Chapter Twenty-Seven: You Are Still a Long Way from Growing Up

"Heh."

Gavin smiled noncommittally at Eugene’s explanation. Look at Eugene—was that supposed to be him convincing Gavin? That was nothing more than Eugene trying to convince himself.

Beside him, hearing Gavin’s cynical laughter, Eugene rubbed his scalp irritably and stood up in frustration. Just as he was about to continue, Gavin raised a hand and tapped the window facing the town of Palmer.

"Eugene."

Hearing his name, Eugene instinctively shut his mouth and looked at Gavin with suspicion. Gavin pointed toward Palmer and continued, "Actually, when William proposed going back to Ennis to find out if his brother was alive or dead, I had a suggestion I hadn't told him yet. As for the reason, you should understand: his demands were too excessive and self-centered. He didn't consider the lives of the team members at all. So, not only will I not agree to his request, I’m going to teach him a lesson."

"I intended to let him stand out in the cold a bit longer, let him clear his head, and hopefully gain some sense before sharing my idea. But I see you’re not much better than William. Neither of you has much brainpower; you’re both reckless and impulsive. The good news, however, is that I’ve found you’re at least quite loyal."

At this point, Gavin stood up and grabbed Eugene by the shoulder. Eugene struggled half-heartedly, but the resistance was weak, and he was eventually steered by Gavin to the window. Gavin kept his arm around him and said with a smile, "You don’t have to admit it, but I only believe what I see. I think you have qualities worth admiring. So, let me give you a suggestion. Look there—see that billboard by the road? The one with the advertisement for the Palmer Resort?"

As he spoke, Gavin pointed toward the billboard. Eugene nodded in response.

Gavin continued, "I know you and William are neighbors; your houses must be very close. Considering William’s father ended up stuck on the bumper of the RV, that means when Winnie’s family RV passed through Ennis, both your houses were very close to the road. Otherwise, his father wouldn’t have had the chance to catch up, let alone get stuck on the bumper... forget it, let's stick to the point."

Gavin’s expression faltered halfway through, and Eugene rolled his eyes awkwardly. Regarding the fate of William’s half-a-dad, Eugene had nothing to say. Once Gavin regained his composure, he resumed.

"Getting back to business: first, I won't even mention whether William’s teenage brother could still be alive, given that his father has already turned into a walker. Just considering how close your houses are to the road, when William’s father was drawn to the RV, if your sister and William’s brother also turned, wouldn't they have been drawn to the RV too? So, my advice is: before you and William decide whether to risk going to Ennis to look for your families, go hide on that billboard I pointed out."

"Wait for the horde from Ennis to arrive, observe them from the billboard, and see if your relatives are among them before you make a decision."

With that, Gavin released Eugene and said calmly, "If you think this is a good idea, I’ll give you your guns now. How about it? Want to take a risk?"

"Give them to me now. Fuck, if I stay quiet on that billboard, I shouldn't be spotted by the walkers!" Eugene psyched himself up and headed toward the RV door.

Gavin stopped him and added, "Don't rush. I’m not finished. If either of you acts like an idiot because you found a relative in the horde and draws their attention, remember: don't leave the billboard immediately. I’ll drive the vehicle around to the far end of the artificial lake to distract them for you. That will give you a better chance of survival. Remember, you owe me one, Eugene."

Having said that, Gavin went ahead of him, opened the door, and stepped out. As he exited, William looked up sharply, but Gavin ignored him entirely, heading to the Tyrannosaurus truck to retrieve Eugene’s two guns and a military knife. After handing the guns to Eugene, Gavin patted the tactical knife strapped to his own calf and said, "I quite like this knife, so I’m not giving it to you. In return, take this."

Eugene caught the military knife and grinned, flicking the blade. "Tsk tsk, this pattern—this knife must be worth at least three thousand, right?"

"Are you kidding me, you pauper? This thing is worth at least eight grand. It hasn't been sharpened much, though; grind it yourself when you have time." Gavin patted Eugene on the shoulder and returned to the RV, closing the door.

Eugene hung the knife on his belt, walked up to William with a cold sneer, and kicked his leg. "Get up, asshole!"

"Eugene..." Looking at the fully armed Eugene, William guessed what was happening. He shook his head with difficulty and said, "You’re right. Don't go crazy with me. I’m just... my head is a mess. Give me more time, please? I..."

"We’re running out of time, Mr. Intern Cop. For my sake, the quarterback just pointed out a path for us—he really has a way with ideas, damn it!" Eugene interrupted him, hauled him up, and dragged him into the old Ford.

While starting the engine, Eugene explained Gavin’s proposal, and the Ford drove off toward the billboard.

Inside the RV, after Gavin sat back on the sofa, Madison rolled over. Watching the dust kicked up by the departing Ford, she asked, "Will they really not be discovered by the walkers? And if they are, can they actually survive?"

"You're awake?" Gavin asked.

"Yes, and? Can they survive?" Madison pressed.

"Not sure. So far, I only know walkers have hearing; I don’t know about their sight or smell," Gavin replied, shaking his head.

"Then if they just die like that..." Madison hesitated.

"Then I’ll know more about their smell and sight. The more information we have, the better our chances of survival in the future," Gavin responded instantly.

Madison was silent for a long time before finally blurting out, "They’re just bait right now. Isn't that a bit wasteful? With them around, they could have helped us quite a bit. More people, more strength."

"So?" Gavin shrugged, continuing, "They have their reasons for taking risks, and I respect their choices. Besides, as Eugene said, the world has changed. Facing the apocalypse, we’ll all have to take risks sooner or later. They just chose to take theirs today, a step ahead of us."

"Even if they die today, they’re just going a step ahead. Who lives forever, anyway?"

Gavin stood up and went to the passenger side to open the window. In the driver’s seat, Madison watched Gavin smoke while keeping an eye on the two men. In the distance, they stepped onto the Ford and quickly climbed onto the six-meter-high billboard. Crawling up the canvas to the very top, the two lay flat and remained motionless.

Gavin checked his watch, flicked his ash, and said softly, "Madison, don't be so pessimistic. Their chances of survival aren't low."

"Calculating the time, the Ennis horde should arrive soon. Who knows, maybe they’ll be back to meet us before Doris even finishes cooking dinner."

With that, Gavin picked up his binoculars and silently watched Eugene’s position. As Gavin observed, Winnie slowly sat up from her bed in the back of the RV and asked from a distance, "Boss, will I be used as bait when I grow up?"

*Clatter!*

Doris, who was pouring spices into the stew, dropped the container on the floor upon hearing this.

Gavin turned back and chuckled, "You?"

Rolling his eyes at Winnie, he teased, "You've got a long way to go. To be bait, you have to be fast enough, and you have to learn how to drive or ride a horse."

"Besides, the fact that you can even ask this question shows you're still a long way from growing up, kid."