Beneath the gray and white deep aluminum pot, Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao had no way of knowing Zhang Lao's expression. They could only watch him raise his right hand, slightly trembling, as if trying to press it against his left chest.
However, this action was not completed. Zhang Lao's palm had just touched his clothing, paused for two seconds, and then slid down.
His voice seemed a little lower and hoarser, and his speech speed was, as always, slightly fast:
"The brain control thing is simple to explain: the mastermind behind the destruction of the Old World wants humanity to maintain its current state, never to rebuild a true civilization. So, they secretly control a large number of people with brainwave devices, including the upper echelons of various forces, causing them to lose their ambition, forget their former ideals, and stop striving for the revival of all humanity, becoming decadent people.
"Brainwave devices are the culprits that brought the 'Heartless Disease.' Even today, they still play a role in many places, contributing to the mastermind's elimination of humans who discover the secret."
"But many of the 'Heartless Disease' patients we've encountered are ordinary people with no possibility of discovering the brain control secret." Even when facing the old warrior of the former "Salvation Army," the honest Shang Jianyao still refuted when he should.
Zhang Lao and the others had clearly considered this issue and had long since prepared a reason, answering without hesitation:
"You are too young. This is called muddying the waters!
"If only those who know the brain control secret are eliminated, it would be easily discovered. It's necessary to turn some ordinary people into 'Heartless Ones' as well, to muddy the waters and make things seem less abrupt.
"In the Old World, there was an old saying:
"The best way to hide a needle is to throw it into the sea."
"Then it would be very difficult to find," the honest Shang Jianyao impartially commented.
Zhang Lao took a breath, suppressing his voice, and said:
"In short, while you haven't been brain-controlled yet, quickly find two aluminum pots to wear. If you don't have aluminum pots, iron pots, copper pots, and stainless steel pots can also work. Only in this way can you maintain the independence of your thinking and the purity of your ideals, and not be corroded by a little bit of interest and a little bit of enjoyment.
"There are lessons from the past! How many 'Salvation Army' warriors risked their lives, shedding blood and sweat, fearing nothing, for the sake of saving all humanity. But after things got better, they changed.
"They were all brain-controlled!"
The more Zhang Lao spoke, the more heartbroken he became.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Shang Jianyao seemed to have found a kindred spirit. "That must be the case. Otherwise, they wouldn't have so easily betrayed their former ideals and forgotten the oaths they swore."
Those had been tempered in blood and fire without fading.
Jiang Baimian tried several times to interrupt the conversation between the old man and the young man, but couldn't join their exchange.
Zhang Lao nodded heavily, causing the aluminum pot on his head to shake:
"It seems that although you've only been here for a few days, you've already witnessed some ugly phenomena.
"Hmm, it was Hong Guangming who gave you the passes, right?"
"Yes." Shang Jianyao didn't hide it.
Zhang Lao waved his hand, his emotions suddenly becoming agitated:
"I scold that old fellow Hong Guangming every time I see him, pointing at his nose!
"When he was still under my command, he was such a simple and enthusiastic young man. When he saw the children of wasteland wanderers not having enough to eat, he would secretly give half of his own food to them.
"Once, we were surrounded by a group who only knew how to burn, kill, and loot. In order to cover the retreat of the main force, he voluntarily stood up and requested to stay behind, almost dying there.
"Even so, was he afraid? No! He still charged ahead again and again. You've also seen that he gradually lost an arm and a leg. Fortunately, we found and captured a lot of mechanical prosthetics at the time, and there were people who were good at this kind of surgery joining the team, so he was able to live to this day.
"Now, everyone can't say they can eat their fill, but at least under normal circumstances, no one will starve to death. They can't say they can dress well, but at least no one will freeze to death. How did he become like this now?
"After I discovered it, I couldn't figure it out for a whole year. Later, I learned the secret of brain control and put on this aluminum pot, and I understood it all at once.
"Ah..."
"Ah." Shang Jianyao sighed along.
Rarely encountering a kindred spirit, Zhang Lao was finally less vigilant. He thought for a while and said:
"Didn't you want to ask if we encountered any suspicious people while moving around during the curfew?
"Come with me to the sanatorium, and let's ask them one by one."
Although he was still worried that Shang Jianyao and the others were spies trying to infiltrate the anti-secret control organization, he thought that he was just taking them to ask about matters related to the curfew, which didn't involve anything else, so he didn't think there was a problem.
Jiang Baimian was overjoyed and was about to agree when Shang Jianyao said firmly:
"No!"
"Why?" The gray and white aluminum pot concealed Zhang Lao's puzzled and surprised expression.
Shang Jianyao answered with righteous indignation:
"Now is the time of curfew. We can't leave the hotel without permission.
"You and your old comrades have the right to go out for a walk, but we don't. We can't disregard the regulations just because we have you to shield us.
"If we did that, what would be the difference between us and those decadent people who abuse their power for personal gain?"
At that moment, two phrases popped into Jiang Baimian's mind:
Full of integrity, with clean sleeves.
The latter phrase didn't quite fit the scene, but it matched the former phrase very well.
Zhang Lao was stunned for a few seconds and said:
"Good job! It would be great if everyone in the new generation of the 'Salvation Army' was like you."
Everyone having mental problems might not be a good thing... Jiang Baimian only felt that Zhang Lao's sentence was full of flaws.
After a pause, Zhang Lao took the initiative and said:
"Then I'll go back to the sanatorium to help you ask, and then record the answers and bring them to the hotel."
"Thank you." Jiang Baimian hurriedly said.
She thought for a moment and added:
"By the way, also ask your old comrades what noteworthy things they've encountered in the past three days. Things that don't normally happen, well, it doesn't matter if they're not noteworthy, just record anything that doesn't usually happen."
"Very detailed." Zhang Lao was knowledgeable and praised.
He then said:
"I'll go back now and try to bring the information I've gathered over by 10 p.m."
Shang Jianyao enthusiastically waved his hand:
"Have a safe trip!"
After watching Zhang Lao disappear from another exit in the hotel parking lot, Jiang Baimian led Shang Jianyao back to the small building along the normal route.
Hotel manager Shen Kang stood by the door, pacing back and forth. As soon as he saw the two of them come in, he quickly asked:
"Zhang Lao left?"
"Left." Shang Jianyao answered very enthusiastically.
Shen Kang breathed a sigh of relief and then said:
"Zhang Lao is senile and has post-traumatic stress disorder. He can't distinguish between reality and illusion anymore.
"Many of his generation have bad habits, some even abuse alcohol, and their views are conservative. They're like they're still living in the decades ago. Don't believe anything they say.
"Think about it, how normal can someone who believes in brain control and wears an aluminum pot on their head every day be?"
Everything he said hinted that Zhang Lao had mental problems.
"Indeed." Shang Jianyao agreed and nodded.
Jiang Baimian gave him a surprised look and didn't say anything.
"You're still very clear-headed." Shen Kang was very pleased.
Shang Jianyao then pointed to himself:
"I also have mental problems. Why should you believe me?"
"..." Shen Kang was immediately confused.
.........
In the evening, the radio announced the evacuation of the residents starting tomorrow.
"If that nuclear warhead is taken away and sent to a certain force, I don't know what will happen..." Long Yuehong said with anticipation about being able to leave Wubei early tomorrow morning, but also with some worry.
The honest Genaeva replied:
"There shouldn't be a significant difference from it staying in the hands of the 'Salvation Army.'"
They both lack the ability to manufacture on a large scale and are likely only using it for deterrence.
Just as Shang Jianyao was about to join the discussion, he suddenly heard someone shouting outside the window:
"That kid and girl from the afternoon, the things you wanted have been collected!"
Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao exchanged a look, opened the window, and, as expected, found Zhang Lao wearing that faded "Salvation Army" black uniform and the gray and white deep aluminum pot, standing in the parking lot, holding a stack of papers, and shouting loudly.
In a few moments, the two "fast-roped" down to Zhang Lao's side.
"I asked them one by one, and they're all recorded on the paper. Don't worry, nothing was missed, including my own."
Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian hurriedly thanked him sincerely.
"Take a look quickly and see if there are any problems." Zhang Lao handed over the papers.
Jiang Baimian took the materials, took off the flashlight hanging on her waist belt, and began to browse on the spot.
The intelligence recorded on the paper was in order of people, and each person contained two parts: one was whether they had encountered any suspicious people during the curfew, and the other was what normal, rarely occurring things they had encountered in the past three or four days.
Shang Jianyao moved closer to Jiang Baimian and read through them one by one with her.
"There's no useful information..." As they were about to finish flipping through it, Shang Jianyao sighed disappointedly.
Jiang Baimian didn't say much and turned her attention to the last page.
This page only recorded the feedback from one person, which was Zhang Lao himself:
"Zhang: 1. Only encountered the soldiers responsible for the curfew along the way; 2. The afternoon before yesterday, a resident of the hotel had their blood pressure medication stolen. They were unable to take their medication in time, and their high blood pressure rapidly worsened. The situation was very serious, and they were sent to the hospital for two days of treatment."
High blood pressure flared up and was sent to the hospital for two days of treatment... Jiang Baimian's heart stirred, and she slowly raised her head.