The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Cola puffed up with pride and barked, “Woof!”

It had been a few days since they last ate together. Zeph wasn’t much of a cook, so he brought out about three pounds of pork belly.

They couldn’t keep cooking in Hughie’s apartment. The smell alone would draw attention.

Nicole’s place didn’t have enough room to work, so they moved everything to Zeph’s instead.

To make up for earlier, Nicole didn’t just cook herself; she also brought along some pickled cabbage and bean sprouts.

Slicing the fish took some knife skill, but that wasn’t a problem for her. No one else was in a position to complain

anyway.

This was fresh fish. These days, who else could say they were eating something that had just been alive?

No surprise, Cola got treated like a hero. Jeremy and Hughie were practically ready to put him on a pedestal.

“Maybe we should take Cola out more often,” Jeremy said. “Might bring back another catch.”

Nicole shut that down immediately. Just the two of them? They would probably end up needing the dog to protect

them.

Things were rough out there. If people saw Cola, their eyes would light up like wolves.

Cola, on the other hand, was thrilled. The moment he heard about going outside, his tail started wagging nonstop.

Nicole lowered her head and focused on slicing the fish while Zeph stood beside her, rinsing the pork.

“Poppy likes braised pork,” he said. “Last time I messed it up, and she got a stomachache. I’ll cook it this time. Can you walk me through it?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She was curious herself. This wasn’t the first time Poppy had gotten sick from his cooking.

Once she finished the fish, she wiped down the cutting board and handed it over. Zeph took the knife and hesitated, clearly unsure where to start.

“Cut it into bite-sized chunks,” she said.

With clear instructions, it got easier. His movements picked up quickly.

For someone who couldn’t cook, Zeph at least had all the ingredients. Nicole stood nearby, guiding him step by step.

Beatrice came over, planning to help, but stopped when she saw the two of them in the kitchen.

The atmosphere felt…easy.

Thinking about how they had been taking turns watching the “kids,” she couldn’t help but wonder if something was going on.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but Zeph was cold to everyone else. Only around Nicole did he soften a little. And with Cola, he was completely different.

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She decided not to interrupt and quietly stepped away.

The pork was cut and rinsed clean. Zeph dropped it into boiling water to blanch it, then drained it. He heated oil in the pan and added the pork, stirring until the edges started to brown.

Nicole stood beside him, pointing things out as he went. She noticed how tense he looked holding the spatula, and couldn’t help wondering.

He could face life and death without blinking, so why did cooking make him nervous?

Catching her expression, Zeph explained, “When I was a kid, I snuck into the kitchen trying to help. Hot oil splashed onto my arm. After that, I never went near a stove again. I only started cooking after bringing Poppy here.

That explained a lot.

No wonder his cooking was such a disaster. He had a mental block.

Once the pork was browned, he added the spices and poured in some liquid, scraping up the browned bits. When it came to a boil, he turned the heat down and let it simmer.

Thinking about how awkward things had been earlier, Nicole didn’t just guide him through the dish. She started explaining a few other simple meals, too.

Zeph listened carefully.

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