One week later.
Guillermo distributed the supplies, which were mainly sent to South Carolina and Georgia, but a large portion of completely sealed military rations also arrived at the central base, packed in large crates on numerous trucks. Many people in the base gathered in front to watch as the boxes were unloaded one by one.
"Did you hear that?"
Andrea got up early in the morning and helped as much as she could with the construction work, and her younger sister's voice could be heard behind her.
Amy nodded without turning her head; those loud noises meant people from Atlanta had arrived. "Yes, it looks like they're here."
Amy leaned forward and looked at the crowd unloading the trucks in the distance, her mood filled with excitement.
Lee Everett ordered his men to remove the crates one by one, constantly shouting instructions.
"Felipe, be careful when you pass by the pipes! If we break them again, we'll fall even further behind!"
The man named Felipe didn't seem annoyed and nodded instead, making it clear he understood.
"Don't worry, boss. I used to work in construction when I first got hired in this country." Some of the workers approached and moved those enormous crates with the help of special machines; some contained tools for building construction, while others were unique materials brought from Georgia.
This time, with George's help, Jason came up with the idea of building a proper place for slightly older children. When it comes to this, some people might disagree. It's the end of the world—so what's the point of making something so elaborate?
As for games, while they may not seem essential in an era where civilization has nearly collapsed, they are also spiritual support for children—and even for some adults. So why not do it?
This was the case for some elderly people, but the rest agreed, and many adults also wanted to play.
This aspect of play can effectively relieve children's stress in the apocalypse. Children's ability to regulate themselves is not as strong as that of adults, but they are highly adaptable. However, Jason doesn't want these children to become "robots who only know how to survive." Every child should have their own childhood. Proper training is enough to deal with the days ahead—training and survival should not define their entire childhood, and Rick supported this as well.
After supervising the unloading for a while, Jason picked up a fairly large box and slowly walked toward the front yard. As soon as he reached the entrance, he saw Carl and a group of friends standing inside, looking out.
"Hey, kids!"
"Good morning, Commander."
"Hehe, good morning, everyone."
"Sir, do you need help?"
A group of young children looked at him with admiration. They had heard rumors about Jason, and all of them saw him as an idol.
"Actually, I really do need your help. I need you to take these things to the greenhouse that was recently cleared out, then wait for me there, understood?" As he spoke, Jason lifted the cardboard box in his hands, immediately drawing everyone's attention—some of them had already caught a glimpse of what was inside.
"Wow! It's a PSP! There are so many consoles!" One of the older kids couldn't help but shout, and the others became as excited as cats that smelled fish.
Seeing their excitement, Jason smiled and handed out the gaming consoles from the box to the children. The delighted expressions on their faces gave him a pleasant feeling, and after receiving the consoles, the children stood waiting for further instructions.
Seeing their expressions, Jason couldn't help but laugh. He waved his hands, signaling that they could go, and the group of children followed the older boy as they ran toward the inner yard.
Jason refocused and looked behind him, noticing that Carl hadn't left, and there were a few young girls standing beside him. There seemed to be a hint of expectation in their eyes, as if they were hoping for something better.
"Kids, I'm really sorry, but I don't have anything else to give you."
Just as the girls showed disappointment, Rick approached carrying a large box in his arms.
Jason changed the subject, pointed behind him, and said, "Because everything is at Carl's father's house—you can ask him for anything, and he'll definitely have it."
A group of girls immediately screamed with excitement and ran toward Rick, leaving Carl standing alone in the yard. Behind him, Carol greeted Jason, smiling at him and silently mouthing thanks.
Jason smiled back, then walked over to Carl and crouched down.
"What's wrong? Don't you like those toys?"
Carl hesitated for a moment, but the smart boy quickly realized his behavior seemed inappropriate. He forced a smile and shook his head. "I really like them. Thank you, Jason."
Looking at the small but strong boy, Jason couldn't help but pat his head. He took out another item from behind him and spoke softly.
"I prepared a separate gift for you—and for those two friends sitting in that tree."
As he spoke, Jason placed the items into Carl's hands. The boy was surprised. He felt the weight sink into his palms, followed by a cool sensation. He looked down and saw a delicate small pistol.
A silencer had been carefully attached to the barrel, yet the overall weight remained much lighter. In addition, there were three blunt butterfly knives.
Carl's previously disappointed expression melted like the sky under the warmth of the sun, and a bright smile instantly spread across his face.
"I can't believe it! Thank you, Jason—I really like these gifts! I'll give one knife to Ellie and another to Clementine."
"It's good that you like them, but be careful. You need to remember what Shane taught you, alright?" At some point, Rick had returned after finishing distributing toys, and he saw his son holding the pistol Jason had given him.
"Understood, Dad, thank you!" After getting what he loved most, Carl behaved like a normal child again and ran toward the inner yard, hopping with excitement.
"Thank you, Jason… If it weren't for you, it might have taken me much longer to understand Carl…"
Rick looked at his son's back with a complicated expression. He understood why Carl liked weapons so much—not only because of Lori's death, but also because of everything he had seen and heard since the apocalypse began.
"These kids will be the future of our community. We need to take care of them and give them all the attention they need. I'll be busy these next few weeks, so you can take charge of overseeing the construction."
Household appliances kept arriving one after another. After being unloaded from the trucks, everything was sorted and neatly stacked in front of temporary greenhouses that served as storage while the first building was being constructed almost around the clock.
Guillermo held a calculator and moved between various electrical devices, calculating their energy consumption.
His next task, along with the electricians, would be to organize people to install these appliances according to the plan.
In fact, although the people at the base were very enthusiastic about all of this, they didn't feel particularly surprised. In their view, given the development speed of the central base, these things were bound to arrive sooner or later. Everyone believed that this place would develop into something far greater—a powerful city capable of standing against the walkers.
However, for some survivors who had just arrived at the base, the scene was quite shocking. While people outside were still struggling to find food and clothing, the conditions at the central base had already reached this level.
Some were reassigned because they were electricians, plumbers, or had construction experience, making their labor valuable. Now that the plans for the Mark 1 weapons for the elite team were ready and Sheldon was already discussing the Mark 2 weapons, everyone knew there was no better place in the world than being with the S.C.T.