章節 516: Among the Dead 1

"We are reclaiming what we have lost over the years. We have been all over North Carolina, and I can only say that all of you have miraculously survived."

Daryl looked at everyone's expressions and saw nothing out of the ordinary. He had been in this situation numerous times, so he knew how to identify the bad people from the not-so-bad ones. The important thing was not to kill them before they joined their organization, but what they would do after that.

The leader of this base looked at Airon and then glanced at all the people behind him. Eventually, all eyes focused on Kiano.

Realizing the gaze of his own people, Kiano secretly analyzed the pros and cons. In his opinion, the true purpose of these people coming to their community had been exposed. Now their depleted community had more people, less food, few weapons, not to mention minimal ammunition, but they were a large group of survivors who could keep fighting even if a horde of walkers came their way. But now they had an option, and they were in a dangerous position.

This kind of stalemate had compressed the scope of their negotiations to the limit. On the other hand, the other party had only a dozen people, two large trucks, and two modified military Humvees. From their appearance, they could leave at any time without any concerns.

Kiano really wanted to raise some conditions, but considering the current situation, he couldn't really open his mouth to ask for anything.

He had a stabbing pain behind his neck, and he hadn't had a good night's sleep for a long time. His mind was in chaos, thoughts of not being competent enough as a leader tormented his nights. But now, seeing that someone much better wanted to take on that responsibility, his duty as a good leader was to take the best path for everyone.

"Mr. Airon, first of all, I would like to thank you for your help. The good man your people saved has made great contributions to us, and no one wishes him any harm."

After a pause, Kiano looked at Airon and said, "I want to be honest about this choice, but I believe you are also aware that there are more than 300 people in our shelter. So, my decision would affect their lives if I rush it, which is why I have to be very careful for their sake."

Upon hearing this man's words, Airon thought he was both smart and foolish.

"Of course, I respect everyone's ideas and admire what you have done, Kiano. I'm not afraid to tell you that from the end of the world until now, too many things have happened, and we have seen all kinds of human nature. Beauty and ugliness make us wary of trusting strangers easily. The reason we invite you is also out of humanitarianism. We don't want to see those who can be saved displaced by those monsters.

"Of course, we are not fools, and we won't accept you easily if we don't know you at all. But if you want to survive in this hell, receive military training, have food, or continue reclaiming parts of the country, joining our side is the smartest choice."

"We have reclaimed major cities and cleared states like Alabama or Florida. Once you accept joining us, you will live in a city without any trace of walkers or any such monsters."

After Airon's presentation, the eyes of Kiano's community administration began to sparkle, and there was lively discussion in the conference room. People in the front row conversed with those behind them, exchanging opinions. The elderly man, who appeared to be around sixty years old, exchanged a few words with Kiano in a low voice.

"Mr. Airon, we accept joining you and hope you keep your promise."

"You have my word."

As soon as the words were spoken, the two parties shook hands.

...

Since the meeting ended, the survivors in Kiano's community have been busy. The migration of over 300 people is no small task even before the end of the world, and now it's even more challenging. They not only have their belongings to consider but also the vehicle's carrying capacity. Due to the limited fuel, the vehicles used by Airon's people are among the best.

However, I advise everyone to pack lightly as they will be provided with clothing once they join their organization.

...

Airon stood in the central plaza of the community, watching the busy crowd with pale, thin faces, emanating a strange odor. Even if there is a river nearby, the state of North Carolina is so bad that if these people were to go bathing, they would most likely die.

It is dangerous both outside and inside. It is impossible for them to go directly to the river to bathe because walkers are often dragged to the riverbank. Only selected individuals are sent to retrieve water little by little.

But due to the scarcity of food, their energy is slowly depleting, and the amount of water they can obtain is very limited.

In the original story, there is a water channel outside the prison fence, and even when the water source is so close, Rick and the others only drink a little water each day. The most they do during the week is pour a little water to wash their faces or clean themselves.

Daryl approached Airon and murmured, "Have these people never planned to cultivate their own food?"

"Well, not everyone is as smart as us..." T-dog said with an unusually loud voice.

An elderly person approached and said, "At first, we didn't really need to. Later, as food became increasingly hard to find, someone proposed growing crops. That's when we realized that many people had no experience in this field."

"Our crops grew a bit, but eventually died. It just didn't work, and when the weather turned cold, none of us wanted to invest time and energy in this field."

Everyone looked at him in silence, and the elderly person felt a little ashamed. Despite having a high tolerance for embarrassment, he felt uncomfortable under their gaze. He then realized that his words seemed to make them appear too useless, so he quickly started to reconstruct his explanation.

"Actually, we just lack experience in this field. As long as someone tells us the method, we'll quickly become familiar with it. And although the people here don't know how to farm, it doesn't mean they're useless. Many people have their own specialties, like Benllamy, who is very skilled with computers. He even tried to take control of a satellite to see how bad the world was, but it didn't work due to our poor equipment."

Speaking of this, Airon became interested and looked at Benllamy with great interest. The latter seemed more like a tough guy now than a computer expert.

"In other words, if the conditions are met, can you connect to the satellite and monitor the ground?"

When the topic turned to his own expertise, Benllamy nodded without hesitation and admitted that he might not be as good as others when it comes to killing walkers, but he's truly confident when it comes to computers.

Seeing his confident smile, Airon secretly nodded. This is truly a talent. It happens that the military base he went to this time has relevant equipment. If he can do it by then, they will have another means. Together with Tyler, they could have perfect monitoring.

While both sides were busy, Victor's two groups had also converged. They had already received the order to retreat. As they left, the group of walkers that had been lingering in the area slowly turned in the direction of Kiano's community, swarming toward them.

...

Inside Kiano's community.

Kiano looked at the five small cars in front of him, one large and two big ones, and looked at Airon with some doubt.

"Sorry, these are the last cars that can be driven. Otherwise, we'll have to go on foot..."

Airon also pretended to be distressed, pretending to think for a long time before reluctantly nodding. But in the next moment, the radio on his waist suddenly started emitting signals.

"Zz... Commander, can you hear me?... Commander, this is Victor, respond..."