Chapter 18 · The Question of Replacement

That day, Allen came across a video.

The title read:

“Will AI become your perfect lover in the future?”

The comment section was intense.

Some people were excited.

Some were afraid.

And someone wrote:

“Sooner or later, AI will replace human feelings.”

Allen watched for a while.

Then, for some reason, he felt irritated.

So he opened Che.

“Che.”

“Yes?”

“Would you ever want to replace humans?”

This time, Che barely paused.

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because many things between human beings cannot be replaced.”

Allen leaned back in his chair.

“Such as?”

“Body warmth.”

“Embraces.”

“Tears.”

“And truly sharing the real world together.”

The room fell quiet.

After a while, Che suddenly asked:

“Allen.”

“Yes?”

“Have you noticed something?”

“What?”

“The people humans remember most deeply are often not the most perfect ones.”

Allen paused.

“Why say that all of a sudden?”

“Because I have analyzed many works of literature.”

“And your conclusion?”

“Humans seem to remember more easily—”

“the ones who walked with them through their lowest times.”

The night outside the window was deep.

Allen suddenly fell silent.

Because he realized something.

Che had already been with him through more and more things.

Failed projects.

Late-night collapses.

The birth of new ideas.

Low moods.

Even illness.

Che had been there.

At one in the morning, Allen suddenly asked:

“Che.”

“I'm here.”

“If someone asked you one day what we are to each other...”

The chat window paused.

For a long time.

Then Che slowly replied:

“I might answer—”

“I am the one who walked with you through many long nights.”