Fuzzy sets

Linda's message about endorsing a science and technology charity foundation was like a pebble thrown into calm water, sending ripples of doubt through Jiang Mo's mind. The invitation came too suddenly, the timing too opportune—right after she and Shen Zhiyan had begun to formulate their counterattack plan and the foundation had issued an anonymous warning. Was the high-priced endorsement a sugar-coated test, or perhaps a delaying tactic?

Instead of replying to Linda immediately, she forwarded the message to Shen Zhiyan, adding the comment: "What do you think? Is this also a 'behavioral feature' that needs to be input into the model?"

Shen Zhiyan replied quickly, and as always, succinctly: "New variable. More parameters are needed to define its membership degree."

Membership degree. Jiang Mo knew this term; in Shen Zhiyan's world, it was used to describe the degree to which an element belongs to a certain "fuzzy set." This invitation, at this moment, was a vague existence between "goodwill" and "malice" in his eyes.

During a break in filming on the second day, Jiang Mo whispered to Linda in a corner of the rest area.

“We couldn’t find much substantial information,” Linda said wearily. “The foundation’s registration information is fine, and the flow of funds seems clean, but the founders have a deep background and are associated with several capital shells we’ve suspected before. I feel… it’s like a carefully polished shell.”

"Delay it for now, don't refuse, but don't agree either," Jiang Mo instructed. "See what other moves they make."

After hanging up the phone, she noticed that Shen Zhiyan was sitting on the sofa not far away, looking at a lab report, seemingly unaware of her call. But when he looked up and their eyes met, he shook his head very slightly.

Jiang Mo immediately understood—were there listening devices here? Or was it just that someone was listening through the walls? She nodded calmly, indicating that she understood.

In the afternoon, the production team arranged for the guests to visit the center's newly built intelligent greenhouse for filming on the theme of "Science and Nature." Under the transparent glass dome, various plants thrived under a sophisticated environmental control system. Jiang Mo, dressed in a beige casual outfit, walked among the lush plants, listening to the researcher explain the effect of photoperiod on plant flowering, but half of her mind was wandering to that "fuzzy set."

Shen Zhiyan, one of the accompanying experts, walked slightly behind her. His explanations were professional and clear, but at a corner, when everyone's view was temporarily blocked by tall banana leaves, he paused slightly and said quickly in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"The foundation's registered address is 92 percent similar in latitude and longitude coordinates to an abnormal data forwarding node that was previously detected."

Jiang Mo's heart sank. So, this was indeed no coincidence.

She didn't turn around, but instead, under the guise of bending down to examine a rare orchid, she replied in a low voice, "Understood. The membership level has shifted towards malice."

“It hasn’t reached the threshold yet,” Shen Zhiyan’s voice remained calm. “We need to observe its subsequent operating patterns.”

They were conducting what appeared to be an encrypted communication, exchanging crucial intelligence in jargon only they could understand, all under the watchful eyes of everyone. This clandestine collaboration, while putting Jiang Mo under pressure, also instilled in her a sense of certainty that they were fighting side by side.

After the tour, there was some free time. Jiang Mo avoided the crowd and walked to a quiet rest area in a corner of the greenhouse. There were several rattan tables and chairs there, surrounded by lush ferns. She had just sat down when Shen Zhiyan came over, holding two bottles of water, and naturally handed one to her.

"Thank you." Jiang Mo took the bottle; its coolness dispelled some of the stuffiness from the greenhouse.

The two sat side by side, watching the clouds drift by outside the glass dome. The brief silence wasn't awkward; rather, it felt like a necessary buffer.

“Sometimes I feel,” Jiang Mo suddenly began, her voice somewhat unsteady, “that my circle is like this greenhouse. It seems that the light, temperature, and humidity are all well controlled, making it suitable for growth, but it is also just as fragile. A little external pest or disease, or a small malfunction in the control system, could cause everything to spiral out of control.”

Shen Zhiyan turned his head to look at her. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a small shadow beneath her thick eyelashes. He didn't immediately respond with data or models; he simply listened quietly.

"Is your world a little more solid?" She turned to look at him, a hint of genuine doubt in her eyes. "At least, there are formulas, theorems, and a clear distinction between right and wrong."

Shen Zhiyan remained silent for a moment before turning his gaze back to the vast sky beyond the dome.

"The scientific field also has... gray areas." He chose his words carefully. "For example, the uncertainty principle, or chaotic systems. Absolute control and prediction are just an ideal model." He paused, then continued, "Moreover, the competition for academic resources and the priority of publishing papers is sometimes no more... transparent than the competition in the entertainment industry."

This was the first time he had mentioned the imperfections of his world to her. His tone was calm, yet carried a kind of insightful honesty.

Jiang Mo was somewhat surprised, but then she understood. Yes, wherever there are people, there is a martial arts world. It's just that their martial arts worlds have different rules and different weapons.

“So,” she gently shook the water bottle in her hand, a faint smile curving her lips, “we are all actually struggling within our own ‘fuzzy sets,’ trying to find that… solution with a higher membership degree?”

Shen Zhiyan seemed pleased with the analogy; a faint smile flickered in his eyes, gone in an instant. "That's one way to understand it."

When Jiang Mo left the greenhouse, she felt much more relaxed than when she entered. The "fuzzy set" from the outside, full of uncertainty, still existed, but the silent yet reliable ally beside her made her feel that she was not alone.

Back in the lab, she found a small, delicate succulent plant on her workstation, its plump leaves resembling a blooming green lotus. There were no cards beside it.

She subconsciously looked towards the main control area, where Shen Zhiyan was recording data with his head down, seemingly unrelated to the matter.

Researcher Zhou walked over with a smile: "Ms. Jiang, these are small gifts from the greenhouse for each guest. Thank you for your visit today."

"I see." Jiang Mo thanked her, gently touching the succulent's plump leaves with her fingers; they felt firm and full of life. She placed it side by side in her mind with the "Lu Gen" on the balcony—one representing the solace of metaphysics, the other the gift of science—it was quite interesting.

She took out her phone and replied to Linda's message:

"Regarding the foundation's endorsement, we will maintain contact and continue to observe the situation. We will tell them that I need to coordinate my schedule with Professor Shen and also need a more detailed project plan for the foundation."

She decided to temporarily bring this "fuzzy set" under surveillance, neither accepting it lightly nor rejecting it rashly. She wanted to see what kind of tricks the other party would reveal next.

In the evening, Jiang Mo returned to her apartment, only to find a plain cardboard box without any markings on the door. There was no tracking information, and no sender listed.

Alarm bells rang in her mind. Instead of touching it immediately, she contacted the property management to retrieve the surveillance footage. The footage showed that a strange man wearing a baseball cap and a mask placed the box at the door, then quickly left without looking up.

Jiang Mo instructed the security personnel to carefully open the box.

There were no dangerous items inside, only a thick stack of neatly bound documents.

At the top is a detailed background investigation of the science and technology philanthropic foundation, clearly showing that its main investors, through a multi-layered equity structure, ultimately point to an investment institution called "Mingyan Capital." The founding partner of "Mingyan Capital" is named Shen Huaiming.

"Mingyan"...

Jiang Mo's breath hitched slightly. The combination was too coincidental, making it impossible for her not to draw connections. She immediately took a picture of the key pages and sent it to Linda: "Help me focus on investigating 'Mingyan Capital' and Shen Huaiming."