The Mindstealer's Masquerade: A City Deceived!

"Wang Daniu?"

Dongfang Zhiyuan glanced sideways at Mike and said calmly, "Earlier, you ordered Wang Shi and Zheng Xingxing to head to the military camp and bring people back. When Wang Shi left, he considered the potential threats in the mist, so he had Wang Daniu take a team and thoroughly check the surrounding buildings."

"He reassigned him because he knew your room's security was high. Wang Shi was following your policy of 'prioritizing the safety of the masses.'"

"Ah, I see now." Mike nodded, understanding.

He muttered softly, "So, that means the Mindstealer's disguise only works if the original host is far from home or out alone. The Mindstealer can only invade when the opportunity arises."

"Mike, stop overthinking it," Dongfang Zhiyuan shook his cigarette ash, his tone laced with slight impatience. "The Mindstealer is not something you should focus on too much."

"You should be looking ahead, not dwelling on something as trivial as a Mindstealer. It might cause a bit of trouble, but it's not worth overexerting yourself."

"I disagree," Mike responded seriously. "I believe the appearance of the Mindstealer is a big deal."

"The Mindstealer may not affect strong individuals, but it can cause panic and disruption among the ordinary people. And there's no small matter when it comes to the well-being of the people. My priority will be on handling the Mindstealer."

Mike refrained from addressing Dongfang Zhiyuan by name. Partly out of respect, and partly because Dongfang Zhiyuan was well-versed in identifying the Mindstealer's tricks.

Given Dongfang Zhiyuan's peculiar temperament, Mike also knew his commands were often ineffective. The old man had his own way of thinking.

"Have you considered," Dongfang Zhiyuan cast a half-glance at Mike, "that it's because of your own inadequacies that the Mindstealer causes problems for the masses? Normally, eliminating a Mindstealer would take no more than a day."

"Ah... well, that's... fair enough." Mike was taken aback but chuckled awkwardly, nodding. "You're right, Old Man. There's much I still need to learn."

Mike wanted to discuss more, but Dongfang Zhiyuan had closed his eyes, clearly uninterested in further conversation.

Helpless, Mike sat back on the couch and opened the city's chat channel.

The Jinling command center had already released an official notice. A spokesperson had shared the details of the Mindstealer's appearance, along with precautionary measures.

"...This is the official Mindstealer Awareness notice from the Commander-in-Chief."

"Given the unique nature of the Third Apocalypse, Jinling Command has decided to emphasize the use of the city's chat channel this month!"

"To prevent Mindstealer deception and harassment, all key and important information will be posted in this channel. We urge everyone to stay vigilant and identify any potential Mindstealers in disguise!"

"By actively participating in the chat, you can ensure your safety!"

The chat announcement was being circulated non-stop by several representatives to ensure it reached as many people as possible. A new message was sent every hour, making sure the entire population was informed.

Meanwhile, the Jinling citizens' desire to chat had spiked. Not just because of the alert, but because the Mindstealers had no way to interact in the chat channel. The Mindstealers had no data-based mechanisms, which made it impossible for them to infiltrate the channel.

"Mindstealer? I just woke up to hear about that! Sounds like some fake person!"

"Don't worry, the Commander said, if you spot a Mindstealer, just deal with it!"

"Each shelter has at least four or five people, who's afraid of a tiny Mindstealer?"

"Please, let the Mindstealer disguise itself as my female neighbor! I'm gonna really deal with this Mindstealer!"

"Wait... bro, you got some criminal thoughts in your head?"

"Let me check the security regulations... you can't accuse me of illegal behavior! Mindstealers aren't covered by the laws in Jinling's regulations!"

"Ugh... Mindstealer: Who's the real demon here? Can't some humans show some respect?"

People in the chat channel were both surprised and amused by the Mindstealer's appearance. Some quick-witted individuals began to realize that the attitudes and positions toward the Mindstealer were already shifting.

Thanks to the Commander's clear brief on the Mindstealer's nature, the fear surrounding it had been significantly reduced.

Many people who hadn't yet encountered a Mindstealer had lost their initial dread. The Mindstealer's greatest weapon—human fear of the unknown—had lost its grip. If humans weren't afraid anymore, then who exactly was the true demon? It was harder to say.

After all, most human goodness is governed by laws and ethics. Without them, humanity's darker nature could be magnified infinitely.

After a while, Mike saw some strange remarks in the chat.

"Wait a second, I just thought about what that guy said... it actually makes a lot of sense!"

"Think about it: Mindstealers are great at disguising themselves as anyone... and they're demons, not protected by the collective... doesn't that mean we can basically do anything to them?"

"Imagine if the Mindstealer turns into a hot guy or girl! Wouldn't that be amazing? Even if we do something 'evil,' it'd at least be disaster relief, right?"

"No! You call that disaster relief? Are you talking about real disaster relief?"

"Wait! I remember the Mindstealer manual says it'll explode or turn into human skin after being revealed! And it has no features! You guys are actually okay with this?"

"Clearly, you're new to this. Honestly, it doesn't matter if the lights are off. The real question is, is the Mindstealer's disguise good-looking?"

"Please, let the Mindstealer be a muscle man!"

"Please, let the Mindstealer be a cute girl!"

Mike was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected people's imaginations to run so wild.

Truthfully, Mike had also entertained the idea of Mindstealers working in the city's labor force. But given the long-term disguise strategy, he quickly discarded it, knowing it would have negative long-term effects.

Now, watching the chat, Mike couldn't help but smile at how people, having lost their fear, were already starting to have fun with the Mindstealer.

But Mike didn't intend to stop them. After all, the Mindstealer wasn't human, and Mike couldn't protect them.

Plus, as the old man said, the Mindstealer was merely an appetizer. These small troubles would soon be cleaned up. In the meantime, he figured it would be better to let people vent their frustrations and release some pent-up energy.

The post-apocalyptic atmosphere was heavy, and everyone had been working hard on collective disaster relief efforts. Everyone had suffered some personal losses and mental strain.

Mike's decision to create various entertainment facilities in Jinling was intended to offer people an outlet for their emotions.

Since people now wanted to have fun with the Mindstealer, Mike figured it was best to let them. It would save them from turning the tension into something worse in the long run.

"As long as it doesn't go too far and doesn't affect other people, it's fine."

Mike muttered to himself, scrolling through the chat. To be honest, he was a little surprised at how lively the channel had become.

"While the chat channel is helping with some communication issues, the new communications system for the Third Apocalypse still needs to be established."

"Otherwise, many internal messages and sensitive information won't be conveyed correctly... It's not really appropriate to share everything in a public channel."

Mike glanced at Dongfang Zhiyuan, who appeared to have dozed off, before switching his view to check on Chen Dafeng's situation.