جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 400

The rat was tied with a thin string and treated like a treasure. The kid even picked sweet potato leaves to feed it, drawing a small crowd of children.It had been a long time since Nicole had heard children laughing. Their skin was dark from the sun, but their smiles were bright, and it lifted her mood.From their chatter, she realized the complex actually had a school, with Alex and a few retirees acting as teachers.Classes were held every two days, free of charge. It was less about formal education and more about giving them something to do and keeping their spirits up."Hurry up! That hero from yesterday is at the sales office. His little sister is so cute! She's really good at fighting. She's showing my brother moves. Let's go watch."It was clear the kids here were relatively well protected. With Alex offering regular counselling, most residents had managed to hold on to a healthier mindset.Compared to the outside, the children weren't as hardened or withdrawn. There was

Nicole asked around and learned that a 16-ounce bottle of fresh water could be traded for one pound of sweet potatoes or regular potatoes.That was the reseller price.Some offered a full liter for just half a pound of grain, but the catch was whether you were willing to follow them somewhere private.Nicole had water stored, so she hadn't realized how severe the shortage had become. No wonder Oakhaven Gardens and the nearby towns were fighting over it.There were also people selling seawater. Survivors lined up with containers in hand.At first, Nicole thought it might be Sven's operation, but when she pushed through the crowd, she realized they were strangers.The water was hauled from the coast near Grayport. With the two criminal bases gone, there was no more extortion or toll collection, so more people had started transporting goods.Prices hadn't dropped, but they hadn't spiked either.One pound of food could be exchanged for half a bucket of seawater, and the sellers wou

Zeph hadn't missed it. "Those are strategic supplies. Civilians can't buy them. They're controlled by specialized units."If they couldn't get them, then they would have to wait and see if an opportunity came up later.Nicole brought up another issue: water and power. It might sound like overthinking, but the concern stuck with her. After everything she had seen, nothing felt impossible anymore.Zeph thought it through. "It's not unreasonable. Space isn't an issue, so we can fill up the water tanks. If supply ever gets cut off, we'll be ready."That was exactly what she had in mind, which was why she asked Weasel to source more tanks. If water ever ran out, just thinking about the baths she had taken and the water she had traded away would be enough to haunt her.Power wasn't as urgent. They had solar generators and several diesel units, and aside from charging battery packs, they hadn't used much."I promised Weasel half a truck of water," she added. "But what we're getting in r

Sven had his people start loading the goods onto the truck. Nicole arranged to deliver the water the next night.Given their history, Sven agreed without hesitation. "I'll look into the iodine tablets, but they're not easy to find. It might take some time.""That's fine. I'll trade grain when you have them."The mention of grain gave Nicole another idea. "By the way, can you find grain seeds? Ones we can harvest and replant ourselves."She still had a few hundred pounds of hybrid rice seeds in storage. They might have research value. She didn't want to waste them."It's been two years," Sven said. "Those kinds of seeds are hard to find now. Even if you do find them, there's no guarantee they'll sprout."Nicole started the truck. "Do what you can."She drove off, stopped somewhere secluded, and stored the water tanks. The rest she took back to Oakhaven Gardens in plain sight.After delivering Sven's half truck of water, she stopped going out at night. It looked like she spent he

Nicole's shoulder throbbed so badly that she almost reached for it. That was when she saw blood streaming down Poppy's forehead.It had already run across her face."Poppy," Nicole said, her voice tightening. "Where are you hurt?"Poppy touched her forehead and pulled her hand back, her palm covered in blood. The impact had split the skin, and the pain was so sharp that she forgot to cry.Zeph had told her not to cry. Crying didn't help.Zeph turned back and froze, his pupils widening.Nicole ignored the pain in her shoulder, grabbed her pack, and pulled a medical kit from the storage space, pressing gauze to the wound.Pressure, antiseptic, bandage.Poppy swayed. "Zeph, I feel dizzy."Zeph pulled her into his arms. "Nicole, how bad is it?"Without proper equipment, Nicole couldn't be sure. If it was a concussion, rest might be enough. If there was internal bleeding or swelling, that was another matter.Seeing the panic in his face, she kept her voice steady. "It could be a