Apocalypse Trade Monopoly
Chapter 30: : Temporary Luxuries

Chapter 30: : Temporary Luxuries

The door clicked shut behind them.

Finally—home.

Ava didn’t even hesitate.

"First."

Lucas didn’t even look up as he tossed the bag of beast cores onto the counter. "First what?"

Ava was already heading toward the bathroom."First dibs. I stink."

Lucas sighed, pulling off his hoodie. "You always stink, Zhang."

Ava shot him a mock glare over her shoulder."And yet, you keep dragging me into deals. Funny how that works."

Lucas smirked. "I enjoy suffering."

Ava rolled her eyes and shut the door behind her.

The water hit her skin, hot and real, slicing through layers of sweat, blood, and bunker grime.

For exactly two seconds, she let herself enjoy it.

Then—her system flickered.

[ Water Ration: 38 Seconds Remaining. ]

Ava swore and moved fast.

Soap—**actual soap—**foamed under her hands, cutting through the last remnants of underground filth.

She rinsed hard, fingers scrubbing over her scalp, forcing out every last trace of tunnel dust.

[ 10 Seconds Remaining. ]

Ava exhaled sharply. Final rinse.

The water shut off.

And then came the problem.

Ava looked down at worn soaked stinky clothes on the floor.

"Shit."

She scanned the bathroom. Nothing.

No backup clothes. No spare options.

Her eyes landed on the shelf near the sink.

A small stack of neatly folded black shirts.

Ava groaned, already hating herself.

Again?

She grabbed the first one off the pile, yanked it on, and rolled up the sleeves.

Too big. Too soft. Too comfortable.

Ava scowled at herself in the mirror. "This is getting ridiculous."

Meanwhile, Lucas was hungry. He wasn’t a cook.Never needed to be. But bunker food was dog shit, and he refused to eat it unless absolutely necessary.

The hot plate hummed softly, heating up as he tossed together a simple mix of rice, preserved vegetables, and rehydrated protein.

Nothing fancy. But better than rations.

The scent of something edible filled the apartment, steam curling from the pan.

Lucas glanced toward the bathroom door.

Still closed.

He smirked to himself. Ava stepped out, rolling up the sleeves of Lucas’s shirt.

Again.

Lucas didn’t even look surprised.

He just leaned against the counter, arms crossed, golden eyes flicking up and down.

Then—his inevitable smirk.

"You know, Zhang, at this point, you should just ask for your own set."

Ava sighed. "Shut up, Bai."

Lucas chuckled, grabbing two plates. "You’re awfully attached to my wardrobe."

Ava plopped onto the couch, stretching her arms. "You’re awfully attached to commenting on it."

Lucas smirked as he set a plate in front of her. "You’re eating my food now too?"

Ava grabbed a fork. "You fed me once. That was a mistake."

Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. "Next time, I’m poisoning it."

Ava snorted andtook a bite, barely savoring the food before Lucas’s voice cut through the quiet.

"So. Liam Zheng."

She exhaled sharply.Here we go.

"What about him?" she muttered, not looking up.

Lucas leaned back against the counter, too casual.Too calculating.

"Third biggest trader in Level Three?" He tapped his fork against his plate. "That’s interesting."

Ava rolled her eyes. "It’s Level Three, Bai. The biggest trader down there probably deals in rat jerky and pocket lint."

Lucas hummed. "And yet, he seemed awfully comfortable talking to you."

Ava shrugged. "I used to scavenge with him."

Lucas’s golden eyes sharpened. "Used to?"

Ava stopped chewing.

Something in his tone made it clear—he wasn’t asking for small talk.

She set her fork down. "We ran in the same circles when things first fell apart. He wasn’t terrible. Knew how to pick through ruins, how to stay out of sight. But he was a talker."

Lucas smirked. "Clearly."

Ava ignored him. "Eventually, he figured out there was more money in trading than scavenging, so he started running supplies. He kept things fair—didn’t screw people over too badly, which is more than I can say for most traders down there."

Lucas twirled his fork between his fingers. "And how badly did he screw you over?"

Ava huffed. "If he had, you think I’d still be on speaking terms with him?"

Lucas grinned. "No. You’d have gutted him in an alley by now."

Ava smirked. "Exactly."

Lucas watched her for a beat, considering.

Then—he tilted his head. "You think he recognized me?"

Ava grabbed another bite, glancing at him. "Why do you care, anyway? You looking to recruit him?"

Lucas’s smirk was slow, dangerous. "I like knowing my competition."

Ava shook her head, muttering into her food."You are so dramatic."

Lucas grinned. "And yet, you’re still here. Wearing my shirt. Eating my food."

Ava ignored him, chewing thoughtfully. Thinking.

Then—she set her fork down.

"Two things."

Lucas raised a brow. "Oh? I love it when you think."

Ava rolled her eyes. "First—Jessica knows Liam too."

Lucas’s grin didn’t fade, but she caught the slight shift in his posture. Sharper. More attentive.

"Go on."

Ava tapped a finger against the edge of her plate. "Back when we were still in school, she used to trade with him. Favors. It wasn’t a big deal at the time, but now?"

She met his gaze.

"Now it feels... odd."

Lucas tilted his head. "Odd how?"

Ava leaned back, crossing her arms. "Jessica doesn’t deal with people unless she can use them. And Liam? He’s not military, he’s not a big name, and he sure as hell doesn’t have leverage over anyone important. So why did she still keep tabs on him?"

Lucas hummed, tapping his fork against the plate.

"You think she’s still in contact?"

Ava shrugged. "I don’t know. But I don’t believe in coincidences. Jessica was watching you at the market today, Liam just so happens to be one of the few traders still dealing in functional tech, and now? We’re finding military bodies in places they shouldn’t be."

Lucas chuckled, but there was no humor in it.

"You think she’s involved."

Ava exhaled. "I think she knows more than she lets on. And I think I don’t like that."

Lucas’s smirk was slow, thoughtful. "Neither do I, Beauty. Neither do I."

Ava grabbed her fork again, stabbing her rice.

"Second thing."

Lucas raised a brow. "More? You’re on fire tonight."

Ava didn’t smile.

"Liam knew me instantly. No hesitation. No second-guessing. It’s been months since we last talked, and Level Three has a thousand people crammed into it, but he recognized me in seconds."

Lucas nodded. "Makes sense. You left an impression."

Ava ignored him.

"But you?" She narrowed her eyes. "Not even a flicker of recognition. Not a hint that he knew your name, your voice—nothing."

Lucas shrugged. "Maybe I’m just forgettable."

Ava snorted. "Please. You’re the opposite of that, and you know it."

Lucas grinned. "Flatter me more, Zhang."

Ava rolled her eyes.

"Or maybe," she continued, ignoring him, "he wasn’t expecting you to be there at all. Like he didn’t even register you as an option."

Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "And?"

Ava exhaled sharply.

"And that means he’s either a terrible trader who doesn’t keep track of power players—"

Lucas smirked. "Possible."

"Or... someone fed him a different story."

Lucas’s golden eyes gleamed.