Doomsday America.

Chapter 255 Freshman Festival

Winnie pursed her lips in annoyance as Gavin simply tossed her onto the horse.

This is not the position she wanted!

She would have preferred to be carried on horseback in a princess carry, and it would have been even better if Gavin had said, "Princess, please mount the horse!"

However, these were all just Winnie's daydreams. She was not a willful person. Having learned about school groups and bullying among girls at a young age, Winnie was much more mature than Doris.

And so, Winnie sat quietly in Gavin's lap, reaching out to grasp Octavian's mane as she spoke.

"Gavin, may I call you that?"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Gavin, whose mind was entirely focused on vegetables, paused for a moment, then asked Winnie with amusement.

"Why do you ask that? Don't you want me to be the boss anymore?"

"So who did you choose? Who do you think is more suitable than me to lead our camp?"

"I didn't!"

Hearing Gavin's teasing, Winnie snorted in dissatisfaction, then carefully grabbed Gavin's hand.

Those hands were wrapped around her body, gripping Wu Dawei's reins tightly.

Noticing Winnie's action, Gavin grinned and laughed.

"Call me whatever you want, kid. There's no need to be so formal between us."

"We've known each other for a long time, haven't we? A month already, aren't we friends?"

"Of course, friends, best friends!"

Hearing Gavin's words, Winnie nodded hurriedly and smiled at Gavin.

"After all, life in the apocalypse is like an eternity; time moves by so slowly. Every time we encounter a crisis, we are like comrades-in-arms who have fought together. Of course, we will be the best of friends."

"Well, although I still don't like Horst, I have to admit that the floor he swept was really clean, much cleaner than the floor that Bella and I swept on the first day."

"Is this what it means to be an adult? Even if you don't like or aren't good at a job, you can still do it very well?"

"Sigh, when will I ever grow up...?"

At this point, Winnie couldn't help but turn around and look wistfully at Gavin's face.

Looking at Gavin's defined jawline with its short, full beard, Winnie sighed sadly.

He is so old, and I am so young; it's a really tough feeling.

Noticing Winnie looking at him, Gavin freed one hand and ruffled Winnie's hair.

"It will grow up."

He smiled and said to Winnie.

"As your eldest son, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you and every other child can grow up safely and healthily, I promise." "But after that day comes, don't look back and long for your childhood, because growing up is something you can't go back to, kid!" Just as Gavin said this, Octavian had already crossed a few kilometers and arrived at the farmland area.

From a distance, Thomas heard Gavin's hoofbeats, so he stood at the edge of the endless field and excitedly waved to Gavin.

Gavin then rode Octavian to Thomas's vicinity, and dismounted with Winnie.

After landing, Winnie immediately put her right hand on the revolver at her waist and cautiously observed her surroundings.

Seeing Winnie's wariness, Gavin nodded.

After all, in the apocalypse, there's never such a thing as being overly cautious.

Nodding, Gavin put one hand on his hip and waved to Thomas and Hela with his left.

The camp has a rule that no one can act alone; no matter what you do, you must go out in pairs.

Thomas, however, didn't want to break the rules by asking someone else to accompany him to the fields early in the morning, before work hours had even started.

So he woke up his sister, who was idle early in the morning.

As Gavin approached, Thomas bowed slightly to him and smiled.

"Master, you've arrived."

Hela then enthusiastically rushed towards Gavin, giving him a big hug and showering him with kisses on both cheeks. Winnie, watching Hela's cheek-kissing gesture, sighed unhappily and silently thought, "I've learned something."

Hela released Gavin, grabbed his arm, and pulled him toward the field, saying excitedly.

"Boss, boss, come quick! The spinach in the field has sprouted, and the potatoes are starting to turn green too!"

"Yes, I saw it."

Just as Hela excitedly told him, Gavin had already set his sights on the fields that were sprouting patches of green!

Honestly, Gavin had seen similar scenes more than once in his life, whether in farmland or in potted plants.

But Gavin assured him that never before had any plant made him feel so excited that his body trembled uncontrollably! He strode to the edge of the field, pulled by Hela.

Thomas followed behind him, and as he squatted down to touch the seedlings, he whispered to Gavin.

"To be honest, sir, this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this."

"What? This is your first time too!"

Thomas's words startled Gavin, who quickly looked up at Thomas, who smiled and nodded.

"That's right, sir. Although I am an agronomist, I have never actually grown any vegetables before. I mainly study and cultivate the main plants in my field."

"As for farming, I do have an experimental plot, but it's mostly planted with ornamental plants, the kind that's required for research projects and plant sciences." "As for this kind of large-scale, mechanized, and diverse planting work, this is truly a first for me!" "You could even say that my proficiency in those hydroponic projects in our manor's botanical garden is actually greater than my actual experience in farming!"

"When you directly appointed me as the housekeeper and put me in charge of overseeing all the planting work at the camp, I was actually a little nervous and apprehensive!" Thomas said, squatting down next to Gavin and extending his finger with deep emotion.

His fingertips slowly touched the tiny tips of the seedlings, and the slightly cool touch made him smile involuntarily.

"These are no ordinary seedlings, sir! These are the hope for humanity's future!"

Thomas said with a happy and expectant look on his face.

"Before today, before these lovely plants finally sprouted from the soil, you would never have guessed how nervous I was!"

"Because, although I have used all the methods I've learned to comprehensively calculate the acidity, alkalinity, temperature, and water volume of this land, the increasingly rampant dirty fungi beneath it still fill me with worry!"

"The emergence of zombie fungi has not only destroyed the basic structure of human society over countless years, but their ubiquitous and extremely fast-spreading and multiplying hyphae are also spreading rampantly across every piece of land we can see!"

At this point, Thomas emotionally nodded at the vegetable seedlings in front of him again, then turned to look at Gavin.

He just smiled helplessly and continued to express to Gavin how tense he had been recently and how relaxed he was now.

"Master, before I personally grow food from this land, no matter how much I calculate, I cannot possibly predict the impact of zombie mycelium on the land."

"What if these fungi don't act as symbiotic partners or dependent on plants, but rather cause more threatening destruction and colonization?"

"I must admit, I didn't share this news with you before today, because you've already been under a lot of pressure, and even if you were aware of the land-related concerns, there wouldn't be any additional solutions. I've also prepared a series of corresponding solutions for indoor sterile hydroponics for that possibility."

"When I was in the worst mood, I was actually prepared for the land to yield nothing, especially... when our base was besieged by zombies, and the blood of a large number of zombies was spreading wildly in the land around us with fungal mycelium."

"Even if our gardens and lawns are damaged in February, I can't apply those changes to the crops." "In short, I was incredibly nervous until today!"

At this point, Thomas withdrew his hand and gently rubbed his head.

Hearing Thomas's words, Gavin took a deep breath.

Thomas had been overwhelmed with so many thoughts and anxieties about farming, even though it was just a simple task.

So the saying "fools are lucky" is no joke, because fools don't think that much, while the smarter a person is, the more worries they have.

The idea of ​​being prepared for danger even in times of peace is not uncommon in the minds of every intelligent person.

However, the spinach seedlings before them proved one thing: this land could still grow food crops normally. Therefore, Gavin and Thomas could put their worries aside.

So, looking at the land before him that had filled Thomas with such fear, and the seedlings sprouting from it... full of life and hope, Gavin pursed his lips and said decisively in a soft voice.

"Thomas, inform Doris's kitchen team later that we're having a small bonfire party around our land around noon today, nothing too big."

At this point, Gavin pondered for a moment, then pointed to the direction of Lake Richard in the distance.

"It just so happens that Father Hogan's zombie retrieval team on the lake has recently retrieved hundreds of zombies."

"They have been observing whether the mycelium on the surface of the zombies that are gradually covered by mycelium will change after they leave the water to moisten them, so they have stored nearly a hundred zombies without burning them."

"Since that's the case, let's just drag those zombies over and burn them. Anyway, the number of zombies in the lake is increasing every day, and their retrieval speed can't keep up with the growth rate of zombies in the lake."

"The zombies are spreading more and more loosely, so there's never a shortage of experimental materials, but things that can truly excite each of us are really few and far between!"

At this point, Gavin's good mood, which had been rising because of the sprouting seedlings, suddenly diminished considerably.

After all, compared to the delightful scene before him, he and his camp faced far more challenges.

The number of zombies in the lake is increasing every day, after all, Lake Richard connects to several major rivers in central Texas, and its water output has never been small.

Who knows how many zombies might be washed down from different cities in the great river upstream of Lake Richard, gathering near Lake Richard along the river.

At this moment, Lake Richard has become the only two overt threats to Camp Gavin.

On one hand, if the dam at Lake Richard cannot resume normal flood discharge after the summer rainy season, it is highly likely to breach. After all, Lake Richard is now not only affected by floods, but also by the zombies in the water!

You have to understand that no matter how many people Gavin sends to salvage, all they can retrieve are the zombies floating on the surface of the water.

But... are there really no zombies at the bottom of the lake? Will every zombie really rise to the surface?

If zombies accumulate at the bottom of the lake and continue to gather in the direction of the water flow, Gavin is really worried that near the nearly three-kilometer-long large stepped dam and power generation gate of Lake Richard, a massive underwater agglomeration will be formed!

However, even if some zombies could sink to the bottom of the water, would Gavin be able to send someone to check them out?

Stop joking. Gavin doesn't even want to touch the water, let alone send people into the water to get close to the dam where there are lots of zombies. That could be deadly!

Thinking of this, Gavin couldn't help but rub his cowboy hat, then took out a cigarette and offered one to Thomas and Hela.

After the two men took the cigarettes and lit them, Thomas noticed Gavin's calm expression, so he asked softly,

"Sir, are you worried about the zombies in the lake?"

"That's right."

Gavin nodded in response.

"One is the super-aggregate in Dallas, and the other is the ever-increasing number of floating zombies and dams in Lake Richard. These two are practically the last two major threats that our camp must face right now."

"As for other hidden dangers, whether it is the lack of external defenses of the manor buildings or the lack of reconnaissance range, these can be made up for as the number of people increases."

"Only Dallas and Lake Richard are our biggest crises, aren't they?"

At this point, Gavin simply sat down on the ground and let out a breath of stale air without any attempt to hide it.

There were only four people present, all of whom were trustworthy. Winnie was his dearest little fan, while Thomas and his sister were closely tied to him because of their roles as butler and educator.

Therefore, he didn't mind showing a little weakness in front of these people, since none of them were armed.

Thomas, of course, wouldn't think much of it; his status and power were now completely tied to Gavin's safety.

So, seeing Gavin's worried expression, Thomas took a deep breath and then said with a pursed mouth.

"Sir, didn't Lucien bring back an electrician from the Granite Beach camp?"

"Haven't you been studying the Chandson Reservoir and substation for the past two days?"

"Once he figures out everything about electricity, and at the same time, he builds our own regional power grid around Anderson Reservoir, that's when..."

"By then, we should have been able to freely control the sluice gates of the Chandson Lock."

"Whether it's releasing floodwaters, controlling the water volume, or even trying to empty the zombies out of the lake and dumping them directly onto the shallows downstream, these are all options we can choose."

"We can even organize a force to directly encircle and wipe out those zombies in the shallows, can't we?"

At this point, Thomas gave Gavin a reassuring smile.

But this time, Gavin, who didn't hide his feelings, gently shook his head at Thomas.

He shook his head and said softly.

"I know, Thomas, I know we can try to act on these two threats multiple times, but the crisis won't go around us just because we have a plan."

"Regarding the Dallas Convergence, Sean and Edward have been searching for something at a nearby military base lately. I guess they're looking for large weapons, and I hope they can give me a surprise soon."

"Otherwise, that aggregate... it really gives me the creeps."

"As for Lake Richard... don't forget, the hyphae of the zombie fungus are corrosive. Those hyphae can accelerate the decay of wood and even speed up the collapse of steel and rock."

"Once the number of zombies gathered in the Richard Lake Dam area exceeds a certain level, I fear that the Chandson Dam will be completely destroyed at a rate faster than we expect."

"There are many things to worry about, Thomas, but whatever you do, remember that this crisis is a challenge we must face, and you and your work are what give us the courage to face anything!"

"So let's designate today as the second holiday after the apocalypse, how about calling it Newborn Day or Spinach Day, to commemorate the first batch of food sprouting after the apocalypse."

"this……"

Upon hearing this, Thomas nodded with emotion.

"This is an offer I cannot refuse, sir. I will go back and make the arrangements immediately, including the party at noon today and the arrangements for the second important festival of the new era."

At this point, Thomas stood up abruptly.

Gavin also got up, and the four of them mounted their horses side by side and rode three horses back home.

As the four walked away, the weary sentry on the distant outpost waved to them from afar.

Back at the manor, Thomas immediately got to work. His management skills were truly unparalleled in the current camp, and his comprehensive management abilities were even slightly better than Steve's.

Soon, the hundreds of guys in the camp learned the good news that there would be a party at noon after they got up.

Hearing that the vegetables planted at the camp had sprouted, Lucien, who had been eating to his heart's content these past few days, wore an even more radiant smile. He stood beside Margaret, who had recovered somewhat, with his younger brother, and said with a grin.

"Margaret, wow, Gavin's camp is something else! We've been struggling for so long, we couldn't even find the time or space to farm, and now not only do we have plenty of vegetables, but the newly planted ones have already sprouted!"

"Tch, you're making a fuss over nothing. Don't bother me, you jerk!"

Listening to Lucien's loud and rambling, Margaret pushed him away in annoyance and then hurriedly walked towards Thomas, who was explaining the situation to Doris.

Watching Margaret quickly approach Thomas, Lucien paused for a moment, then scoffed dismissively before turning to his younger brother, Chandson, and saying…

"Tsk tsk, look at her. Ever since she came here, she hasn't bothered to hide her ambition. She's just like a rich scumbag from before the apocalypse."

At this point, Lucien turned his head and couldn't help but glance at a group of women walking toward the restaurant.

Tsk tsk, those high school girls are so young. Looks like I'll have to find more expensive jewelry to bring back when I go out exploring these days. Maybe this time, I can even find an eighteen-year-old!

As for Margaret...

He strode towards Thomas, stopped beside him, and looked at Thomas with his scarred face, asking softly, "Hello, Mr. Thomas, is there anything I can do to help with Leader Gavin's holiday plans?"