We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 96

096

The Age of Full Automation (2)

Should I do some advertising here?

According to Soo-ah, it’s necessary to showcase the excellence of androids, even for the future. Of course, this was just a dummy, not a true android, but the public didn’t need to know that.

“Yan, what’s your procedure when a customer walks in?”

“Welcome.”

“Someone buys a 4,500 won pack of cigarettes and hands you 10,000 won. What’s the change?”

“5,500 won.”

“How do you process a bill?”

“I scan the barcode and calculate the total as shown on the register.”

“What if the barcode doesn’t scan?”

“I enter it manually.”

“Huh!”

“Take the items out of the car and set them up.”

“Yes, Master.”

The surrounding area was already buzzing with noise.

The reason? An android capable of understanding human speech, performing calculations, and even grasping situational context had seemingly been born.

What was even more shocking was Yan’s appearance.

The skin that Rin had painstakingly crafted was remarkably human-like. Created with black magic and utilizing protein, it was, with a touch of makeup, virtually indistinguishable from a real person to the naked eye.

Above all, he was quite attractive.

The movements were slightly stiff, but that was a minor flaw.

Yan began preparing ingredients on the table for cooking, and nearby store owners gathered to watch.

“Madam, shall I prepare the ingredients for easy cooking?”

“Please do.”

“Understood.”

Setting up for easy cooking.

This was something a general AI could never accomplish. It required anticipating human inconvenience, and AI technology hadn’t yet reached that level of sophistication.

After the setup was complete, Lee Seo-bok, the representative of the store owners, approached.

“Is that a real person?”

“Um.”

Only then did people nod, as if understanding dawned on them.

“I was convinced it was an android.”

“That’s a person. You can’t mistake him for a machine.”

“Of course, of course.”

“Hey, CEO Lee Yu-sung. I don’t know where you found someone to play the part, but cut it out. Why are you spreading such lies?”

“It is an android.”

“Ha! Where did you come up with such a ridiculous story?”

“What if it turns out to be an android I developed?”

“I’ll immediately call off the protest.”

“Really?”

“Because your words will be proven true.”

“Yan, come here.”

“Yes, Master.”

Yan approaches slowly.

He only stuttered a little when moving quickly, but when moving slowly, he was indistinguishable from a person. Even I was starting to see him as human, so from the perspective of the onlookers, it was understandable that they’d see him as a person rather than an android.

“Hand.”

Yan held out his hand.

Knowing this would happen, I made sure the shoulder could be detached. As long as the magical power was connected, movement wasn’t a problem.

Even restoration is possible.

The separated shoulder can be reattached whenever I want.

“Separate the shoulder.”

“Gasp!”

“Separate the shoulder!?”

“It’s a robot, so of course it’s possible.”

Yan uses his left hand to detach his right arm.

The joint is exposed.

It wasn’t white but silver, leading everyone to believe it was made of steel or some other mineral.

What would happen if you pulled a person’s arm off like this?

Blood would gush out, and muscles and tendons would be visible in a gruesome mess. But not a drop of blood came from Yan.

“I can’t believe it!”

Mumbling.

“Was it really an android?”

“N, no way?”

Representative Lee Seo-bok stared at the exposed torso.

The inside was just bones with skin attached, but it wasn’t simple skin; it was reinforced skin, designed to maintain the shape.

The dummy was made of bones. It was natural that there were no organs inside, even if you looked inside.

Flash! Flash!

A barrage of camera flashes erupted again.

This proved that Yan was, at the very least, not human.

“Put it back on.”

He puts his arm back on and moves it.

This time, he even recovered it with magic power right away.

“Is it proven?”

“Huh. It’s really an android.”

“Mr. President! When will it be commercialized!?”

“Since it still has to be made by hand, it will take some time. It’s only possible to produce about three units a day, but commercialization may be possible over time.”

“If this robot is commercialized…”

“A new era will dawn.”

“How do you charge it?”

“It uses a special battery and is replaced once a month. We are devising a simple way to replace it.”

Yan, who had been upgraded from a dummy to an android, was looking at people with a subtle smile.

I hadn’t realized the movement of the skin tissue would be so natural. He can even express a smile.

Rin, who had dedicated his life to studying the undead and dreaming of creating a Death Knight, wouldn’t find this level of sophisticated work difficult.

However, we need to research how to apply the skin mechanically. Commercialization is only possible when I reach 6 circles [a high level of magical proficiency].

“We are still considering the timing and method of commercialization. We are also researching the mass production of batteries, but we can appreciate the significance of the fact that it was produced at all. Now that we’ve come this far, mass production won’t be difficult.”

“That’s right!”

“Okay, let’s move on to the lunch box.”

The reporters were openly excited.

The first human-like android in human history.

It might be possible in the near future, but I didn’t think it could be made so precisely.

This is the decisive difference: the difference between magic and science.

“My wife will cook with the ingredients that actually go into the lunch box. We will use natural preservatives, refrigerate it, thaw it, and allow the tasting team to sample it.”

The excitement doesn’t cool down easily.

Does it feel like the lunch box is slightly overshadowed because of the android?

It doesn’t matter.

I was just following a set schedule.

H Group headquarters.

Chairman Lee Kang-no and General Manager Han Cheol-soo were watching the news with anticipation.

Today was the day an android was announced.

The world’s first human-like android.

It was still impossible with modern technology. AI technology was developing rapidly, but there were still passive elements, and it would cost an astronomical amount to create a robot that moved as smoothly as a human.

Furthermore, this level of technology isn’t readily shared between countries or companies. It’s almost impossible to buy such technology with money.

If a life-like android or a military android is developed, its value is astronomical. This is why every company is paying close attention to AI technology as a future source of revenue.

How much progress has CEO Lee Yu-sung made?

“Chairman, it’s starting.”

“Hmm. Is that an android?”

“That’s what they’re saying.”

“Isn’t that just a human?”

Chairman Lee Kang-no groaned as he watched the android moving too smoothly.

But of course, he assumed it was just an actor.

Chairman Lee Kang-no believed it would take at least 30 years for an android that resembled a human to be developed.

There’s no end to technological development, but there’s a clear limit to its pace.

Chairman Lee’s skepticism is understandable.

“What is CEO Lee Yu-sung trying to pull?”

“That can’t be real.”

Even the news coverage began with skepticism.

The reporter casually mentioned the Fourth Industrial Revolution [a term for the current era of technological advancement].

The problem was that Chairman Lee Kang-no also thought it was just hype.

Complete AI and new technologies that could provide an opportunity for humanity to leap forward were unfolding before his eyes.

If that’s true…

“Oh? I think he’s trying to prove it!”

“Prove it!?”

Their eyes were glued to the screen.

Soon after, the android detached his arm.

“Gasp!”

“I can’t believe it!”

Lee Kang-no and Han Cheol-soo jumped up from their seats.

When he tore off his arm, the inner workings were exposed.

The technology was concentrated on the skeleton, and it looked like a special skin was applied on top of it. The power source hadn’t yet been identified.

They couldn’t even imagine that something was embedded in his forehead [referring to the magic stone].

It moves without internal organs.

Only the silver skeleton moved, and it seemed that nanotechnology was applied, as it mysteriously emitted a faint light.

They were speechless.

Bang!

Chairman Lee Kang-no slammed the table and trembled.

“How can this be happening!”

“I can’t believe that’s possible…”

“It’s a future goldmine! If we get our foot in the door, we can dominate the business world.”

“But it seems like commercialization is a long way off. I wonder how much money it would cost to commercialize such technology. The price per unit must be astronomical.”

“Even if it’s expensive, there are plenty of people who will buy it.”

“That’s right.”

“The country and large corporations will buy it first, and if we continue to research during that time, it will be possible to lower the unit price! This is innovation!”

There was a strong scent of money in the air.

Is there any way H Group can invest in it?

Knock knock!

The chief of staff came in with a bewildered expression.

“What’s going on!?”

“Ch, Chairman! There’s a call from the Blue House [the South Korean equivalent of the White House]!”

“The Blue House?”

The Blue House calling someone in the business world.

It was likely to be a VIP.

“Why are they calling from there…?”

“I, it’s because of CEO Lee Yu-sung’s android. H Group is the only place that has a connection with CEO Lee Yu-sung right now…”

It seems the government is moving quickly to purchase the android.