"Old Task Force" quickly received a reply from "Pangu Biology."

The message informed them that the meeting location was unchangeable and that they needed to find their own way to enter the Golden Apple District.

"It seems that he's really not able to leave Emperor Street..." Jiang Baimian sighed slowly.

"What do we do then?" Long Yuehong glanced at the Golden Apple District, separated by only one street, where temporary checkpoints had already been set up by the city defense forces.

As for the guards in the shadows, although he didn't see them, he was sure they were there.

Jiang Baimian pondered for a moment and said:

"We can only contact General Focaudes and ask him to get us a temporary pass.

"This is considered part of that help."

Focaudes had already returned to the General's Mansion and given "Old Task Force" the number for his study's phone.

"That's the only way..." Bai Chen also said there was no other option.

Shang Jianyao, on the other hand, looked at the temporary checkpoint established by the city defense forces and said:

"We should also be able to use the 'make friends' method, but I don't know how many friends I'll end up making."

"I'm afraid the city defense forces will become the initial city branch of the Shang Jianyao Brotherhood," Jiang Baimian joked.

This was indeed just a joke because there were quite a few Awakened among the city defense forces, who were vigilant enough about such things and possessed sufficient counterattack capabilities. Perhaps the result of Shang Jianyao going up to "make friends" would be a sudden realization and a surrender to the "Hands of Order."

Bai Chen started the jeep again and searched the surrounding area for a place to make a call.

Shang Jianyao leaned back in his seat, raised his hand, and pinched both sides of his temples.

...

"Sea of Origins," on the island with the golden elevator.

Shang Jianyao ascended and divided into nine, once again surrounding the Shang Jianyao wearing gray camouflage who was blocking the entrance to the golden elevator.

"We've finally found your logical loophole," one of the Shang Jianyaos said with a smile.

Another Shang Jianyao raised his hand and touched his chin, supplementing the corresponding content for him:

"Someone who kills their companions, lets them live in memories, and splits off different personalities to play their roles will not be afraid of losing companions, nor will they have much pain as a result.

"This matter is purely superfluous and unnecessary."

The Shang Jianyao sitting at the entrance of the golden elevator listened quietly until the nine Shang Jianyaos finished speaking, one after another. Then, he picked up a portable recorder that had materialized beside him and played back the content from just now.

When the nine Shang Jianyaos were speaking, he had completely blocked his hearing to avoid being unknowingly affected by the "Reasoning Clown." With Shang Jianyao's current level, there was no way to solidify the "Reasoning Clown's" power in electromagnetic signals like Wu Meng. Once it was transcribed, the corresponding effects would disappear.

Therefore, for ease of communication, both sides had "prepared" portable recorders.

After listening to the nine Shang Jianyaos' statements, the Shang Jianyao blocking the entrance to the golden elevator laughed:

"This is a benevolent lie to help you make up your minds.

"The focus of my suggestion is actually the act of killing your companions, not how to let them live in your memory afterward, or how to split your personality to play them.

"When you put the act of killing your companions into practice, you yourself have already overcome the fear of losing them.

"The source of the fear of 'losing' is caring. Our goal is to make ourselves indifferent, even ruthless."

After the villain Shang Jianyao finished speaking, the nine Shang Jianyaos also used a portable recorder to reproduce his words verbatim.

One of the Shang Jianyaos scoffed:

"After becoming ruthless, how can we persist in the ideal of saving all of humanity?

"Why should we give a damn about whether they live or die?"

"I understand," another Shang Jianyao clenched his right fist and struck his left palm. "He is essentially our inner cowardice, desperately wanting to escape responsibility, escape ideals, escape everything that makes us work hard and suffer."

The Shang Jianyao holding the small speaker shook his head:

"Taunting him like that is useless. He simply won't care."

The Shang Jianyao who had spoken earlier sighed:

"It seems that to truly accommodate him, we must be determined to perish together."

"Don't!"

"No!"

"Calm down!"

The other Shang Jianyaos spoke up to stop this self of his with dangerous tendencies.

Once again, the Shang Jianyao talk ended in failure.

...

North Shore Wasteland, near the Red River Bridge, where a large number of vehicles and people pass by every day.

Han Wanghuo, Zeng Duo, and Genaeva hid atop a collapsed building some distance away, monitoring the target area with either binoculars or just their eyes.

Before long, they saw an army armed to the teeth arrive at the bridgehead, only to be intercepted by the city defense forces guarding the bridge.

After arguing for a while, the force, consisting of several hundred people, chose a vacant riverside ruin nearby to set up camp.

Subsequently, people and teams continued to arrive by car, but they were not allowed to cross the bridge.

The same went for those affiliated with the official "First City" and for the wasteland hunters—everyone was treated the same.

"Is the whole city under martial law, allowing people to leave but not enter?" Han Wanghuo deduced based on this.

Genaeva analyzed the lip-reading data of the city defense force officers that she had collected, reconstructing their remarks:

"Wait for orders from above, or 3 PM."

"The 'First City' upper echelons are vigilant enough about the occurrence of unrest..." Han Wanghuo remarked with emotion.

"Will there still be unrest?" Zeng Duo asked with some worry.

Genaeva gave her opinion:

"If no other accidents occur, there is a 91.2% chance that no unrest will occur.

"As for whether there will be other accidents, there is currently a lack of sufficient intelligence to speculate."

The data Genaeva gave was not something that Shang Jianyao had randomly made up. It was all calculated after establishing a model.

Zeng Duo was silent for a moment and said:

"The defense forces in First Spring Town should already be reduced."

"But if no unrest occurs, and the reinforcements and the army are not trapped, they can reinforce First Spring Town at any time," Genaeva poured cold water on Zeng Duo.

Han Wanghuo turned his head to look at Zeng Duo and comforted her:

"Opportunities need to be waited for."

...

First City, Golden Apple District, No. 9 Emperor Street, inside the Governor's Mansion.

After putting on his clothes, Asouss returned to the hall and saw his father, the Governor and Commander-in-Chief Beurice, had changed into a green-brown military uniform.

This giant was older than Focaudes, but because he didn't have to go to the front lines in person or actually command the army, he hadn't retired to the second line like Focaudes, only retaining a seat on the Council of Elders and part of the command of the First City's defense forces.

He still stood at the pinnacle of power in the First City.

"Father." Seeing Beurice, the playboy-like Asouss suddenly became serious.

Beurice tidied his neatly combed black hair with a few silver strands, nodded, and said:

"I'm going out. You stay home today and don't go anywhere."

"Where are you going?" Asouss asked with some surprise.

His father seemed to attach more importance to Gaius's citizen assembly than he had imagined.

Beurice, whose cheeks were gaunt, facial features pronounced, and blue eyes deep, looked around at the surrounding guards:

"First, I'll visit Lord Cass, then go to the Council of Elders."

...

Hope Square.

A large number of citizens had gathered here. Those who couldn't come were also paying attention to the content of the assembly through the First City's official broadcasts.

Time passed quickly, and 9 AM arrived.

Gaius, whose nose was hooked and cheeks slightly sunken, put on his green-brown general's uniform today and walked onto the podium in the middle of Hope Square with a serious expression.

Back then, Orey was here when he announced the establishment of the First City.

Gaius didn't deliberately show his special qualities. Holding a microphone, he said to the dark mass of people:

"Citizens, I think you should all know me.

"I am the commander of the Eastern Legion, Gaius, who became an Elder last year.

"Like you, my father is a citizen of the First City, and my mother is a citizen of the First City, so I was born a citizen of the First City.

"In the past, I was not a noble, so I can see how much the surrounding citizens have paid for the survival, development, and growth of the First City, and I am one of them.

"No one knows the weight of the word 'citizen' more clearly than I do."

Everything Gaius said was true, and he, who was from a commoner background and gradually became an Elder by virtue of military achievements, could naturally gain the favor of the citizens present.

After the citizens nodded or applauded, Gaius continued:

"It is because of the efforts of your elders and your generations, year after year, that the First City has become the largest force in the graylands. It is able to possess a large amount of farmland, occupy numerous mines, establish factories of all sizes, and allow everyone to initially escape hunger and live a more stable life.

"But..."

Gaius's tone suddenly became heavy:

"All of this is slowly being eroded and destroyed!"