The Walking Dead: Starting as a Cowboy

After giving her instructions, Amy led the two of them into the council chamber.

On the way, Maggie glanced at Hershel and asked Amy softly, "Later, may I go out and move around freely?"

Amy wasn't surprised and smiled, saying, "Of course, Glenn is in the combatant camp in the west. You can go directly to him."

Maggie wasn't shy at all and readily replied, "I know."

Hershel, standing to the side, gave Maggie a cold glare.

Maggie seemed to know something beforehand, and didn't even glance at Hershel.

The three of them walked to Caesar's office door, knocked, and a steady voice came from inside.

"Come in."

Amy pushed open the door and gestured for the two of them to go in first.

Herschel led the way, entering the room and seeing Caesar sitting in a chair.

Caesar stood up, smiled, and shook hands with Herschel: "Good morning, Herschel. Nothing much happened on the journey, did it?"

Hershel shook his head. "On my way here, I noticed that the road near Blackpine Valley was very clean."

"Black Pine Valley, which you lead, must be a place that many survivors flock to."

Hershel's expression was very serious, without any hint of flattery.

Caesar chuckled twice, not taking Herschel's words seriously.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Amy had someone take Hershel to Dr. Jenner, while Maggie had already gone off to play in town.

Dr. Jenner's laboratory remains on that heavy truck; it hasn't been moved to the cabin.

He was worried that the conditions in the cabin were not suitable, so after a while, the combat team would find suitable building materials and build a cabin specifically for him to experiment in.

With Caesar's promise, Dr. Jenner lived a comfortable life, but her research was never going well.

Anyone who frequently conducts experiments knows that there can be no progress for weeks.

It's also possible that progress will be made in a big leap forward all at once.

Dr. Jenner was flipping through her handwritten documents when there was a knock at the door. Without even looking up, she replied, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Dr. Jenner." Guillermo's voice came from outside the door. "The boss asked me to bring someone to talk to you."

Dr. Jenner sighed, put down his pen, and slowly opened the door.

Outside the door were Guillermo and Herschel, leaning against the heavy truck.

Hershel was excited, his face beaming with an unstoppable smile. "Hello, my name is Hershel."

Seeing Herschel's expression, Dr. Jenner knew exactly what he was expecting, and pursed her lips, saying, "I don't have what you're looking for here."

"Uh..." Hershel paused for a moment, then continued, "I know the vaccine hasn't been developed yet, I know that."

"No, you don't know." Dr. Jenner stood in the car, looking down at Hershel, shattering Hershel's unrealistic fantasies with cold words.

"Vaccines can't save the walking dead."

"Or rather, vaccines cannot revive people. Those zombies outside were all infected with the virus and died before transforming into zombies."

"The vaccine I'm researching is one that makes humans immune to the zombie virus."

"So even if I succeed in developing it, I can't save those zombies; they're already dead."

Dr. Jenner didn't want these people to have unrealistic fantasies and keep themselves hanging on with illusory hopes all day long.

Hershel's upright body was slightly hunched, and his aged but ruddy face looked as if he had aged several years in an instant. His face drooped, his eyes lowered, and the light in his eyes was like a flame about to burn out, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

Guillermo's expression remained unchanged as he calmly looked at Herschel. He had also brought several people from small towns who still harbored fantasies about the walkers here.

But after coming so many times, Guillermo became numb to it.

With a bang, Dr. Jenner closed the door, returned to her seat, and continued her research.

I kept flipping through the documents, but my pen wouldn't write anything.

Outside the door, Guillermo did not comfort Herschel, but led him to a secluded grove of trees and found two camping chairs.

Hershel sat listlessly in the camping chair, staring blankly at the sky.

Guillermo did not choose to consider Herschel's feelings and simply explained the zombie virus.

"Everyone is a carrier of the zombie virus. The zombie virus will only be activated after the host dies, thereby taking over the host's brain and turning them into a zombie."

"People bitten or scratched by zombies have an overdose of the zombie virus in their bodies, which directly turns the host into a zombie."

"In both of these ways, those who become zombies are dead."

Guillermo looked at Herschel: "Dead is dead. Those guys walking around outside are just monsters wearing the skin of your loved ones."

Herschel, unusually, did not refute such remarks, but after listening to Guillermo's explanation, Herschel clearly realized his own obsession.

After a moment of silence, Hershel slowly spoke, his voice hoarse from the dramatic change in his emotions.

"Is there a tavern in town?"

Guillermo said, "Yes, would you like me to take you?"

"Thanks!"

The two walked to the town’s only tavern, which was open even during the day.

The room was bustling with noise, mostly from combat members who were resting today.

"Captain Guillermo, nothing to do again today?"

One of the combatants recognized Guillermo and spoke up.

In an instant, the entire tavern erupted in laughter.

Guillermo looked helplessly at the combatant who had spoken, patted him heavily on the shoulder, and chuckled twice.

Then he pulled Hershel to sit at the bar.

The others stopped teasing Guillermo.

"Aren't you the captain of the combat squad? What are they laughing at?" Hershel asked in surprise.

He didn't know the town very well, but he still knew that the combat members held a high status there, especially the captains of the combat squads, who were arguably the most powerful people under Caesar.

How could anyone ridicule someone with such a status?

Guillermo ordered two drinks from the bartender and glanced at Herschel.

"Herschel, let me test you. Who has the most power in this town?"

"Of course it's Caesar," Herschel said matter-of-factly.

"Yes, it's Caesar." Guillermo was handed two glasses of wine, and he said thank you.

Guillermo turned around and sat down, where he could feel the lively conversation in the tavern and also look at Herschel.

"The boss asked me to protect Dr. Jenner. I know Dr. Jenner is important, but protecting Dr. Jenner has trapped me and my team in the town."

"The honor and status of a combat squad are earned and maintained through combat. My squad doesn't fight, so naturally it has no honor, yet it receives the same treatment as other combat squads that risk their lives outside."

"This led to dissatisfaction among other combat teams regarding my combat team."

After Guillermo calmly explained, Herschel shrugged. "You can read the Bible; I think you have the potential to be a pastor."