The Mystery of Future Technology

I was assigned to a department called the “Future Technology Division.” Its director was a sharp, capable young man named Zhang Qiang. He seemed warm and friendly on the surface, but there was a calculating air about everything he did. Zhang Qiang told me that Mr. Wang valued my abilities greatly and had specially arranged an ability test for me, so he could assess my abilities more accurately and draw up a plan for my future work. I wasn’t surprised. After all, I had joined the company to use my abilities in Mr. Wang’s service. I agreed to Zhang Qiang’s arrangements and consented to take the test. The testing site was a sealed laboratory filled with all kinds of precision instruments. The faint smell of disinfectant in the air made the place feel oppressive. Zhang Qiang explained that the test would assess the accuracy of my “precognition” and how far into the future I could predict. The test was simple: I would watch a series of video clips and predict what would happen next based on their content. Following Zhang Qiang’s instructions, I put on a pair of special headphones and began watching. The clips covered all sorts of subjects, including news reports, sporting events, and scenes from everyday life. Each one had been edited down to just a few minutes, yet was full of suspense and uncertainty. As I watched, I tried to concentrate and predict what would happen next. At first, my premonitions were crystal clear, and I could accurately predict the fates of the people in the clips, how events would unfold, and more. But as the test went on, my premonitions grew increasingly vague, and my predictions became less and less accurate.