Doomsday America.

Chapter 189 Challengers

Chapter 189 Challengers

"Then practice some more, sister, keep practicing until you're confident you can kill everything you see in front of you with a gun!"

Aunt Tara raised her hand and patted Wang Ling's shoulder, despite Wang Ling's slightly frightened look.

Good heavens! Seeing Tara, who was nearly 2.1 meters tall, reaching out her hand to her, Wang Ling, who was only 1.65 meters tall, felt like she was seeing Godzilla!

Tara, however, continued speaking seriously.

"I noticed you were carrying a knife the whole time. Looks like you're quite confident in your skills with it?"

"Of course, I can slash at the same straight line at least ten times in a row with my full strength!"

Wang Ling nodded emphatically.

Hearing Wang Ling's words, Tara smiled knowingly and said.

"Is that so? Not bad control. So keep practicing with your gun. After all, a knife can only kill things that get close to you, while a gun can keep people from getting close to you, sister."

"We have thousands upon thousands of enemies, we have enemies shoulder to shoulder, we have enemies surging like the sea—this is our future. Simply wielding a sword is far from enough!"

With that, Tara turned and waved to Wang Ling before leaving the manor with Thomas.

Watching the two leave, Wang Ling instinctively drew her pistol and glanced at it.

"Tens of thousands?"

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, then sheathed the pistol back into her waistband.

"That's truly hopeless!"

As they were talking, Wang Ling strode out of the manor and followed Thomas and Tara to the front of Knight XV.

Looking at the armored vehicle so close at hand, Tara asked Thomas.

"Thomas, aren't the new recruits already close to us? Is it really necessary for us to welcome them with this?"

"Otherwise, are we supposed to greet the survivors with our unprotected flesh and blood, and incidentally shift the risk from our bulletproof armor to our own skin?"

Thomas answered while giving the Knight XV's body a heavy pat.

"Tara, the old man's car wasn't displayed here for collection purposes, and not every survivor will be willing to lay down their gun and wander the world with us, clearing land and farming, just because they see us."

"If they have any ill intentions, the armored vehicle could very well save our lives."

"Honestly, if our location weren't so far from many military bases, I would definitely suggest to the boss that we make militarized infantry fighting vehicles and armored vehicles our primary target."

"We don't have much need for tanks right now, but we absolutely need armored vehicles, the more the better."

"Oh, right, and fuel. Although the camp has enough fuel to last us for a while, I always need to plan ahead. How much of these essential supplies would be enough?"

"The answer is—it's never enough; the more redundancy we have, the better!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Thomas started the armored vehicle and waited for the two of them to get in.

After getting into the car, Wang Ling pulled out her pistol and stared blankly out the window.

She does like knives, but that doesn't mean she's unwilling to handle guns.

If she had found any gun in the hotel, she wouldn't have been fighting through hordes of zombies with just a knife.

The key question is, what kind of hotel would have guns readily available?

Are there any hotels in mainland China?

Just as Wang Ling was lost in thought, Thomas started the car and sped off in the direction Madison had mentioned.

The car had only been moving for a few dozen seconds when Tara, in the passenger seat, raised her binoculars and spoke.

"I see the car, a Dodge Ram. It looks wrecked, almost completely covered in blood. It must have taken the survivor a lot of effort to get here!"

"Is that so? That really disappoints me. After all, people who drive this kind of car don't seem like the kind of guys who want to settle down and farm."

Thomas shook his head regretfully as he listened to Tara's words.

"There are too many field crews at home, which puts a lot of pressure on the logistics. Can you understand? These days, every field crew member has more training every day than a regular soldier."

"In other words, each field agent is like a full-time soldier."

"Honestly, those of us working in the field should occasionally help out with chores at home, otherwise we won't be able to support ourselves for long."

"Even with a 50/50 allocation, it's difficult to ensure that the logistics support can form a complete field operations system. I need to discuss this with the boss tonight and try to come up with a solution together."

"But there's really not much we can do. All we can do is reduce the amount of logistical work, which means putting aside all the digging and wall-building work and focusing on farming and cooking as much as possible."

"Farming is for our future food supply, while cooking is for our current meals. Fortunately, our field crews have been bringing back large quantities of food during operations in the past few years; otherwise, field crews would probably have to become elites!"

When Thomas got to this point, their car was only about 600 meters away from the approaching Dodge Ram.

Hearing Thomas's words, Tara couldn't help but purse her lips.

"Aha~"

Grandma Tara said with a smile.

"The guys in the camp would never guess that even the most dangerous jobs can be downgraded one day, but I'm definitely not on the downgrade list. I'm as strong as an elephant, haha~"

"As for you, Wang, your small frame needs more training. I don't trust you to watch my back when we're walking together."

"Well----"

Wang Ling nodded helplessly.

"I understand. I will work hard and continue to train for the purpose of going out to die, even though such a thing has never been part of my life plan."

As she spoke, Wang Ling kept her eyes fixed on the Dodge Ram, which was getting closer and closer.

Facing the seemingly sturdy Knight XV, the Dodge Ram slowed down slightly and eventually stopped parallel to the Knight XV, about twenty meters away.

Meanwhile, a large blond man with hair that looked like ramen noodles popped out of the Dodge Ram's driver's seat.

It wasn't a real golden retriever like Bruce, but a blond man with naturally curly and messy hair.

He looked to be in his thirties, with an astonishing amount of stubble that seemed to have been unkempt for days, and his eyes were bloodshot, indicating that he hadn't been getting much rest lately.

He stepped out of the car with a clean and decisive motion, took the pistol from his backside and threw it on the ground, then raised his hands and shouted to Knight XV.

"Hey guys, are you guys from Camp Gavin on the radio? I heard your news on the radio."

"I am Edward, Edward Snow, a former soldier. Do you think I deserve your welcome, or would you rather shoot me and rip my heart out and eat it?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Edward smiled and strode towards Knight XV.

Meanwhile, in the driver's seat of Knight XV, Thomas watched Edward's walking posture, especially focusing on Edward's almost swaying shoulders and his chest and back covered by a black leather vest, and said...

"Keep an eye on him, Tara. This survivor doesn't look like an ordinary soldier. He's at least received special training. The way he walks is a lot like two of my friends, who are both active duty with Delta Force."

"Is that so?"

Upon hearing this, Tara pursed her lips in delight.

"Although I don't know how you figured it out, if what you say is true, then we've gained another expert."

"Don't be too happy yet. I have high expectations for these survivors who are far more composed than ordinary people, but I am also wary of them, because they could bring a lot of help, or they could bring us a lot of harm!"

Thomas responded and then pushed open the door of the Knight XV.

He hid his body behind the car door, peeking out with his head and feet, smiled at Edward, and said...

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Edward. I'm Thomas, the butler at Camp Gavin."

"Really? That sounds like a pretty high-class profession. I just hope that your high society isn't as vulgar as I imagine."

Edward greeted them, then glanced at the row behind Knight XV.

Through the slightly open car window, he could tell there was a woman and a — inside the car.

A possible giant?

This discovery surprised him a little, and he lowered his raised hands slightly.

Indeed, between his jacket and shirt, there was, unsurprisingly, a tactical vest, on which most of his commonly used weapons were mounted.

Safety is what he presents to the outside world, but that doesn't mean he's truly harmless.

On the contrary, he is dangerous, extremely dangerous!

Although Thomas had never served in the military, his intuition made his temple throb slightly.

Then Thomas called out to Edward.

"A vulgar upper class, huh? That's quite a mature understanding. Looks like I don't have to worry about welcoming a brainless, overgrown baby."

"But don't worry, the post-apocalyptic world can't be a toy for the upper class, and our camp doesn't have that old-fashioned class system."

"We only have one leader; everyone else is equal."

"Since you heard our broadcast, you should know that our boss is Gavin. It's a pity that he's out on a field mission, otherwise he would definitely come to greet you in person."

"Oh, so the boss is personally going out on fieldwork? I think I'd like him~"

Edward smiled and nodded, then continued to approach Knight XV, getting to within two meters of Thomas.

For some reason, when Edward got close to her...

Thomas's nerves were throbbing, as if a dangerous bear or lion was approaching him.

Seemingly sensing Thomas's wariness, Edward raised his hands, grinned, and asked.

"What should I do now? Do you want to examine my whole body, or can we talk a little longer?"

"No, no need for the check. Get in your car, let's go back to camp together. Just be careful not to cause any trouble!"

Thomas shook his head, then pointed to the Dodge Rams.

The Dodge Ram had its left rearview mirror shattered, and the body was covered in dents and rotting flesh.

As for the car windows, the windshield was long gone, and the driver's and passenger's side windows were also badly shattered.

Thomas noticed that there was a body lying in the passenger seat.

Following Thomas's gaze, Edward glanced back, then gave a wry smile and said regretfully.

"You're looking at my buddies? That's quite a shame. A few days ago, I ran into a few decent guys near Taylor City, but these past few days, for some reason, all the zombies around here have gone crazy. We were inexplicably scattered by zombies while we were exploring."

"As you can see, I initially gathered a total of eight people, but soon lost five of them who stayed behind."

"I was stopped outside our camp with two relatively energetic guys, and both of them died right next to me during the process of us having to break through the zombie horde."

"Thinking back to our collaboration a few days ago, I'm not so willing to kick his body off the passenger seat, even though I killed him with my own hands after he turned into a zombie."

"In short, I need your help. I need to find my original camp; my five men are still there, their fate unknown!"

"With your boss away, is there anyone among you who can make decisions? I can join you. If you don't trust me, we can cooperate, and I can provide you with support."

"That's about it. If everything's alright, I'll take my dead men to you now."

"Okay, come with me!"

Thomas was not surprised by Edward's words, and nodded decisively before returning to the driver's seat.

Seeing Thomas's response, Edward smiled slightly, then shook his long blond hair and walked back to his Dodge Ram.

Watching Edward's retreating figure, Tara hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"Thomas, that guy hardly moves his right arm at all; he seems to have undergone professional bodyguard training."

"Yes, special agent training can also cultivate similar habits, or he may have an old injury on his right shoulder that we can't see."

Thomas turned to Tara and said.

"In short, this guy gives me a dangerous feeling, like he could kill me at any moment. I think his unit must be very special."

With that, Thomas started the car and turned it around to head towards the estate.

While driving, he took out his walkie-talkie and spoke to the field staff.

"This is Thomas, Madison. Please respond."

"Understood. What happened? I saw you meeting with the survivors!"

"Indeed, this survivor seems to have some ability. Be on guard, send one or two people to the second floor to keep an eye on him, and don't give him a chance to suddenly attack or hurt anyone."

"receive!"

Madison nodded, put down the intercom, and drew his rifle.

At the same time, Eugene spoke impatiently over the walkie-talkie.

"Huh? Dangerous, need to keep an eye on him? Who's more suited for this job than me!"

"Wait for me, I'll put down the potatoes and keep a close eye on him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Eugene quickly dropped the potatoes in his hand and went to wash his hands at a nearby water source.

Watching Eugene leave immediately after washing his hands, the Baron couldn't help but call out to him from afar.

"Hey young man, be careful."

"Haha, of course, danger will avoid us, because danger fears tough guys the most!"

Eugene said without turning his head, then went to the side and picked up the gun he had put there before he started working.

He then jogged along with his weapon, quickly found a corner to hide in, squatted down, and used his elbow to prop up his sniper rifle, covering the entire hall and the grassy area beyond half of the terrace within his firing range.

Meanwhile, in the sky.

Apache quickly approached Lake Richard and sped towards the estate.

As the lake drew ever closer, Sean grinned and turned to Gavin.

"Boss, we're almost home. This feels amazing! I'm actually experiencing the feeling of serving and retiring at the same time. Going out is like fighting a war, and coming home is like coming home. It's a pity we're missing a woman, or maybe a man would be fine too~"

Haha~

Gavin was amused by Sean's words, so he rubbed his face and replied.

"If men could choose, then you'd have quite a few options, unlike now, where there are more men than women in the camp, right?"

"Yes, that's true. After all, it's not easy for women to survive an apocalypse. Of course, even after surviving the first wave, they'll still be at a disadvantage."

Sean then said to Gavin with a sigh.

"After all, when morality gradually becomes the least important thing and strength and survival ability take over the world, all the vulnerable groups will lose their voices and so-called preferential treatment."

"Besides, women are so—attractive, aren't they? I really don't want my long-lost sister to be humiliated by some random bastard. God, sometimes I even pray that she turns into a zombie the moment the zombie crisis breaks out."

"Do you know what I mean, boss? I'm not cursing her. I just—don't want her to suffer any more pain, and besides pain, the apocalypse can hardly offer us anything else."

"Being manipulated, treated like a toy, or bullied is still considered lucky. If you were dismembered or eaten—God, I'm so glad we're not in that kind of cult camp."

"And I suspect that, beyond the sphere of influence of our camp, countless other camps—in various emerging camps—are witnessing the human tragedies I'm describing!"

At this point, Sean's mood seemed to darken.

After a brief silence, Gavin spoke to Sean.

"You have a younger sister?"

"That's right, I wasn't born from a rock, of course I have my family."

"However, I've already circled my house in a helicopter. We live in Wichita Falls, which is the closest place to my base, isn't it?"

"But unfortunately, although Wichita Falls isn't a big city like Dallas or Fort Worth, I used to have a pretty good income, and my parents and sister all lived downtown."

"The city center of Wichita Falls has long been overrun by zombies. They've lost contact with me, and I can't find any trace of them in the sky. It feels incredibly hopeless, but I'm used to it. Looking to the future amidst despair—that feeling will stay with us for life, right, boss?"

As Sean spoke, he lowered his altitude slightly, gradually approaching the rooftops of the manor that were now visible.

As they returned, Edward, who had parked his car at the entrance of the manor, got out and immediately looked at the helicopter in the sky.

"That's one of your helicopters? An Apache? It's quite different from the one I saw near Taylor three days ago. I saw a Viper a few days ago, was that one of your planes too?"

"A viper?"

Upon hearing Edward's words, Thomas frowned slightly, then shook his head in response.

"We don't have vipers!"

"Wow, that's so interesting! There's another camp operating near you and us."

Edward immediately said.

"Of course, my team and I are practically defunct. Not only are we out of contact, but we also need your rescue."

"By the way, haha, do you guys really enjoy being led by a pre-apocalyptic star? I can never really trust a sports star!"

"So what determines whose orders you follow—elections or force?"

"In short, I have the opportunity to become the youngest leader among us, and I believe in myself more than anyone else!"

"ha?"

Upon hearing this, Thomas paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded at Edward.

"Don't worry, Edward, Boss Gavin is never afraid of any challenge, so you can talk to him about this yourself later. Have a good talk with him!"