"Columbus, you come here."
Shawn beckoned to him.
Columbus sat in the chair beside Shawn. He glanced at Tarah, whose eyes were blank, clearly not knowing why Shawn had asked him and the others to stay.
"You're so serious that I'm about to pee my pants."
"By the way, the last time I peed my pants was in third grade, and my mom chased me for half an hour with a soaked blanket."
After speaking, Columbus was the first to laugh. He waved his hand.
"I'm just kidding, you continue."
But Shawn's first words made Columbus freeze.
"Columbus, do you still want to find your parents?" Shawn looked at him.
Indeed, Columbus had the chance to return to his parents' city, but after a moment of hesitation, he came back.
Shawn needed to hear his direct confirmation, go or stay, as this would determine Shawn's future arrangements for Columbus.
Columbus opened his mouth, seeming unable to speak.
But after a moment of silence, he still shook his head.
"I know better than anyone that they couldn't have survived this catastrophe. They were too kind, and it's even possible they were already gone when everything first started."
"If they were all scoundrels like Tarah, perhaps I would still hold a glimmer of hope for them."
"Go to hell!"
Tarah immediately cursed when he heard Columbus mention his name.
Columbus then looked at Shawn and shrugged.
It was as if he was saying, "See, he's just this kind of scoundrel."
Shawn understood: "Since that's the case, starting tomorrow, you can serve as a teacher at the Prison, responsible for educating the children and newly joined members."
"Teacher?"
Columbus was a bit slow to react.
He had previously thought Shawn would arrange some manual labor for him, or perhaps have him join Shane's army for daily combat.
"But I only know how to play games, there's nothing I can teach, right?"
Before the apocalypse, Columbus was an extreme homebody. He even felt uncomfortable talking to girls, so what could he possibly teach others?
"No." Shawn shook his head: "You have something you can teach, and what you need to teach is even more important than what others teach."
Hearing Shawn value Columbus so highly, everyone who remained looked at him.
Tarah even widened his eyes slightly, looking as if he had eaten a whole lot.
"What could I possibly..."
Columbus stopped speaking halfway. His gaze met Shawn's, seemingly confirming his own guess.
"That's right." Shawn didn't keep him in suspense.
"Your 'survival guide' is dispensable for people with extensive apocalypse survival experience, and they might even find it too troublesome."
Tarah was a good example; every time he saw Columbus writing the 'survival guide,' he would mock him without hesitation.
"But," Shawn slightly emphasized his tone, "for newborns, children, and those survivors who have had very little contact with the outside world, the importance of this 'survival guide' is beyond your imagination."
"I don't care how you teach, but at least ensure that everyone in this Prison has basic survival awareness."
"You are the author of the 'survival guide' and also the first practitioner of this book."
"There's no better candidate than you, so become a teacher, Columbus."
Shawn gave him an encouraging look.
"I can try... It's just that I've never taught anyone before, so I can't guarantee I can teach them."
Columbus pondered for a moment.
Becoming a teacher and facing children was better than going outside to face Walkers and malicious survivors.
He was a cautious person by nature; otherwise, he wouldn't have specifically compiled the 'survival guide' to read day and night, reminding himself.
Enabling more people to live better... this doesn't seem like a bad thing either.
"Don't worry, I understand you well enough to make this decision. Your ability is not an issue; you just lack a little confidence."
Shawn wasn't just saying comforting words.
Tarah, standing by, was a Walker hunter; not just anyone could team up with him.
Columbus seemed a bit timid, but in reality, his combat power was not low. However, in the later stages, he developed a more intuitive fighting style, so he himself didn't even realize how good he was at fighting Walkers.
Moreover, having seen so many grand scenes along the way, asking him to teach those little ones and survivors was almost an underutilization of his talents.
However, given the importance of external vigilance, Shawn decided after much thought to let him take this position.
Columbus left in a hurry.
Tomorrow was his first day on the job, and he probably needed to go back and prepare 'teaching materials' and think about how to face his future students.
With four people remaining, Shawn looked at Tarah.
"Columbus has an arrangement. What about you? What do you want to do?"
Tarah stroked his chin, where prickly stubble had grown.
"How about I help out in the kitchen?"
"That way, I might be able to eat cream sponge cake whenever I want."
"Go to hell!"
Shawn returned the same curse Tarah had just used on Columbus.
"It's hard enough for you to cook meat thoroughly. If you're in the kitchen, Carol will complain to me 800 times a day. Pick something else."
"You can't make me join the army, can you? Let me tell you, I'm not keen on taking orders in the army."
Tarah clasped the back of his head, looking like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, implying, 'You want me to do something? I won't do it.'
Shawn suppressed the urge to take the iron sledgehammer from his backpack and smash him with one blow.
"Do you know a woman who always carries a katana?"
"That woman who always likes to go her own way?"
"That's her. From now on, you'll act with her. If she asks, tell her I said so."
"What does she do at the Camp?"
"Scouting, going out to search for supplies, and clearing Walkers... Anyway, her duties are quite varied, and no one orders her around, which is perfect for you," Shawn said irritably.
Indeed, the woman Shawn spoke of was Michonne.
Sometimes she would go out with Daryl and Merle, and other times she would leave the Camp as a lone wolf.
They weren't in a superior-subordinate relationship, so Shawn simply threw Tarah to her.
Anyway, Shawn didn't need to worry about Tarah; he even deliberately made time every day to chase and kill Walkers.
Letting him roam freely in the wild was a good option that suited him.
Having sent Tarah away, Shawn looked at Guillermo.
From the Nursing Home back then, Shawn hadn't expected to encounter him again.
Bringing him back to the Prison this time could be considered filling a regret.
After all, someone like Guillermo shouldn't have died so casually.
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