Chapter 71: Hidden Motives

“I can’t quite agree with Engineer Lin on this point,” Wang Chen from Division Two was the first to stand up in dissent. At the sight of him, Lin Xi raised her brows with genuine interest.

Engineer Chen drew in a sharp breath, alarm bells ringing—he knew this old fox was up to no good again.

Lin Xi watched Wang Chen in silence, signaling for him to speak his mind.

“Feiyun has always focused on chips,” Wang Chen began. “When it comes to robotics, I think we’re more than capable. Artificial intelligence, at its core, relies on what? Our chips, of course. I believe Feiyun can absolutely set up a production line. We’re already ahead of many domestic companies in chip technology—what remains shouldn’t be out of our reach.”

Wang Chen finished with confidence. Across the table, Lin Xi chuckled lightly, “You certainly have faith, Engineer Wang. Though I wonder—do you believe in Feiyun, or simply in yourself?”

Having learned his lesson after suffering a loss to Lin Xi last time, Wang Chen avoided a head-on confrontation, but it was clear he wasn’t about to let her have the last word.

“Of course, my confidence is in our company,” he replied with a smile. “The robotics market is booming right now. There are many applications, but most products on the market suffer from obvious shortcomings. Isn’t this a golden opportunity handed to us?”

He flashed a friendly smile. “What do you think, Engineer Lin?”

Lin Xi smiled as well. “You make some valid points. But with our current technology, from which angle do you propose we make a breakthrough? The robotics market is vast—what’s your target sector?”

“Entry-level robots are everywhere these days,” she added.

Wang Chen replied, “That’s a matter for the future. But I suggest we invest in developing a companion service robot with independent thought. There’s a real need for companionship among empty nesters, unmarried singles, children, and so on. Our robot could stand in for their loved ones—just input the program, and it becomes the role they desire: a partner, a child, or a parent.”

“Independent thought?” Lin Xi’s brow furrowed.

“Yes. Able to communicate as naturally as a human, handle any task. In fact, in the future, this type of robot could even replace low-level service workers, reducing the need for cheap labor. There’s a real market here—these robots wouldn’t be the cold, mechanical types you see everywhere.”

“Are you out of your mind?” Lin Xi’s smile faded, clearly dissatisfied. “A robot can never possess true consciousness. It’s not a living being.”

“The sole purpose of a robot is to assist and serve humanity. If a robot gains independent thought, can it still be called a robot?”

“Furthermore, is cheap labor really what should be replaced? If all low-level service jobs disappear, how will those without other skills or education survive? Will they work for robots?”

“And if, as you suggest, we eventually solve this problem and first replace all service workers, what happens when these robots truly gain independent thought? Will they still submit to our control?”

“If things spiral out of control, who will be replaced next? You? Me? Or all of humanity?”

“Human civilization has always advanced not because of chips, but because of the human heart,” she continued. “We develop AI chips to provide convenience and maximize human happiness—not to create independent consciousness. The technology can always be upgraded, but independent thought is where we must draw the line.”

Someone across the table laughed. “Engineer Lin, aren’t you underestimating yourself? It’s one thing for service workers to be replaced, but how could AI ever replace us?”

Lin Xi replied, “Current AI can already edit copy, create art and poetry, compose lyrics and music, and so on. These features may not be perfect yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”

“So if AI with independent thought can already replace one human, it won’t be long before it replaces you and me.”

She drew a deep breath and returned to the topic. “The idea of companion robots is sound, but such robots have been around for quite some time. The ones on the market today can already match the cognitive ability of young children.”

Wang Chen instinctively wanted to argue, but the deputy general manager cleared his throat, quickly cutting off the debate.

“All right, that’s enough,” he said. “Both Engineer Lin and Engineer Wang make good points, but it’s true—humanity must not let AI take our place.”

“The main reason I brought this up today is that our batch of basic robots, developed in partnership with Cheng’an, is about to launch. I wanted to hear everyone’s opinions.”

“For now, the company has no plans to shift focus to robot production. Our main priority remains chips.”

With a glance at the deputy general manager, Lin Xi withdrew her gaze and fixed her eyes on her computer screen, saying nothing more.

The emergence and development of AI brought both benefits and dangers to humanity. No one could predict whether future technology might truly lead to the nightmare of robots ruling the world. On this issue, nearly every researcher was unified in their hope never to witness such a future. Thus, as they advanced their work, all were vigilant against this potential threat.

—

Leaving the conference room, Lin Xi finally noticed the WeChat message on her phone. Qin Yu had replied to her twenty minutes earlier.

“It looks very nice.”

Just three simple words, and on the screen, they seemed perfunctory.

But, considering it was Qin Yu, that was only to be expected.

Balancing her laptop in one hand and her phone in the other, she typed out a reply, taking a while to finish a complete sentence: “Where are you right now, Third Brother? At home or the office? I’ll have someone send it over.”

Qin Yu replied, “I’ll be back in Beijing tonight.”

So he wasn’t in Beijing…

Lin Xi stared at the message for a few seconds, dazed. “Then I’ll courier it to your office? Send me your assistant’s number, or forward their WeChat.”

After sending her message, she followed Engineer Chen and the others out of the elevator.

Back in her office, Qin Yu finally responded, “Are you busy tonight?”

It had nothing to do with her question. She hesitated, then replied that she wasn’t busy.

Work had been light lately, and she was keeping regular hours. Besides, her cold still hadn’t cleared up, and she hadn’t the energy for overtime.

Qin Yu: “See you tonight.”

“…?”

Frowning at those three words, Lin Xi thought for a moment. It made sense to return it to him in person; she didn’t argue. “Where should we meet?”

“I’ll have someone pick you up from Feiyun after work.”

“Oh.”

At six in the evening, Lin Xi exited the company’s main entrance and was met by the Qin family’s driver.

“Good evening, Miss Lin.”

“Good evening. Isn’t Third Brother here?” She saw only herself and the driver in the car.

“Mr. Qin just got off the plane, so he sent me to bring you over first.”

“To where?”

“Boyu Bay,” the driver replied after a pause. “Mr. Qin’s residence.”

(End of chapter)