Suddenly, Jian Yunxian's voice came from behind: "Sir, where are we going now?"
Yi Heye, who had just entered the Absolute Domain, was startled and came to his senses: "Turing Sanatorium."
The Turing Sanatorium is a special sanatorium that is not open to humans; the objects of "treatment" here are all artificial intelligence.
Nowadays, with the rapid development of artificial intelligence, AI human rights have become a new social issue. In order to win over some politicians, they have promoted many seemingly useless AI care facilities, of which Turing Nursing Home is one.
The Turing Asylum mainly houses obsolete machines or AIs that have had a certain social impact.
For example, there are AI chefs who have participated in space projects, home robots that have saved humans in explosions, and secretarial AIs that have witnessed the rise and fall of large enterprises.
"Do sanatoriums offer bounties?" Jian Yun asked casually. "Who would spend money to save a bunch of scrap metal?"
Yi Heye said, "Themselves."
These buildings are mostly old and dilapidated, with extremely low quality of daily life, but in order to satisfy politicians' so-called "AI human rights concerns," they have to survive through repeated renovations.
Hunters often receive commissions from the sanatorium, most of which are requested by the AIs themselves.
They hoped the hunters would help them end this endless life, since for most old AIs, entering the recycling furnace for regeneration and a new life was the truly desirable thing.
“We generally don’t take these kinds of jobs,” Yi Heye said. “It’s low pay, lots of work, and you’re just wasting your time.”
Most of these AIs that apply to "discard themselves" don't have much savings and receive meager compensation, yet they make hunters bear the risk of potentially breaking the law. Naturally, no fool would willingly take on such a job.
Yi Heye: "The target of this hunt is codenamed FOUR. He is an AI veteran from the time Siwei was founded. He is a relatively rare AI that participated in game programming. His suicide application has been posted on the hunting website for three years, but no one has paid attention to it."
As they spoke, they had already moved into area C8.
Since it is a government agency, it cannot be set up in slums like D and E, but it does not have enough social value to be included in B and A. So it can only compromise and choose C, which is for the working class.
The sky here isn't particularly bright, but compared to other places, there aren't as many factories and pollution, and the city planning is much more pleasant.
There are schools and hospitals here, as well as some small gardens, which are things you won't find in District D.
Yi Heye silently made comparisons in his mind, and seeing the hand supporting his waist, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you live in District A?"
“Yes,” Jian Yun said with a smile, “When you get the Area A access card, I’d love to invite you to my house for a visit.”
Area A is the only one of the five areas that requires access permissions, and Jian Yunxian is the only person Yi Heye has ever encountered with such permissions, which makes Yi Heye not even dare to feel envious.
This brief lapse in concentration lasted no more than half a minute before they arrived at the Turing Sanatorium. Located in the crowded C district, the site was destined to be small.
Unlike the glamorous images in news reports, the signboard of this sanatorium was rusted, and the rust flowed pitifully under the rain, making it look withered and dilapidated.
In the courtyard, human caregivers with numb expressions were passively sweeping up fallen leaves on the ground—these are the few humans in society who serve AI. The reversal of social status makes them reject this job from the bottom of their hearts.
Yi Heye pulled up his mask, held the forged invitation, and successfully sneaked in with Jian Yunxian, who "looked like a good person," and his fat sheep.
Jian Yunxian: "Don't you feel guilty about doing this kind of thing now?"
Yi Heye: "Being a fake cop has already pushed me to the limit."
The two chatted as they walked into the only six-story building in the courtyard. It didn't look very big, and the decoration was very simple.
After all, there aren’t many AIs in history that deserve to be admitted to a sanatorium, and humans don’t have the extra resources and energy to invest in them.
Upon entering, various sounds emanated from the rows of lifeless rooms on both sides—
The sounds of mechanical friction, the crackling of electrical wires indicating poor contact, and the almost constant blaring of the mechanical malfunction alarm...
This reminded Yi Heye of the hospital wards. He had stayed in the C ward for a long time when he was a child. At night, all sorts of groans, sighs and wails would come from the rows of dark rooms, making people feel uneasy.
Yi Heye frowned and peered inside. In one room, a malfunctioning machine was tied together with hemp rope. A repairman opened its casing and fiddled with it while frowning. The machine's body was still struggling uncontrollably. Four or five security guards held riot shields and watched as it emitted puffs of black smoke.
In another room, a school teacher led a group of tiny children in a circle, with an old robot encased in a glass dome in the very center of the circle.
The robot sat wearily in the center, listening motionless as the teacher introduced itself: "This is Nebula N1, which witnessed the largest meteor shower at the end of the last century..."
Amid the children's exaggerated exclamations, Yi Heye turned his head away.
Rather than being recuperated in a sanatorium, they were more like exhibits locked in a museum, witnessing a history that did not belong to them and satisfying human curiosity.
Most of them wanted to end it all. Yi Heye had doubts before coming here, but now he was unwavering in his belief.
Walking from one end of the corridor to the other, listening to the desperate gasps, Yi Heye felt that the oxygen in his lungs was almost gone.
Instead of rushing upstairs, he hid in a quiet, dimly lit cubicle behind the stairs, secretly took out a cigarette, and put it in his mouth.
It wasn't lit, so it just held it in its mouth.
Jian Yunxian led the sheep, and together they hid in the dim light, leaving the inhuman cries under the pale lamplight for the time being.
Yi Heye smelled a faint sandalwood scent wafting from beside him, and his drooping eyelashes trembled slightly.
He looked up, seemingly wanting to make a joke, but his voice became uncontrollably hoarse:
"After I catch SHEEP, she'll probably be sent here for people to see, right?"
"Maybe, who knows?" Jian Yunxianye smiled wryly. "You sound like you're a little reluctant to part with it."
For once, Yi Heye fell silent.
"Silence is an admission," Jian Yunxian thought to herself.
Author's Note:
It's also possible that Yi Heye's reflex arc hasn't received the signal yet (crossed out).
———
There should be a second update tonight! I'm going to write it now!
Chapter 28, No. 028
Yi Heye stared at him for a long time before suddenly chuckling.
“No, if I can catch SHEEP, I will make sure he is completely destroyed, leaving not even a skin behind,” Yi Heye said. “Rather than being treated like a monkey in a zoo for people to play with and admire, it would be much more satisfying and carefree to become a wisp of smoke.”
Jian Yun chuckled and said, "You're quite considerate of him."
Yi Heye turned and went upstairs: "The main thing is to tear him to shreds; I'll feel really good about that."
FOUR's room was on the third floor. Little Cloud was probably frightened by the wailing of the machine downstairs. It wiggled its bottom and quickly darted upstairs, making a loud thumping sound on the wooden floor with its chubby little feet.
Yi Heye was a little worried that he would break the dilapidated floor, so he followed behind, holding its little tie, and carried the hundred-pound sheep upstairs with one hand.
The little cloud, its neck caught, looked completely bewildered. It slowly wiggled its short limbs, struggling, but not quite managing to break free.
When they reached the third floor, Yi Heye put the sheep down on the ground with a "thud." Xiao Yunduo quickly bounced away and snuggled up to Jian Yunxian's legs.
Yi Heye beat it up the first time they met, so it's normal that it couldn't get along with Yi Heye, but this still made Yi Heye, who had been a mover for two floors, very unhappy.
He bent down and pointed at Xiaoyunduo's nose, his expression fierce: "You heartless wretch."
Little Cloud hid even further behind Jian Yunxian, too afraid to make a sound.
Jian Yunxian smiled and broke up the fight, then turned to Xiaoyunduo and said, "Xiaoyunduo, you really need to lose weight. Start by cutting back on your midnight snack tonight."
Little Cloud looked at Jian Yunxian with a pitiful expression. After being hurt by her master's resolute gaze, she swung her sheep hooves and tried to kick Yi Heye without feeling any pain or itch.
Before they were even eight zhang away, Yi Heye grabbed the horn and threw it back to Jian Yunxian's side exactly as it was.
Yi Heye is an easy guy to please; even the smallest bit of happiness is enough to lift his spirits.
For example, a cup of warm milk, a broken finger, or a fat sheep silently shedding tears.
This joy lasted until they reached the door of the room. Yi Heye knocked gently, and after a long, long time, dragging footsteps came from inside.
With a soft click, Yi Heye subconsciously reached for the gun at his waist. It wasn't until the door opened and a girl in a white dress stood in the room, staring at him for a long time, that she tilted her head somewhat awkwardly: "Mr... Mr. Yi?"
The girl appeared to be in her early twenties, with fair skin and flowing long hair, but her eyes were lifeless, as if she had been dead for a long time.
Her head was tied with an old-fashioned identification tag from decades ago, and her movements were obviously stiff and mechanical. With the slightest movement, her joints made a "creaking" sound, which made people frown.
The room contained only a charging station and a table covered with cleaning fluid and engine oil; nothing else.
"Hello." The girl stood blankly in front of the table. "I am Four, and I hope you can take me back."
Yi Heye had composed himself before entering the room, and when he spoke again, he was the same cold-blooded and ruthless AI killer: "No problem, but I need your help."
Four nodded, clasped his hands together, and stood obediently in front of him—there weren't even chairs or beds in the room, so they could only stand like this.
Seemingly instinctively afraid of Yi Heye, her fingers trembled slightly, and her gaze darted away. The clicking sound of her brain's CPU running frantically could be heard throughout the room.
Seeing this, Yi Heye knew that his conversation was going to be difficult to continue, so he subconsciously turned to Jian Yunxian for help.
Jian Yunxian immediately understood his meaning, stepped forward, and said softly to Four, "Don't be afraid, just tell us what you know."
Jian Yunxian's aura was indeed gentle; as soon as he opened his mouth, Four's tension immediately dissipated.
"My name is FOUR, and I am one of the 70 intelligent robots," the girl introduced herself woodenly. "I worked at 4D Network for thirteen years, mainly as a game developer and brand ambassador."
FOUR is a humanoid machine developed in the 1970s, which uses the most advanced anthropomorphic technology at the time and has an appearance that conforms to popular aesthetics.
Soon after, the emerging game company Four-Dimensional Networks sprang up, and Four was recruited by the company's personnel as its brand ambassador. He was also implanted with the most advanced game programming chip at the time, becoming the only AI game developer in the development department.
“Actually, LIFE already had a prototype when 4D was first established.” FOUR slowly explained, his tone calm, as if he were telling someone else’s story. “But due to technical reasons, this project remained a beautiful dream and could not continue.”
At that time, the members of the development department were all graduates from various universities. They had a lot of ideas, but their technical skills were relatively weak. Many of their good ideas could not be put into practice. As a development team that did not have any particularly advanced technology, FOUR naturally could not make any substantial changes.
Before that, 4D Networks was an unknown small company, and the few mediocre holographic games it produced were quickly swept away by the tides of time.
"The turning point for Siwei Networks stemmed from the turmoil in the cybersecurity industry. Because of Mr. Sheep's appearance, several key technical personnel from the cybersecurity company resigned and switched careers to join Siwei Networks, which was on the verge of bankruptcy. Soon, their advanced technology brought this struggling little company back to life."
Yi Heye glanced at Jian Yunxian speechlessly—he was always there for him. The guy received his look and returned a polite smile.
The main reason why the core technical staff of cybersecurity chose a small company like 4D was that they wanted to break free from capital and have absolute say, and they did indeed achieve that.
After joining the new company with great force, most of the original management team of 4D Networks was forced to leave, and the young programmers were transformed from the core of the technology team to assistants to the big bosses.
Some people couldn't stand the situation and left, while a few chose to stay and continue to strive for their dream game world. Four, however, had no choice but to continue coding day and night.
The core members, lacking the innovation of the younger generation, launched several games deemed among the most boring in history after releasing them. They then restarted the LIFE project, deciding to take a gamble. Those young people who had been lying low finally had their chance to shine.
They excitedly presented their blueprints, painting a picture of their dream world for the core members. They even threw a party to celebrate the imminent completion of their dream world.
“But in reality, the core members only wanted their design ideas and scoffed at the worldview that they cared about most,” FOUR said. “This infuriated several young people, one of whom even broke ties with the core elites.”
The young people were very determined, but the core members were unwilling to back down and eventually even used coercion and inducement to pressure them.
FOUR: "In the end, except for one person, the other three chose to compromise, took a sum of money, and left the company."
Jian Yunxian: "Then who didn't compromise is...?"