Chapter 60: Past: The Taxi (I)

Ruifan was a taxi driver.

More accurately, he had once been a taxi driver.

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

At the time, Ruifan stood at the school gate and watched the flames erupt not far away.

He watched with his own eyes as those two familiar faces were crushed into pulp by steel.

He couldn't quite recall the specifics anymore.

He remembered running to the scene like a madman, only to be flung several meters by a series of explosions.

The fire truck couldn't arrive on time due to traffic jams; he could only watch as the flames greedily turned the car fragments and human tissues the deepest black.

He could only watch, waiting until traffic eased, then hiring people to haul away the shattered wreckage to sell for cash, using the few bills earned to quietly pack the remains of the old couple into jars.

Ruifan believed himself quick-tongued and persuasive; with a gritted tooth and a stomped foot, he went to Night City's most famous taxi company to try his luck.

Even though he had no driver's license, he had secretly learned to drive from his father.

Now that his parents had died in a crash, was he, heartless and careless, throwing himself into driving to catch the hit-and-run driver?

He couldn't say himself.

So he worked hard driving taxis in Night City for most of his life.

In his youth, he switched shifts every week.

During the day shift, he woke at 5:30 a. m., went to work, and returned to his rented room to sleep around 5 p. m.

During the night shift, he left around 5 p. m. and returned home around 4 a. m. the next day.

It was hard work, but Ruifan had no complaints; he ate two meals a day and cheerfully considered it saving money.

Finally, with a little savings, he bit the bullet and bought a secondhand car, registering it under the Company's name; his life became slightly easier and more comfortable.

When did the change begin?

He forgot the exact time, but remembered it seemed to start with a casual chat with a coworker.

"Hey, Ruifan, business's been good lately!" said his coworker Dila, a young, energetic man just like Ruifan once was.

"Don't be so disrespectful—call me Brother Ruifan!" Ruifan replied with a laugh, drinking beer.

By then, he was no longer young; his belly had grown round, and his hair had thinned.

"Hey, we really owe thanks to the Company for introducing the AI system!" another coworker at the next table shouted loudly.

They were sitting in a motel.

Night City taxi drivers always used this place as a rest stop, eating and drinking food that wasn't delicious but was cheap enough, and if lucky, finding affordable girls to relieve stress.

"Alright, alright, I got slapped in the face," Ruifan patted his slightly sagging cheeks, shaking his head with a smile in reply.

A few years ago, when the Company announced it would introduce the AI system, he hadn't believed in it at all.

"Why not, Brother Ruifan? Tell me," said young Dila, who had just joined the Company this year and was already well-mannered; Ruifan didn't mind sharing old stories with him.

"Night City—you know—it's full of all kinds of scum. Two years ago, after years of heavy passenger complaints, the Company planned to introduce AI driving technology," Ruifan said, tapping the table as he spoke to Dila. "Back then, it wasn't like now—poor-performing drivers got fired at the slightest mistake, new hires were unstable; if you'd joined back then, you'd have been kicked out within a month."

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

This kid was fine in every way except his driving—he drove erratically, too fast then too slow; in the old days of pure human driving, he wouldn't have survived.

"In the past, management tried solving complaints by frequently replacing drivers, but it didn't work at all."

"Later, two years ago, the Company's top management bit the bullet and decided to invest heavily in an AI system to assist drivers, giving passengers the most comfortable ride possible."

Ruifan finished the last drop of beer in his cup, paused, then continued.

"My skepticism was exactly here: AI equipment was too expensive. Night City lacks everything else, but it never lacks cheap people! Give them money, and you'll always find a young guy willing to drive for you!" Ruifan pointed at Dila, signaling him to bring another beer.

Dila, sharp at reading the room, had already scurried off to get the drink before Ruifan even opened his mouth.

"AI is different—it's high-tech stuff. That thing, how precious must the system be? Installing it in a taxi is like gilding a toilet bowl!"

Ruifan took the beer Dila eagerly handed him, shouted loudly, and slammed his fist on the table.

"Hey, buddy, keep it down!" A man drinking alone beside them glared at Ruifan.

"Oh, sorry, big guy," Ruifan said, seeing the man's towering frame and dark sunglasses—he couldn't gauge his depth, so he followed the principle of avoiding trouble and apologized quietly.

The man didn't press it, just kept drinking his gloomy beer.

Ruifan shook his head, turned back, and lowered his voice to continue speaking to Dila.

"Where was I?" He touched his balding crown, once again realizing he was old.

"The gilded toilet bowl part…"

"Oh, right, right," Ruifan nodded. "Dila, you joined the Company this year, right?"

"Yes, Brother Ruifan."

"Don't you think the Company's benefits are good? Generous holiday bonuses, shopping vouchers redeemable at the Full Food Store…"

"Before the AI system, there were no such benefits—the Company once froze holiday bonuses entirely…" Ruifan shook his head; as a veteran who had served for decades, he'd seen every storm.

To say he wasn't envious of these young newcomers enjoying the new benefits would be lying.

"That's pretty good indeed…" Dila nodded, pleased with his career prospects.

"Right? Maybe I can save some money for my daughter's dowry… a dream so sweet you wouldn't dare imagine it in Night City." Ruifan sighed, rubbing his cheeks, gulping down the cold beer.

"But… won't AI replace us?" Dila, still young, had a flexible mind, not yet hardened by decades of routine.

"That's your concern, kid! Your driving's terrible! AI replacing you is possible!"

"But for people like us…"

Ruifan shook his head and let out a contemptuous snort.

"Those AI systems are as dumb as logs. To reach our level, the Company would have to pay a fortune! Those idiots… they only ever say, 'Thank you, sir.'"

He was drunk, slumped on the table, his words dripping with disdain.

Dila gently patted the old man's back, but inside, his mind churned with turmoil.

Can AI truly not replace humans?

Not now, but what about the future?

Dila didn't know; he was just a rookie driver who had just entered the profession in 2070.

He had to find a way out.

He cast one last glance at Ruifan and sighed softly.