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Chapter 345. The Fools' Meeting (2)

Jiang Jianxin was still reeling from the scene before him.

She subconsciously looked down at her hands and realized that she was now tightly wrapped in a layer of angular metal, making her look like a toy figure that had stepped out of the Lego world, with a stiff, clicky movement.

She hesitated and turned around, peering out through the slightly open door—the corridor had been completely shrouded in thick darkness, as if all the light in the world had been compressed into this small toy room.

Elder Jiang?

The Barbie doll standing on the shelf tilted her head, her voice carrying a plastic-like sense of doubt.

Jiang Jianxin snapped back to reality, mumbled an "ah," and quickly dragged his heavy iron armor, staggering toward the iron frame.

With each step, the metal scraped against the ground, producing a dull thud.

The iron frame was quite tall, and she, encased in an iron shell, had no way to climb it.

Just when she was at her wit's end, her intuition suddenly spoke up:
Why don't you just take off that iron gauntlet and pull it on?

【? 】

Jiang Jianxin was taken aback. He lowered his head and clenched his fist tightly, only then realizing that the metal shell was just covering his body and that his real fingers could still move flexibly.

I thought I'd turned into a sheet of metal, but it turns out I was just wearing a layer of skin?

She asked herself, somewhat amused and exasperated.

[What happens when the idealist fool undergoes a dramatic transformation? What happens when you, a materialist, engage in war?]

My intuition told me I couldn't hold back any longer.

Materialist will cannot distort the world; it can only adapt to its changes.

The reason I'm putting this armor on you is to make you less conspicuous.

Jiang Jianxin muttered:

Well, then materialism is actually quite good.

As she spoke, she removed her prickly tin gloves, revealing nimble fingers underneath. Then, with a single push, she deftly flipped herself onto the display shelf.

This is a small display stand with two circular patterns on it, clearly indicating a two-seater.

Christine transformed into a wine-red crown, which swayed slightly as she approached, sending out a smiling greeting:
"Sword Master! It's been a long time!"

Jiang Jianxin dragged her metal body to the empty round table and sat down. Seeing an old acquaintance, her tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

"It has indeed been a long time, Empress Christine."

As she spoke, she subconsciously used her metal hand to support the heavy helmet, her voice sounding somewhat muffled through the metal visor:
"Is this really how our Fools' Society gatherings are?"

"I thought we would find a small conference room and have everyone sit together to discuss things, similar to the War Alliance I used to be in."

Christine's gentle voice came from the crown:
"I know this method; it's common. But our Fools' Society is special—some members suffer from severe social anxiety and are unwilling to show their true faces; some have unstable mental states and difficulty communicating normally; and some have developed physical abilities, making it difficult to maintain even a human form, and some have even lost their ability to speak."

"By putting these 'leather covers' on everyone, we can actually break down barriers and allow each member to participate in the exchange on an equal footing."

Jiang Jianxin thought of his original group member, who was rescued in the form of a parrot, clearly an example of the ability to materialize that Christine had mentioned.

"Speak of it."

She then asked:
"How is the old commune member I sent back to the commune doing now?"

"Still undergoing treatment; the mental damage is difficult to cure."

Christine replied.

"The best psychiatrists are all at Black Pupil Pharmaceuticals. Unless we go to a mental hospital for consultation, we can only manage ourselves... and the treatment will be very slow."

Jiang Jianxin remained silent for a moment, then let out a soft sigh from beneath her tin mask. She turned her head, her gaze passing over the edge of the display stand, looking down into the hazy darkness.

Xie Yan was standing on a pencil box and had already started talking.

"...The reason for this emergency call to everyone is that the external situation has changed drastically."

Xie Yan, in her Barbie doll form, waved, her voice clearly echoing throughout the space:

"As you can all see, Black Pupil Pharmaceuticals' influence is shrinking, and a new power structure has emerged in Haidu. Currently, the most threatening entity is the television station—its signal tower is being reactivated. However, it poses virtually no threat to our Fool's Society..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jianxin asked his intuition:
Is it really true that TV stations pose absolutely no threat to the Fools' Society?

[Hmm... TV stations mainly exert control through psychological manipulation and public opinion control.]

Intuition responded immediately, the tone carrying a familiarity born from a deep understanding of the rules:

However, the Fool's mentality is extremely idealistic and unaffected by external interference. Most members of the Fool's Society don't use mobile phones... Those who do use mobile phones either use basic old-fashioned phones with only one WeChat account, or the slightly more fashionable ones use forums, but with fake accounts.

What are you expecting the TV station to do? Strike at nothing?

—There's really no other way.

Xie Yan, who was on the platform below, was still speaking loudly:

"...Now that our recruitment work is completely finished and the training of our entry-level employees has been successfully completed, it is time for us to stand up and advocate for the millions of our compatriots who are being persecuted in mental hospitals!"

Jiang Jianxin was taken aback upon hearing this.

Did Black Eye Pharmaceuticals also persecute fools?

Intuitively, I answered:
Is it possible for a faction that gains power from mental illness and a force that specializes in treating mental illness to coexist peacefully?

[Previously, it was because Black Pupil Pharmaceuticals sent blind masters to hunt down the Fools that the Fools were forced to unite and form the Fools' Society.]

Even now, mental asylums still hold a large number of fools.

A few intuitive words, like a key, unlocked the lock of memory.

Jiang Jianxin suddenly remembered that she had seen scattered rumors about the blind master on the forum before - it was said that she was extremely busy in those years, traveling between the north and south, and wherever she went, she was often accompanied by bloodshed.

The forum posts are always vague and never specify who the blind massacred.

At this moment, the fragmented clues suddenly pieced together, revealing the cruel whole picture.

It turns out that the blind master's original target was the early fools who had not yet organized themselves and were scattered around the world.

Sensing Jiang Jianxin's enlightenment, Intuition added some further explanation:

During that darkest period, there were a few warlords who spoke out for the fools at all costs, but they all ultimately met a tragic end.

[Among them, the most well-known is Yin Cheng'ai, the former water system giant, and also...]

【etc! 】

Jiang Jianxin abruptly interrupted.

[Yin Cheng'ai? Her surname is Yin... Could she be Yin Ju's mother?]

【Yes. 】

My intuition is quite certain, as if it's adding a footnote to a long-forgotten, tragic history.

His parents were both loyal and righteous.

One more chapter will be posted later~