The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 495

apter 495

th the arrival of polar day, the agricultural institute had begun distributing vegetable seeds and had also veloped improved varieties of sweet potatoes and potatoes that could withstand a full year’s worth of nperature changes in a single day. Their growing cycles had been shortened considerably as well.

tatoes, for example, could now be harvested in just 70 days.

ter the earthquake, every kind of supply had become scarce, including furniture, clothing, and tools. Even items covered from the rubble were usually old and badly damaged.

ything in decent condition sold for a high price.

sic food supplies, on the other hand, had become relatively easier to find. The market carried dried wild greens, ed sweet potato leaves, dried vegetables, fresh produce, potatoes, and sweet potatoes.

e quantities were still limited, though, so none of it was cheap.

ey finished looking around fairly quickly, then headed to the government-run store.

wasn’t very large and looked like an old-fashioned general store. All the merchandise was kept behind the unters and handed over only after a customer decided to buy it.

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e store carried cigarettes and alcohol, along with potatoes, leafy greens, and plenty of other goods. Both the ection and the quality were much better than what was available at the open-air market.

ost of the government’s inventory had probably come from the food collected through home sales. The store In’t accept barter and only took trade credits.

ade credits?

eing Nicole’s confusion, the clerk explained, “They’re basically digital currency stored in an account. You can change supplies for credits at the administrative hall or earn them by working. Government wages are paid in de credits now.”

cole vaguely remembered hearing about the system. A bottle of cheap whiskey could be exchanged for 100 edits, then sold in the store for 130. The government made its profit from the markup.

ice they were already there, Nicole decided to stop by the administrative hall.

re enough, the exchange list had been updated with plenty of new information.

pound of sweet potatoes was worth one credit, while a pound of potatoes was worth 0.8 credits. Salt, alcohol, d sugar were classified as luxury goods.

edicine was worth even more. Cold medicine, antibiotics, and similar drugs fetched outrageous prices. edicinal herbs were expensive too, though the exact value depended on the item and had to be negotiated in

rson.

one of the supplies Nicole wanted appeared on the government’s exchange list.

le gave up on the idea, and the three of them continued exploring the new district until they accidentally andered onto the street where the police station was located.

hey spotted two familiar residents from Oakhaven Gardens who had already moved into one of the apartment

ilding’s.

he police station was open, but after everything they had been through over the past three years, Nicole and

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+15 Benus

Zeph instinctively chose another route.

By the time they made it back to Brighton Estates, their feet were numb with exhaustion. From a distance, they saw a crowd gathered at the entrance, apparently in the middle of an argument.

“What kind of attitude is that?” an angry voice demanded. “We used to come here all the time. Why aren’t we allowed in now?”

The security guard remained expressionless. “Sorry. For safety reasons, the neighborhood has unanimously decided that nonresidents aren’t allowed inside. You’ll need to contact the person you’re visiting and ask them to come escort you in.”

“What do you mean, for safety reasons? Do we look like thieves or robbers to you?”

“How are we supposed to get someone to escort us if you won’t even let us in? You’re just looking down on us! You put on a uniform and suddenly think you’re better than everyone else.”

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