On the side, witnessing Gavin eating with enthusiasm, Eugene hurriedly called out to Doris.
"Oi, beauty, could you pass me a plate? I was nearly scared to death just now, and I'm just waiting to make up for it!"
"Huh? Sorry, I'll get that for you right away!"
Doris was taken aback by Eugene's urgency and quickly distributed the remaining plates to everyone.
Eugene lunged to grab a plate, but Madison's hand sharply intercepted his.
Madison rolled her eyes and addressed Eugene.
"Dude, let's not say our prayers before dinner, but at least have some damn manners!"
"Pray? Forget praying!"
Eugene curled his lip in disdain.
"From now on, I'll only thank God for not turning me into a zombie. As for praying, you want me to pray for the end of the world?"
"How should I pray? Thank God for turning all my relatives into zombies and flushing my future down the toilet? Don't eat the sour radish!"
While cursing, Eugene grabbed the plate and spoon, clattering them together twice.
As Doris continued to pass the plate to William, he stared blankly at the ground and did not reach for it.
"Hey... cop, your plate."
Doris bit her lip nervously and again nudged the plate toward him.
William suddenly looked up, slowly accepted the plate and spoon, and resumed his vacant gaze at the camping blanket.
Noticing William's demeanor, Eugene scoffed and tossed a few pancakes onto William's plate.
"That brat, give our little brother William some stew to shove in his mouth, to keep him from crying and screaming later!"
Eugene continued to shout toward Winnie, who rolled her eyes in response.
"I don't want another little brother unless he can help me with my homework. Unfortunately, I don't have to do homework anymore!"
Well, even a clever child like Winnie still abhorred homework.
After hearing Winnie's words, Eugene paused, then asked her with skepticism.
"Homework? How old are you, and you're already doing homework? I never did homework when I was in middle school!"
"Come on, Eugene, you must have gone to a public school filled with gangsters and delinquents."
Madison teased, casually draping the pancake with broth and gulping it down.
Listening to Madison, Eugene raised his beer in silence, handed it to her, and said,
"Public and private schools are all rubbish now. Here's to those schools that've vanished. Cheers to me not having to worry about my future son's grades anymore!"
"What, you have a son?"
Madison asked in surprise, as Eugene had only ever mentioned his sister and nephew before.
In response to Madison's question, Eugene glanced at Doris, shook his head, and smiled.
"I'm talking about my future son. As for now, the woman who can give me a son hasn't appeared yet. Besides, I actually prefer daughters. Cheers!"
As soon as he finished, the two men clinked their wine bottles together and began to drink.
Madison emptied her bottle of beer and set it aside.
Eugene offered her a new beer and inquired,
"What about you, Lao Hei, are you married?"
"Of course, and I have six children—four sons and two daughters."
"Fuck, that's really early and fast. Your big physique is certainly not in vain!"
Eugene was taken aback and couldn't help but sigh, before suddenly falling silent.
Beside Eugene, William, who looked devoid of energy, abruptly raised his head and asked,
"Where are your wife and children, Madison? They..."
"That's enough, William. Don't make me kick you while I'm trying to enjoy my meal!"
Eugene hastily interrupted William.
As for Madison, she was momentarily stunned by what William had said, then took a deep breath and spoke to Eugene.
"Okay, Red Hair, even if the little policeman doesn't say anything, it won't change the facts. The truth is, I have no way to do anything right now."
"My wife and kids are in Chicago. How do you think I'm supposed to find them? Holding the cross, singing Hallelujah, and then, with God's blessing, speeding over a thousand kilometers?"
Madison shrugged in despondence.
Not far away, Doris and Winnie, who had been in high spirits, also thought of their relatives and sank into a similar gloom alongside Madison.
The morale that had just surged with the survival of Eugene and the other man began to plummet in an instant. The camping blanket seemed to be enveloped in a heavy atmosphere, prompting Gavin to look up.
While swallowing a piece of meat, Gavin raised his beer and spoke.
"This is a toast to the journey ahead. I hope it will be easier. Once we return to my home, we'll have something to look forward to in our future."
"Really?"
As Gavin spoke, Eugene immediately lifted his bottle, clinked it with Gavin's, and asked,
"Speaking of which, Quarterback, I really don't know where we're headed next. It seems you already have a destination."
"To my farm."
Gavin replied succinctly.
Upon hearing this, Eugene clapped his hands.
"Wuhu, I've never been a fan of yours, so I didn't know that a big star and wealthy man like you actually runs a farm privately."
At this point, Eugene scrutinized Gavin's figure.
Even though Gavin wore only a dark blue tracksuit, his muscles were evident when he bent his arms.
"You and Madison certainly have the physiques of cowboys. You might even be able to overpower a cow. But is your home really worth all the trouble to reach?"
Eugene gestured broadly at the dry grass and lake surrounding them, continuing,
"It's quite safe for us to camp here. There's a lake on the right and a forest on the left. The nearby towns aren't large, and they're more than 80 kilometers from Dallas."
"If your home is worse than this place, don't even think about asking me to risk my life to help you find your relatives, buddy!"
After saying that, Eugene held the beer bottle in his right hand and regarded Gavin with a sneer.
Beside Gavin, Madison frowned, slammed his spoon on the plate, and cursed.
"What the hell are you doing, Red Hair? Do you think the boss comes home just to find his family?"
"Even the stewed meat can't stop you from eating. That meat is truly a waste. Just listen to the boss's instructions!"
After scolding Eugene, Madison turned to Gavin expectantly.
Gavin noticed this and smiled knowingly.
It seemed that Madison was also anxious about the future and was using Eugene to gather information.
So Gavin nodded, scooped a spoonful of meat, and began to chew while speaking.
"Eugene, didn't you already say I'm a star player and a wealthy man?"
"So, my family's farm spans 140,000 acres."
With this, Gavin took another spoonful of broth and rice.
On the other side, after hearing Gavin's brief explanation, everyone fell silent.
What does 140,000 acres mean?
The largest Wagner Ranch in the United States, the model for the Yellowstone Ranch in the television series Yellowstone, is approximately 520,000 acres.
The largest ranch in Texas, the 6666, covers around 240,000 acres.
Therefore, when everyone learned that Gavin's farm was more than half the size of the 6666 ranch, they were immediately taken aback.
Observing everyone's astonished expressions, Gavin grinned and continued.
"I have a hobby of purchasing land, and most of my income is spent on fencing it in. Unfortunately, I never considered the apocalypse, and I couldn't build a fortress or underground shelter on the farm beforehand."
"But even without preparation, my farm is an excellent place for survival. It encompasses a variety of terrains, including forests, swamps, rivers, reservoirs, farmland, grasslands, and two gently sloping mountainous regions."
"Moreover, the most significant factor is that my farm is vast and sparsely populated!"
"Within the nearly 140,000 acres of the farm, there are only about 300 households, and these households are quite scattered."
"Aside from the seventy or so cowboy families that form a small town of two to three hundred people, most of the rest live far away, scattered throughout the ranch."
"Well, Eugene, do you think this kind of environment is worth your life?"