Chapter 94
Maturity
Caesar thought for a moment, then suddenly remembered something.
Glenn's team went out for a while, and now when they returned, Morgan had joined them.
That is, the very famous binary: either kill them all, or don't kill them.
The town attracts a significant number of new members every day, and Caesar, as the leader, doesn't bother to get to know everyone who joins.
However, Caesar was genuinely interested in meeting Morgan.
"Glenn's squad hasn't been on any missions since they came back. I want to see how their combat capabilities are now," Caesar decided.
"Okay, I'll go and inform them for you." Rip had no objections and spurred his horse forward.
When the team members had assembled, Caesar arrived at the town's current gate ahead of time.
A simple wooden gate, barely big enough for a heavy truck to pass through.
Caesar thought it was a good idea. The town was currently in a phase of rapid development and expansion, and this gate wouldn't be needed for long.
There were some barricades and such outside, just enough to keep the zombies out.
Inside the gate were two watchtowers, where Moore's team stood, while Moore lay on a deck chair to the side.
The deck chair used to belong to a rancher. That family wasn't exactly good people; they often set traps in the mountains specifically for hunters.
After capturing the hunter, they steal the prey from him and also kill him.
One time they let their guard down, and a hunter escaped, the news spreading throughout the valley.
As they prepared to flee, Caesar ordered More to wipe them out.
Moore casually brought the recliner back with him.
Yes, a very wise decision.
Moore was half-reclined in the recliner, which rocked back and forth as a gentle breeze blew.
With two teammates following behind him, Moore looked quite relaxed.
"Mohr, you're living a more comfortable life than I am," Caesar teased, a smile in his eyes.
Mohr, completely disregarding the fact that Caesar was his boss, lazily said, "Boss, life is nothing more than eating and drinking."
"I have nothing to do right now, so why not make myself more comfortable?"
Caesar thought for a moment and nodded. "That's not wrong."
The two continued chatting while Caesar waited for the others to gather.
Caesar didn't have to wait long before the ground trembled, and he moved his Night Fury to either side of the road.
Before long, more than a dozen cars arrived at the town gate.
The pickup trucks rumbled to a stop inside the gate. Caesar looked at the vehicles; their engines were quite loud and could be heard far away.
"If only we could use a tram," Caesar thought.
Using an electric vehicle is much quieter and safer.
"Boss!"
Glenn jumped out of the driver's seat, and Jimmy sat in the passenger seat.
The two men's teammates also got out of the pickup truck. Caesar glanced inside and saw Rick, Morgan, and some other familiar faces.
Glenn's squad has recruited quite a few people in the past few days, bringing its total number to about twenty, making it a strong and well-equipped force.
They looked at Caesar and greeted him in unison.
Caesar smiled and waved. "You've all worked hard. Your team has a mission today."
There was also a pickup truck next to them, with Rip and Beth inside.
Rip got out of the car and walked towards Caesar. "Shall we leave now?"
Caesar glanced at his watch, estimated the time, nodded, and said, "Let's set off now. I'm worried about being delayed on the road."
Just as Caesar was about to set off, Rip patted the Night Fury and said, "Are you going to ride a horse?"
"What's wrong?" Caesar didn't understand what Rip meant.
Rip glanced at Caesar with amusement. "Have you forgotten how much the ranch has expanded? The Night Fury might not be slower, but it will definitely get tired."
Caesar paused for a moment, then said, "Yes, I was in such a hurry to get out today that my brain is completely muddled."
"Alright, Mor, find someone to help me get Night Fury to my stable."
"Okay."
The ranch gate was pushed open, and the barricades on both sides were moved outwards.
A line of pickup trucks sped past.
Pickup didn't encounter anything along the way; he didn't see any people, or even any walkers.
Looking at the green hills and clear waters, Glenn felt somewhat out of place.
In stark contrast to the dilapidated scene outside the valley, this place was vibrant and full of life.
Outside, it was a devastated wasteland, filled with ruins and fear.
Glenn turned to look at Caesar and couldn't help but ask, "Boss, are we going to stay in the valley from now on?"
Caesar sat in the back seat, flipping through a book.
Entertainment options in the valley were scarce. There were some single-player video games brought from the CDC, but they consumed too much power, and Caesar couldn't play them for long.
"Probably not," Caesar replied casually, turning the page.
Fingers brushed across the paper, making a rustling sound.
Caesar's calm voice reached Glenn's ears, "What's wrong? Are you having some trouble adjusting to being back on the ranch?"
Glenn thought for a moment and nodded.
"It's definitely a bit hard to get used to. Both the valley and the outside are inhabited places, but..." Glenn didn't finish his sentence, but he did feel a sense of despair about the outside world.
Caesar chuckled. "Glenn, that's because you just returned to the ranch. You've only been in contact with normal people that I've screened out."
"There are also many people in the valley who would kill their own relatives for profit, and who would not hesitate to kill their companions for survival. It's actually the same as the outside world."
"It's just that you're only seeing the surface of the valley right now, and you haven't had any contact with people from other ranches, so you're having a misconception."
"The environmental problem lies in human creativity and destructive power."
"The competition in the valley is very fierce, but our ranch defeated the other ranches with overwhelming strength without causing any harm to the ordinary residents of the ranch."
Caesar continued turning the pages, his voice mingling with the peaceful knowledge within the book.
"Glenn, you've been away for so long, you should understand what kind of animals humans are, right? The reason the valley isn't as dilapidated as the outside world is simply because there isn't much heavy firepower inside."
"Plus, our ranch didn't wantonly destroy the valley, it's that simple."
Glenn nodded repeatedly, realizing he had been making assumptions.
Survivors in Kings County were few and far between, but Glenn and his team still witnessed many outrageous things, and felt extremely disappointed in humanity.
Back at the ranch, Glenn thought that the outside world might be different from the valley.
After hearing Caesar's words, Glenn understood that this was simply because Caesar was different from the leaders of those other forces.
"You've matured a lot," Caesar suddenly said.
Glenn smiled. "Why do you say that?"
"You used to not think about such complicated things. You only focused on the present. You were afraid of zombies, but you would still bravely complete the mission."
"That's why I wanted you to be my squad leader."