowd to a quieter spot.

“A villa costs 50,000 points and 2,000 pounds of grain, but it comes with its own yard and bathroom.”

He ran the numbers. If they used all the rebar and tiles they had stored, plus 2,500 pounds of grain, they could afford one villa and one two-room unit.

Nicole frowned. “Why is it so expensive? Was it like this before?”

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It hadn’t been. Not even close.

Zeph thought it through. “Not many people survived the earthquake last time. This time, the government issued an early warning, so most people made it out alive. That also means resources are stretched much thinner, and competition for survival is only going to get tougher.”

Nicole nodded. “So they’re deliberately raising the point cost for housing to collect more resources and use them – to support the survivors who need then most.”

With so many people still alive, most of them would never be able to afford a home anyway. The government had no choice but to raise housing prices and use the extra resources from middle- and upper-tier survivors to support everyone else.

In other words, they were taking from one group to help another.

Nicole looked through the building materials in her storage space and shook her head.

“We can’t donate all of it. We’ll still need materials to finish the house once we get it.”

Besides, living in the villa district alongside wealthy families sounded nice, but if conditions became truly desperate, it wouldn’t be safe either.

Take the polar night, for example. Crime would be much easier to get away with.

If the villa fell, where would they retreat to?

Even with one extra two-bedroom apartment, there still wouldn’t be enough room for Poppy, Cola, and the

rabbits.

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