The address given by the man named Wang Wenfeng wasn't very far. It was in the nearby area, and there wasn't even a need for transportation.
After setting up the navigation on the AR glasses, Lu Zhou walked along the street for about two or three hundred meters, made two turns, and soon came to a small alley.
The moment he stepped into the alley, he suddenly had the illusion that he had traveled back to the 21st century.
In this alley that was less than five steps wide, there were hundreds of shops densely packed, and the signs of these shops were also varied. Some sold shoes, some sold hardware and groceries, and some sold strange things that he had never seen before and couldn't understand at all.
Some of the people here were dressed in expensive clothes, and some were dressed in simple clothes, but without exception, they were all in a hurry, as if they were all going straight to their destination. Very few people were wandering around here.
It was precisely because of this that this street, which was not spacious to begin with, seemed quite desolate.
When he stepped into this alley, Lu Zhou looked up at the sky. He didn't see the sun; instead, there was only a hint of yellow.
The infinitely extending tall buildings were like a natural moat, neatly dividing the sky. Presumably, if it wasn't for the fact that it was noon, the sun would hardly shine in here.
Lu Zhou was sure that if it weren't for the neon lights refracted by the messy signs, this place would be pitch black, and it would be hard to get out.
In order to make himself appear less obtrusive, he didn't stay on the street for long. Instead, he followed the road signs on the navigation and went straight to his destination.
It was a small shop sandwiched between an old-fashioned snack shop and a car battery repair shop. Its ordinary appearance made people not pay attention to it at all.
It was different from the other "flirtatious goods" signs that flashed with neon lights. Not only did it not have an eye-catching sign, the decoration of the shop was so simple that there was only a security door and a rusty iron plate at the door.
Han Ming?
After reading the two words on the door sign, Lu Zhou reached out and touched his chin.
He didn't know if this was a real name or a pseudonym.
But such details were obviously unimportant.
With a hint of curiosity, Lu Zhou took off his AR glasses and knocked on the door.
Dong dong …
There were two muffled sounds, but there was no response from the other side of the door. Not even a trace of human voice could be heard.
Just as Lu Zhou was wondering if this person was not at home, he finally heard the sound of shuffling footsteps behind the door.
"Who?"
A hoarse and dry voice came from behind the door through the speaker. The voice sounded like it had been processed with some kind of inferior special effects and was slightly distorted.
Lu Zhou felt that this shop was getting more and more suspicious. He was secretly on guard as he cautiously spoke.
"A man named Wang Wenfeng introduced me to this place."
Hearing this name, the iron door finally opened. Then, a pale face emerged from the shadows, and its turbid eyes looked up and down at Lu Zhou.
"… Lu Zhou?"
"You know me?"
"I've seen the news before. As for whether it's true or not, I'm not curious." The man smiled faintly and opened the door a little wider, making way for them. "The door is not the place to talk. Come in and talk."
The entrance was very dark.
But after passing through the entrance, this not-so-spacious space finally brightened up.
Following the man named Han Ming, Lu Zhou, who was walking behind him, was also secretly looking at him.
Listening to the voice before, he originally thought that the person who opened the door for him would be an old man in his 60s, but he didn't expect it to be a relatively young man.
"How long has it been since you basked in the sun?"
"It's been a while …" Han Ming answered casually as he pushed open the door at the end of the corridor. After making a welcoming gesture, he walked in first. "This is my studio. The conditions are a little shabby, I hope you don't mind."
As he said, the environment in the room was indeed quite shabby.
Not only was it shabby, but it could also be described as messy.
The hosts of four holographic computers were placed under the table, and the window suspended on the table flashed with unfinished code. Not far from the computer was an operating table that had been converted from a single bed, but it was not a human lying on the operating table, but a half-disassembled female robot.
Looking at the white arms and legs hanging next to it, Lu Zhou's eyebrows twitched fiercely.
If it weren't for the exposed wire at the junction, this scene alone would be strange enough.
The man named Han Ming, who had been observing Lu Zhou's expression since the beginning, seemed to see the picture he was looking forward to. He smiled with a dry voice and asked in a teasing tone.
"First time here?"
Lu Zhou: "How did you know?"
"Most people who are introduced here are like this."
The pale smile looked a little uncomfortable, but Lu Zhou was not frightened by him.
Even without the magnetic slingshot on his right wrist, he didn't think that with this guy's health, he could pose any threat to him, whose athletic ability was above average.
A pair of eyes carefully looked at Lu Zhou for a while. Han Ming picked up a teacup from the table, took a sip of the turbid tea, and spoke casually.
"… Actually, there's nothing to be surprised about. Neighborhoods like this are actually very common in this city. Just like a tall building, the higher it is, the bigger the shadow it leaves. Not everyone wants to move their shops into a shopping district or a big shopping mall, especially for those old people and those old shops. It's not a bad thing to accompany their souls to spend the rest of their life here. "
Lu Zhou: "But you look quite young."
"Really? Same here, scholars from a hundred years ago. "Han Ming smiled indifferently and continued in a casual tone," So, let's stop the gossip here. I never care about the identity of my customers, and I'm not interested in their past at all. Tell me your intentions, and I'll see if your business can be done. If we are satisfied with each other, then we can close the deal today. "
Lu Zhou: "What kind of business do you have here?"
"Didn't Wang Wenfeng tell you?" Han Ming said impatiently, "Robot parts modification, special appearance customization, modification of the underlying logic of AI … That's about it."
Lu Zhou frowned slightly.
"Modification of the underlying logic of AI? Can you even do this kind of thing? "
"Solutions are always based on application needs, and I happen to be an expert in robot research. Occasionally, some customers would develop feelings for their robots and hope to change the housekeeping model or other types of robots into adult models to meet certain needs of their own. Some people will also take photos of their dream lovers, or popular singers or virtual idols who have registered copyrights for their faces, and ask me to help them change their faces. "
"This is very common in the 22nd century. It's nothing to be surprised about."
After hearing Han Ming's explanation, Lu Zhou was not completely relieved.
According to the information he found on the encyclopedia, although the robots of this era were a commodity, the use and scope of use were strictly limited.
First of all, each robot had its own corresponding code, and this code corresponded to its use, production date, product number, and AI type.
According to the AI Management Measures of the Pan-Asian Cooperation, after the robot left the factory, it was prohibited to modify the memory system of the robot in any form. It was also strictly prohibited for users to obtain developer permissions through informal channels and modify the underlying logic of AI.
After all, in this era, robots had become an important part of many families and even the entire society. The hidden dangers caused by illegal modification of the robot's body system were unpredictable to everyone.
Perhaps some people just wanted their robots to learn a few more nice words or learn one or two more good-looking postures, but some criminals could not be ruled out. They wrote about the use of weapons in its memory and even transformed it into a killing tool.
Especially when this modification involved the underlying logic of AI, such as the "prohibition of harming humans and behaviors against humans" clause was deleted. All illegal and criminal behaviors would become possible.
"Aren't you worried that this might lead to some security risks?" Lu Zhou frowned. "For example … causing the modified robot to lose control, or having autonomous consciousness, and so on."
"Lose control? Are you stupid from watching science fiction movies, or are you brainwashed by those imbeciles who are clamoring for 'de-AI'? "Han Ming said with a sneer," Those robots are just a group of commodities designed to imitate human behavior and provide standardized services for humans through big data analysis and machine learning methods. They don't have 'autonomous consciousness' at all because the program has never allowed them to do so. This is no longer the restriction of the underlying code like 'can't kill', but 'can't be done at all from a technical point of view'. Let AI learn to think. "
After taking a sip of turbid tea, Han Ming paused and continued impatiently.
"As for the security risks, I know what you want to say, but I also said that I don't do business that may cause trouble. If you have any needs, tell me directly. I don't want to talk nonsense on this issue. "
Although Lu Zhou felt that this person's casual attitude was very problematic, he was in no position to accuse him of doing gray business.
After thinking for a while about how to express his troubles, Lu Zhou spoke.
"I have a robot … The appearance may not be very convenient, and it may be troublesome to bring it to the street. If possible, I hope you can help redesign its appearance. "
The man named Han Ming took out an old-fashioned tablet with a screen from the side. He took a stylus, wrote a few lines on it in a hurry, and then asked.
"How big is the area? Just the face? Or the entire head? Or other parts of the body? Do you need to add or subtract bionic organs? What about the size? "
"The whole body has to be changed." Lu Zhou coughed softly. "I just want to change the skin, nothing else."
"You'd better give me a photo for reference, or build a 3D model yourself, and bring it to me."
Lu Zhou hesitated slightly and said with an awkward expression, "Do I have to bring it over?"
"What else?" Han Ming said naturally, "Do you want me to move this studio and all the equipment here to your house?"
Han Ming took a raincoat like plastic robe from the side and threw it into Lu Zhou's hands.
"This is?"
"This was left by the previous customer. If you feel inconvenient, just cover it with this thing." Han Ming patted Lu Zhou's shoulder and said in a sophisticated tone, "Don't worry, no matter what model of robot it is, I can handle it for you."
"You just need to leave the deposit and bring the things over!"
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