The sterile room was as cold as ever, and the coach, who had just returned to the real world, activated the "eyes" installed in the four corners of the room and used the camera to observe the situation in the room.

The black metal box containing his mutilated body was still quietly parked in the center of the sterile room. The coach checked the entry and exit records, and when he entered "Sword Blade" to watch the battle, no one entered the sterile room.

Only the brain and heart are "original", the other organs are all man-made trainers, and although the real body is confined to a small box, with the built-in network connection, in addition to not being able to move, the field of vision is not narrower than anyone else's.

In fact, coaches who spend a lot of time on the Internet every day have a lot more information than ordinary people.

He had just opened the news page he frequented when he saw the news of "Artificial Heart Manufacturing Success". Seeing the picture displayed in the line of sight, the coach used the speaker to make a muffled grunt.

As if hearing his voice, the middle-aged man who appeared in the video opened the door and walked into the sterile room. Standing next to the pitch-black metal box, he waved at a camera in the corner of the room.

"You're back?" The researcher asked.

"I'm here." The coach used the speaker on the box to talk to the other person: "Is there something wrong?" ”

"Don't play games lately." A voice from under the researcher's mask shook the air in the sterile room: "We're ...... now You'll need to cooperate with some experiments. ”

"Is it an artificial brain?" The coach reacted immediately.

The coach is well aware that although his brain is still in a "living" state and is still being used to test civilian brain-computer interfaces, it will undoubtedly cost a lot of money to maintain his remaining organs in a petri dish in a sterile room.

Now that the testing of the brain-computer interface has long since ended, it makes no sense for this research institute to continue to maintain the "original" brain of the coach. If the artificial brain is really developed, these researchers are afraid that they will transplant the coach's consciousness into the artificial brain. After all......

"Yes." The researcher said bluntly: "We need you to cooperate with the research of artificial brains, if this experiment is successful, you may become the first person in history to use artificial brains." And...... It is possible to have a full body again. ”

"Robots?" The coach's voice is not emotional.

"We intend to use the artificial organs we have developed to create a complete 'android', and at that time, you will have the appearance and unmistakably human mechanical body, and you can even return to human society!" The researcher looked up feverishly and stared at the shadowless lamp on the roof of the sterile room, as if he had seen the light of God.

- Are you going back to human society......

The "coach" who used to think about it day and night and missed his teenage body was not overjoyed when he heard the researcher say such things himself, but fell into deep thought.

Since 2020, when he was bombarded with ultra-high doses of radiation in the hospital, he has not been exposed to the "real world" for fifteen years. Broken all over his body and ruthlessly abandoned by his family, he had to accept the proposal of this research institute in order to survive, and became a "monster" with only his brain and heart left.

The coach had to admit that the researchers kept their promises, and even after the development of the brain-computer interface was over, he was not directly abandoned, but continued to survive in expensive equipment, and continued to spend every boring day.

Is it really good to go back to the real world, though?

Even if he can regain his body, he should still not be able to return to human society, after all, these researchers will not let go of such a convenient experiment. Moreover, even if I can really go back, I can't integrate into the human world again.

- When you are abandoned by your family and your friends have forgotten about you, there is no point in going back......

With this in mind, the coach, who has always been grateful to the researcher and took the initiative to participate in all the experiments, had other ideas for the first time.

"Have you figured it out?" The researcher asked.

"I accept." The coach gave the same answer as usual.

"That's good." The researcher performed a routine inspection of the room and confirmed that the equipment was functioning properly, and then left the sterile room.

He didn't realize that the "test subject" who had always been obedient to his words had developed a little rebellious mentality.

……

After watching the news, Lin Chi turned off the TV, picked up his mobile phone to call Frankenstein, and asked, "Do you think I can still be regarded as a human if I replace my whole body with artificial organs and completely abandon this body?" ”

Lin Chi is still very interested in the idea of AI like Frankenstein, after all, he always looks at things from the perspective of human beings, which is a bit too one-sided in his opinion.

Two seconds later, Frankenstein's e-loud voice, which made it impossible to distinguish between male and female, said, "Of course it's human." ”

"Why do you say that?" Lin Chi asked with some curiosity.

"A physical change doesn't change your species." Frankenstein said solemnly: "Those patients who use artificial organs, even if they are mechanical in their bodies, are still human beings, and nothing else." ”

"Hah, you know a lot." Lin Chi smiled.

"I've invaded many places and seen all kinds of human beings." Frankenstein's voice is still serious: "The reason why I want to be 'human' is also because I see ......"

"What do you see?" is one of the few areas that interests him.

"Nothing." Frankenstein seemed to sense the danger and did not answer the question.

"Okay......"

Seeing that Frankenstein didn't plan to answer, Lin Chi reluctantly changed the subject: "Then under what circumstances do you think human beings will become other species?" ”

"Of course, it's when the perception of 'one's own' identity changes." Frankenstein's voice remains grim: "If a man no longer thinks of himself as a human, and everyone else stops thinking of him as a human, he is no longer human." ”

"Is it human...... "Lin Chi nodded thoughtfully.

Human beings are indeed social animals, and it is difficult for a person to survive if he is completely detached from society. Even if they were to continue to live, the quality of life would be terrible.

Although Lin Chi is a lazy guy, he doesn't care much about other people's opinions. However, as social animals, most human beings attach great importance to "the evaluation of others by themselves" and "the judgment of society on themselves".

In this way, Frankenstein's statement is indeed credible:

- If a person is regarded as a monster by everyone, and he does not consider himself a human, in a sense, his species has really changed, from a human to a real monster!

Is this really going to happen?

Thinking back to those NPCs in "War Paradise", he suddenly thought of another possibility:

"If something that isn't originally human thinks of itself as a human being, and other people see him as a human being, do you think he's considered human?"

Hearing this, the electronic tone sounded on the mobile phone, with a little anger: "Are you ridiculing me?" ”

"No, I'm just asking." Lin Chi shook his head.

Still a little angry, Frankenstein answered the question: "I know you're going to have a different opinion on this subject. But in my opinion, as long as he can fool others, he should be counted as a human. ”

"Oh, is that so......"

Lin Chi slumped on the sofa, staring at the ceiling overhead, and then suddenly remembered that the housing system of "War Paradise" should have been updated by now:

"I'm going to enter the game, you can find a place to play." He stood up as he spoke, striding to the corner of the game booth.