บท 252: Easter Experimentation (3)
Ten minutes passed, and they were still empty-handed. None of the four designated items for the experiment had been found, though the decoy items littering the area had fooled them more than once.
Just as the scientist had anticipated, the participants had neglected to provide complete details. Both the police and Furuya's group were tasked with describing the items in detail. If they weren't specific enough, the quantum AI glasses would misdirect them toward irrelevant objects, pulling their attention astray.
"There are twenty minutes left, but they haven't made much headway. Some of them are starting to adjust their descriptions," Yasushi observed, his eyes fixed on the scene below, framed by the glass window. His tone carried no pity, only analysis. "But without any reference images, they're relying entirely on memory. That'll slow them down."
"They kept Yinhaie, Nandini, Catherine, and Layena out of this," Xinyi pointed out. Her words didn't disguise what she was thinking. "Those four would've tipped the scales too far in favor of the police. Still…"
Yunxue scratched her head, frustration etched into her movements. Xinyi spoke up, her tone casual but carrying a hint of exasperation. "Looks like Yunxue didn't actually listen. She went off momentum alone, and now she's stuck reconfiguring her glasses."
"That's fair," Yasushi replied, his focus still on Yunxue. "She's smart, but she leans too much on her physical strength sometimes. It's something she's improving on, but today, she probably got ahead of herself. Too caught up to pause and think things through. She's still got some growing to do."
"If Yinhaie or Nandini were handling this, it'd be a different story," Yasushi added, shifting gears without much pause. "Honestly, I'm surprised the chief here didn't take this part of the job more seriously. Maybe they've gotten too reliant on the tech."
The man accompanying them nodded slightly, his response measured. "You're correct. Complacency is almost inevitable, especially in an era where technological advancements have made tasks easier for most people."
"The chief below is a perfect example," the man explained, his voice calm yet with an edge of amusement. "I'd say about 20% of the force actually takes their duties seriously. The rest? They coast along until something urgent snaps them out of their haze. He's one of the latter, and now he's trying to make up for it — fidgeting with his glasses as if that'll fix his oversight." He chuckled softly, clearly entertained by the scene.
"I've got one!" a voice rang out. One of the group lifted a copy of the Bible triumphantly, grinning.
"That's one down, three to go," the man said. "They're making progress, sure, but this one was sheer luck. Now, let's see if the three of you can find the rest before they do." He turned to Jingliu, Xinyi, and Yasushi, his expression both expectant and smug.
Before either of the women could respond, Yasushi raised a hand and pointed decisively. "There's a fake revolver behind that cardboard box," he began, then gestured toward a pair of artificial trees. "Over there, between those trees, you'll find the FENZ dish soap bottle. And finally—" his finger swept to the far end of the room—"the SYMEMs candy bar is behind those wires keeping the lights powered."
"Tch, show-off~" Xinyi said with a short laugh that betrayed her amusement. "When did you add those descriptions to your glasses?" Her question came with a look of curiosity, though her tone tried to mask it.
"Right after he mentioned them," Yasushi replied without hesitation. "We already had the images loaded, so I just spoke the descriptions into the glasses. From there, they were pinpointed quickly. I had more time to study the details, which meant I could describe them with as much accuracy as possible."
Jingliu, who had been listening quietly, decided to try for herself. She began reciting the specifics of the candy bar they'd been searching for, and moments later, it appeared exactly as Yasushi had predicted. She glanced up, mildly impressed. "He's not wrong. The candy bar is there, but there's a pile of fake ones scattered around it. Looks like they're banking on people not describing it down to the smallest detail."
"Hmm…ah, looks like someone just found the fake gun," the man said casually, observing from above. Seconds later, their suspicions were confirmed as muffled cheers erupted from below.
"That leaves just two items, with about ten minutes left to handle them," Xinyi remarked, her voice calm but direct. The others gave small nods, their attention fixed on the task at hand.
A researcher stepped forward, her white coat swaying slightly with her movement. "Sir," she addressed the man in charge.
He turned his head toward her, his tone light but curious. "Hmm? Oh, how are the firemen doing? I assume they're paying attention to the lecture?"
The woman, a researcher with "Linda" printed neatly on her name tag, gave a brief shake of her head. "Not entirely. I'd say about four of them are focused — the chief and the three standing closest to him. The rest? They think they've got it handled and are barely paying attention."
The man closed his eyes, releasing a slow, measured breath through his nose. When he spoke, his tone carried a sharper edge. "Then I suppose they're about to learn the hard way. Let's proceed with Plan F. Give them a wake-up call — show them why paying attention to instructions isn't optional." His expression hardened as he finished, his words firm enough to cut through any doubt.
Linda nodded briefly and walked off without looking back. The man, who had introduced himself earlier as the lead scientist overseeing the day's operations, turned his attention back to Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi. His face remained expressionless as he addressed them.
"You might be wondering about the specifics, but let me assure you, there's no risk to them. It's as straightforward as I said earlier — a wake-up call."
Jingliu's brow lifted slightly, her expression skeptical. "And what exactly does that mean?" Her tone held a note of challenge.
"It's a drill," he replied, his words clipped and matter-of-fact. "They'll attempt to rescue a dummy using the same equipment you tested several months ago. But there's a catch — if they fail to prepare the tools correctly or deviate from the instructions during the process, the equipment won't activate. On top of that, there's a strict time limit to complete the task and successfully 'save' the dummy." His delivery was flat, devoid of any effort to soften the explanation.
"…So you're teaching them that if they don't act correctly or on time, they'll fail to save this dummy? This is meant to simulate real-life scenarios, huh?" Yasushi's eyes bore into the man, his tone pointed. "In real situations, a single wrong choice can be the difference between life and death. And you're showing them now because they refuse to listen otherwise."
The man gave a nod, his expression firm but his tone weighted with the responsibility of his answer. "What we need is competence, but also for people to take instructions seriously. Every rule we enforce today exists because someone ignored it — or we didn't know better — and it cost them their life."
The space between them stilled briefly before the noise below drew their attention. The timer cut off sharply, stopping at the one-minute mark.
"Looks like they managed to gather all the items just in time. Barely a minute left," the man remarked, his lips curving slightly. "They messed up, sure, but they pulled it together. It was… almost a win."
+-+
"Good work. There's one more scenario after this one. Are you thinking about joining the firemen for their training sessions, too?" Yasushi asked as he handed Furuya a drink. Jingliu and Xinyi passed drinks to the rest of the group, making sure everyone had something in hand.
Furuya glanced up and let out a quiet laugh. "Thanks. Yeah, probably. I figure it's smart to try everything while we're still in school," he said, taking a sip from his drink.
Yasushi tilted his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Furuya. "Still not sure what you want to do after graduation?"
Furuya shrugged and set the drink down on the bench next to him. "I've got a decent idea, but I'm keeping my options open. You know, in case I wanna switch paths later. The plan is to work a few years, save up some money, maybe get a house with Catherine. After that, I'll probably move on to something different. It's just an office job — it's not the kind of thing I'd wanna stick with forever."
"Yeah, I get what you mean, but what are those options? Do you have anything in mind yet? I'm guessing something related to these jobs you're trying out today?" Yasushi asked, tossing a glance in Furuya's direction as he took another sip of his drink.
"Mmm…not sure. They both seem interesting, but neither really feels like it fits me," Furuya replied, scratching the back of his neck as if searching for the right words. "The police work keeps my adrenaline spiked all the time, and I don't think that's something my body would be okay with in the long run. The fire department? I don't know yet — I'll have to see how the rest of the day goes."
"Well, like you said, it's smart to keep all doors open. Who knows what could come your way later?" Yasushi said, setting his drink down beside him. Then, with a smirk creeping across his face, he added, "And if nothing works out, why not try to score a job through Xinyi's family connections?"
Furuya didn't miss a beat, turning to Yasushi with a flat expression. "I'd rather have a cactus shoved up my own ass than let her boss me around," he replied, pointing his thumb toward Xinyi, who was standing off to the side, flashing a grin in their direction like she knew she was the subject of their conversation.
Yasushi let out a laugh, shaking his head as he replied, "You're acting like she's got some wild plan to mess with you. She's really not that bad."
"That's because she's head over heels for you. With me, she's got no filter," Furuya shot back, his tone clipped before he exhaled. Their conversation came to an abrupt stop as a loud alarm signaled the end of their break. Furuya glanced at the clock and muttered, "Looks like the police training group's final scenario is about to start. I'll catch up with you later."
"Got it." Yasushi stood up, bumping fists with Furuya before they went their separate ways.
Yasushi joined Jingliu and Xinyi as they headed back to the observation room. Meanwhile, Furuya and the rest of their companions stayed behind to wrap up their work. Once the trio settled into the room, they slipped their glasses on and focused on the scene below, the setup resembling an urban disaster zone.
"What's the last scenario supposed to cover?" Yasushi asked, his eyes scanning the makeshift environment and the props scattered throughout the area.
"It's a straightforward rescue scenario," the scientist explained, speaking calmly as if recounting a routine. "We've simulated a situation where two individuals have been kidnapped. The police's task is to identify both the suspects and the victims using the quantum AI glasses. They'll input the data they're gathering right now. Based on their experience from the last drill, I'm optimistic this will proceed more smoothly."
"They'll input every detail they can about each person, right?" Jingliu questioned, her voice level but firm as her attention shifted to the scientist. "Even something as minor as a random accessory or piece of clothing. Are the fake weapons and props part of this scenario as well? What's the standard for success here?"
The man next to her spoke without hesitation, answering with the precision of someone used to breaking down complex ideas into actionable steps. "It's similar to laser tag. If anyone is 'hit,' they lose points. The objective is to ensure the kidnappers don't harm their hostages and to minimize casualties, both major and minor. That's all that's required to pass." He reached for the microphone, pausing briefly before bringing it to his mouth.
"You've already been briefed on the final scenario before the firefighters take their turn, but I'll go over it again. There are two victims of a kidnapping and two individuals responsible for it. There are no traps, no unnecessary complications. Plan carefully, rescue them safely, and ensure that neither they nor any of you end up severely harmed. Best of luck!" the man announced through the microphone.
Moments later, a sharp tone signaled the start of the final exercise for the police participants.
When they stepped out of their preparation room, they were all outfitted with sensor vests. These vests were designed to detect hits from the simulation guns, glowing red when triggered. Any areas not covered by the vests — such as the head, arms, or thighs — were also considered vulnerable, making every part of the scenario critical to their success.
The chief made a series of clear hand signals, prompting everyone, including Furuya and Yasushi's group, to move together with precision and awareness.
"They're definitely taking this seriously," Xinyi observed quietly, watching the proceedings unfold from their elevated observation point.
Furuya noticed a signal from one of the police officers and quickly picked up his pace, careful not to make any unnecessary noise. He maneuvered around several large boxes, moving alongside walls before stopping against one. He positioned himself behind it, peering through a small gap in the fake wall ahead.
Through the narrow opening, Furuya caught sight of a man's back. The man stood there, holding a woman who appeared to be the victim. Furuya scanned the area but couldn't spot the other abducted individuals. He turned to the others, communicating with a series of concise hand gestures: "Behind me. Holding woman. Back turned. No sight of other kidnapper."
The chief acknowledged Furuya's signals with a nod and motioned for the search to continue for the other victims. At the same time, he directed a few of the officers to regroup near his position. He raised a hand to pause any unnecessary movement as they huddled closer to strategize.
"What's the plan, chief?" Furuya asked, his expression showing his engagement in the unfolding situation.
The chief gave a faint smile, gesturing for all of them to listen carefully. "Here's what we're going to do..."
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Haruki_Murakami
Haruki_Murakami "Vjeruj u sebe, ali ne zaboravi druge" – Bosnian proverb
"Believe in yourself, but don’t forget others."
Meaning: Self-confidence is important, but humility and awareness of others are key.
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