Jason, who was heading toward the block where those problematic students were, looked at Daryl and asked him to come along. Their friendship wasn't deep, but they knew each other well enough to understand what the other wanted.
On the way, Daryl briefly talked about the situation with these students and mentioned what they had discussed the day they entered the prison. Jason, listening to this, made a mental note of their behavior and what he might expect from them in the future.
Depending on the situation, he would have to educate them so they understood their true position within the prison. Jason knew that an internal conflict could erupt over anything, which would cause him problems. That's why he had asked Guillermo to take charge of guarding the weapons and food.
However, Jason only thought about these things for a moment before dismissing them. These students were probably just a little nervous, so he simply needed to handle them well and understand what they wanted next.
Crack!
With the sound of a lock turning, Daryl opened the block where the students were being held. Upon entering the unit, Jason found himself standing in front of a group of people who had already stepped out of their cells.
As he looked at the numerous young people in front of him, they also silently looked back at him. The most striking boy among them seemed to be some sort of leader or representative.
"They're all here. When they first arrived, it looked like they wanted to tear each other apart," Daryl said, glancing at the students with an indifferent expression.
After observing them for a moment, Jason told Daryl that he would take it from here. The tallest young man in the group, who matched his own height, particularly caught his attention. This boy was probably the unshakable core of the group.
Although Jason always had the best intentions with people, there were times when he needed to make things clear for everyone. This group seemed to be just simple survivors, and the best part was that no one appeared to be sick.
Suddenly, Bruno Lastra stepped forward, blocking Jason's view. Lowering his head slightly, he said, "Are you the leader of this shelter? Doesn't seem like much. We've been waiting for a long time."
Hearing this, Jason was pleasantly surprised by the stupidity of these people, wondering who they thought they were to start a conversation like this. He simply said, "It seems no one here wants to talk. I'll come back another time, and until then, you won't receive anything except water."
Seeing that Jason and Daryl were about to leave, Bruno's face turned pale, and he immediately said, "Please, don't go!"
Jason stopped, turned his head, and looked at the boy named Bruno before saying, "You're right. We don't have much time, and we can't keep you in this place indefinitely either. I ask you to stay calm and say what you need to say. Let's talk like civilized people. Trust me, this is your best option."
Since these people wanted to play childish games, Jason decided to put an end to it and make things clear. "Well, there's no need to state the obvious—the world has changed, and so have we. So let me ask you one simple question: Where do you want to be? Out there with the walkers or in here, surrounded by strong walls and protection?"
Seeing that their attempt to test Jason's temperament had failed, a girl named Nara, standing behind the group, furrowed her brows slightly. She realized that Jason wasn't someone easy to read.
Noticing the fear on Bruno's face, Nara shook her head, unable to wait any longer. "The walkers will kill us. Many people in this group can't even run properly because of fear," she admitted.
Jason, looking at the group, listened to her words and said, "Well then, you need to decide—who do you fear more? The walkers out there or me, right here and now?"
Everyone shuddered at these words. No one understood the true intentions of the leader of this place or what he might do in this situation. Originally, Nara wanted to see what Jason needed, observe his decisions, and figure out if there was any way to manipulate him.
Jason took a step forward, placed a hand on Bruno's shoulder, and said, "This morning, I had a lot of trouble getting back to my shelter. Someone who is no longer breathing in this world murdered a young man who simply wanted to survive."
Silence fell over the room as Jason's words sank in. No one had anything else to say. After letting go of Bruno, Jason took a few steps forward before suddenly stopping.
"I don't want you to be nervous. I'm a good person as long as no one causes trouble around me. I'm here to present your options and wait for your decisions. That's fair enough, isn't it?"
Everyone silently nodded while looking at Jason, and finally, they all turned their attention to Nara.
Standing behind her companions, Nara silently cursed this group of idiots. She couldn't really blame them, though, because things hadn't gone as she had hoped. Now that she had failed to gather any information about Jason, she had no idea how they would be treated in this place.
Of course, Nara had considered that this situation might happen. If things had gone according to plan, Bruno should have apologized for his idiotic behavior and then proceeded to ask the basic questions about what would happen to them here. But instead, Bruno had been overcome by fear and completely forgotten how to follow through.
Frustrated with her foolish companions, Nara had no choice but to act. At this moment, Jason's eyes were already fixed on her. Realizing that everything was in vain, she simply stepped forward from the crowd.
"Hello, my name is Nara, and for now, I'm the one making the general decisions for everyone here." Her expression was calm, but an air of intelligence surrounded her.
Hearing this, Jason smirked slightly. Even if this girl hadn't said anything, he would have known that she was the smartest of the group. Whether or not there was deception involved, he also wanted to test the temperament of these people.
As for whether her words were credible, it wouldn't be too difficult to find out—he could just ask another group of people.
Thinking this, Jason stepped closer to the girl, who was no taller than one meter seventy, looked at her carefully, and asked, "Now that we're talking properly, were you the one who told everyone how to behave?"
"Not at all. On behalf of all my companions, I apologize. You should know that we've been locked in these cells for many days. Everyone started getting scared because no one was telling us what was going to happen to us."
Nara's face turned slightly pale at Jason's accusation, so she quickly explained her honest thoughts.
"Very well, then I should introduce myself… I'm Jason, the leader of the shelter known by the initials S.C.T. I oversee and manage everything that happens within the prison."
Seeing Nara nod, Jason smiled and said, "First of all, on behalf of everyone, I apologize for the lack of proper attention you've received. You should know that things haven't been peaceful these past few months."
Nara shook her head at Jason's words and replied, "It should be us expressing our gratitude. Thank you for deciding to save us."
After finishing speaking, Nara stepped a little closer and then continued, "You must know that we have been locked up for many days. If there is anything we need to do as payment, we are willing to do whatever it takes to settle that debt. But I hope you can explain to us about this place and whether it is possible for us to leave."
Hearing these words, Jason did not respond immediately. He walked toward the exit and said, "I have no problem with that. I'll give you a tour of the prison and then explain the rules. How about that?"
Soon, a large group of people followed Jason out of the unit where they had been staying for several days, finally stepping outside.
As they walked into the open courtyard, they felt a sense of relief after being imprisoned for two days. Each and every student took a deep breath of fresh air while taking in the surrounding landscape.
It was then that Jason began explaining to everyone in a deep voice, "First of all, what we do in this place is survive. Everyone here is just looking for a safe future, and I simply help them while I work on creating the home that everyone is searching for."
Turning around, Jason smiled slightly, and everyone felt that he was easy to get along with.
"One of the most important points is that I met with you all late this time because I was out on a mission. That prevented me from explaining the situation in this prison sooner. I hope you won't blame my group for that."
When Jason finished speaking, he gave everyone a slightly apologetic look. Now, at least, most of them had a more relaxed expression.
After Jason's simple clarification, the students also understood the reason. They were complete strangers, and no one here was obligated to help them. In fact, it was more than enough that they had been well-fed during this time.
"Let me tell you where we are. This place was originally a prison in western Georgia. My people and I fought very hard to clear this place of walkers. Now, there are a large number of people from different places living here."
"Today, we have everything we need to take care of ourselves and those around us. Some people handle the walkers, others have important jobs, and the most important thing is that everyone is contributing."
As Jason explained what they did in this place, they saw soldiers in the watchtowers. Everyone's eyes lit up when they saw them, heavily armed. Some couldn't contain their excitement.
"Oh my God, look at all those tanks!"
"I didn't think there would be so many!"
"There are soldiers and police officers among the guards protecting this place. You'll definitely be in good hands here. We have medical equipment and many other resources."
"No, Jason, you're a good leader." Said Candace as she approached in a white lab coat. With a somewhat tired expression, she and many others were the only ones still fighting to find a cure for the virus.
After saying those words, Candace smiled and then added, "Jason, we believe the cure has been created. The first test doses are ready. Would you like to take a look?"
"Are you talking about vaccines for that virus?" Nara's eyes widened in surprise. At that moment, she couldn't contain her reaction upon hearing the word "vaccine" come from that woman's mouth.