The Apocalypse Survival Manual (Three Days Before Doomsday, I Stockpiled Billions) novel Chapter 880

Chapter 880

+25 BONUS

Chapter 880

Cola sniffed Poppy’s clothes twice, then backed away, shaking his head in obvious disgust.

Apparently, this version of Poppy wasn’t worth keeping.

Poppy’s face fell.

Nicole stepped over and gave his ear a light tug. “Go on. Quit picking on her.”

She turned to Poppy, trying not to smile. “You don’t smell. Zeph and I can’t smell a thing. Cola’s just messing with you.”

Poppy sniffed her clothes again, then finally perked up. “You’re so mean, Cola.”

He wagged his tail and caught her pant leg between his teeth, his mouth stretched in a doggy grin. Now that he was done teasing her, he wanted to play.

Since she skipped lunch, Poppy made herself eat despite her poor appetite. She managed about half her usual dinner.

Platform B had a seawater filtration system, but fresh water remained scarce. Everyone got half a bucket a day, and they could collect it only during set hours.

Anyone hoping to bathe had to save up their allowance. The communal bathing facilities and toilets were on the first floor.

A full wash was a luxury. Most people wiped themselves down and traded any water they could spare.

To make the most of their limited time in the storage space, the family agreed to wash together after dinner, once their food settled. Everyone had to finish within half an hour.

Cola passed on the bath and tore through the villa and black-soil garden, reveling in the room to run. If he got dirty, they could wash him afterward and pour the used water back into the storage space.

Once Poppy finished drying her hair, Zeph asked, “How was your first day?”

She wished he hadn’t asked. The memory alone made her feel as though she could taste the smell. The day was nothing like she expected.

“Zeph, some of the women have been sneaking bites of the maggots.”

Nicole nearly choked.

“They rinse the maggots off and pop them into their mouths when the supervisor isn’t looking.”

Just remembering it turned Poppy’s stomach.

Zeph kept his expression neutral. “What did you do?”

Poppy hesitated. “Pretended I didn’t see.”

“Why?”

“Stealing food is wrong, but they’re so thin. They must be hungry all the time.” She paused. “I don’t think they’d do it if they had enough to eat.”

She couldn’t imagine anyone eating those things unless they were desperate.

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Chapter 880

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Poppy remembered being hungry herself. That feeling never left her.

Starving people ate far worse than maggots. Some even ate other people.

Besides, if she spotted it on her first day, the supervisor probably knew about it, too.

Apparently, a few missing maggots weren’t worth making a fuss over. Reporting the women would only furt them and cause trouble for her.

Zeph nodded approvingly.

“Normally, taking food that isn’t yours is wrong. But they’re trying to stay alive. That doesn’t make it right, but I understand why they do it. If it isn’t hurting you, sometimes it’s better to let it go. You don’t need to make

enemies over it.”

Poppy relaxed. “Okay.”

Nicole was reassured by her answer, too.