The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 599

Chapter 599

Jeremy’s group remembered every single thing Nicole and Zeph had done for them. Back when both families were barely getting by, they hadn’t had any way to return the favors, but they had never forgotten.

Diana wasn’t ungrateful.

Most of what she knew about Nicole and Zeph came from Jeremy and the others. She had met them a few times, but she had never spent much time around them.

All she really knew was that they were extremely capable and lived better than most people.

She had no idea how much they actually had, but she had always assumed they were still nowhere near the Robinsons.

Back then, Diana contacted Nicole privately despite Jeremy and the others telling her not to because she wanted to improve their chances. She also assumed that since Nicole and Zeph had gone after criminal groups before, they wouldn’t mind taking another risk.

After all, in the apocalypse, no one could ever have too many supplies.

After this operation, Diana finally realized just how far apart they really were.

Nicole already had everything she needed, which made Diana’s original proposal seem almost ridiculous in hindsight.

After they got back, the four of them spent a long time thinking it over. The truth was, this had never been a partnership between equals.

The helicopter and 100 tons of fuel were worth hundreds, maybe even thousands of times more than everything they had taken from the cave. Splitting everything evenly still wouldn’t have felt right, especially since Nicole and Zeph only joined the operation because of them.

More importantly, despite having contributed far more than anyone else, Nicole and Zeph had never once suggested taking a bigger cut.

Nicole and Zeph might not have asked for anything in return, but Diana and the others knew better than to take that for granted.

Since returning to Westbridge, the two of them had helped the group more times than anyone could count, and they hadn’t forgotten a single one of those favors.

Nicole didn’t need anything Diana could give her in return. After thinking through, giving up their claim to the helicopter and fuel seemed like the fairest choice.

Nicole was a little surprised by their decision. She had every intention of keeping the helicopter, but they all had families to look after now, so she couldn’t simply accept without saying anything.

“No,” she said. “That’s too much for you to give up.”

Nicole genuinely didn’t want any of the supplies from the cave. After another round of arguing left everyone frustrated, Jeremy and the others finally stopped pushing.

Some things didn’t need to be spelled out. Once everything was settled, the tension eased, and everyone felt better about it.

Since Nicole had taken the helicopter and fuel, she decided the least she could do was treat everyone to a decent meal.

She pulled two fish from her storage space, each weighing about three pounds. “I traded for these. How about we make fish stew and celebrate?”

Jeremy and the others had been living on thin cornmeal porridge day after day. The moment they heard there was fish, their eyes lit up, and they immediately got to work cleaning and preparing it.

They made a hearty fish stew with greens and black moss. With the cold outside, a hot meal like that was hard to beat.

For a little while, it felt like old times on the 18th floor. They ate, talked, and relaxed together, almost forgetting what the world outside had become.

Maybe it wouldn’t last, but that didn’t matter.

These days, trust was hard to come by. Having people you could still sit down and share a meal with was something worth holding on to.