Thinking of this, Shawn immediately asked his second question.
"Is this the first time you've met them during your time in South Carolina?"
"We've never met them before, otherwise we wouldn't have been caught off guard by them."
Vechita wasn't lying; her survival instincts wouldn't allow her to expose herself to danger.
Shawn's lips curved into a playful smile as he looked back and forth between Vechita and Little Stone.
"Third question, don't worry, this is the last one."
"I'm not afraid to tell you that I have a sizable survivor Camp behind me. As long as you join, you can gain absolute safety and sufficient food, without having to worry about disturbances from other survivors or Walkers."
"But the problem now is that I only have one invitation slot, which means only one person can join the Camp and enjoy all the benefits."
"Your abilities are outstanding, but only one of you two can join."
"I think you can discuss it among yourselves and decide who joins."
As his voice fell, Shawn's right hand twitched slightly, subtly moving closer to the Crescent Blade stuck in the Walker.
He observed their reactions, and indeed, after hearing Shawn's words, the two sisters were first surprised, then joy gradually spread, followed by hesitation.
They looked at each other, opening their mouths as if to speak but stopping themselves.
Vechita looked up at Shawn: "Only one slot?"
After receiving Shawn's affirmative answer, Vechita looked back at Little Stone, pulling her into her embrace and ruffling her fluffy hair.
"Maybe you can join their Camp first, and then when there's a new slot, I can join."
She had seen Columbus and Tallahassee in Shawn's group. She had personally witnessed Shawn and his companions eliminate a carload of rifle-wielding thugs, leaving no one alive.
So perhaps letting Little Stone join their Camp would be a good choice.
At least, judging by the positions of Columbus and Tallahassee within the team, their attitude towards those they recognized as their own was almost diametrically opposed to their attitude towards enemies, yet both were held with equal conviction.
"No, if we go, we go together!"
Little Stone's eyes were red, looking extremely reluctant, as if leaving Vechita would take half her life.
Shawn watched this scene of deep sisterly affection but suddenly chuckled.
"Alright, stop faking it."
Shawn pulled out his Crescent Blade, taking the opportunity to finish off the Walker.
This time, however, Shawn didn't hold the blade in a reverse grip; he merely rested it on his shoulder, his eyes lowered as he looked at them.
A flicker of imperceptible coldness passed through his eyes, as if this dramatic display of familial bond hadn't moved him.
Shawn looked at the two women, whose eyes were still brimming with tears, and lightly tapped the blade's shaft with the fingers gripping the hilt.
Deciding who joins is one thing, but the two sisters' attitude towards joining a strange Camp is another matter entirely.
Simply put, given their personalities and their way of doing things, it was impossible for them to hastily decide who joins and who wanders off just like that.
So that scene just now was still an act they put on before fully understanding the situation.
Of course, it could also be that the methods Shawn had previously displayed left a deep impression on them, thus triggering this 'self-preservation mechanism' in them.
But no matter what, Shawn had lost interest in them.
For the current foundation of the Prison, the existence of Columbus and Tallahassee was more necessary than theirs.
Letting this pair of sisters join the Prison would likely lead to all sorts of messy situations.
"Get out, and the farther you go, the better."
"Just pray you don't meet me again next time, otherwise I'll have to settle old scores."
Shawn said, staring at the two whose expressions had slightly changed.
Watching their hurried retreat, Shawn's gaze returned to normal.
The main theme of the apocalypse had never changed from beginning to end; it was always the strong preying on the weak, regardless of gender, age, or status.
But some things, even if they might be right, cannot be done directly in the open.
Shawn still couldn't bring himself to act under the gaze of Daryl and the others.
To gain the wholehearted loyalty of Columbus and Tallahassee, he couldn't directly wield the butcher's knife against Vechita and her companion.
Don't forget, this was Tallahassee's first time killing someone.
In fact, to some extent, Shawn even had to thank them, because if it weren't for them, Shawn wouldn't have found that large supermarket.
So yes, Shawn's 'mercy' once again triumphed over his anger.
Under the premise of 'don't offend me again,' Shawn gave them a chance to survive.
The cause they initially sowed bore the fruit they now faced.
As for whether they would deceive others in the future or obtain resources from others, that was not something Shawn needed to consider.
Just as it was said from the beginning, the main theme of the apocalypse is the strong preying on the weak.
Purely good-natured people cannot survive anywhere; even if they don't get their resources stolen, they will eventually die at the hands of others or Walkers, it's only a matter of time.
Take Aji, for example; he is outwardly tough but inwardly soft, always vigilant towards outsiders, yet kind and benevolent towards his own people. This is what Shawn values.
To put it another way.
Shawn isn't the President of the Apocalypse, he doesn't need to worry about every apocalyptic voter's ballot, so why should he care for people he doesn't even know?
The strong prey on the weak, the fittest survive, the unfit are eliminated—it's that simple.
And seeing Shawn let Vechita and her companion leave, Daryl and the others said nothing, merely nodding at him.
Tallahassee was still grumbling, but if he had to do it himself, he probably couldn't bring himself to.
He acts tougher than anyone on the surface, but who would have thought this tough guy's favorite food was sweet cream puffs?
Everyone returned through the jungle they had come from. Shawn drove with the Blood Bar MOD on the entire time, dropping them off at the car and then returning to the spot marked on the map.
He pulled out the repaired iron pickaxe, now equipped with the 'Iron's Bane' module.
He conveniently opened the system's skill point allocation interface and added the newly acquired skill points to Motherlode.
[(Gold Miner) Level 3/5, Collect more resources, Bring the Motherlode home]
[You can now quickly find metals and ores and make a living from them. Resources obtained from minerals increased by 60%]
Strength Sequence Motherlode Level Lv3
To describe it in a more concrete way, it means Shawn now gets one and a half pieces of ore for every piece he digs.
This isn't just a 60% increase in resource acquisition; in situations where the required quantity is known, it's a direct 60% increase in efficiency.
Furthermore, many theories about minerals appeared in his mind. From Motherlode reaching Level Three, Shawn could actively search for suitable minerals.
After allocating his skills, Shawn started working with a huff and a puff.
He swung the pickaxe high, then brought it down heavily. The sharp point of the iron pickaxe collided with the nitrate ore, emitting a crisp, moderate sound.
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