The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 503

Chapter 503

Eric glanced at Marcus. “It’s time you started thinking about getting married.”

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Come on. It’s the apocalypse, and you’re still talking about that?”

“If you won’t settle down even now, are you planning to let the Robinson name die out with you?”

“Ow, I think I ate something wrong. I need to use the bathroom…”

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The next morning, Poppy shouted from downstairs, “The chicks are hatching!”

Nicole hurried down and found a crack running across one of the eggs in the incubator. A tiny yellow head covered in soft down was poking through the shell.

She hadn’t seen a live chicken in three years, and the sight filled her with unexpected excitement.

With the temperature fluctuating so much throughout the day, Nicole set up a cardboard box, lined it with chopped straw, and carefully placed the newly hatched chick inside.

They had no chick starter, so she ground up some corn and wheat, added a little water, and placed the mixture in the box.

The chick seemed dazed at first. It peeped for a while, then finally tottered over and began to eat.

The newest addition fascinated everyone in the house. Cola kept trying to reach into the box with his paw, and even the rabbits came over to investigate.

Within two days, all ten chicks had hatched.

But newly hatched chicks were too fragile to handle extreme temperature swings. Within a few days, three of

them died.

Poppy had cared for them constantly, so she was devastated. She sat beside the box, wiping away tears.

Fortunately, the ducklings began hatching soon afterward.

A few days later, the goslings started breaking through their shells, too.

After what had happened with the chicks, Poppy became even more careful. When it got hot, she turned on a fan. When it got cold, she covered the boxes with blankets. Sometimes, she even brought Cola over and told the birds stories.

“Once upon a time, a crow was flying through the sky when it suddenly got thirsty…”

Nicole didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, but she had no intention of discouraging Poppy.

Brandon was delighted. “Can I pet them?”

Poppy answered solemnly, “Yes, but be gentle. Don’t hurt them.”

The two children crouched beside the box, and Brandon stared at the chicks in fascination. “Can I raise some, too?”

Afraid she might refuse, he quickly added, “I’ll trade you something for them.”

Poppy thought for a moment. “Okay, but you’ll have to wait until they grow up, lay eggs, and hatch more chicks before I can give you any.”

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“Why?”

“Because there aren’t enough yet. We need to raise these so they can lay eggs for us to eat.”

“Okay. I’ll wait.”

That evening, Svert came by to pick Brandon up.

“A lot of people have been asking about you and Zeph without actually coming out and saying it. Don’t worry. already gave them a story.”

He had never asked about their past, so Nicole was curious. “What did you tell them?”

“I said Zeph comes from a military family in Milford, and you used to work for an overseas private security company. You were their best operator, the kind who could make someone disappear without leaving a trace.”

Nicole laughed. “And Poppy?”

Sven grinned. “A pint-sized assassin with a heart of gold.”

All jokes aside, the Robinsons never came looking for trouble. Instead, they restructured the HOA and replaced the entire security team.

They also informed Sven that he would need to pay the HOA dues and register everyone living in his household.

For security reasons, visitors still couldn’t enter on their own. In an emergency, the resident they were visiting would have to meet them at the gate and escort them inside.

Every household would now pay the same dues, with no exceptions or special treatment.

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