Chapter 45: Standard

As his voice trailed off, Gavin spread his hands toward everyone looking at him.

Madison rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of emotion.

"As expected of you, Boss. You're already thinking this far ahead, and you even managed to figure out a new use for rock candy... That's just absurd."

"It's not that far ahead, after all, the drugged-up god of war just now already gave us a reminder."

Gavin took over Madison's words and pointed toward the distance at the imaginative drug-addicted warrior.

Since that fellow had been brought up, Gavin simply decided to give everyone a few earnest admonitions. He patted the side of the RV and emphasized seriously.

"Seriously, at the beginning of the zombie apocalypse, the fact that a bunch of bastards like us managed to gather together means our luck is actually pretty good."

At this point, Gavin looked at Winnie, who was rolling her eyes, and smiled.

"Don't make faces, kiddo. The bastards I mentioned didn't include you."

Not far away, Doris blinked and her expression instantly collapsed. So the bastards *did* include her?

Gavin ignored the tearful woman's unnatural expression and continued.

"However, folks, we cannot forget to keep our guns aimed at any stranger just because we haven't pointed them at each other yet."

"America has never been a land of paradise. Everyone living here knows how much of a bastard it is, especially the guys in the White House, those damn rich people, and the druggie bastards."

"In short, we must remember that no matter what kind of person is standing in front of us, we must maintain vigilance. Once a situation arises where we have to open fire, we must be the ones to shoot first!"

Saying this, Gavin patted his thigh.

"Right, regarding that messy business just now, it's a good thing Eugene was in my truck. If it were just me, who knows how many twists and turns might have happened."

"We must continue to do this in the future. If we can successfully reach my farm and put down roots there, then no matter what operation we undertake, absolutely no one goes solo!"

"Operating in pairs is the baseline. If we can muster more people, teams of three or squads of six will be even better at ensuring everyone's safety."

"That's all for now. The scenery in this area is nice. Let's take a smoke break, and then we'll continue moving toward Corsicana Airport!"

With that, Gavin reached into his pocket to search for tobacco.

Seeing this, Eugene casually pulled out a pack of cigarettes and handed one over to Gavin.

"Here, Boss, try the Viceroy I gave you. These things pack a punch!"

As he spoke, Eugene snapped off the built-in match attached to the Viceroy cigarette box and lit it for Gavin.

Seeing this, William opened his mouth in confusion.

Since when did Eugene start calling the boss "Boss" so smoothly?

Influence was never something one was born with; a leader's status also had to be solidified through continuous decision-making and the issuing of commands.

Gavin's six-year experience of controlling a team in the Cowboys had long made him accustomed to the positioning and responsibilities of a team leader.

Giving everyone a pep talk when nothing was happening, boosting team morale, relieving team pressure, and enjoying a few privileges along the way—he understood this aspect all too well.

Just like now, listening to his instructions and the care hidden between his words, no one felt any resistance toward Gavin's commanding tone.

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

At this moment, seeing Gavin start smoking, the others consciously held their coffee cups to enjoy the rare rest period.

Only William remained clutching the bag of rock candy, looking somewhat uneasy.

He walked with an uneven gait over to Gavin's side, handed the bag of rock candy to him, and said,

"You'd better be telling the truth about only using these things for what you said."

"Ha, are you worried about me? If that's the case, you can keep the rock candy yourself, as long as you make sure that every single bit of it is there when we need to use it."

Gavin waved a hand at William, signaling for him to handle those things himself.

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

After looking for a moment, William felt he couldn't see through Gavin, so he still tried to hand the rock candy back.

Gavin patted the back of his hand instead.

"You keep it. I have too many things to consider; I don't have time to waste on a bag of rock candy."

With that, Gavin took the rock candy and stuffed it back into William's jacket pocket.

William fell silent for a moment, then leaned one foot against the truck bed, silently watching Gavin.

Noticing Gavin's furrowed brow, William took a deep breath and tentatively asked Gavin,

"Gavin... Boss, are you worried about those two corpses?"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Gavin looked at William with a deep, meaningful gaze and encouraged him with his eyes.

"Why do you think I'm worried about them? Tell me your thoughts."

"Uh..."

Faced with Gavin's inquiry, William pressed his lips together, 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, and at the same time, her head had a penetration wound from a rifle."

"As for that druggie, after his heart was pierced by a rifle, his head had a penetration wound from a dagger!"

At this point, William's tone grew gradually more confident as he continued,

"So, what kind of situation would make the bo... Boss, you and Eugene kill them *again* after you'd already killed them once?"

"Eugene might do something stupid out of vent-up frustration, but I don't think a rational person like you would waste bullets just to vent, so..."

William swallowed hard.

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

"In other words, even if they hadn't been bitten by zombies after death, they probably still turned into zombies anyway, just like in the TV show!"

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

When it came to peak ratings, even works with terrifyingly high viewership like *Game of Thrones*, *House of Cards*, and *Friends* could barely manage to tie with the second season of *The Walking Dead*.

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

Meeting everyone's gazes, Gavin remained silent for a moment, then nodded and smiled.

"You're very sharp and very observant, just like the young cop I imagined, William."

"As for what you mentioned, it's indeed the case. Each of us probably carries the zombie virus inside us, so even if we aren't bitten by a zombie, we will likely turn into one after death."

"I intended to tell you all a bit later, and I definitely *would* have told you, because I also needed to remind you to rest individually as much as possible and lock your bedroom doors when sleeping."

"I certainly don't want to see anyone die of a sudden heart attack in the middle of the night and get the chance to pounce on a teammate for a snack."

"And I especially don't want to wake up and see my fine camp falling apart because someone suddenly dropped dead and turned into a zombie, haha~"

Skillfully using a joke to alleviate everyone's psychological shock, while using a grounded reason to dispel any risk of them feeling like he had been keeping secrets from them,

Gavin placed a hand on William's shoulder.

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

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

Amidst loud laughter, Gavin stood up, tossed his cigarette butt onto the ground, ground it out with his boot, and patted his trousers.

Beside him, Eugene laughed heartily in agreement.

"Oh come on, Quarterback, we don't do that British stuff here in America, and you're no queen—at least, you're not a girl!"

"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 making babies, I couldn't care less what kind of weird stuff is in my body!"

With that, Eugene proficiently checked his firearms once more.

After doing the same a final time with his own weapons, Gavin casually remarked,

"That's right, this bastard Eugene is spot on. The day I run into a clean, pretty, and smart woman, I'll have a kid just like Rick to prove to you guys that we're healthy!"

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

"Whatever, by that time, you guys can completely put the zombie virus out of your minds, haha!"

With a sharp clap of his hands, Gavin announced,

"Alright, break's over. We're only a step away from my home!"

"Stick close to me, stay alert, take care of yourselves, and don't trip up in the final few steps, folks!"

With that, Gavin strode back toward the Tyrannosaurus. Eugene habitually followed right behind him, while Madison and William brought Doris back to the RV.

Only Winnie lingered by the RV's dining table, gazing out the window at the Tyrannosaurus in a daze.

So...

The criteria were clean, pretty, and smart?