The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 725

Military life meant grueling training every day, but soldiers were also full members of the Ark Project and received better food, housing, and supplies.

Nicole knew they were worried about her, so she gave a helpless smile.

"Zeph still hasn't fully recovered, and I was sick not long ago, too. We barely qualified to get into the base as it is. Besides, we still have Poppy and Cola to take care of. Joining the military or taking a regular job just isn't realistic right now. We'll try scavenging first and figure something else out if it doesn't work."

Every family had its own problems. Jeremy could tell neither of them wanted to join the military, so he didn't push.

"Fair enough. As long as you've thought it through."

After chatting a little longer, he stood up.

"We still have training tonight, so we should get going."

Nicole tried to get them to stay for dinner.

Jeremy and the others shook their heads. "Our food and housing are covered. We already ate at the mess hall before we came."

Nicole walked them to the door. "Come by whenever you have time."

Beatrice stepped forward and hugged her. "Take care of yourself. If anything happens, let us know."

Nicole smiled. "I will."

After seeing them off, she closed the door.

Nicole sat quietly for a long time, processing everything she had just learned. Then she said, "We need to get a submarine."

She already had yachts and cruise ships in her storage space, but if the tectonic collision was severe enough to trigger massive tsunamis, neither would stand much of a chance.

A military-built submarine designed for the Ark Project seemed far more reliable.

There was no such thing as having too many escape options. If Nicole could, she would fill her entire storage space with them.

Zeph did the math. "The rare metals we stockpiled before should be more than enough to trade for one."

They had collected those metals for trading in the first place. If they could exchange them for something that might save their lives, there was no reason not to.

The problem was explaining where the metals came from.

After nine years, scavengers had already searched almost everywhere they could reach. Nicole and Zeph couldn't suddenly show up with a large supply of rare metals without raising questions.

After dinner, they sent Poppy and Cola to bed early, then Nicole took Zeph into the storage space.

Simply making the containers rusty and worn wasn't enough. The two of them dented and battered them, then sped up the rust and corrosion so they looked like they had been buried underground for years after an earthquake.

Sure enough, they came across several groups of scavengers settling a dispute by force.

There were three groups altogether. One had already been beaten, while the other two were getting ready to fight over the supplies.

Whoever won would take everything.

Beat-up SUVs sat in the blowing sand, making the whole scene look like something out of an old cowboy movie.

When the Marauder rumbled past, both groups froze and stared after it in disbelief.

It was hard not to.

Among the people sprawled on the ground, one man covered in blood and dirt suddenly scrambled to his feet and took off after it, shouting himself hoarse.

"That's my car! That's my damn car!"

He finally found the people who stole his car.

His Marauder, his pride and joy.

But the engine drowned out every furious word as the vehicle disappeared down the road.