"Welcome to the Blueprint Research Center, Miss Meng. Happy birthday. It is a pleasure to serve you; I am Alice, the specialist in charge of your session today. And Madam Chang, welcome back." The receptionist spoke to Meng Wanying, who was dressed in exquisite makeup and attire.
As the foyer doors slid open and Wanying and Ye entered the center, they were met with a wave of clean, cool air. Mingled with a faint scent of incense, it seemed to have a sedative effect, sealing away the clamor of New York City. The floor of the center was a single, seamless expanse of pale quartz glass, polished to a mirror shine, making it feel as though one’s feet were suspended atop a layer of transparent mist.
The surrounding walls were composed of soft, intelligent light curtains. Waves of blue-gray and silver-white light flowed slowly across them, guiding the visitors' eyes toward the end of the corridor. As their gaze swept over the projection areas, concise information surfaced on the walls—client names, appointment slots, and selected services. The hallway connecting to the counter extended into various booths. The dozens-of-meters-long passage was designed with curves, devoid of any right angles, creating an illusion of spatial extension and soft fluidity.
"Thank you. Where is Ms. Lin?" Wanying asked.
"Director Lin has a last-minute meeting today and will be arriving a bit late. However, she has instructed us to begin the preliminary work. If Miss Meng and Madam Chang are comfortable with it, we can start now; the Director will join us as soon as her meeting concludes," Alice said.
"That Kelly... she promised she’d be here for the entire duration of her goddaughter’s Blueprint Strategy Construction, and now she stands me up," said Ye, the woman addressed as Madam Chang. "Oh well, let's just begin. We’ve discussed this many times; there shouldn’t be any issues."
"Director Lin said you would say exactly that," Alice said with a smile—though it was hard to tell if it was a genuine grin or the practiced, "perfect" smile of a Blueprint Research Center receptionist. "She mentioned she would like to take you to The Nephele tonight to properly make amends."
"The Nephele? She’s certainly thoughtful. Fine by me," Ye laughed. "Ying, go take care of business first, so you can have a proper catch-up with your aunt tonight."
"Yes, Mom." Wanying replied.
"Madam Chang, please make yourself comfortable in our waiting area. Miss Meng, please follow me." Alice beckoned to someone nearby. "Anna, please escort Madam Chang to the lounge. Madam Chang, the Director has already informed us of your preferences, but as our VIP, please let us know directly if you have any special requirements."
"It’s fine. I’m always satisfied with how Kelly handles things." Ye smiled and followed the woman named Anna.
Alice led Wanying toward the end of the passage, stopping at the final booth. "Miss Meng, please step inside," Alice said.
Wanying entered the cubicle. The wood-toned decor provided a warm touch, though the white, spacecraft-like capsule chair in the center looked somewhat out of place.
"Please, have a seat," Alice said.
Wanying sat in the capsule chair, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "Alice, I’ve always had a question."
"Please, go ahead."
"Memory reading is a mature technology now. Why does the Blueprint Research Center still require two years of chip implantation when establishing a personal Blueprint?" Wanying asked.
"Miss Meng, have you never asked the Director this question?" Alice smiled.
"No. There are many things I want to ask Auntie Lin, but whenever my mother and her are together, they talk endlessly. I can’t get a word in," Wanying said with a laugh.
"I see. Well, would you like to guess the purpose of the chip implantation?" Alice asked, her gaze soft yet sharp as she looked at Wanying.
"I guess it's to more accurately record my experiences and the people and things I’ve seen over the past two years?" Wanying answered after a moment of thought.
"Indeed. More precisely, the chip is implanted to understand the emotions generated by an individual’s experiences in the moment. It records your blood volume pulse data so we can evaluate your reactions with greater precision," Alice said with a smile.
"Eh?" Wanying blinked.
"An accurate Blueprint doesn’t just need to know the people you interact with or your thoughts. While training our models, we discovered that the execution completion rate and the non-deviation rate of a Blueprint are highly correlated with the host's emotions. Simply put, if we can make the host follow the Blueprint’s suggestions happily or calmly, the success rate is much higher."
"That effective?!" Wanying asked in surprise.
"This is why we are the most accurate and stable system in the industry—and the most expensive. We don’t just simulate possible paths based on probability and the Six Degrees of Separation theory. We simultaneously optimize the user’s emotional response to choices, thereby eliminating irrational decisions without creating a tug-of-war between logic and emotion. That is why we must know the individual’s real-time emotional reactions."
"Hmm... could you give me a concrete example?" Wanying looked puzzled.
"Certainly. For instance, suppose Miss Meng has two men with whom she has a very good relationship. According to the Blueprint Guide's plan, Miss Meng needs to start a family and career with one of them. How do you think that should be measured?"
"I... I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it, and I don't have that kind of worry right now," Wanying laughed.
"Exactly. I don't know either. But the Blueprint will know how strong your reaction to heterosexual attraction is, and it will know your emotional response to friendship. Based on these parameters, it can plan a more comprehensive decision. In short, while we maximize your Blueprint planning, we also consider your emotional reactions to ensure a stable solution—one that won’t collapse due to your emotional response or the emotional response of your partner."
"I see."
"Do you have any other questions, Miss Meng?" Alice asked.
"What if... what I want is different from what the Blueprint tells me to do?" Wanying asked.
"Theoretically, that shouldn't happen. What the Blueprint wants should be what Miss Meng wants," Alice said with a smile.
"Has there never been a case like that?" Wanying looked at Alice with a skeptical eye.
"Not that I know of. Perhaps you will be the first!" Alice said, the smile remaining on her face, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "Any other questions?"
"No. Let's begin," Wanying said.
"Very well. Please close your eyes and relax. Think of it as taking a nap and having a dream," Alice said.
The upright capsule chair slowly reclined. Wanying closed her eyes and embraced the unknown.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzTMJWU2qr
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