Cyberpunk 2074: Shadows of the Past

Ruifan is a taxi driver.

To be more precise, he used to be a taxi driver.

When he was young, his parents died in a car accident on his way to school.

At that time, Ruifan was standing in front of the school and witnessed the flames not far away.

He watched helplessly as those two familiar faces were crushed into minced flesh by the steel.

He couldn't recall the specific situation.

I just remember that I ran to the scene like crazy, but was blown away several meters by a series of explosions.

The fire truck failed to arrive in time due to the traffic jam, and he could only watch the flames wantonly stain the car fragments and human tissue with the deepest black.

He could only watch and wait until the traffic stopped. Then he found someone to drag away the smashed car wreckage and sell it for money. The few banknotes he got from the car were scattered in jars for the old couple. .

Ruifan thought he was quick-tongued and eloquent, so he gritted his teeth and stamped his feet. When he was desperate, he ran to the most famous taxi company in Night City to try his luck.

Even though he didn't have a driver's license at all, he secretly learned all his driving skills from his father.

Now that his parents died in a car accident, he was heartless and devoted himself to the driving business. Was he hoping to catch the hit-and-run driver in this way?

He couldn't tell himself.

So, he worked hard to open a rental business in Night City for most of his life.

In the past, because of his youth, he changed shifts once a week.

During the day shift, I get up at 5:30 in the morning and go out to work until I go back to the rental house to sleep at around 5 in the afternoon.

During the night shift, I would go out around five in the afternoon and come home around four in the morning the next day.

Seeing the hard work, Ruifan didn't complain about it. He ate two meals a day and optimistically believed that he was saving money.

Finally, with a little savings on hand, he gritted his teeth, bought a second-hand car, and put it in the name of the company. His life was a little easier and more nourishing than before.

When did the change begin?

He forgot the time, only remembering that it seemed to have started with a casual chat with a colleague.

"Hey, Ruifan, business has been good recently!" The speaker was his colleague Dila, who was just like him before, a young and vigorous young man in his prime.

"No matter how big or small, call him brother Ruifan!" Ruifan responded with a smile while drinking beer.

By this time he was no longer young, had become paunchy, and his hair was thinning.

"Hey, I really want to thank the company for introducing the AI ​​system!" A colleague at the next table shouted loudly.

They were sitting in a motel.

Taxi drivers in Night City always use this place as a rest stop to eat and drink food that is not very delicious but cheap enough. If they are lucky, they can find cheap girls to relieve their stress.

"Okay, okay, this is a slap in the face." Ruifan patted his saggy cheeks, shook his head helplessly, and responded with a smile.

A few years ago, when the company said it would introduce an AI system, he was not very optimistic about it.

"Why, brother Ruifan, tell me." Young Dilla just joined the company this year. He is a very polite person, and Ruifan doesn't mind chatting with him about the past.

"Night City, you know, there are all kinds of monsters and monsters. Two years ago, due to a large number of complaints from passengers for many years, the company planned to introduce AI driving technology." Ruifan knocked on the table and said to Dilla. , "Back then, it was no different than now. Drivers with poor performance would be fired if they were not careful, and new drivers were recruited. The position was very unstable. If you joined the company at that time, you would probably be kicked out within a month."

Ruifan chuckled lightly and patted Dilla, who was scratching his head awkwardly.

This guy is good at everything, but his driving skills are terrible. He drives very fast and slowly. He wouldn't be able to survive in the old era of purely manual driving.

"In the past, the company's bosses planned to solve the complaint problem by frequently changing employees, but unfortunately, it didn't work at all."

"Later, two years ago, the company's senior management gritted their teeth and prepared to introduce an AI system at a high price to assist drivers in driving and provide passengers with the most comfortable ride experience."

Ruifan drank the last drop of wine in the glass, paused, and continued.

"This is the reason why I'm not optimistic about it. AI equipment is too expensive. Night City lacks everything else except cheap people! As long as you pay, you can always find a young man willing to drive for you!" Rui Fan Pointing at Dilla, he asked him to bring him another bottle of beer.

Dilla is also good at observing words and expressions, and before her senior can speak, she has already run off to get a drink.

"AI is different. It's a sophisticated thing. That guy, how expensive the system must be! Installing it in a taxi is like putting a gold ring on the toilet!"

Ruifan took the beer that Dila offered him enthusiastically, shouted loudly, and slapped the table hard.

"Hey, man, keep your voice down!" The man who was drinking at the side gave Ruifan a look.

"Oh, I'm sorry, big guy." Ruifan saw that the other party was tall and wearing a pair of sunglasses, and he couldn't figure out the depth. Based on the principle of doing more than doing less, he apologized in a low voice.

The man didn't pursue the matter and just continued to drink.

Ruifan shook his head, turned around, lowered his voice, and continued to talk to Dilla.

"What did you say?" He touched his bald head and realized once again that he was old.

"Where is the gold circle..."

"Oh, that's right." Ruifan nodded, "Dilla, you just came to the company at the beginning of this year, right?"

"Yes, Brother Ruifan."

"Do you think our company's benefits are good? There are generous holiday bonuses and shopping vouchers that can be redeemed at Whole Foods stores..."

"We didn't have this kind of treatment before. Before the introduction of AI, the company froze holiday bonuses..." Ruifan shook his head. As an old man who has served in the company for decades, he has experienced all kinds of ups and downs.

It would be a lie to say that I don’t envy these young people who enjoy new benefits when they first enter the industry.

"That's true..." Dilla nodded, a little happy that his industry prospects were good.

"Really? Maybe I can save some money and leave it to my daughter for her dowry... This is a beautiful thing that is unthinkable in Night City." Ruifan sighed and rubbed his cheeks, drinking heavily. Cold beer.

"But... won't AI replace us?" Dilla is young after all, and her mind is still flexible and has not been fixed by decades of life.

"That's something you have to be careful about, young man! Your driving skills are terrible! It's possible for AI to replace you!"

"But people like us..."

Ruifan shook his head and let out a contemptuous snort from his nose.

"Those AIs are as stupid as a piece of wood. To reach our level, the company has to pay a lot of money! Those idiots... just keep saying 'Thank you, sir.'"

He was drunk, lying on the table, and his words were full of disdain.

Dilla patted the old man's back gently, but couldn't help but feel waves in his heart.

Can AI really not replace people?

Not now, what about the future?

Dilla didn't know that he was just a novice driver who had just entered the industry in 2070.

We have to find a way out.

He glanced at Ruifan one last time and sighed softly.