In a dense forest in a desolate wilderness, dozens of people were gathered, some sitting, some standing, their faces varied.
All of them looked towards the camera, suggesting the informant was the focal point of this activity. The camera's position was likely near the informant's collar, possibly a zippered or button camera.
An elder-looking uncle grabbed the informant's shoulder and introduced him to the group, "Everyone, meet Mr. Yan Zhiwen. He has decided to join us."
A brief round of applause erupted from the surroundings.
"Mr. Yan, what book did you memorize?" a Black girl asked.
"I memorized the Heart Sutra and a portion of the Diamond Sutra, as well as the first chapter of Victor Hugo's 'Ninety-Three'," the informant replied.
"The Diamond Sutra? That's excellent. Recite it for us," someone suggested.
Everyone quickly sat cross-legged on the grass, looking expectantly at the informant, much like students secretly attending extra lessons during a holiday.
The informant cleared his throat and began somewhat nervously, "Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was in the Jetavana monastery in Shravasti, with a congregation of twelve hundred and fifty monks. At that time, the World-Honored One..."
As the informant recited, the listeners displayed various expressions: some were expressionless, some were enraptured, some shed tears, and some frowned.
Soon, the informant finished his recitation, followed by another round of applause.
The uncle from before began introducing others to the informant.
"This lady is from the Snake River Ceramic Factory. She has the 'Annals' and 'Hereditary Houses' sections of the Records of the Grand Historian. Her husband has the rest, but he couldn't make it today."
"This gentleman is the Deputy General Manager of Simon Biological Pharmaceuticals. He has the first volume of 'Lily's Heart'; the second volume hasn't been found yet."
"This lady is from a village in the Platinum Desert. She has 'A Chronicle of Myopia Recovery' and 'Under the Red Banner'."
"That gentleman has essays by Schopenhauer and Montaigne. His sister has essays by Eileen Chang, but she couldn't make it today."
The uncle spoke incessantly, with others occasionally chiming in to add details.
Information about various books was shared: a primary school in the western district housed the Analects and Zhuangzi; the dynamite factory in the eastern district was scattered with Shakespeare's comedies, while his tragedies were held by several beggars in the city center. Some former best-selling novels were preserved in the minds of villagers in three villages west of the Platinum Desert, and several sets of serious ancient history works were held by two prominent families in a village to the south of the city.
The video suddenly stopped.
"This video you just saw showcases an organization called a Reading Club," Cen Yemeng stated with a serious tone. "On other planets, Reading Clubs might be niche organizations for the middle class, school clubs, or activities no one attends. But for these people, they are sharing book knowledge at the risk of their lives."
"The vast majority of ordinary citizens on the exile planet are forbidden from reading and possessing books. If anyone is found to have more than three books privately stored, their entire family will be taken away by the city defense forces and disappear. Only the privileged class has books, but they cannot display them publicly. They can only be kept in basements, safes, or hidden compartments, and viewed in secret. Spreading large passages of book content or photos online carries the highest penalty: death."
"These people dare not possess physical or electronic books, so they can only choose to memorize the content and spread it through oral recitation in these gatherings. According to reports from various informants, similar organizations exist in major cities on the exile planet, and news of public executions of Reading Club members frequently appears on television."
Jiang Ye suddenly raised his hand.
Cen Yemeng looked at him. "Consultant Jiang, please speak."
"Since books are globally banned on the exile planet, where did the books these people are memorizing come from?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Forbidden things always find a way to appear in corners," Cen Yemeng replied. "Some books were memorized overnight by people when the global ban was imposed, and then passed down orally to their children, thus continuing through generations. Some books circulate from the privileged class; this is particularly noteworthy, as the lower strata of the privileged class on the exile planet have shown sympathy and support for the common people. The lower and upper echelons of the privileged are not entirely of one mind. Some books are also preserved as antique relics, much like during the ancient Qin Dynasty's book burning and burial of scholars, or periods of literary inquisition, when many scholars risked their lives to hide forbidden books in wall cavities, tombs, or caves."
Jiang Ye pondered.
This phenomenon indeed revealed many issues.
The high-pressure ideological control on the exile planet had not completely turned the common people into robots. Some individuals, even at the risk of execution, would venture into the woods to spread book knowledge.
As for the sympathy and support shown by certain privileged classes towards the common people, it was even more intriguing.
Jiang Ye speculated that this support might stem from several reasons.
First, humans are not made of wood or stone; many privileged individuals have great empathy for ordinary people. This empathy should not be underestimated, as many revolutionaries throughout history were not from the lower classes but from privileged backgrounds.
Second, familial relationships. From the case in the previous intelligence meeting, it was understood that children of lower-class individuals were sometimes assigned to the privileged class on the exile planet. These children could easily develop sympathy and loyalty towards their parents' generation.
Third, a quid pro quo. The privileged class might be willing to disseminate some books because of various undisclosed transactions between the two parties.
Fourth, preparations for power struggles. Some members of the privileged class, aiming to become even more powerful, might be secretly cultivating support from those below them, quietly accumulating strength.
These were four hypotheses that flashed through Jiang Ye's mind within ten seconds. Regardless of which one or which combination of these hypotheses was correct, it indicated that a significant portion of the upper class on the exile planet could be utilized and integrated.
"Besides the Reading Clubs, the most shocking news is that an illegitimate child army has appeared on the exile planet. They call themselves the Yellow Turban Army," Cen Yemeng continued.
She gestured, and photographs began to appear on the holographic projection.
In a deep cave, a large number of infants were placed in bamboo baskets, filling the ground. A yellow ribbon was tied to the handle of each basket.
The bodies of young men shot dead in the forest had yellow strips on their arms.
In the wilderness with a blazing bonfire, large groups of poorly clad young soldiers sat in assembly, carrying rudimentary guns or even crossbows. A small yellow ribbon was tied to the muzzle of each gun.
A desert village, burned to the ground, with charred corpses littering the ground. A yellow ribbon was still tied to the flagpole. Many city defense soldiers from the exile planet were conducting searches.
After the photos were displayed, the officers in the conference room were stunned.
"Why are they called the illegitimate child army?" Jiang Ye asked. "Are they all illegitimate children?"
"That's correct," Cen Yemeng nodded. "From the last intelligence meeting, we learned that ordinary people on the exile planet have their children produced by corporations."