Meanwhile, atop the RV.
Gavin held the eight-fold telescope, silently gazing down the distant road towards the town of Palmer, which lay further away.
They had come to a halt west of the farm ruins, with ample space around them for the vehicle to accelerate and evade the zombies. It was also a short distance from the lake.
The highway was at least two kilometers away, and the Palmer Resort was even further, approximately three kilometers distant.
After confirming there were no signs of zombie activity in the surrounding area, Gavin lowered the telescope and jumped out of the RV.
As he landed, Eugene leaned over the old Ford and asked, "So, big star, can we hide out in this damn place for a while?"
"The surroundings are much better than I anticipated. At the very least, it's suitable for breakfast," Gavin replied.
Madison then emerged from the RV, leading Winnie by the hand.
Upon seeing Gavin nearby, Winnie trotted over, her gaze fixed on the telescope in his hand. "Boss, we have a telescope in the car. I'll ask my mom to get it for you later~"
"What?" Gavin was taken aback.
"I mean, my dad has a telescope, and he can't use it right now anyway."
"No, I'm asking what the hell is this 'boss' nonsense?"
Gavin smiled and patted Winnie on the head. Winnie turned to Madison, pouting.
Noticing this, Madison grinned and said, "I taught her, Gavin. Anyway, I only recognize you as the boss."
"You beat me four years ago, man. I'll never forget the first time I was late for practice and you picked me up and tossed me down."
"Besides, I've never lost while you were the boss, not in the Super Bowl nor in front of any zombies."
"If you don't take over as the boss, who should I listen to? That damn red-haired bastard? I'd be afraid I'd wake up in the middle of the night and kill him!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Madison shot Eugene a warning glare. Eugene twisted his mouth and raised his middle finger, shaking it at her.
As for Gavin, he casually tossed the eight-fold scope at Eugene, interrupting his gesture. He nodded and smiled at Winnie. "I do prefer the telescope."
"Okay, boss~" Winnie breathed a sigh of relief and dashed back to the RV to discuss the telescope with her mother.
Watching Winnie run off, Gavin couldn't help but ask Madison, "Is her mother awake?"
"She woke up a while ago. At first, she cried terribly, but fortunately, it didn't last long."
Madison agreed, and Gavin glanced at the passenger seat of the old Ford with amusement, pointing at William. "The kid's mother is awake, but why is this guy still out cold? Is he worse than a woman?"
"Tsk, he's just a little brat," Eugene laughed. "Don't be fooled by his muscular build. He's just a kid who's done a bit of weight training. He thinks he's tough and looks strong, but he's actually quite weak. His flexibility isn't even as good as that of a cheerleader."
After this spicy commentary, Eugene opened the passenger door and shook William. "Sleeping Beauty, it's time for you to wake up."
After dragging William around for a moment, William blinked awake, confusion etched on his face as he glanced around.
"Where's my dad?" he asked, trembling.
Eugene dropped him to the ground beside him and replied, "Your father has already gone to hell. Do you want to join him?"
"I… what? Where are we? Don't tell me you left my dad like that!" William exclaimed, his voice thick with disbelief.
He looked around in shock, then stood up, directing his outrage at Eugene. "This isn't even on the road! Where are we going? Did you bury my dad before you left? At least give him a proper grave!"
"Bullshit, William! You expect us to dig a grave for your father and then be buried in it by zombies for eternity?"
Eugene continued to taunt William, causing the latter's veins to bulge with anger.
"Fuck you, Eugene! Even if you didn't have time to bury him, you could at least have left me his clothes or watch as a memento. Why the hell did you knock me out?"
"Ha! I didn't want to be in contact with the stuff on the zombies for too long. Who knows if there's a virus? Want to settle the score with me? Come on, little policeman, I'll give you a chance!"
Eugene cursed and waved provocatively at William.
William exhaled heavily and suddenly lunged at Eugene!
As the two seemed on the verge of fighting, Madison rolled her eyes and turned to look at Gavin.
Meeting Old Mac's inquiring gaze, Gavin leaned against the RV and shook his head. "Let them vent a little."
"Alright, it's a good opportunity for me to enjoy the show," Madison replied with a smile, continuing to watch the skirmish.
Although William was younger, he was taller and stronger than Eugene.
Yet his fighting style was stiff, clearly stemming from a formal training regimen, the kind he had just learned in the police academy.
Eugene, on the other hand, fought with a much more reckless style, targeting William's lower body.
After a few exchanges, Eugene seized an opening and kicked William in the thigh, causing the young policeman to double over, covering his groin and howling in pain.
When Winnie and her mother exited the RV, they found William on the ground, wailing, while Eugene circled around him, swearing and taunting.
This scene instantly shattered Winnie's mother.
"Doris, stay strong!" she kept repeating to herself.
But then the tears began to flow.
They are fighting; these people are so brutal, so frightening...
Hubby... woooooooooooo...
Seeing her mother break down again, Winnie's expression fell.
Didn't we agree to be strong?
Mom, did you tell the dog?
Noticing the two women emerge from the vehicle, Madison called out to Eugene, who was still provoking William. "Come on, Eugene, stop scaring the woman!"
"Ha! If you scare women, they'll have to adapt sooner or later. Times have changed!"
Eugene chuckled, then kicked William again, this time on the backside, before turning to glare coldly at Winnie's mother.
Faced with Eugene's fierce gaze, Doris recoiled, clutching her chest, taking a few steps back while breathing deeply in fear against the vehicle.
"Uncle Red, you scared my mom!" Winnie shouted, stepping protectively in front of her mother and glaring at Eugene.
Doris was taken aback by her daughter's boldness. She quickly grabbed Winnie's hand, terrified that the fierce Eugene might charge at them.
But upon seeing Winnie, Eugene's demeanor softened considerably.
He let out a heavy sigh, nodded with a smirk, and said, "This is all because of your face, kid. I have high hopes for you. You're much better than William, who's still breastfeeding."
As he spoke, Eugene shot another glare at Doris. "You're much better than your mother. Take good care of her; she needs to adapt to this apocalypse quickly!"
With a final sneer, Eugene returned to the old Ford, retrieved the remaining half bottle of Coke, and took a sip.
William lay on the dry grass, pounding the ground in despair.
His crying clearly affected Doris, who began to sob softly out of fear and sadness.
Annoyed by the wailing of both, Winnie snatched the telescope from her mother and presented it to Gavin as if it were a treasure.
"Boss, telescope~"
"Thank you very much. You're saving me trouble," Gavin replied, taking the telescope and examining it closely. It appeared to be in good condition.
Winnie's family clearly enjoyed a high quality of life; not only was the telescope of good make, but the Ford F450 RV was also a fine vehicle.
Seeing Gavin's satisfaction, Winnie felt relieved. She then pulled her mother, who was struggling to hold back tears, in front of Gavin and introduced them. "Boss, this is my mom, Doris. She cooks delicious food and can do laundry!"
"Mom, stop crying. Come and meet the eldest brother. His name is Jia..."
"Legendary quarterback Gavin King, the Cowboy King of Texas!!!"
Before Winnie could finish her introduction, Doris exclaimed in surprise.
Hearing this, Madison gave Gavin a thumbs-up in admiration. "As expected of you, Gavin; even housewives of your age know you!"
"Ha ha," Gavin chuckled, about to respond when Doris suddenly burst into tears.
Doris couldn't stop sobbing, overwhelmed with emotion.
"My husband... oh, my husband drove us from Houston in the early morning just to go to Dallas and celebrate your Cowboys' fifth consecutive championship!"
"He just died on the road. How could this happen? Oh my God!"