Embers Ad Infinitum

"Crazy?" Shang Jianyao was not disappointed, but his eyes lit up. "The correct term is mental illness."

Ding Ling waved her hand:

"Get used to it.

"In short, their minds are not normal, so don't worry about them."

Shang Jian Yao asked persistently:

"How abnormal is that?"

Ding Ling saw that Xue Shiyue and others were also interested in this issue, so she simply explained:

"There is something wrong with their brains. To use my own terminology, they suffer from persecution paranoia. They always feel that someone is out to harm them and control them."

"What's the reason?" Shang Jianyao was quite curious.

Ding Ling pointed to her left chest:

“Being frightened by ‘Wuxin disease’.

"They suspect that most of the members of the 'Material Coordination Committee' have been corrupted and have colluded with certain forces lurking in the darkness that caused the destruction of the old world. They secretly use brain control devices to influence everyone and make everyone obey without knowing it. Even thinking is no longer free.”

The brain control device... is indeed sick... Long Yuehong has only seen similar things in old world entertainment materials.

Ding Ling continued:

“And once anyone discovers that something is wrong and has the idea of ​​resisting, his thinking ability will be wiped away, leaving only biological instinct, that is, he will become a ‘mindless person’.

"Well, that's how they explain the cause of 'unintentional disease'."

Brain control devices, thought erasure, "unintentional illness"... Jiang Baimian had to admit that those members of the "Salvation Army" really had a broad mind.

And their theory sounds so much like that that it cannot be completely dismissed.

Because the internal logic of this statement is self-consistent, but whether there is such a thing as a brain control device has to be discussed separately. And now no one has investigated the source of "unintentional illness" and can give a strong refutation. Even the "old The "Mediation Group" itself only thinks that this has a certain relationship with the "new world" and "darkness" and lacks sufficient evidence.

"That's it..." Shang Jianyao looked like he was about to be convinced, "Then why do they put aluminum pots on their heads?"

Ding Ling said not too sure:

"Probably the brain control device controls the operation of the human brain by affecting brain waves. Only by placing the entire brain under the protection of an aluminum pot can we maintain freedom of thought and see the truth of the world clearly.

"So, they wear aluminum pots at any time, even when they sleep at night."

Sure enough, there is a mental problem... Long Yuehong confirmed it again.

Shang Jianyao clapped his hands:

“What great performance art!

"and……"

He turned his head and looked at Gnawa:

"This is essentially the same as wearing electromagnetic shielding clothing."

"Indeed." Gennava was very honest.

This made Long Yuehong shiver and asked quickly:

"Then do any of them still have 'unintentional disease'?"

"There must be." Ding Ling answered very simply.

Long Yuehong breathed a sigh of relief, annoyed that he had been fooled by Shang Jianyao again without leaving any trace.

Bai Chen thought about this matter from another angle:

"In your Salvation Army style, why would you allow these people to walk the streets openly instead of sending them to a mental hospital?"

"They have been promoting that if they are targeted, it means that their suspicions are correct: most of the members of the 'Materials Coordination Committee' have fallen and want to use brain control to stay on top permanently and from generation to generation." Ding Ling He sneered, "Anyway, their behavior is unique in this aspect, it does not affect their work, and some parts are hidden deeper. They will not wear aluminum pots directly, but get aluminum sheets and sew them in the sandwich of the hat. The appearance He looks like a normal person."

Jiang Baimian nodded thoughtfully:

"Such thoughts have a source, right? Didn't you find the first person who spread such claims and put them in jail?"

"I'm not sure about this." Ding Ling turned sideways and pointed at the ten-story gray building behind her. "It's getting late. Let me take you to get the pass first."

Long Yuehong looked intently and saw several vertical plaques with black characters on a white background hanging next to the door of the building:

"Wubei Management Committee"

"Immigration"

"Tax Office"

"Security Checkpoint"

…

Ding Ling led Jiang Baimian and others into the building and explained casually:

“In fact, most of us don’t need to pay taxes, and the corresponding portion has been deducted when issuing bills and change.

"The Tax Department is set up for immigrants, cross-border traders and relic hunters like you. It belongs to the same system as the Immigration Department and Security Inspection Department."

Jiang Baimian took a breath and said:

“Then don’t we have to pay taxes on the supplies we bring?”

This is much stricter than the "Primary City".

Ding Ling laughed:

"That's why I asked you to take out a large part of the supplies and exchange them for bills."

It's good to have people who know the ropes... Long Yuehong felt sincerely after hearing this.

Jiang Baimian turned to ask about another thing.

She pointed at Gnawa and said:

"Robots should be classified as controlled items, will they really not affect the issuance of passes?"

"It's not a big problem." Ding Ling replied quite confidently, "It's just that there will be an additional note on the pass that you cannot bring this robot into the settlement, lest it suddenly lose control and cause a tragedy. As for Wubei, there are many robots. Yes."

What she meant was that Wu Bei had enough strength to suppress the random robots.

"That's good, that's good..." Jiang Baimian breathed a sigh of relief.

Since robots don't matter, there shouldn't be any other problems either.

Shang Jianyao looked at Gennava sympathetically:

"You are pitiful."

"Hey." Gennava made a cooperative voice.

During the exchange, Ding Ling asked his subordinates to leave on their own and treat it as a holiday, while he led Shang Jianyao and others into a hall on the side of the first floor.

There is a signboard for "Immigration Department".

Ding Ling did not say hello to the staff on site, but went directly into an office deep in the corridor. She smiled and said to the old man inside:

"Grandpa Hong, there are a few ruin hunters here who want to apply for passes."

The old man looked to be in his sixties or seventies, with sparse white hair, sharp eyes, and a tough temperament. He was wearing blue and starched clothes that represented a political officer rather than an army officer.

He seemed to have noticed someone approaching, glanced at the door, and nodded to Ding Ling:

"Let them in."

Ding Ling immediately introduced Xue Shiyue and others:

"This is Director Hong, Director Hong of the Immigration Department. He also serves as the director of the Taxation Department. He is an old comrade of my late grandfather."

Shang Jianyao suddenly became excited and walked up the first few steps:

"Are you a veteran of the Salvation Army who experienced the chaotic years and the early days of the New Calendar?"

Hong Guangming looked up and down at Shang Jianyao quite vigilantly:

"I was born in the early days of chaos and joined later. I must have experienced a lot."

Shang Jianyao's back suddenly straightened up, he pressed his right hand on his left chest and said:

"For all mankind!"

Seeing Hong Guangming's suspicious look, Jiang Baimian hurriedly explained:

"He was an ardent admirer of your Salvation Army, and was especially fond of the things you did in the late years of chaos and the beginning of the New Calendar."

Hong Guangming breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and said:

"Since it was brought by Xiaoling, you can briefly explain your origins and purpose. I will then check what supplies you have brought and whether there are any weapons of mass destruction. Then I can issue a pass."

He chuckled lowly:

"Anyone else would have to go to the security checkpoint first."

After he stood up, Jiang Baimian discovered that his left arm and right leg were obviously abnormal. It seemed that he had been transplanted with an unknown type of mechanical prosthesis.

This can be seen from the iron-black color of his left palm and the movement of getting up.

Sensing her gaze, Hong Guangming was not angry and said with a smile:

"Lost in a battle, just like your companion."

Long Yuehong's robotic arm is quite obvious.

Shang Jianyao cast a look full of respect at him.

"Excuse me, Grandpa Hong." Ding Ling moved out of the way.

Hong Guangming then walked over with a slight limp.

What was wrong with him was not his mechanical right leg, but his left leg, which was still human.

It seems that because of its old age, it can no longer keep up with the rhythm of the mechanical right leg, and it is slightly uncoordinated.

Ding Ling did not try to help Hong Guangming, and signaled to Shang Jianyao and others not to do so, as if she was afraid of hurting the other person's self-esteem.

Wounds in battle are a badge of honor, old age is another matter.

After leaving the Wubei Management Committee building and coming to the jeep of the "Old Adjustment Team", Hong Guangming looked at Jiang Baimian and said:

"I can tell you your origins and purpose."

Jiang Baimian briefly repeated what he had said to Ding Ling before, and finally emphasized:

"We are really wanted by the First City."

"The Hunter Guild also has their own bounty..." Ding Ling helped prove.

"Wanted by the 'First City' to plot a big conspiracy?" Hong Guangming said with a nonchalant smile, "What kind of conspiracy?"

"That's the excuse they made." Shang Jianyao was about to answer honestly, but Jiang Baimian beat him to it. "In fact, we stole some intelligence and later killed some of them in the counter-hunt."

Hong Guangming glanced at them again and joked:

"You're not really carrying weapons of mass destruction, are you?"

As he spoke, he motioned to Long Yuehong to open the trunk and let him check it.

"A few cans... a single combat rocket launcher, haha, this doesn't count, its power is limited..." Hong Guangming checked them one by one, pointed at the four innermost crates and said, "What are these?"

"Three military exoskeleton devices and two bionic smart armors." Shang Jianyao answered honestly.

Ding Ling was helpless, and Hong Guangming laughed:

"As expected of a wanted criminal worth Wan'ore, open it and let me take a look."

Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, Shang Jianyao, and Gnawa each dragged out a box and opened it on the spot.

The scene suddenly fell into extreme silence.

Ding Ling looked at it stupidly, and suddenly felt that it was not unreasonable for this team to be wanted.

They couldn't really steal three military exoskeleton devices and two bionic smart armors from the "First City", right?

Hong Guangming was a man who had seen the world and experienced life and death. He quickly recovered and looked at Jiang Baimian and others:

"You are really not simple...

"These equipment are all controlled items."

Ding Ling suddenly woke up, walked a few steps forward, came to Hong Guangming's side, took out a stack of bills, and said in a lowered voice:

"Grandpa Hong, please be accommodating. They really just want to explore the ice fields and explore the ruins."

This part of the bill is slightly equal to the profit she made from the previous transaction with the "Old Adjustment Group".

Hong Guangming weighed the bills, nodded slightly and said:

"You said so."

He immediately warned the "old tune team":

"Well, you can't bring these items into the settlement. I will write it clearly on the pass."

Jiang Baimian breathed a sigh of relief and glanced at Shang Jianyao subconsciously.

Shang Jianyao's expression was dull, as if he had turned into a statue.