Answering Long Yuehong wasn't Shang Jianyao, but Jiang Baimian:

" 'Making friends' is indeed more reliable in the short term, but Shang Jianyao's 'Reasoning Clown' will lose its effect soon if there isn't a suitable environment.

"Think about it, most people in the 'Underground Ark' won't help Yu Tian and Bode prove that they are friends with Shang Jianyao. Once they return, they will quickly realize they've been tricked.

"But making them misunderstand our identities, thinking we are messengers of the Vigilance Church, wanting to help them overthrow Di Marco's rule, aligns with their inner desires. It may even be a manifestation of their hidden desires under the guidance of the 'Reasoning Clown.'

"People always believe what they want to believe. This way, even if they notice something is wrong after returning, they will cooperate with the 'Reasoning Clown' effect, deceiving themselves and hypnotizing themselves, and helping us more actively and proactively.

"If we can do this very well, even without the 'Reasoning Clown,' they will join the ranks of resisting Di Marco, spontaneously rallying others, and allowing the team to snowball. Shang Jianyao's use of the 'Reasoning Clown' this time is more about saving time and energy, skipping the more troublesome steps in between, so we don't have to consider more persuasive rhetoric or provide more convincing proof..."

Long Yuehong listened carefully, gradually understanding.

The first thought that flashed through his mind was:

The "Reasoning Clown" combined with a grasp of people's hearts is invincible...

He then had a second thought:

It's a good thing the team leader doesn't have Awakened abilities.

The next second, a third thought erupted in Long Yuehong's mind:

Wait, Shang Jianyao and the team leader didn't communicate beforehand on how to deal with the guards and create inside agents. He figured this out himself, abandoning "making friends" and switching to misleading their identities...

At this moment, Long Yuehong realized with some sadness that Shang Jianyao's IQ really was higher than his.

Despite his usual appearance as a mentally ill person, with all sorts of strange ideas that left people speechless, when he really used his brain, few people could compare—at least among the people Long Yuehong knew.

And such intelligence, combined with the unconventional thinking of a mentally ill person, made him even more unpredictable.

Long Yuehong thus recalled something.

That was Shang Jianyao saying that misleading him didn't require the "Reasoning Clown," just his brain.

That might, probably, perhaps, be the truth...

Listening to Jiang Baimian's analysis, Genava's corresponding processors jumped to corresponding scenes:

Jiang Baimian telling Yu Tian and Bode, "Don't be afraid, the things you need to do are very, very few, and there won't be too much danger..."

This was paving the way for subsequent self-deception and self-hypnosis... Genava finally understood the purpose of such words, looking at Jiang Baimian with eyes wearing sunglasses and saying:

"Are you also an Awakened?"

Before Jiang Baimian could answer, Shang Jianyao nodded with emotion:

"Her abilities are 'manipulating people's hearts,' 'tactical deception,' and 'intimidating others'..."

Jiang Baimian raised her left hand, stopping Shang Jianyao's nonsense.

"I use my brain!" she emphasized.

Then, she answered Genava's question:

"I'm not an Awakened, but I've modified my genes."

Speaking of which, she had a flash of inspiration and asked:

"Do you know any way to make someone become an Awakened?"

She thought there might be some clues hidden in the "Mechanical Paradise's" big data.

This sentence also drew Bai Chen's attention, who was driving.

Genava shook his head:

"We don't need to awaken, nor can we. 'Source Brain' hasn't researched this area.

"Our internal network's data analysis shows that the number and proportion of Awakened in various sects on the Ashlands are significantly higher than other forces. The number of Awakened in large forces like 'First City' is significantly higher than ordinary forces. A large part of the reason for the latter phenomenon is that large forces are more attractive to Awakened, but it cannot be ruled out that they artificially create Awakened..."

Jiang Baimian listened quietly and sighed:

"We left Tarnan too hastily, we didn't have time to participate in the 'Furnace Church's' baptism ceremony..."

Although she also knew that the possibility of awakening brought about by the baptism ceremony was inevitably very low, and she, as an unpious "believer," had even less hope, but at least it wouldn't be equal to zero.

Shang Jianyao heard this and sighed deeply:

"And the pig-killing feast."

This was something that made the entire "Old Task Force," except for Genava, feel very heartbroken.

After mourning for a few seconds, Long Yuehong turned and asked:

"What do we do next?"

"Go to Heart-of-the-Lake Island again to see if we can get some good things back to improve the success probability of the subsequent actions and reduce the corresponding risks." Jiang Baimian smiled and said, "We now have Genava, so we don't have to worry about Yan Hu invading our mental world."

…………

The next day, Hongshi Collection, inside the Security Office.

The "Old Task Force" met the current security officer, the town guard captain Tan Jie.

He was about 1.68 meters tall, with a baby face, but no expression, and his skin was rough from sun and rain.

"You want to borrow a speedboat to go to Heart-of-the-Lake Island?" Tan Jie asked in a flat tone as if asking what he had for breakfast this morning.

"And three bicycles," Shang Jianyao added.

Tan Jie glanced at the forensic doctor Weller, who was appreciating the beautiful figures of the ladies, and said directly:

"Saint Sigmund has forbidden us from approaching Heart-of-the-Lake Island in any way."

"His prohibition on you has nothing to do with us?" Jiang Baimian, wearing a delicate monk's mask, smiled, "We don't need to listen to him. Uh, for you, it's just lending a speedboat and bicycles to friends. There's nothing wrong with that."

Tan Jie was not moved by this argument, and looked at the "Old Task Force" and others expressionlessly:

"Playing with words is not a good habit."

Whoa, do I feel challenged? Jiang Baimian had a draft prepared and said calmly:

"That Saint Sigmund can only prohibit you, not the Fishmen.

"Maybe the Fishmen will land on Heart-of-the-Lake Island again after a while, find some items there, and cultivate new envoys.

"Don't worry, we won't destroy the arrangements on the island, we value our lives very much. We'll at most take away the necessary items, and this can help you eliminate hidden dangers, at least they won't fall into the hands of the Fishmen."

Tan Jie listened without any change in expression, and turned his head to say to Weller in the Red River language:

"They want to borrow a speedboat to go windsurfing and fishing on Angry Lake, I have no objections."

"Neither do I," Weller squeezed out a smile.

…………

Angry Lake, Heart-of-the-Lake Island.

Compared to last time, the "Old Task Force's" voyage was smoother this time. The Fishmen seemed to have given up monitoring the island.

"This time, you two guard the speedboat. This is related to our lives and property. If it's robbed or destroyed, we'll be trapped on the island." Jiang Baimian said to Bai Chen and Long Yuehong, who was wearing the military exoskeleton device.

"Yes, team leader!" Long Yuehong answered loudly, and Bai Chen also said "Okay."

After explaining the precautions, Jiang Baimian turned to Shang Jianyao and Genava and said:

"Let's go."

Fully armed, she then jumped on her bicycle, and Shang Jianyao followed closely.

Genava looked at the bicycle in front of him and said with a somewhat synthesized smile:

"I've always wanted to try this kind of transportation."

The reason why the "Old Task Force" borrowed three bicycles from Tan Jie was because Genava strongly requested it.

Jiang Baimian's original idea was that she and Shang Jianyao would ride bicycles, and Genava would follow along on foot, anyway, he wouldn't get tired, and this speed of advance wouldn't waste much of his power.

Squeak, squeak... When Genava sat on it, the bicycle made a sound of being overwhelmed, giving people the illusion that it would fall apart at any time.

Jiang Baimian glanced at the vehicle under Genava and assessed it for a few seconds:

"Let's go."

She only had one thought at this time:

The quality of this bicycle is really good!

Nothing happened along the way, and the three bicycles traveled through the lakeside roads, arriving at the old-world town with white walls, black tiles, and flying eaves.

"Remember the precautions?" Jiang Baimian stopped her bicycle and turned to ask Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao answered succinctly:

"15 minutes, half an hour, three days."

This referred to not exceeding a quarter of an hour inside the temple, not staying in the area near the temple for more than half an hour, and not staying on the island for more than three days.

"Reduce each by ten percent," Jiang Baimian emphasized.

After speaking, she looked at Genava:

"If we show any abnormalities, you knock us out, drag us back, and take us off the island."

"No problem," Genava promised solemnly.

Soon, they went through the streets and alleys, arrived at their destination, and saw the black temple with white paper lanterns hanging on each side.

"Hall of Yama," Genava, who had parked his bicycle, read out the name on the horizontal plaque.

Jiang Baimian, who had never thought she would come again, scrutinized it for a few times, stretched out her left hand wearing latex gloves, and gently pushed open the black door.

That indescribable silence and fear reappeared in her heart.

Passing through the patio with water tanks, lifting the white curtain, Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Genava walked behind the offering table and stopped beside the black coffin.

The lid of the coffin had slipped to the side, revealing the "sleeping god" inside wearing white linen clothes and with long black hair.

"How impolite," Shang Jianyao said with condemnation.

When he left last time, he helped Yan Hu close the coffin lid.

The current situation was clearly caused by Bishop Sigmund of the Vigilance Church.

Jiang Baimian ignored this sentence and looked directly at the right wrist of the emaciated "mummy."

The tree branch bracelet was gone.

"As expected..." Jiang Baimian exhaled and turned to Genava, "Search his body."

This was something that neither she nor Shang Jianyao could do, but Genava would theoretically not be affected.

Genava did not hesitate, took two steps forward, stretched out his silvery-black palm with a metallic luster, and reached for the "corpse" that had been dried for many years.