"Is…is that so?"
Even T-Zai himself was a bit unsure now.
"But what did you just feed me?" T-Zai still felt something was off.
"Painkillers, don't tell me you've never had them. Don't you feel no pain at all now?"
Shawn admitted frankly.
"It's true." T-Zai took a couple of steps, feeling that the pain was almost gone.
"Does this mean I'm fine?!" T-Zai exclaimed in surprise.
Shawn: "As you can see."
The originally somber atmosphere was broken by Shawn's arrival, followed by the joy of recovery.
Everyone looked at Shawn with admiration.
It was as if they were saying: Luckily Shawn came.
This made Sean a bit awkward. He held the pistol in his hand, feeling unsure whether to put it away or not.
He cleared his throat lightly, then subtly got up, tucking the pistol into his tactical belt.
At the same time, Sean was also relieved that he hadn't fired immediately.
Otherwise, he would have personally killed T-Zai.
"Since your injuries aren't serious, hurry back to the car and rest. Why are you still wandering around?!"
Sean's voice suddenly became stern. T-Zai blankly said 'oh,' and then, supported by two people, walked towards the back of the mountain.
"I really felt like I was going to die just now, you wouldn't believe it…"
T-Zai's voice faded further and further until it completely disappeared from earshot, only then did Sean secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
But as soon as he turned around, he met Shawn's playful gaze.
Sean swallowed, but choked on his own saliva, coughing several times.
"You came at the right time, Shawn."
"Is that so?"
"Of course."
Sean straightened his expression.
Afterward, he led Shawn to a train car on the outer perimeter.
He held the car door with both hands and opened the train car with a 'whoosh' of friction.
A group of emaciated, famished people appeared before them.
The moment the train car opened and moonlight streamed in, they all turned their gazes.
"We found them when we took out the Cannibal Tribe. They might be the Cannibal Tribe's 'food reserves.'"
Food reserves?
Shawn didn't think so.
Because when Shawn poked his head in, he finally saw a few familiar faces.
If Shawn guessed correctly, these people were actually the future leaders of The Terminus.
Just looking at one of them, Shawn suddenly recalled that classic quote.
—We never actively hunt, but hunger makes people choose.
"So that's how it is."
Shawn understood why Gray, the future leader of The Terminus, would say that.
Facing the eyes hidden in the darkness, Shawn extended a hand to them and grinned.
"Need help?"
…
"They locked us in the train car, only giving us water, no food."
Gray devoured the canned food ravenously.
Right, Gray
His skin clung tightly to his bones, and just the simple act of eating made him sweat profusely.
"They wanted to domesticate you, to make you eat each other, so you weren't their food?"
Sean added, questioning from the side.
Gray's gaze, however, fell on Shawn. The image of Shawn extending his hand to them with the crescent moon behind him was still deeply etched in his mind.
Gray nodded: "They wanted us to become monsters like them."
"It seems you haven't become monsters?"
Sean seemed to be stating a fact, but his words carried a scrutinizing tone that directly probed their core.
Gray was not one of their own; at least, he was still an outsider for now.
"No." Gray shook his head emphatically, looking at Shawn and Sean.
"You believe us, don't you!"
"Of course."
Shawn's face suddenly showed emotion.
They hadn't eaten people yet, Shawn could confirm this, as their physical condition couldn't lie.
Shawn had just activated the Blood Bar MOD and looked at their heads.
[Gray]
[Health Value: 23 / 117.43]
So far, Shawn had never seen a health value with decimals.
Looking at the others rescued from the train car, they were almost all the same.
This easily led to one conclusion—the upper limit of these people's health was decreasing.
They weren't Shawn; they couldn't be completely digitized, but Shawn could see their information in a digitized form.
After enduring long-term starvation, their health limit had decreased.
Of course, Shawn wouldn't ask them if they would eat their companions if they were on the verge of starving to death.
Human nature cannot withstand scrutiny.
At least for now, Gray and the others were not man-eating monsters, and that was enough.
In the face of hunger, they used their last will to hold on until Shawn and the others arrived.
If that was the case, Shawn might as well give them a chance.
Thinking of this, Shawn looked at Gray again.
"Come with me, I can make sure you never go hungry again for the rest of your lives. How about it?"
As for other resources, Shawn wouldn't dare say he was first in the US.
But when it came to energy and food sources, Shawn believed no one in the entire US could rank before him.
Wanting to feed Gray and these people was simply too easy.
Sean didn't speak after hearing this, but in a place where no one could see, he lightly placed his finger on the trigger.
Gray looked into Shawn's eyes, then turned to look at the others who had starved with him.
He was a bit incredulous: "But our physical condition temporarily prevents us from working for you."
"Then rest up and work when you're recovered. You're not the only ones in my Camp with similar situations."
Shawn said without hesitation.
As for who those people were… naturally, they were the Zealots.
They used to be radical in spirit and ideology, but since they worshipped Shawn as a god, they became much easier to control.
Physiologically, however, while they could control their drug addiction, their bodies had truly been corroded by the drugs.
That's why Shawn had never allowed the Zealots to engage in widespread activities for so long.
Even if they had to go out, he would only bring the Zealots who were in better physical condition, led by Bray and Mr. Smart.
And the group of survivors led by Gray before him.
Shawn could also give them a chance to survive, as for whether they would seize the opportunity, that was up to them.
Gray turned back. He first looked down at the can in his hand.
He extended a finger, rolled up the last drop of concentrated soup inside the can, and put it into his mouth.
Feeling the taste of the food gradually spread through his taste buds, Gray was satisfied.
"Enough food, in exchange for us working our hardest for you."
Opening his eyes, Gray finally spoke the feelings of his companions.
Although he knew he actually had no capital to bargain with Shawn.
"Deal."
Shawn smiled and extended a hand to him.
But when he saw Gray spit into his palm and then shake it, the smile immediately froze on his face.
Shawn withdrew his hand and spoke under Gray's puzzled expression.
"The first rule of joining: never shake hands with someone with a hand full of spit again."
…
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