Set in the near future of 2157, this science fiction novel portrays a world where human emotions are quantified, extracted, and traded through technology. In an era dominated by New Era Tech, “emotions” are no longer private feelings. They are a visible, storable energy that can even be taken away. People manifest “spectral beasts” above their heads, representing their emotions, while those whose emotions are excessively extracted gradually become transparent, “empty shells” devoid of feeling.
The story centers on the protagonist, Chun Zheng, a symbiote with the unique ability known as the “Silent Light Whale.” He wins the fight against the exploitation of emotions, but stands on the brink of victory's abyss: he has become the key component of the emotion-return device, and as his emotions evaporate, his body is growing transparent and fading into nothingness. As he floats in midair, feeling increasingly cut off from the world, former companions and the remnants of the first-generation symbiotes bring a crucial turning point: perhaps there is more than one “anchor.”
