The Disinterest in Success

Jason noticed a slight change in Amy and asked more attentively, "What's wrong? Do you not like the food?"

Hearing this question, Amy quickly shook her head and smiled again. "I'm fine, I just thought of something! Come on, let's make a toast."

As soon as Amy said that, Jason raised his bottle, wanting to end this somewhat awkward conversation. "By the way, do you have something specific to ask me? Didn't your sister mention it a moment ago?"

Amy stood up and walked toward the crowd. After taking a few steps, she suddenly turned around and said with a smile, "Maybe later, we could be more than just friends."

Seeing Amy's expression, Jason suddenly stopped and said, "Then I guess that's settled. Go get some rest."

"Yes, goodbye!" Amy walked away from Jason's table with a cheerful smile and headed back to her sister. Although she hadn't managed to confess successfully today, she had at least said that sentence, which she considered a small victory.

Jason, on the other hand, watched Amy as she walked away and sighed in relief. He wasn't foolish at all; of course, he knew Amy's intentions. But he had no interest in a romantic relationship—not because he felt nothing for her, but because his mind was occupied with other thoughts.

Romance and love come with a lot of drama. Just looking at the trouble poor Rick had with his wife was proof that having a partner in the apocalypse was rarely a good idea. Besides being a distraction, it could also lead to more serious problems, and right now, he wasn't interested in that.

Fortunately, Amy seemed to be very perceptive and had fully understood his intentions, which made Jason feel much more at ease. So far, he hadn't really considered what it meant to end up in this world. But now that he was here, he would make sure not to waste time on relationships.

Without a doubt, this kind of mindset would take him far and give him the chance to save many people. Looking around, all the people surrounding him were undeniably real—not just side characters. That alone was enough to make Jason feel gratified, at least knowing he could keep them safe. Whenever he felt that sense of peace, he reminded himself that many important things would happen in the future.

With that determined mentality, Jason was committed to protecting his community and creating a safe path for everyone.

That resolve prevented him from getting lost in other uncomfortable thoughts. Despite being surrounded by companions, he always carried the heavy burden of leadership, and deep down, he had no desire to get involved in matters of love.

Sighing once more, Jason looked at the distant crowd celebrating. These people were proof of his existence in this world and the reason he was still here. If they were to disappear, he might not even have the motivation to keep going.

"I shouldn't let them drink excessively again," Jason murmured as he watched a young man nearly set himself on fire. If it weren't for Merle kicking him out of the way, tonight could have turned into a disaster.

"I agree, my friend." Just as Jason was thinking out loud, a calm voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

Jason turned his head to see who was speaking and found Shane, holding a beer in his hand, as he sat down beside him.

"Shane, how are you, buddy?" Jason asked with a slight smile.

Shane considered Jason a very special person—one of the few who had understood his decisions from the beginning.

In the original story, if it hadn't been for Shane's obsession with Lori, which was, in Jason's opinion, unnecessary, the man could have played a crucial role in the future of the group. Even after his death, he was still remembered by many.

"Looks like everyone is having a good time. I never thought this place would turn out better than the CDC," Shane said with an observant look.

Jason, who had been contemplating Shane's potential, smiled and said, "Of course. Although we should regulate how much alcohol these people drink."

After hearing Jason's response, Shane's expression became a bit complicated, and he said, "A lot of these people haven't suffered enough, but they're all willing to fight for survival. It's good that we have a leader with that kind of vision. Otherwise, things would be much harder."

"Haha, you think too highly of my leadership. I'm just trying to survive while helping people along the way."

Shane remained silent. He could relate to Jason—both of them had no family left and were simply surviving in this world while leading others. "I want to believe we'll all survive, but…"

As he spoke, he pointed into the distance, looking at the people celebrating. "Many will die, and we can't prevent it. The only thing we can do is keep fighting for those who are no longer with us."

"It's better not to dwell on what might happen or what will happen. If we get consumed by thoughts, we won't take action." Jason set down the bottle in his hand.

Seeing that Shane had his mouth open as if he wanted to say something but couldn't find the words, Jason felt a bit uncomfortable. He temporarily set aside what he was doing, stood up, and said, "If we ever expand and manage to open a shelter, you'd be the perfect candidate to lead those people."

When Shane heard what Jason said, he still couldn't believe it. After thinking for a moment, he quickly realized how highly Jason thought of him and replied, "Whatever you say, buddy. To make that happen, we'll need to work hard."

"Tsk, the problem won't be the walkers. I'm sure that soon, our biggest issue will be other humans who don't want to see us survive." Jason expressed his concerns as he looked at Shane.

Shane took a sip of his beer and said, "We'll kill anyone who tries to hurt us, you have my word."

"Yeah, we should get some rest then. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Jason extended his hand to Shane and helped him up. Looking into the distance, he pointed ahead. "This place will be incredible, my friend. No one will dare to harm us."

After saying that, Jason walked toward his room, wanting to avoid any more conversations. Today had been a long day, and all he wanted was to rest. He had been working hard these past few days, after all.

The progress of his plans might be slow, but no one could predict the results he was aiming for. It was only a matter of time before the prison became a strong and formidable base.

Very few communities were advancing at Jason's pace. And although he knew he couldn't compare himself to others just yet, it was only a matter of time before his power continued to grow.

Once this place was ready, it would be time to open another shelter—and then another, progressively expanding their survival network.