Standard

As the words fell, Gavin spread his hands toward the group watching him.

Madison rolled his eyes and sighed with emotion.

"As expected of you, Boss. You've already thought so far ahead, and you even managed to develop a new use for Rock Candy... it's just absurd."

"It's not that far ahead, really. After all, the Doped War God from just a moment ago already gave us a reminder."

Gavin took over from Madison, pointing toward the Doped War God, who was still letting his imagination run wild in the distance.

Since that guy had been brought up, Gavin decided to give everyone a few serious instructions. He patted the side of the RV and emphasized, "Seriously, at the start of the zombie apocalypse, it's actually quite lucky that a bunch of bastards like us managed to end up together."

At this, Gavin looked at Winnie, who was rolling her eyes, and laughed. "Don't make faces, kid. You aren't included in the bastards I'm talking about."

Not far away, Doris's expression collapsed in the blink of an eye. So, I am one of the bastards?

Gavin ignored the tearful woman's unnatural expression and continued, "But, guys, just because we haven't pointed guns at each other doesn't mean we should forget to keep them pointed at every stranger we meet."

"America has never been a paradise. We all know how rotten it is living here, especially the guys in the White House, those damn rich people, and the doped-up scumbags."

"In short, we must remember that no matter who is standing in front of us, we must remain vigilant. If we encounter a situation where we have to shoot, we must be the ones to pull the trigger first!"

Having said that, Gavin patted his own thigh. "By the way, regarding that mess earlier, it's a good thing Eugene was in my vehicle. If it had just been me, who knows how many complications might have arisen."

"It must be like this from now on. If we can successfully reach my farm and put down roots, then no matter what we're doing, no one is allowed to act alone!"

"Working in pairs is the baseline. If we can gather more people, then three-person operations and six-man squads will better ensure everyone's safety."

"That's all for now. The scenery in this area is nice; let's rest for the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, then continue toward Coskana Airport!"

After speaking, Gavin reached into his pocket to look for his tobacco.

Seeing this, Eugene reached out and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handing one to Gavin. "Here, Boss, try the Kent you gave me. This stuff has a real kick!"

As he spoke, Eugene snapped off a match from the box and lit it for Gavin.

Seeing this, William opened his mouth in confusion. Since when did Eugene call him "Boss" so naturally?

Influence is not something one is born with; a leader's status must be solidified by constantly making decisions and issuing orders.

Gavin's six years of experience controlling the Cowboys had long since accustomed him to the position and responsibilities of a team leader.

He knew exactly how to pump everyone up, boost team morale, relieve pressure, and enjoy his privileges along the way.

Just like now, listening to his instructions and the concern woven into his words, no one felt any resistance to Gavin's commanding tone.

They were becoming increasingly accustomed to Gavin's orders; this was the power of subtle influence.

At this moment, seeing Gavin start to smoke, the others consciously held their coffee mugs and enjoyed the rare break.

Only William remained worried, clutching the Rock Candy.

He walked over to Gavin with an uneven gait, handed the bag of Rock Candy to him, and said, "You'd better be doing exactly what you said you were going to do with this stuff."

"Ha, you're worried about me? If that's the case, you can keep the Rock Candy yourself. Just make sure that when we need it, you can produce every last bit of it."

Gavin waved a hand at William, signaling for him to handle the stuff himself.

William scrutinized Gavin's face, trying to discern the truth in his words.

After a moment, William felt he couldn't read Gavin, so he tried handing the Rock Candy over again.

Gavin patted the back of his hand. "You keep it. I have too many things to consider; I don't have the time to keep my mind on a bag of Rock Candy."

As he spoke, Gavin took the Rock Candy and stuffed it back into William's pocket.

William was silent for a moment, then leaned one foot against the RV, watching Gavin in silence.

Noticing Gavin's furrowed brow, William took a deep breath and tentatively asked, "Gav... Boss, are you worried about those two corpses?"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Gavin looked at William with a meaningful gaze and said with an encouraging look, "Why do you think I'm worried about that? Tell me your thoughts."

"Uh..."

Faced with Gavin's inquiry, William pursed his lips, then pointed toward the two corpses and said softly, "I just noticed that both of those corpses had more than one fatal wound."

"The woman in the red dress had her heart shattered by a shotgun blast, but she also had a rifle wound through her head."

"As for the junkie, after his heart was pierced by a rifle shot, he had a dagger driven through his skull!"

As he spoke, William's tone grew increasingly confident, and he continued.

"So, what kind of situation would force you and Eugene to kill them a second time after you had already killed them once?"

"Eugene might do something stupid to vent, but I don't think a rational person like you would waste ammunition just for the sake of it, so..."

William swallowed hard.

"So, Boss, did something happen to them that made it necessary for you to kill them twice?"

"In other words, even if they weren't bitten by zombies, they would have turned into zombies after death anyway, just like in the TV shows!"

In 2013, the ratings for The Walking Dead were even higher than those of Breaking Bad, the king of American dramas.

When comparing peak ratings, even shows with terrifyingly high viewership like Game of Thrones, House of Cards, and Friends could barely stand on equal footing with the second season of The Walking Dead.

Hearing William's words, Madison, who had been chatting, hurriedly looked toward Gavin, as did Doris and Winnie.

Meeting everyone's gaze, Gavin remained silent for a moment, then nodded with a smile.

"You are very sharp and very observant, just like the young police officer I imagined you to be, William."

"As for what you said, it is indeed the case. I'm afraid every one of us carries the zombie virus, so even if we aren't bitten, we will likely turn into zombies after we die."

"I intended to tell you all later, and I certainly would have, because I also need to remind you to try to sleep alone and to lock your doors when you go to bed."

"I certainly don't want to see anyone die of a heart attack in the middle of the night and then have the chance to pounce on a teammate and take a bite out of them."

"I especially don't want to wake up and see my perfectly good camp fall apart because someone suddenly died and turned into a zombie, haha~"

Skillfully using a joke to soften the psychological blow, while simultaneously providing a reasonable justification to mitigate the risk of them feeling he had been hiding information from them.

Gavin placed a hand on William's shoulder.

"You're doing great, William. As the King of Texas recognized by the internet and the media, I acknowledge that you are already a qualified, sharp, and diligent police officer."

"So, do you want to take an oath to me, haha~"

Amidst the laughter, Gavin stood up, threw his cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it, and then brushed off his pants.

Beside him, Eugene laughed along.

"Give it a rest, Quarterback. We don't do that English stuff here in America, and you aren't the Queen—at least, you aren't a woman!"

"As for whether we'll turn into zombies after we die, screw that! As long as it doesn't stop me from sleeping with women and having kids, I don't care what kind of weird stuff is inside my body!"

As he finished speaking, Eugene expertly checked his firearms.

Gavin, having also checked his own weapons, added casually.

"That's right, this bastard Eugene is absolutely correct. The day I meet a clean, pretty, and smart woman, I'll prove our health by having a kid just like Rick!"

"Wait, was that kid in the show Shane's or Rick's?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. By then, you can put the zombie virus completely out of your minds, haha!"

With that, Gavin clapped his hands loudly.

"Alright, that's enough rest. We're only one step away from my home!"

"Stay close, stay alert, and take care of yourselves. Don't fall in these last few steps, guys!"

After speaking, Gavin strode back to the Tyrannosaurus, and Eugene habitually followed him, while Madison and William led Doris and the others back to the RV.

Only Winnie remained slumped over the RV dining table, staring blankly through the window at the Tyrannosaurus.

So...

Is the criteria being clean, pretty, and smart?