The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

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They sat around eating hot, high-calorie mac-and-cheese, going over what each of them had found.

Ignoring the random snacks and drinks, Nicole had picked up the most grains and dry goods. Jeremy had hit a specialty distributor and came back with a haul of dried meats, herbs, mushrooms, and cheese.

Hughie had found a few bags of good rice, while Zeph cleared out a liquor distributor and grabbed dozens of cases.

When they added it all up, the biggest pile by far was bottled water.

They couldn’t leave that behind. Rainwater wasn’t something you could rely on forever.

After talking it through, they decided to prioritize what to take back first. Medicine, meat, alcohol, rice, and grains came first. Then, quick foods like instant noodles and bread. Bottled water and drinks would be last.

On top of that, everyone kept a few things for themselves.

The assault boat belonged to Nicole, along with the sword, the golf club, and the skincare stuff.

Hughie took some clothes and shoes. Jeremy grabbed electronics, a game console, and watches. Zeph picked up stuffed animals, kids’ books, notebooks, and pens. They were clearly for Poppy.

Everyone kept it reasonable, trying not to dip too much into shared supplies.

While loading the rafts, Hughie said, “I found a seed shop earlier. Too bad everything was treated with chemicals, so we couldn’t eat it. Otherwise, we could’ve brought it back just in case.”

The moment he finished, three pairs of eyes locked onto him.

“Wh-what?” he asked, thrown off.

Jeremy rubbed his face. “The whole world’s underwater. If this really is the apocalypse, seeds are going to be more valuable than medicine.”

It hit Hughie immediately. “So… Should we go get them?”

That wasn’t even a question.

He and Zeph kept loading, while Nicole and Jeremy ran back upstairs.

When they got there, Nicole froze for a second.

It was a research outpost for an agricultural company.

Inside were different varieties of hybrid rice. Altogether, there may be over 500 pounds. There were also hybrid vegetable seeds, plus hydroponic setups and nutrient solutions.

This was priceless!

Nicole didn’t leave anything behind, not even the documents. They made multiple trips hauling everything out. On the last trip, she slowed down just a little and slipped the lab’s computer into her storage space.

It was full of research data. That kind of thing could matter someday, if the world ever came back.

By the time they finished, it was past 9 p.m.

Zeph’s assault boat pulled two rafts behind it, while Nicole’s pulled one. They balanced the weight as best they could and headed back toward Crownview Residences in the dark.

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Chapter 48

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Nicole steered, while Hughie sat beside her with binoculars, keeping watch. They had night vision, enough to spot obstacles and watch for anyone trying to jump them.

With the boats loaded down, they moved slowly.

When they got close, they cut the engines and dimmed their lights as low as possible. The rest of the way, they paddled quietly back to their building.

Most people were asleep at this hour, but they still moved carefully.

With this much stuff, they couldn’t risk drawing attention. They even went barefoot to keep from making noise.

Beatrice came down to help. It took nearly an hour of back-and-forth before everything was inside.

Worried Beatrice wouldn’t be able to hold things down alone, Zeph had Nicole stay behind while the three of them went back out to finish moving the rest overnight.

The supplies were piled up in the living room of Hughie’s apartment. It looked like a mess, but there was something deeply satisfying about it.

The girls didn’t rest. They grabbed small stools and started sorting everything.

Anything that could be split evenly went into four piles. Everything else got set aside.

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