Kapitel 251: Easter Experimentation (2)

Before Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi could join the operation to test the updated quantum AI glasses, one of the researchers stopped them and asked them to observe instead.

The request caught them off guard. They exchanged looks, a mix of disappointment and understanding crossing their faces. Xinyi and Jingliu knew their roles mainly involved administrative duties, and the decision made sense, even if it stung a little. Yasushi, however, seemed puzzled. He'd expected to take part, but he kept his thoughts to himself, his expression giving nothing away.

"You can use the glasses from here. Tell me what you see," the researcher said, gesturing toward the glass window overlooking the test room below.

They turned their attention to the scene beyond the glass. The room below was bustling with activity. Their friends stood among a group of officers, all preparing for the experiment.

Yasushi adjusted the glasses on his face and scanned the room. His eyes darted across the layout, noting the various obstacles, structures, and barriers arranged within the space. The glasses enhanced his view, overlaying additional information as he focused on different elements of the setup.

"I see around twenty people scattered throughout the area. The glasses are pulling up their names, ages, other relevant details, and even photos. These things are seriously advanced. Are they connected to some massive database?" Yasushi asked, examining the display with a mix of interest and disbelief at the capabilities.

"Yes, they are," the researcher replied. "Although, for future deployment with the police department, we'll need to expand the scale. For now, the people playing the 'bad guys' in this experiment volunteered their information, and we entered it into the testing system."

"That guy's probably playing some kind of brute, right?" Xinyi said, pointing at a man stationed behind a large cardboard wall. His size made him hard to miss.

The man stood around 6'3", towering over most. His muscular frame was wrapped in layers of bulletproof vests, tactical armor, and other gear the scientists had supplied. The look they'd given him seemed designed to make him stand out as the obvious physical threat in the scenario.

"Correct. Let's move forward. Our main task will be to monitor how the equipment functions during this exercise," he explained, then added with a grin, "Though I won't stop you from keeping tabs on your friends. This might turn out to be pretty entertaining."

He reached for the microphone and spoke into it, his voice coming through the speakers loud and clear. "Preparation time is over. We'll begin the countdown now. Several objectives have been displayed on your glasses. Complete them within the allotted time, and we'll evaluate your performance once this phase concludes."

The countdown began at ten, each number echoing through the space as the seconds passed. When it reached zero, there was a brief pause before the exercise officially started. Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi focused on observing their friends while also analyzing the incoming data displayed on their glasses. They divided their attention between monitoring the equipment's functionality and watching the live experiment unfold in front of them.

Nandini and Yinhaie stayed back, their experience lending itself to coordination and strategy. While they excelled in gathering intelligence and giving out directives, they were also capable in combat. Their role in this instance was to keep Yasushi's friends secure while allowing the police to handle the scenario.

At the front, Furuya pressed forward, eager to immerse himself in the action. Catherine trailed close behind, her concern for him pulling her forward, her capabilities ensuring she could hold her own. Layena followed as well, quiet but attentive, ready for what might unfold.

One of the officers raised a hand, the motion halting the group instantly. He signaled with a series of gestures, prompting the others to lower their stances and move with more caution. Furuya and the others mirrored the movements without hesitation, following the unspoken command.

They advanced carefully toward a massive wooden crate. One of the officers broke off to act as a decoy, darting suddenly to the left. The person inside, playing the role of the criminal, reacted immediately, raising their fake weapon toward the distraction.

Before they could pull the trigger, another officer lunged at them from behind, tackling them to the ground with practiced precision. Within moments, additional officers swarmed in, confiscating the weapon and securing the target with a pair of cuffs.

The leader of the police group made quick hand signals. Two officers grabbed the restrained man, dragging him away. He turned to Furuya, studying him for a moment before addressing him directly. "You lack formal training. Can I count on you to act as a decoy?"

"Yes, sir!" Furuya whispered sharply, snapping a salute. The leader gave a single nod before moving on to direct others.

Laura and Reina, while not directly involved in the action, monitored everything through the glasses. Their focus remained on relaying updates to the team. They stayed in the background, their roles vital but unobtrusive.

On the far side of the room, Yunxue moved swiftly with three officers trailing close behind. Guided by the glasses, she pinpointed two suspects. Without hesitation, she advanced. Spotting one suspect crouched behind barrels, she kicked them over, sending them clattering loudly. The startled man barely had time to react before she closed the gap.

She headbutted him, the impact stunning him. Before he could recover, she wrapped herself around him in a fluid motion, locking him in a chokehold. Her movements were aggressive and efficient, leaving the officers behind her momentarily stunned by the display. The man's resistance weakened, and he collapsed under her control.

Inside the observation room, Yasushi exhaled and crossed his arms, watching the monitor intently. "Honestly, I didn't expect her to dive into this with so much commitment."

The researcher beside him chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice as he replied. "That's exactly what we wanted. We asked them to treat this with absolute seriousness. They know we're covering any injuries or medical expenses. The goal is to see authentic reactions, tactics, and responses from everyone involved."

Yasushi glanced sideways at him, raising an eyebrow. "You sound like you've done this plenty of times. Do you actually enjoy this part of the job? Seeing it tested in real scenarios like this?"

The researcher leaned back slightly, smiling faintly as if recalling something vivid. "Taking an idea from sketches on paper, building a prototype, and then watching it used in real situations — it's hard to describe. It feels alive. The first time I experienced it, I was hooked. That memory still sticks with me, so yes, I'd say I enjoy it. It's rewarding in a way that's hard to replicate."

Down on the floor, the police worked with Yasushi's remaining friends, efficiently handling the fake suspects scattered across the area. The leader of the officers finally gave a subtle nod toward Furuya, signaling him to step into his role as the decoy.

Furuya inhaled deeply, steadying himself before darting forward with the fake gun in his grip. He lunged dramatically, his voice echoing through the space as he shouted, "Kawabungaaaaaaaaa!!" He mimicked firing shots, the sound startling the man they were targeting.

The suspect flinched but quickly regained composure, responding with his own weapon. Both exchanged a flurry of harmless shots, none finding their mark. Still, the distraction served its purpose. The man's focus on Furuya left him completely unaware of the two officers descending from above. They landed on him in a synchronized maneuver, knocking him to the ground and restraining him in seconds.

Furuya took a step back, exhaling deeply as he dragged a hand across his forehead. "That's some adrenaline right there," he muttered, his voice low as he dusted off his clothes. "I don't think this kind of work is for me, though. Way too intense."

"Well, not everyone's built for this kind of thing, so I get it," the man said with a shrug. "But don't rule it out completely just yet. We've got two more scenarios to get through, alright?"

Furuya gave a quick nod, his expression uncertain. "Got it, chief. Just hoping I'm not in for too much this time," he said, the hesitation in his voice drawing a laugh from the man.

The conversation ended as the scenario wound down. The rest of the team finished their tasks, their chatter light but purposeful as they regrouped and fell into step together. The scientists monitoring the session had managed to gather useful data from the police's limited-use glasses.

Meanwhile, Yinhaie, Nandini, Laura, and Reina worked effectively, issuing instructions and providing intel through their glasses. These glasses offered more functionality but were still in the testing phase, with quirks that kept everyone on their toes.

A tone rang out across the space, pulling everyone's attention. The man's voice came through the speakers again, calm but carrying a hint of urgency. "Good work, everyone. You've got a fifteen-minute break while we prep the next scenario. After that, we'll run one more before switching over to the fire department's turn."

Without saying much, the police officers, along with Furuya's group, took off their glasses and moved toward a nearby room to wait for further instructions. Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi stayed back, turning their attention to the scientist, who was already preparing to explain the next steps.

"The next scenario is straightforward. It's about finding four specific items," the scientist said, his grin widening as he gestured toward the equipment. "The glasses have some built-in functions that can help locate them. It's not completely accurate, but once you input data about what you're looking for, it'll suggest the most likely spots where the items might be hidden."

Jingliu frowned slightly, tilting her head as she considered his words. "Aren't there a lot of variables involved in something like that?"

"There definitely are," the man replied, nodding. "But that's part of the challenge. They'll need to use the other features in the glasses to avoid traps we've placed, along with some people whose job is to stop them. And, of course, there are dummy items scattered around to make things harder. If they don't input the exact details of the item they're searching for, they'll waste time and effort chasing the wrong targets."

"How reliable is it?" Xinyi asked, her expression revealing her curiosity.

"If they manage to input at least seventy-five to eighty percent of the item's description along with its functional details, locating it should be fairly straightforward. Anything less, and it becomes much harder to identify the correct location. We designed it this way because, in actual scenarios, even a small mismatch in the data could cause delays. That's crucial when lives or time-sensitive situations, like tracking down a person or defusing something dangerous, are on the line. Eventually, we plan to integrate such capabilities into the glasses," the man said, his tone shifting slightly toward a more serious one as he explained.

Yasushi listened while his eyes wandered to the glass window beside them. Beyond it, people were busy, rearranging props, moving cardboard walls, and placing items for the simulation. "That tracks. If you're working against time — like in kidnappings or when something hidden could be a threat — every second matters," he said.

"Exactly," the scientist replied, nodding slightly. "The system rewards accuracy. While we recommend ninety percent for the best results, seventy-five to eighty percent serves as the minimum threshold to make it practical. It allows some leeway, but the narrower the margin for error, the faster and more reliable the results. We'll see how well they handle that once this next part begins."

For the next fifteen minutes, their conversation ranged widely, touching on upcoming updates and features they intended to implement. It drifted into lighter topics too, like recalling mundane moments and piecing together what their parents had done after leaving. When the moment arrived, the man stepped back to the microphone. Notifications had already been sent out, informing the police and Furuya's group about the next steps.

"You all received a briefing earlier. I trust you're aware of the items you need to locate and just how specific your descriptions must be. For this exercise, there will also be a time limit. You have thirty minutes to locate all four items. If you fail, well…" The man let the pause hang briefly before continuing. "Here, nothing happens. But in reality? Real-world situations? I don't think I need to spell out the consequences, do I?" His voice carried firmly through the speakers.

The officers present grew more serious after hearing this. They spoke amongst themselves in hushed tones, exchanging observations and strategies. Members of Furuya's group wore similarly serious expressions as they joined the discussion. There was little room for error in what lay ahead.

After the additional two minutes of preparation, the scientist pressed a button on the control panel. The experiment began immediately, and a timer blinked into existence on the large display in the background. It provided the participants with a clear measure of how much time remained to complete the task.

"I know you mentioned this earlier, but you didn't clarify the specific items. What are they?" Yasushi asked, glancing briefly at the man before letting his eyes fall on the group below who had already started their search.

The man adjusted his stance slightly and nodded in response. "The items are as follows: a fake revolver, a SYMEMs candy bar, a copy of the Bible, and a FENZ dish soap bottle. They're all standard items — apart from the fake gun, obviously — but they should be straightforward enough to input into the augmented reality glasses. That is, if they're thorough."

A faint smile crept across his face as he paused deliberately, letting the weight of his words carry forward. "However…if they get careless and submit descriptions that are too vague or incorrect, they'll trigger the appearance of decoys. They'll be swamped with versions of the same type of item — a different revolver, another brand of candy bar, a random book, or a similar dish soap bottle."

The man adjusted his glasses, watching intently as the group below worked. "With all these distractions in play, let's see how they handle the challenge, shall we?" His tone carried an almost clinical detachment, though there was a hint of anticipation as they continued observing.