Encourage the Helpless Child

[Self of Ichinose Honami: Before each simulation begins, randomly upgrades three of her qualities (gold talents cannot be upgraded further, including initial and fixed talents)]

[Approachable (Blue): You possess an innate Affinity that makes it easier for you to gain the favor and trust of others. (Effective for both men and women)]

"Love consists of only three variables: touch, movement, and play. If you can provide these three variables, you can satisfy all the needs of a primate." -- Harry Harlow, United States comparative psychologist and member of the National Academy of Sciences

Ayanokoji Atsuomi tapped the table lightly. Nearly four years had passed since his conversation with Sakayanagi Narimori. Since then, Sakayanagi Narimori had intentionally reduced the number of times he came here, and his attitude toward the White Room project had also changed significantly.

However, Ayanokoji Atsuomi didn't actually care about the other party's opinion on the White Room project. On the contrary, Ayanokoji became interested in all kinds of psychological experiments after that. The results of most psychological experiments could be directly applied to the education level. With this idea in mind, the concept of the White Room changed starting with the Fourth Generation.

The [teachers] who were supposed to be educating students have become [instructors], and all the [students] have become [test subjects]. Having discarded all possible warmth and affection from the past, the experimental nature of the White Room now seems closer to its predicament: a secret institution hidden Yamanaka.

Under this sudden pressure, the first, second, and third generation trainees quickly descended into chaos, with a considerable number of non-cooperative individuals emerging. These teenagers began to resist being confined in this snow-white room and even actively began to resist the day-to-day training.

Without a doubt, the first three phases of the White Room project have been a complete failure.

However, to Ayanokoji Atsuomi's relief, his direct superior Naoe, seemed to have anticipated the situation. Instead of blaming him, Naoe encouraged him. In return for Naoe's high regard and to demonstrate his own determination, Ayanokoji Atsuomi even voluntarily included his own child in the list of Fourth Generation of the White Room.

What makes Ayanokoji Atsuomi somewhat embarrassed is that the fourth and even the fifth batch of test subjects, on which he had placed high hopes, have also gone wrong. These babies, who have been raised in the White Room since birth, have grown to about four or five years old, but the scene that Ayanokoji Atsuomi had once imagined—drawing freely on these blank sheets of paper and leaving their mark—has not appeared.

Furthermore, a significant number of children raised in White Room showed below-average performance in various assessments.

Language, behavior, learning ability—nothing about the White Room Project shows any indication that it was intended to establish a stable talent training institution. To put it bluntly, Ayanokoji Atsuomi sometimes felt as if he had entered some kind of large-scale educational and survival support institution for disabled children while walking inside the facility.

Although a few individuals displayed rare talents, Ayanokoji Atsuomi was well aware that the ultimate goal of the White Room was to achieve a stable and universally applicable, assembly-line-like process for creating artificial geniuses. One or two successful individuals could not be considered successful as part of the plan, nor could they be used to fulfill the requirements.

"Come for a walk with me."

After signing the documents in his hand, Ayanokoji Atsuomi stood up from his office chair and said to the assistant standing beside him, "This position should have Sakayanagi Narimori, but unfortunately, he declined my invitation because he was too busy with work."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi knew that Sakayanagi's words were just an excuse, but the Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School under the Sakayanagi Family was also about to have a change of Chairman. If the other party was using the excuse of getting familiar with the work in advance, he really couldn't force them.

"Yes, Councilor Ayanokoji."

For personal reasons, Ayanokoji hired a new assistant who was an expert in the field of psychology. Unlike Sakayanagi Narimori, he basically approved of Ayanokoji Atsuomi's plan in its entirety, and even racked his brains to find psychological experimental results to verify some of the other party's theories.

The two left the office together as they talked. Ayanokoji Atsuomi walked through the pure white corridor with his hands behind his back, occasionally glancing at the several large rooms separated by one-way glass on both sides, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I remember you said this morning that there was a new discovery?"

His steps faltered, Ayanokoji Atsuomi suddenly turned to his assistant behind him and asked:

"And a discovery that can solve the current predicament of the White Room?"

"Yes, Councilor Ayanokoji."

Upon hearing this, the assistant showed a hint of excitement. He quickly handed over the documents he had prepared beforehand and explained:

"Both the Fourth Generation and Fifth Generation were raised in the White Room from infancy, receiving the same education and enjoying identical benefits. However, from a statistical perspective, there is a subtle difference between the two."

"That's the overall quality that the Fifth Generation has demonstrated—no, to be precise, their mental health is much better."

The assistant added cautiously:

"This is not a significant difference that can be observed from a short-term data perspective, so I personally observed two cohorts of students for about three months before reporting to you after confirming the facts."

Sensing that the other party was deliberately offering a way out, Ayanokoji Atsuomi readily accepted it, nodding and saying:

"Hmm, go ahead and tell me."

"Yes."

The assistant immediately lowered his head respectfully and said with a humble smile:

"I know that Representative Ayanokoji has always been interested in interesting psychology experiments, so before revealing this fascinating discovery, let me first introduce you to an unparalleled and brilliant experiment."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi indeed showed considerable interest, so the assistant relaxed and began to slowly introduce the situation:

"The rhesus monkey is a primate whose genes are 94% the same as those of humans, which is why it was chosen by psychologist Harlow as his experimental subject. If real humans were used for experiments, Watson would have suffered the same fate."

At this point, the assistant shrugged indifferently, as if somewhat regretful:

Harlow forcibly separated the infant rhesus monkey from its mother and placed it in a sealed environment. Inside the box, he made two monkey-shaped "mothers" out of wire and Cloth. The "wire" mother had a baby bottle hanging on her body, while the "Cloth" mother had nothing on her body.

"In Harlow's own words, they refer to [a soft, warm mother] and [a mother who meets survival needs and provides food 24 hours a day]. The results of the experiment were quite shocking. Except for a few times when they needed to nurse, the baby monkeys almost always clung to their 'Cloth' mothers."

The assistant grinned.

"I once attended a lecture by Sakayanagi-sensei, where he made a point about educating children: [Humans learn what warmth is through mutual contact. This is very important; the warmth of skin is by no means a bad thing.]"

"Judging from the results of the experiment, this is completely rational and correct, because [the comfort brought by contact] is the most important element of love. Compared with [wire], what attracts the little monkeys to 'Cloth' is the warmth brought by contact, whether it is Cloth or real skin."

"However, according to subsequent follow-up experiments, these monkeys raised by false mothers were completely unable to integrate into the group after adulthood, with their physical and intellectual levels all below average, and they were even unable to mate independently."

"What's even more terrifying is that after Harlow used artificial insemination to help these monkeys give birth, the monkeys seemed to have no feelings at all. They wouldn't nurse their babies and would even cruelly abuse them. One mother even bit off one of her babies' skulls."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's gaze turned cold. He even felt that his assistant was about to say something to dissuade him from stopping the plan, just like Sakayanagi did four years ago. But the assistant maintained a calm and unhurried tone, as if he had already entered his own rhythm.

"To solve this problem, Harlow conducted further research. He changed the 'Cloth' mother from a motionless state to one that could sway, and then provided the baby monkeys with an hour and a half of outdoor time each day so that they could come into contact with other monkeys. The rhesus monkeys raised in this environment developed almost identically to normal monkeys."

"Love consists of only three variables: touch, movement, and play. If you can provide these three variables, you can satisfy all the needs of a primate."

A smile crept across Ayanokoji Atsuomi's lips. He seemed quite pleased with the psychological experiment his assistant had described, but he hadn't expected the assistant to continue talking.

Like a hidden agenda revealed at the last moment, the assistant finally raised his head, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes, and his speech suddenly quickened:

"This interesting experiment has a sequel."

"To test the babies' dependence on this fake 'Cloth' mother, Harlow designed all sorts of mechanisms: some would launch the children violently into the air at regular intervals, some would spray cold air, and some would even have sharp spikes attached to their bodies..."

"But no matter what, these little monkeys will not abandon this fake 'mother'. Even after being injured, they will hug this mother again and again, kiss her, gently bite her, and show her all their love."

The assistant spoke with a look of rapture on his face:

"This is truly a brilliant experiment. In fact, ever since I entered the field of psychology, I've been fantasizing about recreating this experiment, preferably with subjects other than monkeys."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi gently clapped his hands, interrupting his assistant's reverie, and asked in a deep voice:

"So, your discovery..."

"Yes! Representative Ayanokoji, my discovery is related to the results of this experiment."

The assistant, now fully conscious, quickly lowered his head again in humility. He stopped beating around the bush and swiftly explained:

"Just like in the experiment, the White Room is essentially the so-called 'wire' mother for most of the fourth and fifth term students. We provide them with food and education, but we have been neglecting the needs of the 'Cloth' mother."

"The reason for the slight differences between the fourth and fifth generations lies in the fact that... there exists such a role among the fifth generation."

"His current grades and performance are not as good as those of your son, who was more outstanding in the fourth cohort."

"But compared to that child, this is the real key to the White Plan's potential success!"

Ayanokoji Atsuomi's eyes flickered slightly, not because he heard his son's name from his assistant, but because of the confidence in the assistant's words.

Whether as his biological son or as the best-performing test subject, Ayanokoji Atsuomi paid more attention to Ayanokoji Kiyotaka without much fanfare, but when he heard that "[this may be the key to the success of the plan]", his attention immediately shifted back to him.

"You really believe that? To me, monkeys and humans are completely different kinds of creatures."

"I am confident, and I believe time will prove my point."

The assistant took a deep breath and spoke urgently:

"In my opinion, half of the fourth-term students could also be used as control subjects in a controlled experiment."

"Mold a [Cloth] mother from the divided half, and then use it as a control group for the other half."

"..."

After a brief silence, Ayanokoji Atsuomi did not immediately agree. He started walking forward again, and his assistant could only grit his teeth and follow.

"Who is the natural [Cloth] mother you discovered among the Fifth Generation?"

The serious tone made the assistant raise his head nervously, only to find that the two had already arrived outside the Fifth Generation's room. The one-way glass allowed them to see everything inside, but to the children inside, all they could see was a monotonous white.

Inside, the children were undergoing monotonous running training, with the instructors standing at the finish line recording the number of laps remaining for them.

All the children in the White Room, regardless of gender, wore loose white sweaters that resembled skirts. When they stood together and ran, they were completely indistinguishable, like a white river.

To the assistant's relief, the run ended quickly, and with the instructor's permission, all the children were given a five-minute rest before they began their academic lessons.

"It's that child."

Even without his assistant pointing him out, Ayanokoji Atsuomi could spot the other person at a glance.

He had inspected the daily lives of the Fourth Generation many times. During breaks, each of them would silently recover their strength in their seats, waiting for class to begin.

But the situation here is different, and it seems that everyone's attention is focused on one thing.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi saw a boy.

His face was displaying something rarely seen in this room—a child's smile, something that hadn't been seen in a long time.

Each child in the White Room possessed only their own notebook and four or five pencils tied together with rubber bands as stationery.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi saw the little boy remove the rubber band binding his pencil, and he reached out, clumsily but earnestly tying the hair of the child in the seat in front of him.

It was a small, perfectly fitting pair of twin tails for a little girl, which even reminded Ayanokoji Atsuomi of the photos he often saw on social media of his daughter, shared by Sakayanagi Narimori.

The other children nearby seemed to be saying something as well; their laughter wasn't as pronounced as the boy's, but it certainly revealed their childlike expressions.

"[Cloth] Mother... dependence... love... never betrayal."

After witnessing this scene, the assistant began muttering to himself again.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi squinted, following the tag on the other person's clothes to see the nameplate with his name on it:

Cold.

Chapter 83: Encourage Helpless Children

1. Experience various failures and setbacks in the long process of trying hard but not getting results.

2. Believing that one's efforts and results are unrelated, leading to the perception that 'one cannot control the outcome of one's actions and external events'.

3. It creates a feeling of helplessness that one cannot achieve results even if one tries hard.

4. It manifests as impairment in motivation, cognition, and emotion, creating a vicious cycle.

-- "Learned Helplessness", by United States psychologist Martin Seligman

Kiyotaka.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi shifted his gaze to the top of the documents in his hand. He didn't know when it started, but this name had always firmly occupied the first position. Whether it was academics, physical fitness, or art courses including Chess and piano, the other person had become Fourth Generation with an absolute lead, and could even be said to be the top one in the White Room.

Putting aside the child's academic performance, what Ayanokoji Atsuomi was slightly concerned about was the child's identity.

From both a bloodline and legal perspective, this is his biological son.

But in fact, Ayanokoji Atsuomi never considered himself the other's father, not from the very beginning.

Even though seven or eight years have passed, Ayanokoji Atsuomi still vividly remembers the Matoba when he and another colleague went to see Naoe Jinnosuke.

The politician who casually mentioned the [White Room] plan asked for their opinions. When his colleague trembled and said things like, "Isn't it cruel to take children away from their parents?", Ayanokoji Atsuomi almost instantly declared his loyalty.

Because Ayanokoji Atsuomi knew very well that even within the Naoe Faction, he was the one with the lowest status and the weakest background, so he had to give up more and sacrifice more, even his own son.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi recalled the anxious fathers he saw outside hospital delivery rooms when he was running for parliament in his youth, vying for votes, and then he remembered the Matoba his first encounter with a baby:

How is your health?

The first sentence seemed to come from a normal father, but the tone was incredibly calm.

In response to the man's question, the medical staff member beside him nodded and replied:

"Nothing unusual was found, all the brainwave tests were normal, and the DNA test results also prove that this is your biological son."

Hearing these words, the man seemed relieved. He slowly walked to the crib where the baby was, and with a gentle smile, carefully took the baby into his arms, a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

"No wonder he's the teacher's child..."

The assistant's flattering words were immediately interrupted by the man's cold words:

"Let's get ready to film quickly."

"The willingness to send a child, more precious than one's own life, into the White Room —this sacrificial resolve and the intense emotion involved..."

"You'd better take some good photos for me; these are important promotional materials for the next gathering."

The father, holding his child, urged him on, and the assistant hurriedly began filming.

After the photoshoot was finished, Ayanokoji Atsuomi put the baby back without any hesitation.

"Send him to the Fourth Generation of the White Room."