Upon hearing Spencer mention this, Gregor's smile subtly faded.
Before he even heard the other party's name, a hint of fear and humiliation seemed to flash in his eyes.
Hilltop had been extorted for supplies by a stronger group of survivors since last month, which was why they constantly needed to send people out to announce the collection of resources.
Just thinking of that man who seemed to smile even more than himself, with a smile even when he wielded his weapon, Gregor couldn't help but shiver.
Yes, he was far from as composed as he appeared on the surface.
Inside this slightly bloated middle-aged body was a coward.
It was as if since a game of hide-and-seek in childhood, this coward had taken the opportunity to hide in his heart.
Regaining his composure, Gregor sighed and couldn't help but say, "You're right, I'm surprised by your insight, but it's true."
"We've been extorted; they're also in Virginia, they're numerous, and their firepower is considerable."
"To preserve Hilltop, I had no choice but to agree to their terms, actively submitting supplies on time in exchange for everyone's breathing room."
Gregor spoke with a sense of helplessness, but in reality, even if he were the only one left in Hilltop, he would still choose this way.
He was never doing it for everyone; he was just looking for a suitable excuse for his own incompetence and selfishness.
Initially, as more and more people joined Hilltop, Gregor, as the leader, was somewhat apprehensive.
But ever since this incident, he suddenly felt at ease.
The intrusion of an external, irresistible powerful force catered to his cowardice and also provided him with a reasonable explanation for the members of Hilltop.
Gregor
"So that's how it is." Spencer nodded.
He had been wondering why Hilltop looked better and better, yet there was always a subtle, suffocating low pressure.
It turned out that even a strong survivor Camp like Hilltop, which could often deal with Walkers, had its own unspoken difficulties.
However, for some reason, upon hearing Gregor speak of the powerful group that immediately disrupted Hilltop's harmonious atmosphere, Spencer suddenly thought of Shawn, who had mysteriously appeared in the Alexandria Community.
It seemed to be the same back then; everything was fine in the Alexandria Community, but with Shawn's arrival, everything changed.
Gritting his teeth inwardly, Spencer looked up at Gregor.
"Do you want to break free from the shackles of that bandit group?"
Gregor raised an eyebrow, his pupils slightly dilating.
He quickly brewed a pot of coffee for Spencer, then leaned in to listen.
Seeing this, Spencer slowly began, "It was about a month ago, that day suddenly there was…"
"…"
Gregor was somewhat incredulous.
"So you mean, even though you were guarding such a large Community, your mother and most of the members actually followed that man?"
Gregor was somewhat tempted, not because of Shawn, whom Spencer mentioned, but because of the Alexandria Community.
According to Spencer, this Community had already built high walls, but they were still incomplete, and the few of them couldn't manage it, so they had to run around looking for a place to settle.
However, given Hilltop's situation, they could completely take over the Community; why bother painstakingly repairing and completing the four-sided wooden pillar high walls?
Seeing Gregor's lack of reaction, Spencer grew anxious.
"After all that, my point is you can go and seek refuge with my mother; their forces are not weak, and that bandit team that has been oppressing you might not dare to bully you anymore."
Gregor snapped back to attention at these words.
Spencer's statement made him suddenly realize something, and he countered, "Why didn't you choose to go to that Camp with your parents back then?"
Gregor's words left Spencer at a loss.
He had matured somewhat, but only a little, and for a moment, he hadn't thought about how to respond.
Should he lie or tell the truth? Should he confess voluntarily or let Gregor find out through indirect questioning?
But Spencer was naive and didn't realize that his changing expression alone was enough for Gregor to deduce the truth.
He understood that Spencer, despite appearing concerned for Hilltop, actually harbored ill intentions and wanted to shift the trouble elsewhere.
Gregor's heart skipped a beat, and he changed the subject, "How's the coffee? Is it good?"
Spencer was still deliberating and subconsciously replied, "It's good, it's good."
"Then, when you have time later, you can still come here for coffee; these are all from my private collection."
"But for now, I think you can go back to work."
Spencer was somewhat surprised, "But, I…"
Spencer trailed off mid-sentence; he didn't know why Gregor had suddenly changed his expression, nor did he know what to say next.
Helplessly, Spencer could only nod in agreement.
"Then I'll go to work now."
Gregor nodded with a smile, his fingers interlaced on the desk, watching Spencer descend the stairs and walk away.
At that very moment, the smile vanished from his face, and his brows furrowed.
He slowly rose from his chair, went to the window, pulled back a pleated blind, and watched Spencer emerge from the building.
Gregor seemed to be watching Spencer, but his gaze was actually wandering with his thoughts.
But finally, his brows slowly relaxed.
Spencer was still thinking about what had just happened, unaware that the information he impulsively revealed out of resentment would spark an unprecedented war since the beginning of this new era!
...
"It's been a day, and they're still here!"
The children were excited, eagerly tugging at Carl's sleeve, pulling his black hoodie askew and messing up his hair.
Carl's expression looked somewhat helpless.
"I see them, let go."
The children obediently released their grip.
It wasn't because they were sensible or obedient, but because their parents had repeatedly forbidden it.
They could play with Carl, but everything had to be according to Carl's wishes; they absolutely could not conflict with Carl.
The parents, of course, weren't worried about Carl; they were afraid of displeasing Rick, Shane, or even Shawn.
The parents' attitude largely determined the children's attitude, which was why these children treated Carl as their leader, both affectionate and obedient.
Carl had grown a few inches; he was currently in a period of rapid growth and high energy consumption.
Fortunately, the Prison had passed its most difficult period, and the current dietary conditions were fully sufficient, so Carl's growth rate had not slowed down in recent months.
He easily climbed onto a wooden platform that other children found difficult to support themselves on, looking out beyond the Prison.
Behind the fallen leaves, some creatures less than half a person's height seemed to be moving about.
As Carl looked, he met a pair of bright orange eyes.
With just one glance, Carl instinctively took a step back and averted his gaze.
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