After dinner, everyone set up their tents in the cafeteria.
With a concrete ceiling overhead and metal grates protecting the doors and windows, there was no need for anyone to take turns on night watch.
The metal grates protected against Walkers, while the fences outside the Prison and the Walkers wandering nearby could deter other survivors.
After wishing each other goodnight, everyone eagerly crawled into their tents.
As for Shawn, he returned to the third floor, lying on the sofa in the Prison Warden's office.
There was still a faint bloodstain in the middle of the office, left after they cleaned up the bodies.
Shawn lay on the sofa at this moment, staring at the ceiling with no desire to sleep.
Was it that he didn't want to sleep in the cafeteria?
Not really.
Shawn had given his tent to Rick's family when they were at the Farm.
And he wasn't too keen on sleeping in a sleeping bag, so this office sofa was more comfortable.
Of course, there was another reason.
Carol had seen Shawn's eyes redden when he ate the noodles earlier.
So she kept stealing glances at Shawn, and if Shawn noticed and looked back, she would give him an 'I understand, I understand~~' motherly smile.
So, rather than saying Shawn voluntarily went upstairs, it was more like he 'escaped' up there.
"Ugh, so annoying!"
Shawn covered his face with his clothes and rubbed it frantically with both hands.
The prestige he had painstakingly, laboriously, and with great difficulty built up felt like it had collapsed in an instant.
The main thing was that every time Shawn faced Carol's smile, he felt a sense of 'social death.'
If conditions weren't limited, Shawn would have wanted to use a system tool to open a crack in the ground and dive headfirst into it.
"Sigh—"
Shawn sighed again, pulled the clothes from his head, and covered his navel.
Although he kept sighing, he was actually feeling quite pleased inside.
There was an unspeakable sweetness.
Shawn showed a smile.
But the smile quickly froze on his face.
Shawn gave himself a 'smack'.
"What are you thinking, sleep!"
Immediately, Shawn turned on his side, his butt sticking up, and after a long while… he still couldn't fall asleep.
The night quietly passed.
…
By morning, Shawn appeared outside the first-floor cafeteria door with two dark circles under his eyes.
"Wake up, wake up!"
Shawn knocked a few times on the tightly shut metal door.
Within seconds, lazy yawns began to emanate from the tents inside the cafeteria.
"Shawn, do we get a day off today? I was exhausted yesterday."
It had to be said that young people were young people, their bodies were good, and after a night of fighting, Glenn was still the first to poke his head out.
"Are you going to clear out the cells today?"
Before Shawn could answer, Beth emerged from a tent near the door, wearing shorts and a short-sleeved top.
She revealed two fair, slender legs, and, wearing short boots like slippers, opened the door for Shawn.
Beth's voice was gentle, and she looked at Shawn sweetly.
"Not today," Shawn's tone suddenly softened, and he whispered to her.
"Ah?!" Glenn's pained howl came.
"Then why did you wake us up? I was sleeping so soundly…"
Glenn covered his eyes with his hand; once he woke up, he couldn't fall back asleep.
"The day's plan begins in the morning; early to bed, early to rise makes you healthy."
Shawn chuckled and knocked on Shane's tent, just as Shane, fully dressed, emerged from it.
Shawn looked at him: "You and I are going on a trip today."
Shane said nothing, only glanced at Shawn, then nodded.
He seemed a bit surprised by Shawn's two dark circles.
"Alright, Glenn, act your age."
Hershel looked at Glenn with a stiff face… This was his eldest daughter's boyfriend, the future son-in-law of Hershel's family.
Glenn smiled awkwardly at the remark, then retreated back into the tent.
"Where are you going today?" Rick put on his jacket and approached, but Shawn was already prepared.
Shawn 'slapped' a yellowed piece of paper down in front of Rick.
Shawn, Shane, and Rick gathered around, all looking at the paper.
On the slightly yellowed, damp paper, a simple map was drawn with a ballpoint pen.
There were several winding lines, each segment having many equally spaced small horizontal lines.
Besides that, there was a large black five-pointed star mark.
"Is this… a map of the Prison?"
Rick looked closely for a moment, then spoke, suddenly a bit unsure.
"That's right."
Shawn nodded, motioning for the two to look at the beginning of the lines.
"Here, next to the Administrative Building, is the door we saw that enters the Prison; it's the back door to Prison Block C."
"Besides that, the Prison also has Blocks A, B, and areas for labor, recreation, and study."
"And our target today is here."
Saying this, Shawn's finger slid along the lines to the black five-pointed star, tapping it twice lightly.
"Is this the Prison's guard room?"
Shane suddenly spoke.
"Yes," Shawn looked up at him, "You know?"
"I can guess," Shane said truthfully.
"Inside such a Prison, to keep inmates eating, imprisoned, recreating, getting fresh air, studying, and working all within the Prison, guard rooms are often set up at key points."
"They divide inmates by area, not only by the crimes they committed but also to facilitate the management of inmates with different levels of danger."
"But I don't quite understand what we two need to do at the guard room?"
Shane looked at Shawn.
Shawn, however, was still in surprise.
He knew it was the guard room because of the map on the third floor.
But Shane had figured it out with just a glance; it was a pity Shane didn't make it to the Prison in the original plot.
But thankfully, Shane was now standing alive before him.
Thanks to Shawn, nothing had happened.
Coming back to his senses, Shawn told the two his idea that had emerged on the third floor, and clearly informed them of the danger level inside the Prison.
Mainly, the entire Prison was now the map for the 'Apocalypse Mission.'
So Shawn had to try to reduce the danger of going in to clear out Walkers.
After hearing Shawn's plan, Rick lowered his head slightly, deep in thought.
Shane, on the other hand, simply nodded at Shawn, then decisively turned and went back to his tent to put on his 'heavy tank armor.'
He was struggling a bit to put it on himself.
Glenn, who had emerged from his tent, saw this and was about to go over to help.
But the next second, he was surprised to see Andrea quietly step forward and voluntarily help Shane put on his gear.
"Thanks," Shane said, turning his face, his expression a bit surprised.
He hadn't expected Andrea to approach him voluntarily.
"It's just a reward for teaching me to shoot at the Farm, don't overthink it."
Although she only said that, Andrea's palm, resting on Shane's broad, furnace-like body, couldn't help but lick her lips.
Shawn took all this in.
"It seems Shane and Andrea did have a relationship in the original plot."
"Where exactly was it… Never mind, I can't remember."
Withdrawing his gaze, Shawn looked back at Rick.
Rick was currently leaning on the table with both hands, biting his lip lightly, his eyes constantly scanning the hand-drawn, simplified map of the Prison.
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