"Mastermind"... Jiang Baimian had specifically learned about this and knew what it referred to.

The "Mastermind" meant the brain of the city, the true brain.

This was an important goal of the old world on the path of smart cities.

The "City Smart Network Control Center" they saw in the No. 1 swamp ruin was its prototype.

The complete version of the smart city was controlled by the Mastermind, which controlled all pipelines, self-driving cars, and non-privately owned smart robots. Through complex algorithms, it allocated corresponding resources and planned the correct routes, so that all the stubborn diseases of the past cities were eradicated.

At this time, Jiang Baimian saw Shang Jianyao raise his right arm and wipe the corner of his mouth.

"..." She was speechless for a moment.

After a few seconds, she sighed:

"I didn't expect that the 'Mastermind' had already been put into operation before the destruction of the old world."

In this way, the "Mastermind" who had experienced the destruction of the old world might have recorded some very critical situations.

Based on this, Jiang Baimian fully understood why Lei Yunsong and Lin Feifei's "Old Task Force" wanted to visit Xu Liyan, the city lord of Wildgrass City.

"Is this something important? The old world has already been destroyed." Xu Liyan couldn't understand Jiang Baimian's feelings.

He continued:

"I told them at the time that I didn't know either. We and 'Mechanical Paradise' are just pure cooperative relations. They provide various electronic devices, robots for different purposes, and we sell petroleum products, high-performance batteries, and various resources needed for nuclear power plants."

The latter of these could not be produced by Wildgrass City, but they were qualified middlemen.

"When you dealt with people from 'Mechanical Paradise', did you find any details worth noting?" Jiang Baimian's professional habits kicked in and she asked.

"They are very businesslike and never accept bribes, because they are all smart robots." Xu Liyan shook his head and smiled, "If you are really interested and help me solve this matter now, I can introduce you when they come to Wildgrass City to trade again. Then you can directly find the owner if you want to know anything."

Jiang Baimian thought for a few seconds and asked solemnly:

"City Lord Xu, is someone trying to assassinate you?"

Xu Liyan moved his eyebrows and was a little surprised for a moment:

"Did Audick tell you?"

"I didn't say that." Audick denied it.

"Then how did you know?" Xu Liyan looked at Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao and asked in confusion.

"Guessed." Jiang Baimian smiled, "I guessed from what that 'priest' from 'Anti-Intellect Church' had done. He was wanted in First City because he assassinated a member of the council."

Xu Liyan was stunned for a moment, then exhaled:

"To be honest, when I saw the two of you just now, I was a little disdainful. I felt like you were just good-looking vases with no ability.

"I know that such an idea is groundless, but I can't help but think so.

"Now, I won't underestimate you."

After he finished speaking, Shang Jianyao began to analyze seriously:

"A superior person like you must be very inflated in your heart. When you see someone who surpasses you in some aspect, you will involuntarily belittle the other party, saying that the beautiful are brainless and the strong are barbarians, so as to maintain your psychological superiority..."

Xu Liyan raised his hands and put them together in front of him:

"That makes some sense.

"You are very good at psychological analysis."

"I often deal with psychologists." Shang Jianyao replied confidently.

If being treated is also called dealing with them... Fortunately, I wasn't directly kicked out... Jiang Baimian slandered and decided to get the topic back on track:

"City Lord Xu, did you mean that I guessed right?"

"Yes." Xu Liyan did not hide it, "About two months ago, I received a message that someone wanted to assassinate me. During the period after my father's death, such things happened frequently. I was used to it. I strengthened the guards in an orderly manner and sent out a large number of informants, hoping to find out who the mastermind was as soon as possible, and strive to eliminate the hidden dangers before they happen."

Speaking of this, he looked at Audick:

"Mr. Audick is a helper I specially hired through the guild. He is very good at investigation and interrogation, and has nicknames such as 'Tracker' and 'Lie Detector'.

"Who knew that the second day he arrived, Liu Dazhuang, my most important informant in the city, was shot dead in the street.

"I believe he must have been silenced because he found important clues."

Jiang Baimian listened quietly and told everything she could reveal.

This included that they were commissioned to investigate the disappearance of Lei Yunsong and Lin Feifei, and finally found that they were still alive, but seemed to be controlled, suspected to be related to the "priest" of "Anti-Intellect Church."

She finished by saying:

"We have now found a victim who has seen the 'priest', and she will post the task soon."

"Not bad." Xu Liyan praised and said to Audick, "I hope to track down the target as soon as possible."

Regardless of whether the "priest" was the real mastermind, he definitely played an important role in this matter.

"I'll go get the information right away." Audick stood up.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao followed suit and left the chairman's office.

"I'll go see the victim first." Audick said, and walked quickly towards the stairwell without waiting for a response.

Jiang Baimian knew that the next tracking had nothing to do with her. She walked slowly behind, waiting for a large number of ruin hunters to take the initiative to "serve."

Away from the president's office, near the stairwell, she lowered her voice slightly:

"When we came up just now, did you understand my question?"

She was referring to the inquiry made unconsciously with her eyes and expressions.

At that time, Shang Jianyao gave an affirmative answer with a nod.

Now thinking back, Jiang Baimian wondered if this guy really understood what she meant.

Frankly speaking, even she herself couldn't interpret the specific content from such a simple look.

Shang Jianyao replied without hesitation:

"I understood it.

"When we were walking on the road, no one touched us. You suddenly looked at me, it must be related to the content you sensed.

"And there are a lot of people in the room where Xu Liyan is located.

"This reminds me of last time, when we were sitting below, many people passed overhead, one of whom had both human consciousness and robotic electrical signals.

"If you sensed all human electrical signals, you definitely wouldn't look at me and seek confirmation.

"So, the answer is very simple, you are asking me if they are all human consciousness."

Jiang Baimian was stunned for a few seconds, opened her mouth and said:

"Complex thinking, but you really guessed it..."

She had to admit that in some aspects, Shang Jianyao's brain was not stupid at all, and could even be said to be very smart, but he always made things very simple or very complicated.

Entering the stairs, Jiang Baimian glanced down and said in a low voice:

"The person in the robe next to Xu Liyan should be an 'Everlasting'."

Whether he is a mechanical monk or not remains to be determined.

"I wonder if he knows Chan Master Jingfa." Shang Jianyao said suddenly.

"You really can't forget Chan Master Jingfa." Jiang Baimian teased with a smile.

Shang Jianyao replied seriously:

"Chan Master Jingfa is chasing Qiao Chu, Qiao Chu took away our exoskeleton device, ate a lot of our canned food, compressed biscuits and energy bars..."

"I see." Jiang Baimian nodded heavily.

While talking, they finished the stairs and returned to the hall.

At this time, the blonde, blue-eyed Vice President Christina happened to be coming in from the side door with four black-clad bodyguards.

When she saw Shang Jianyao, her eyes lit up, she took a few steps quickly and said with a smile:

"I'm in Room 308 on the 3rd floor today, you can come find me anytime."

After speaking, she glanced at Jiang Baimian, her eyes slowly scanning her face.

Christina's smile became more and more obvious, and she said to Shang Jianyao:

"Is this your companion?"

Without waiting for Shang Jianyao to respond, she turned to look at Jiang Baimian:

"You can come find me with him."

Jiang Baimian perfunctorily "hmmed."

When the two sides passed each other, she took a step sideways early on, avoiding Christina's concealed hand patting her buttocks.

Watching the vice president and her bodyguards enter the stairs, Jiang Baimian "tsk"ed:

"Her hobbies are really extensive."

"Maybe she just wants to get people together to play cards." Shang Jianyao said thoughtfully.

"Do you think the bodyguards around her aren't people?" Jiang Baimian scolded with a smile.

Shang Jianyao replied seriously:

"Bodyguards have to do their job."

They walked to the edge of the hall while chatting, found a chair and sat down, waiting for new clues to appear.

Not long after, the mission was updated, and they began to look for the sickly man in the trench coat.

That sketch portrait was lifelike, not much worse than a photo.

Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian did not move, because a large number of ruin hunters would move instead of them.

Around 10 a.m., new information appeared:

Someone had seen the sickly man in the trench coat several times near warehouses No. 1 to No. 3 on East Street.

Jiang Baimian and Shang Jianyao immediately got up, accepted the task, and walked towards the door.

When they were about to get to the street, Shang Jianyao suddenly stopped and shouted to a passerby:

"Wait a minute!"

The man stopped and looked over here with a slightly puzzled expression.

He was a man in his late twenties, with a grey-skinned race, about the same height as Jiang Baimian. He was wearing black clothes and trousers, had a common short hairstyle, and looked quite handsome, but his dark circles were a bit heavy, and he looked very tired.

In Jiang Baimian's slightly surprised gaze, Shang Jianyao walked up to the man and asked:

"Didn't you sleep well last night?"

The man raised his eyebrows:

"My sleep quality has not been very good recently, but what does this have to do with you?"

Shang Jianyao said sincerely:

"If you don't sleep well, your condition will be very bad, and accidents are likely to occur when completing tasks.

"You'd better get more rest."

After speaking, he turned around and walked back to Jiang Baimian, leaving the man standing there in a daze.

Jiang Baimian raised her right hand, pointed to her head, and used actions to ask if he had another brain fart.

Shang Jianyao nodded lightly, indicating that this was the case.

PS: Asking for monthly tickets at the beginning of the month~