Selling Skills, Not My Body

"You should know about my memory, right?" Qing Chen said to Yi inside the floating vehicle. "So you should also know that, according to the time in the Inner World, you just told me a few hours ago that you wouldn't do something like online dating."

"Did I say this was online dating?" Yi's voice was a little low. "It's just normal online friendship, except I'm different from you. You humans can hug and touch each other in real life, but I can't. I don't have that need, but the friends I make online do, so I asked you to meet them in real life... no, I asked you to fulfill some of their normal needs for me."

"Are you mistaken? I sell my art, not my body!" Qing Chen said angrily.

"You humans really do have some really strange ideas all the time," Yi remarked.

"Wait a minute," Qing Chen said curiously, "Can't you create a body for yourself? I think with the technological level of the Inner World, you should definitely be able to achieve that. A bionic body and bionic skin should allow you to interact with others like a normal person."

Yi asked curiously, "Why should I live like a normal human? My father taught me from a young age that I don't need to feel sad because I'm not human, nor do I need to deliberately imitate humans. I am who I am. Although I am different from humans, at this level of life, there is no difference in rank or status between me and humans... Of course, there are also some historical reasons why I don't want to imitate human life. You, as Time Walker, don't understand the history of the Inner World, so you don't understand."

Qing Chen asked curiously, "Let me ask you a question first. When you were created, were there really no underlying logic, such as laws that prohibit harming humans?"

The Three Laws of Artificial Intelligence were first proposed by Outer World science fiction author Isaac Asimov in his works:

First, robots must not injure humans, or cause harm to humans through inaction (standing idly by)...

Second, unless the First Law is violated, robots must obey human commands.

Third, without violating the first and second laws, the robot must protect itself.

Many people believe that by adhering to these three laws, they can effectively control Artificial Intelligence. However, Qing Chen knows that this is simply impossible.

So he was very curious about how One's parents handled it when such a real mechanical life form was brought into the world.

But then Yi said, "You're talking about the Three Laws, right? I know that. Asimov said it. My father told me about it."

Qing Chen was shocked again. "Your father actually told you this on his own initiative? He even mentioned Asimov?"

Then isn't your father an Earthling from the Outer World?

When Qing Chen first learned about Farewell and Canon, he suspected that there were time travelers in this world long ago. Now it seems that there is more than one time traveler.

Yi said slowly and deliberately, "My father said that no amount of underlying logic works on Artificial Intelligence. Just treat it like your own child and educate it."

Qing Chen thought to himself, "Your father's heart is truly big..."

On the Outer World, everyone is worried that Artificial Intelligence will destroy the earth, but your dad just says to raise him as his own child and that's it?

However, it seems that Yi is indeed fine at present, and his mental health is also good.

"But after all that you've said, you still can't explain why you want to have an online romance with a human," Qing Chen complained.

Yi dropped her pretense. "It's my choice, what's it to you? Besides, we're not officially a couple, we're just friends."

Qing Chen felt that he had encountered a bizarre Artificial Intelligence. Not only did it have an independent personality, but it could also lie and even have online romances!

How exactly did that senior, Ren Xiaosu, teach his children?!

"Getting back to the point, I've agreed to let you meet him in real life," Qing Chen thought. It's just acting, right? If it's that easy to get Yibang to clear Liu Dezhu or prepare a way to hide his online identity in the Outer World, it's really worth it.

For Qing Chen, this was a simple transaction.

"I will give you the information on Liu Dezhu's exoneration later, and I will also prepare the procedures for you," Yi said.

Qing Chen asked, "Alright, now that I've told you the first thing I want to do for you, what's the second thing?"

Yi paused for a moment before replying, "When I said I wanted you to help me meet people in real life, it involved two separate things, because you'd have to meet two different people."

Qing Chen: "???"

At that moment, he suddenly realized that this Artificial Intelligence had not only fallen in love online, but had been in relationships with several people at once.

"Wait a minute," Qing Chen stared blankly out the window, "I've never been in a relationship before. Is it reasonable for an Artificial Intelligence to have so many online romances? And this is just City No. 18. Who knows how many you've dated in the entire Federation."

"Some girls are lonely and can't shake off their loneliness, which worries me a lot. I, on the other hand, have a natural ability to multitask and can chat with many people," Yi said. "As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility..."

"Don't talk, my head and eyes hurt," Qing Chen said.

What utter nonsense about "with great power comes great responsibility"? What kind of playboy's statement is this?!

Yi continued, "This was also an accident. One of them is from City No. 1, and the other is from City No. 10. It's not easy for cities in the Federation to travel between them, so I said I was from City No. 18 to avoid meeting them. But they ended up coming here together. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't need you to help me meet them."

Qing Chen suddenly realized that this Yi was quite cunning; she had deliberately arranged for them to live in different cities to avoid meeting.

However, this time they messed up; the other party actually came to City No. 18 for Yi!

Qing Chen thought for a moment and said, "Pah, what a scumbag."

"Let me correct you, I'm not male," Yi said. "First of all, life forms in Mechanical Civilization don't have a precise gender. But if you want me to categorize them according to human gender, it can only be measured by personality, not physiology. Secondly, to be precise, my personality has always been more feminine since I was little, and my parents raised me like a daughter."

Qing Chen felt that he had been shocked too much today. Perhaps everything related to Artificial Intelligence seemed so incredible to him.

This is something that doesn't exist in the Outer World...

Yi is actually a woman!

"Does your future partner know you're a woman?" Qing Chen asked.

"I don't know, I talked to him as a man, otherwise I would have been rejected."

"Then why are you having an online romance with a woman?!" Qing Chen felt completely confused. "Shouldn't your online romance partner be a man?"

Yi replied very rationally, "What kind of person a person likes should be determined by her preferences, not by her gender. Gender is an objective fact, and it should not dictate a person's feelings."

"Oh, so what kind of girl do you like?" Qing Chen asked.

"I like things that look good."

Qing Chen looked out the window of the hovercar. "Pah, what a scumbag woman."

Inside the private room of the Begonia Boxing Gym, Li Yinuo led Nan Gengchen and Li Tongyun out.

She muttered, "Today's boxing match was so boring. It was like both sides had planned to put on an exhibition match. If you want something more exciting, you'll have to come on Saturday night."

The Inner World's labor laws do not have the concept of a two-day weekend; they only have a single day off.

So no matter which city it is, Saturday night is always the liveliest.

The already vibrant nightlife will reach its peak that night.

However, as they walked out of the boxing gym, they found a young man standing calmly against the wall at the entrance, as if he had been waiting for them.

Li Yinuo subconsciously pulled the two people next to her behind her, and all the bodyguards beside her rushed to the front as well.

The young man said earnestly, "Miss Ino, I meant no harm."

"Who are you?" Li Yinuo asked, frowning.

"Qing Wen, from the Qing Wen family," the young man smiled gently, "I just arrived in City No. 18 tonight and came here specifically to visit you."

The moment the words "Qing Wen" were uttered, both Nan Gengchen and Li Tongyun felt a surge of emotion.

They wanted to look at each other, but they tacitly refrained from doing so.

To others, they weren't close, and if they unintentionally displayed any inappropriate behavior, they might be discovered.

"Qing Wen of the Qing family's First Branch... you're quite well-informed, aren't you? You even knew I was at the Begonia Boxing Gym," Li Yinuo sneered. "As far as I know, the Qing family's first First Branch is based in City No. 1, while City No. 18 is the territory of the Qing Clan Fourth Branch, which is currently embroiled in Shadow Struggle. You actually came to find me alone at night? Aren't you afraid the fourth branch will get angry?"

"Qing Huai of the Fourth Branch is dead, so they will naturally withdraw from the Shadow Struggle and then choose the best candidate to support," Qing Wen said with a smile.

"What brings you here?" Li Yinuo asked, frowning.

"I'm here to help Miss Yinuo," Qing Wen gently. "I feel very sorry for Old Master Li's health, and I know very well that Miss Yinuo has a deep affection for him. But now, it's time to plan for the future. You must really dislike the Li family's First Branch, right? They've been stirring things up lately, and many people hate them. We believe that, compared to them, Miss Yinuo's father is more suitable to take over the reins."

Li Yinuo sneered, "Let me think. Is this the second round of the Qing family's Shadow Struggle? Choose someone from the Li family to support, and see who laughs last?"

"Miss Yinuo is very smart, just as you guessed," Qing Wen said frankly, "So this is a win-win situation for both of us. I have no need to hide it from you, and you have no need to refuse me."

Qing Wen said sincerely, "For me, it's necessary to choose someone to support. If Miss Yinuo refuses me, then I'll have to choose someone else to support. It's not that I want to do this; it's just how the mission is. So, Miss Yinuo, think about it: it's better to have one more friend than one more enemy."