Business Idea Goes Awry (Flash Fiction)

Flash Fiction #172

Dameng has a relatively stable job at Rutgers University, but he is looking for some extra income. He is not an ambitious person and will be quite content with what he has if the inflation is not so high. Recently he has to replace the air conditioning at home, which is in itself not unberably expensive. However the man who comes in to replace it tells him that his electrical wiring at home is too old and needs to be upgraded, which immediately doubles the cost of the whole thing if not triples it.

Dameng’s wife Chian is so shocked about it–almost 10 grand–that she immediately starts to plot a plan to curtail their winter heating, Christmas vacation, their consumption of snacks and alcohol each week. Dameng is told to give up snacks and beers immediately. Worse, his wife tells him that they would have to use their backyard to grow vegetables next summer so that they can save money on groceries for half a year at least.

“You know my family are all farmers back home. I have to work very hard and attend many math and physics competitions to become an engineer. What’s the point of all the hard work if I become a farmer now in my own backyard?” Dameng says.

“Well, do something then. Do something you enjoy doing. We need 10 grand to patch up the financial hole.” Chian says, challenging him. Dameng wonders why Chian likes to challenge him in exactly those moments that he doesn’t want to be challenged.

“Hmm…” Dameng wonders.

“How about this… develop an AI tour guide.” Chian says. Chian is an assistant in a travel agency, who sells tickets, plans trips etc. Recently a businessman from overseas asked her if she knew anybody who can act as a personal tour guide for him and his family in New York City and the surrounding areas for several days.

“If you develop an AI tour guide, this businessman can just hire your app and go around NYC by himself without having to pay a person to do it.” Chian says.

Dameng takes the hint and starts to work on a tour-app. A week later, it’s completed in beta version. A month later, it is launched and is tested on its first client–Wangya.

Wangya and his brother Adu are business partners, and this is their first trip to New York. Chian helps them to have their AI tour guide loaded onto their cell phones. Off they go, to experience New York for themselves.

The first day is barely over before they are told by their AI assistant to make a left turn where there is clearly a “no left turn” sign. Fortunately, Adu sees the sign and prevents a little traffic mishap. Then they are told to go to a place for the famous dim sum, but the place is closed.

If the first day is not too bad, the second day is clearly worse. The app teaches them to reply to a waiter in ridiculous language and then directs them to park in a dangerous area that they are almost robbed.

The worst comes the third day. At first it’s a mistake-free day for the tour app. “I think our little AI is getting better.” Wangya says to his brother Adu as they drive back to New Jersey from New York since their hotel is in Newark. As soon as he says this, something happens that proves what he says is wrong. On the southbound Route 1, when they stop at a traffic light, a woman with a lot of makeup knocks on the passenger side window. Adu rolls the window down and the woman asks if they want to have some fun. Hearing this, Wangya, who’s on the driver seat, asks the AI tour guide for assistance and receives the instruction, “of course, let’s have some fun.” So Adu relays the message to the woman, who asks for $80 to show them the fun. The tour guide app tells Adu that he should always negotiate the price with a street vendor and never take the first offer. So Adu tries to negotiate.

The next thing they know, they are arrested. The woman is an undercover cop and she is working on a police entrapment project.