The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 867

Chapter 867

+25 BONUS

Chapter 867

The walls did little to block out the waves crashing against the massive support columns or the

occasional voices outside.

Nicole drifted in and out of a restless sleep. She dozed until 5 a.m., then opened the door and stepped into

the corridor for some air.

The late-afternoon sun hit her square in the face, making her squint.

People carrying buckets and basins were heading downstairs to line up for water.

Nicole went back inside and retrieved two wooden buckets from her storage space. Poppy stayed with Cola, while she and Zeph joined the line.

Looks hardly mattered anymore. Most people were so thin that their heads looked too big for their bodies, their faces gaunt and sickly.

These days, people noticed how well-fed someone looked before anything else. Nicole and Zeph stood out, and people openly stared.

Living among other people meant putting up with that kind of attention. The two of them felt like a sideshow attraction.

After half an hour, they finally reached the front of the line.

The filtration system removed most of the water’s briny smell. Nicole caught only a faint trace when she

leaned close to it.

Someone cupped their hands under the stream and drank without hesitation.

They carried their buckets upstairs, where a woman in a red dress stood outside their door.

She was painfully thin, and the worn dress hung loosely on her frame. Patches covered several spots, and

it looked like she had worn it for years.

The woman clutched a kitchen knife and glared at an overturned planter in the corridor.

“Which one of you jerks knocked over my potatoes?”

She pounded on the door to Room 370, brandishing the knife as though daring whoever was inside to

come out.

Nicole frowned. “Your planters were blocking our door. We couldn’t get through, so we moved them aside.

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The woman spun toward her, her gaunt face twisted with anger. She opened her mouth to yell, then stopped short at the sight of Nicole.

“You…”

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Chapter 867

+25 BONUS

Nicole had no interest in making a scene. “Sorry. We must’ve tipped it over while we were moving it.”

The woman hastily lowered the knife and broke into a delighted smile.

“Nicole?”

Even a professional actor would’ve struggled to switch expressions that quickly.

Nicole studied her face, trying to place her. The woman clearly knew her, but she was so thin that Nicole couldn’t recognize her.

“It’s me. Stella.”

The name didn’t ring a bell. Nicole tried to place her.

“My husband used to sell supplies with Sven and the others.”

Nicole glanced at the red dress, and recognition finally clicked. This was Weasel’s wife.

With so much of the world underwater, she never expected to run into an old acquaintance here.

“Where’s Weasel?”

Stella gave her an awkward smile. “He’s out working. He won’t be back until later. We’re in 351. I thought these rooms were still empty, so I moved the planters over here to get some sun. I didn’t realize they were blocking your door.” (1

She sounded warm and friendly now, all her earlier hostility gone.

Nicole thought back to her years of doing business with Weasel. He always treated her well and made

sure she heard about the best deals.