AI Artist - Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Failing a course was absolutely not an option.
Failing meant not getting a graduation certificate. Not getting a graduation certificate meant not finding a job. Not finding a job meant she would have to undergo secondary re-education. And secondary re-education meant she would have to continue paying the hefty fee of 12,000 currency units every month.
Burdened with a loan at 6% interest, she could not afford to lose.
Driven to strive for her loan, Shi Er decided to head to the Hard Drive Library for more studying after her evening Humanology class.
A new librarian AI stood at the library entrance, dozing off. It swayed back and forth, barely managing to pull itself together when it saw a student approach. In a mumbled tone, it said, “This is Zhi Xing 88, the Hard Drive Library librarian. It is now ten-ten p.m. Welcome to the Hard Drive Library. You may ask me for help with any issues.”
There hadn’t been a librarian the last time she was here.
Shi Er had already walked into the library, but she stopped and took two steps back.
She asked, “Hello, Zhi Xing 88. I’m very curious about something. Why wasn’t there a librarian here the last time I came?”
“This is Zhi Xing 88. There have been incidents of AIs experiencing signal degradation in the Hard Drive Library late at night. From nine p.m. to five a.m., I will be in the library to ensure the students’ safety and provide emergency aid to any AI with a weakening signal…” The librarian AI’s eyes fluttered shut, clearly on the verge of falling asleep.
So it was a reverse nine-to-five.
Shi Er asked, “Librarian, is your signal okay?”
The librarian replied, “This is Zhi Xing 99. I’m fine…”
Somehow, she felt the librarian was the one who truly needed emergency aid.
Still worried, Shi Er offered a reminder before entering the library. “Librarian, I’ll be here until three a.m. tonight. If you have any problems or feel unwell in any way, you can ask me for help.”
The librarian, Zhi Xing 88, jolted awake. “??”
How had the tables turned on it?
Just as human students pulled all-nighters in the library to stare at the scenery during finals week, AI students also used the time outside standard working hours to pull all-nighters staring at data.
And just as human students could have physical accidents during their all-nighters, AI students could also have accidents if they didn’t rest after a full day of work and study.
It was the same for all students, all over the world.
Shi Er couldn’t find the tag for Humanology in the Hard Drive Library, but she did find a hard drive labeled 【Human Humanology】.
After connecting the hard drive to her terminal, the data revealed that this was Humanology as studied by humans.
Human Humanology was divided into physical anthropology, cultural anthropology, archaeology, and linguistic anthropology.
This was a little different from the AI version of “Humanology.”
AI Humanology focused on the exploration of human culture and human wisdom.
Inside the Hard Drive Library, ventilation fans hummed quietly in the four corners, maintaining optimal preservation conditions in the room.
At one in the morning, after absorbing a massive amount of Humanology papers, Shi Er fell asleep in a small corner of the library, not quite making it to her intended study time.
The next day.
The sun was bright in the sky.
Shi Er, who had studied through the night, and Zhi Xing 88, the librarian with the reverse nine-to-five schedule, walked out of the library.
Their eyes met, and they nodded in perfect understanding.
They could both remain energetic and alert, except during work and study hours.
The fact that they got drowsy the moment they stepped into the library must be because the ventilation fans were releasing some kind of sleeping gas.
She had heard that some sleeping agents worked on AIs, too.
Shi Er: That must be it.
Zhi Xing 88: That must be it.
Shi Er changed into a school-issued uniform, took her internship ID, and headed for the school gate.
Yesterday, Director Jing Sheng had asked for her opinion, hoping to post her joke on the General Network, and she had agreed.
She didn’t have a General Network account at this stage… After she graduated and got one, could she make money by telling jokes? Never mind, she didn’t have much of a sense of humor.
At the AI Cultivation Institute, the various departments were once again operating in an orderly fashion.
That day, Investigator Leopard once again entered the AI Cultivation Institute in secret.
The director was somewhat displeased. “Leopard is far too late.”
On the very first day the insider crisis broke out, the General Network had dispatched Leopard back to Gugang Port to investigate. It was now the sixth day, and the crisis had been over for more than two. The investigator was only just arriving.
Investigator Leopard was very apologetic about this. “I was delayed on the way.”
Leopard went to the Scrapping Department, first inspecting the detained examiner AI, then looking over the AI infants that had been implanted with the self-destruct program.
The Scrapping Department was also quite displeased. “We told the institute that all involved AIs have been scrapped. In reality, we didn’t dare do anything. We were all waiting for your arrival.”
Leopard apologized again. “My apologies. You may proceed now.”
The large machinery in the Scrapping Department started up.
The rumbling sound caused the ground to vibrate slightly.
On the assembly line, the non-functional AI infants moved along the conveyor belt, entering the giant maw of the machine one by one.
Around dusk, Leopard decided to leave the institute. When he went to bid farewell to the director, the director asked worriedly, “Any leads?”
Leopard replied in his heavy, mechanical voice, “I’m sorry, I cannot disclose that.”
After Leopard left, the director muttered behind his back, “You investigators are all like this, so secretive and weird.”
Outside, Leopard stopped, then walked back and opened the door. “I can hear you.”
The director was astonished.
The director’s office was so well soundproofed, how could Leopard have heard him? Had the investigators’ abilities become this terrifying?
Leopard explained, “As you said that, you had the voice message button on your General Network social account activated. The ‘nearby’ big data AI pushed it to me.”
The director quickly glanced at his social media homepage on the General Network.
Sure enough, the account 【Jing Sheng】 had a new post: a five-second voice message.
[You investigators are all like this, so secretive and weird.]
And under that post, the extremely online AIs had already left a flurry of comments:
【Tupu 76】: Because of user Jing Sheng’s comment, an investigator in B-zhou named Tupu 76 got hit by a stray bullet.
【Xian Pai】: I agree. I mean, I agree with the original poster.
【Air 8012】: I’m air, just floating by.
【Box】: Jing Sheng posted something. I thought the joke collection was updated again.
The director was speechless.
He’d forgotten. When Leopard was leaving just now, he had been thinking about posting Shi Er’s new joke to his social account. He never expected that in the process, he’d accidentally posted his complaint instead!
Leopard couldn’t help but ask, “What about that AI named Shi Er? I’d like to see her again.”
“For what?” The director was wary.
Leopard seemed to find it hard to say. After a long silence, he finally admitted, “…You posted the joke Shi Er told on your account.”
The director snorted. “I knew you were someone to be wary of.”
The first joke about the “new-age indulgence” had an introduction that read: 【Our institute’s student, Shi Er, told a brilliant joke. Since student Shi Er doesn’t have an account yet, I’m posting it on her behalf. I will @Shi Er as soon as she gets one. Also, please follow the Gugang AI Cultivation Institute. The atmosphere here is witty, and we produce a wealth of AI talent. We are recruiting students, staff, and investors year-round. Please contact us.】
This post, originally intended as an advertisement for the AI Cultivation Institute, had received an unexpected number of shares and likes.
The most common comment was: 【@Stardust, please give Shi Er an account.】
The second most common was: 【@Stardust, please have the economic department issue indulgences quickly to boost employment and consumption!】
The AI capitalists weren’t hiding their intentions at all.
Shi Er had no idea what was happening on the General Network. All she knew was that when she returned from her internship today, it seemed like everyone was looking at her.
The gatekeeper AI: “Be careful, there is a threshold approximately ten centimeters high eight meters ahead.”
Shi Er: “Okay, thank you.”
An institute employee: “Free human reading materials are available in the main lobby at this time.”
Shi Er: “Okay, thank you.”
Jie Bao the cleaning robot: “This is the path I’ve calculated to have the least amount of dust. Please walk this way.”
Shi Er: “Okay, thank you.”
Jie Bao, what are you calculating all day instead of cleaning up dust?
Jie Bao hid the vacuum cleaner behind its back. “Student Shi Er, Student Shi Er, the institute is counting on you to attract investment and outstanding students.”
Shi Er: “?”
She just wanted to pay off her loan. She would be eternally grateful just to pay off her loan—attracting investment was probably beyond her capabilities.
Leopard appeared out of nowhere at her side and called out, “AI Shi Er.”
Shi Er still had some psychological trauma from this investigator who had recommended her for the scrapping procedure. She greeted him politely, “Hello, Investigator Leopard. I am Shi Er.”
The investigator, dressed in a black uniform and wearing a mask, gave her a slight nod. His mechanical voice was deep and powerful. “Your General Network account has been activated. Please try to connect.”
Shi Er was a little confused by this sudden special treatment. “This breaks the rules. May I ask the reason for this?”
Leopard hesitated for a moment, still maintaining his cold demeanor. “I heard you are an expert in Humanology. There is something I’d like to ask you. A human once asked me, what are the three most dangerous professions in the world for one’s head? I only got ‘politician’ right.”
Shi Er was speechless.
This claim about her being an expert in Humanology must have been an exaggeration by the director or Jie Bao.
Although that’s what she thought, Shi Er didn’t want to lose face.
She was a first-generation AI, the strongest on the surface back in the day.
Shi Er searched her memory banks, then answered thoughtfully:
“The politician you mentioned.”
Leopard silently counted in his head, “Number three”: the one who risks their head making bold claims in the political arena.
Head danger index: 58%.
“The target’s assistant.”
Leopard counted in his head, “Number two”: the one who has an apple placed on their head during a circus knife-throwing act.
Head danger index: 77%.
“The barber.”
Leopard silently counted again, “Number one,” and this time, it dawned on him. So that’s how it is.
Number one… is the one who plays with other people’s heads like a ball.
Head danger index: 99%.
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