The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 648

Chapter 648

So many people had died during the smog outbreak that Nicole worried the apartments might be hard to sell, so she went to the trading center to ask about the housing market.

She slipped the young woman at the housing desk half a bag of sugar. The woman immediately brightened and became much more willing to talk.

“Your apartments are in a great location. I’d list them for three times what you paid. If anyone comes in looking to buy, I’ll make sure yours are the first ones I recommend.”

Three times the price? So many people had died in the outbreak. Nicole would’ve thought housing demand would be lower than before.

The woman smiled when she saw her reaction.

“You haven’t heard? Westbridge has a reputation as a lucky place now. Survivors from other cities are moving here because they think it’s safer. Houses are in huge demand.”

Nicole was genuinely puzzled. She listened to the radio every day. It wasn’t like she had been completely cut off from the outside world.

“The disaster warning came from Westbridge, and so did the antiviral medicine. We’re right next to Grayport and under a separate local government, but housing here is still way cheaper than in Grayport. If that doesn’t make Westbridge lucky, I don’t know what does.”

The woman was a Westbridge native and clearly proud of her city.

“People figure they have a better chance of surviving here than almost anywhere else. A lot of the people who moved to the government base have already come back.”

If Nicole hadn’t known to sweeten the deal a little, the woman never would’ve told her what the apartments could realistically sell for over half a bag of sugar.

Some people were unbelievably clueless. Instead of raising their prices, they listed their homes for less than before without realizing they were practically giving them away

Nicole immediately understood what the woman meant and slipped her the other half of the sugar. “Then I’ll leave it to you.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”

The woman grinned.

“Oh, and once the apartments sell, do you want credits or supplies? You can use the credits however you want. If you’d rather have supplies, you can tell us ahead of time what you’re looking for.”

Nicole thought for a moment. “What kind of supplies are available?”

Seeds made sense, but this many books? Was she planning to take them home and burn them for firewood?

Then again, anyone with property to sell could probably afford to have a few strange hobbies.

After finishing the paperwork, Nicole drove over to the research institute.

Visibility in the smog was under 15 feet, so she had to crawl along. If safety weren’t an issue, her little electric scooter probably would’ve gotten her there faster.

Fortunately, the two cities were right next to each other. Even at a snail’s pace, she would get there eventually.

Compared with her last visit, when the entrance was packed with sick people, the research institute had finally gone back to its usual quiet state.

By now, the soldiers at the gate recognized her. After she signed in, they let her straight through.

Remembering the apparent curse surrounding Jason, Nicole didn’t go looking for Wesley or Mitchell first. She headed straight for Howard to make sure he was still alive.