Chapter 78: Getting on Track
After extinguishing the great fire, Caesar quickly led everyone back to the ranch, choosing routes that were all remote paths.
For the next several days, the people at the ranch didn't go out again. Caesar had Colby and the other cowboys drive the cattle and sheep out to graze each day.
The ranch also slowly got on track. With many hands making light work, wooden cabins quickly began being built around Caesar's stone house and the cowboy cabin.
A single small cabin wasn't large, and didn't need a foundation either. With wood all around and complete tools, several were quickly built.
Caesar gave these cabins to Morales, T-Dog, and other combat personnel who'd made great contributions.
To increase the enthusiasm of the other residents, Caesar reserved two or three cabins to reward the most efficient and hardworking families.
When they moved into the cabins, they'd immediately develop a sense of belonging to this land.
Listening to their gratitude toward him, Caesar smiled and nodded, saying: "This is all due to your efforts."
Everyone at the ranch could find something to do. Each day they saw the open prairie environment.
Daryl still went out hunting daily, often bringing back news.
This news came from hunters he met while hunting, exchanging information for food with each other.
Daryl had encountered danger several times. With his own abilities plus Carol's assistance, the two could easily turn danger into safety. The relationship between them was also advancing by leaps and bounds.
This day, Daryl brought back news that made Caesar very happy.
Wire was wound around Daryl's waist, with squirrels hanging from it, plus several rabbits. He was dirty all over, especially his hair, which was as messy as a bird's nest.
Flies even followed him. He looked quite like a wild man.
Carol was much better off than Daryl. She still washed her face and brushed her teeth daily. Plus with her white buzz cut, which was easy to maintain, she didn't have much of an odor.
"Yo yo yo, who's come back?" Merle wore a straw hat, lying on a chair. He tipped up the hat with his finger, looking at Daryl with mocking eyes.
"Isn't this the big wild man and little wild woman? How come you're back?"
There was a hint of vinegar in Merle's words. No help for it—previously Daryl always went hunting with him. Now he'd actually switched to this woman.
"We got some intelligence. Open the gate quickly."
Daryl didn't want to engage with his brother's words. He turned his head to look at the ground, as if studying the composition of the soil.
Carol glanced at Daryl, then had to step forward to speak.
The ranch's main gate was no longer the previous kind of iron rail gate that could only block cattle and sheep but let people pass through.
Under Caesar's arrangement, a circle of wood had already been used to build a wall and gate three to four meters high.
The wooden gate could open both ways. Usually a heavy truck was parked behind it.
If someone or walkers really did ram the gate, Merle would give one command—the gate would open wide, and the heavy truck equipped with spike rams could charge straight out.
However you came in is how you'd go out—maybe even broken into pieces.
Merle lay on the chair, withdrew his finger, letting the straw hat cover his eyes again, and waved his hand: "Open the gate for them!"
The people standing beside him were members of Merle's squad.
Currently with such vast territory, Caesar could only have Merle and his squad temporarily act as gate guards.
Caesar's territory was at the central position of Black Pine Valley, like a red beast constantly devouring the surrounding land.
The surrounding ranches—those with sense would actively join. Those without sense, Caesar had people help them maintain face.
Beth was often the person who delivered the ultimatum.
Daryl and Carol reached Caesar's stone house. Caesar was sitting in the study handling ranch affairs.
Caesar let out a long breath, quietly waiting for Daryl and the two to arrive.
These past few days he'd constantly been handling ranch affairs, driving himself crazy.
The ranch didn't have specific regulations yet. Everything could only be handed to upper management to handle. The combat squad captains definitely couldn't handle it. The main force for logistics was only Amy.
Carol had gone out hunting. Beth had gone out to claim territory.
Naturally it piled up on Caesar and Amy. For example, an old man said a young man was peeping at his wife bathing—said he came every day, specifically to watch him bathe.
After Caesar arrested that young man and questioned him, he learned the young man hadn't peeped at the old woman bathing at all.
It was just that the old man and old woman liked bathing together. He wanted to watch the old man bathe, and the old woman happened to be included.
After listening, Caesar closed both eyes and had people drag the young man out and beat him heavily.
And he had Merle educate this young man that he couldn't—or at least shouldn't.
He could have normal relationships with other males.
Other bizarre matters were too numerous to mention.
Caesar felt like a medieval lord, having to worry about everything personally.
If Daryl and them came back, he could finally rest well and temporarily escape these annoying affairs.
Knock knock knock—
The door was knocked. Caesar opened his eyes. "Come in."
Daryl and Carol walked into the study. Caesar frowned and pointed at Daryl's haggard appearance: "You went hunting looking like this?"
"I feel like you went scavenging instead?"
Faced with Caesar's question, Daryl chose not to respond. He really didn't like being clean.
"I got a lot of news about Horus's and Leon's ranches, and personally scouted them out too."
Only then did Caesar sit up straight, his expression serious: "Speak."
"In the two days after Old Man Leon and Horus died, the ranch people discovered they were gone. They thought the leaders had gone out for something and didn't say anything."
"Then two or three days later, the senior management left at the ranch realized something was wrong. They took people out to search for the leaders but got no results."
"Then we reach now. The ranch people are starting to want to leave, saying things like 'even the leaders ran away, why am I still staying here.'"
"The ranches quickly became chaotic. At night some people tried to sneak into warehouses to steal food. The senior management anticipated this and shot them in advance, but didn't expect the chaos level at the ranches to increase further."
"Both ranches constantly have people running out. The senior management can't find the leaders and are already in a state of being leaderless."
"There are rumors at their ranches claiming the leaders are dead, killed by us, but no one has evidence. Their senior management probably think so too, but no one is saying it openly in front of the residents."
Caesar habitually tapped the table with his finger, listening to all the situations Daryl reported.
Black Pine Valley only had three most powerful forces: Horus, Old Man Leon, and himself.
Of these, two forces' leaders had disappeared, most likely dead. Only he alone was still alive.
According to benefit distribution, if those two died, the greatest beneficiary would be himself.
Caesar felt they'd guessed correctly, because this was the truth. But he also knew these senior management hadn't pointed it out to the residents because they didn't want to tear things apart with Caesar.
After all, if they later had to surrender to Caesar, wouldn't that make their own path narrower?
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