Doomsday America.

Chapter 259 Gavin's Hidden Worries

On the ground, Gavin had no idea about the emergency mobilization taking place inside the space station, or the arrogant and excited laughter of Big Ivan.

After ending his call with the astronauts, he sat silently in front of the needs log he had just filled out, lost in thought. Beside him, ZT glanced at the time, confirmed it was 3:30 PM, and then dialed the radio controls to change the content of today's recording program, replacing the post-apocalyptic survival segment with a pre-dinner song segment.

As for the song content, zt chose his favorite Michael Jackson music collection today.

After the program was changed, zt turned to look at the silent Gavin and gently licked his lips.

"Boss."

He said in a low voice.

"That's good news, right? The astronauts are coming back—six super-intelligent people! Their return will definitely be a great help to us, won't it?"

"Especially regarding the substation and dam issues we're currently facing, they'll definitely be able to offer us more advice than that electrician, right?" "Haven't you been worried about that dam lately? I think even if the astronauts don't understand how dams work, intelligent people like them could quickly learn it with a little study, wouldn't they?"

At this point, zt stretched and yawned, deciding to add an extra hour of workout to his evening routine.

He's been sitting in the broadcasting room almost all day lately, and even sleeps there at night. He feels like his body is about to rust.

And Gavin.

Hearing ZT's words, he exhaled softly and responded.

"We cannot place our hopes on others; we must rely on ourselves for everything. This is the true meaning of life."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin picked up his pen and paper, stood up, and strode out of the broadcasting room.

Watching Gavin's retreating figure, zt silently pursed his lips.

After Gavin's figure had completely disappeared, he couldn't help but exhale and then lay on the table and said.

"Boss, you have to rely on yourself for everything, so even you are prepared for the possibility that they might not come back..."

"Or rather... even if they return, they won't be prepared to land safely!"

At this point, ZT couldn't help but scratch his head. His dreadlocks hadn't been washed in a while. Should he take them out and wash them tonight?

but……

Remembering that this was a dirty braid he had made before the apocalypse, he was a little reluctant to untangle it. Once the dirty braid came undone, there would be no barber to take care of his hair in the apocalypse.

So, well, I guess I'll just have to soak my hair in water for a while longer and try to be patient.

Otherwise, my own frizzy hair is just too damn hard to deal with. I can't exactly shave my head, can I?

That's too ordinary!

While zt was lost in thought, Gavin left the broadcasting room, walked to the lobby, and sat down on his sofa.

When he arrived, there were only six or seven people sitting in the hall, most of whom were talking about the afterglow of the party they had just attended.

When Gavin arrived, Aunt Tara waved to him with a smile.

"Boss, what did the astronauts say? You overheard what they said on the walkie-talkie and rushed to the broadcast room, but now it's quiet. Is... the news bad?"

At this point, Tara looked at Gavin with concern.

Madison, William, Manus, and Diana, who were standing nearby, also looked at Gavin with concern.

Meeting everyone's gazes, Gavin took a deep breath and spoke softly.

"It's nothing, Tara, it's just... the astronauts will be returning to Earth around 2 p.m. a week from now."

"profound."

Upon hearing this, Tara nodded knowingly.

"So they're coming back."

But as soon as she finished speaking, the hall fell into an eerie silence. While everyone else was still in shock, Aunt Tara asked incredulously.

"What?! They're coming back?! Next week?!"

"But... such big news, God, why are you so calm, boss? You didn't even gather everyone together to say anything?" "If everyone heard this news, they would be so excited! God, we've been waiting for them for over a month, it's so wonderful that they're back!"

"This is fantastic news, boss! Should I spread the word?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Tara looked at Gavin excitedly.

The others nearby also stared into Gavin's eyes.

And Gavin...

He showed no excitement at Tara's suggestion, but instead gently raised his right hand, pressed it lightly in the air twice, and then spoke.

"No need, Tara. After all, we can't help the astronauts much, so we just need to wait quietly."

After saying that, Gavin made a shushing gesture to Tara, then thoughtfully tapped his leg.

The news that the astronauts are coming back will really lift everyone's spirits.

That's for sure, but...

If the astronauts' return mission goes wrong, resulting in significant casualties or even... the death of all of them, then... the more morale-boosting this mission was at the time, the more disappointing it will be in the future!

Thinking of this, Gavin pursed his lips. He didn't intend to bring this matter to the forefront for exaggerated and politicized propaganda, nor did he intend to use it to boost the morale of the camp.

Because if he turns this into a core political event for the camp, the negative consequences would be too great if he failed.

Of course, as long as he, as the leader, doesn't make this a top priority, there's no need to restrict its spread. Let it gradually spread through word of mouth among the members.

Besides, ZT's mouth is notoriously loose; even if Gavin didn't say anything, ZT would have leaked the story sooner or later. However, not actively promoting it doesn't mean Gavin can't do something for the astronauts.

Gavin pondered for a moment, then took out a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.

"All helicopter pilots, gather in the hall. Eugene and Edward are also coming with your squads."

"receive!"

"Yes, sir!"

"OK!"

"Coming right away!"

Several responses came through the walkie-talkie in an instant.

Meanwhile, throughout the camp, several men who had been chatting animatedly just moments before immediately dropped their relaxed expressions and became solemn.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the hall.

Hearing Gavin's voice, Madison coughed lightly and said.

"Boss, since you have something to talk about, let's find another place."

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone except Aunt Tara left the sofa and headed towards the bar together.

Tara, on the other hand, is a key member of Edward's squad.

As for the fixed members like Edward's team and Eugene's team, these are field operations teams that have gradually been established over the past two days, coinciding with Eugene and Edward's military-style training program.

In a real post-apocalyptic survival camp, unchanging rules are not advisable. In Gavin's camp, many changes actually occur every moment of every day.

For example, the gradual improvement of the field work system, the further differentiation of the work of the three teams, the increase in the number of internal staff, and the gradual shift of sentry work from field work to internal work, etc.

In addition, as the number of camp members increased, Thomas also divided the logistics team members into different categories, such as the initial planting group and the breeding group.

After all, besides farming, the camp's demand for horses has increased significantly, so Steve has been taking a group of guys from 6666 Ranch to the playground to lasso horses these days.

The increase in the number of cattle and horses completely overwhelmed Sariel, the chubby fellow. Even if he weren't fat, he wouldn't have the strength to take care of so many animals.

As for Martin, if it weren't for today's party, this top hunter would probably have to leave the team and lead his own field squad to hunt in the forest.

It wasn't that the camp lacked food, but rather that it lacked top-quality hunting dogs—dogs capable of easily and reliably hunting rabbits, groundhogs, and mice. Such dogs required extensive training before being put into actual use.

The training of hunting dogs requires the guidance of professional dog trainers and exposure to real hunting experiences.

In this area, Jonathan from Ranch 6666 provides training, while Martin, the old hunter, brings his hunting dogs for on-site training.

Each and every one of Gavin's plans, and every need that everyone faces in post-apocalyptic life, requires a sufficient number of people to accomplish.

This is why Gavin has been looking forward to manpower since the beginning of the apocalypse, and it is also why human resources are the most important resource in the apocalypse!

Therefore, Gavin really doesn't understand those cults and those people who keep shouting about fighting and killing.

In a real-life apocalypse, unless someone is completely out of their mind, very few people would be so eager as to harm other living people around them. Lone wolves are something that usually only exist in fiction; in real life, such people are practically exceptions, just like Gavin only ever met one lone wolf, Philip.

Some young people think that the Maverick is just too cool!

But let's think about it from another perspective. Isn't it cool when the Maverick has to wash his own underwear and socks? Isn't it cool when the Maverick cooks every day? Isn't it cool when the Maverick suddenly has an upset stomach and curls up alone to find medicine for himself?

In other words, isn't it cool when a lone wolf has no female companions and can only play with toys or use his hands?

Humans are social animals; this idea has been ingrained in humankind since the very beginning of human existence.

In the pre-apocalyptic world, humanity's social classes are solidified, capitalist lifestyles increase the pressure on people's lives, and the upper class's excessively luxurious control over resources and the dense and closed reach of power contribute to the situation.

This is what breeds antisocial individuals among the lower classes and perverts among the upper classes.

In the apocalypse, when humanity truly faces an unstoppable catastrophe, especially after the old social structure has been completely destroyed, the surviving humans will, at least in the early stages of the apocalypse, before this new power structure has solidified and expanded.

Only a madman whose mind is filled with cults and evil gods would go on a killing spree against others.

Because in the apocalypse, most capable people wouldn't mind having another partner to command.

Most people who lack ability wouldn't mind having another person around to help them, even if it's just to attract the zombie's attention for a second when they encounter one!

In short, as time went by and the number of people in the camp continued to increase, the camp itself was changing at a crazy pace. And the guys in the camp, under the joint efforts of Gavin, Thomas, Eugene, Edward, and Old Feng, divided into three divisions of labor: field staff, office staff, and logistics staff, and unconsciously accepted and became accustomed to this change.

As for now.

After receiving Gavin's order, everyone quickly gathered from all directions.

Soon, nearly fifteen or sixteen waiters were seated in the hall.

Upon seeing everyone arrive, Gavin lit a cigarette and then tossed his cigarette case to everyone to share.

The smoke was passed around and passed on until it reached Adriana, at which point it was gone.

So Adriana took out her cigarettes and continued distributing them. After one round, everyone smoked and waited, while Gavin crossed his legs and exchanged a few pleasantries with Eugene Edward and the others.

After the last person arrived, Gavin nodded and then clapped his hands at his men.

clap clap...

"Guys."

Gavin said softly.

"I called you here with only one task to give you, and this task will last for a whole week."

"For the next week, you must put aside all your previous work, even your work leading the men in military training—that's all for now!"

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Edward was a little unhappy.

The military training program has only been underway for two days!

After returning from Cedar Park and Granite Beach, he and Eugene spent the whole night working on a training plan, which they had to put on hold after only two days of training.

This was really hard for Edward to accept!

However, Edward already knew what kind of person Gavin was, so he didn't question him, but rather felt suspicious and worried.

He said in a soft, teasing tone.

"Boss, what could be more important than field training?"

"In my view, training is a long-term undertaking, just like Teacher Hela's educational work and the various vocational skills training programs we hold every night. It's an important task that we must persevere in, and we cannot skip even a single day!"

"So, what do we need to do next week?"

At this point, Edward looked at Gavin with melancholy, knowing that what they were about to do must be something very important.

After Edward finished speaking, Gavin looked at the waiting men and said softly.

"Edward, and everyone else, I've just made contact with the space station. The six astronauts on board will begin their return mission in the reentry capsule one week from today!"

Wow!

Holy crap!

"Shit!"

Oh my god!

A commotion erupted, and the gasps of astonishment from the crowd even made the voodoo survivors working on the third floor shudder involuntarily. Gavin calmly watched his men vent their excitement, then clapped his hands when they had mostly quieted down.

"Alright, guys, this was bound to happen. Stop yelling at me and sit down to talk business!" He slapped his palm down, and the guys who had stood up excitedly quickly sat down to listen to Gavin's words.

Gavin raised his hand and gave instructions.

"For the next week, all the guys who can fly helicopters, except Sean, will be conducting full-scale aerial reconnaissance around Lake Livingston every day."

"Each pilot will be paired with two field crew members. You can decide on the specific pairings yourself, but you must try your best to understand the distribution of zombies around Livingston Lake and ensure that the zombies' movement patterns are under our control!"

"This timeframe is a bit tight. A week shouldn't be enough, but we only have a week, and there's no room for negotiation."

"By the way, except for Sean. Sean, your job these days is to take me to prepare a complete temporary rescue base near Livingston Lake."

"On one hand, we need to prepare for the lake retrieval operation to ensure that the return capsule and astronauts that have crashed into the lake can be retrieved in time." "On the other hand, we also need to prepare for the possibility that the astronauts' fall trajectory is incorrect. If the return capsule fails to land in the lake, we must find them as quickly as possible to prevent them from being surrounded by zombies due to the loud noise of the return capsule's return and being unable to be rescued!" "This is the pilots' job. All pilots can leave now to prepare. You need to check your aircraft to ensure the flight operation can proceed smoothly."

"Edward, you're a pilot too, so your squad will follow me. Each of you pilots will find other field crew members to assist with." "Pilots can leave now. The rest of the field crew members will stay."

Gavin waved to the pilots in the crowd, and the guys who could fly exchanged glances, nodded, and left one after another. But just as they were leaving, Gavin suddenly looked at Nicholas's back and said something.

"Wait, Nicholas? What are you doing among the pilots?"

"what?"

Nicholas, who was called out, was slightly taken aback, then turned around innocently and said aggrievedly.

"Boss, I am a pilot! I really am a pilot!"

"I know, damn it, I mean you can fly a helicopter by yourself now?"

Gavin quickly asked Nicholas, who nodded confidently and excitedly explained.

"Of course, boss. I used to fly fighter jets, and I learned how to fly helicopters a long time ago. Paul is the same as me, so we're both fine."

"However, because Instructor Sean required us to have him by our side during test flights, Paul hasn't had a chance to test fly yet, and without a test flight, he's not qualified."

"So I came alone, which is why I'm the last one here. Before I arrived, Paul and I had a little argument, haha." Gavin nodded in satisfaction as he listened to Nicholas's laughter.

Among the many learners at the camp, Nicholas and Paul, who were learning helicopters, were the first to graduate. No wonder they were former fighter pilots; learning helicopters was a career downgrade for them.

Just as Gavin nodded, the door leading from the first-floor garage to the outside slowly opened.

Suddenly, the sound of a car starting up rang out.

Upon hearing that voice, Eugene exclaimed in surprise, then asked Gavin.

"Boss, isn't today a holiday? How come there's a field operation I don't even know about?"

"No, it's probably... Philip."

Gavin answered while waving to the pilot.

Helicopter inspection and maintenance is a complex and lengthy task. Pilots currently have no logistical support and have to do it themselves, so Gavin needs to get them to hurry up.

After the pilots left, Gavin spoke to the remaining men.

"Philip, that lone wolf, said goodbye to me after the banquet; he's leaving."

"Why don't you come with me to see him off? We can talk about our work for the next week after we say goodbye!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gavin took the lead and headed towards the door.

Outside, the Suburban, after driving out of the garage, also stopped outside the manor, seemingly waiting for Gavin and his group to approach. Meanwhile, near the Suburban...

The workers tending the cattle and horses, the workers resting on the rooftops of the estate, the workers walking their dogs in the pastures, and the workers collecting eggs—they all looked over.