I am the only one who practices magic: I practice magic in the city

Chapter 492: Great Desolation: Mountain and Sea Realm (5529)

Xinhao, 15th floor, Wucaicheng, Qinghe Middle Street.

"This... this is too special..."

Lei Jun held up his phone, staring at the screen in amazement, swearing as he uttered words.

In the real scene of his office, he saw a Q-version mouse with long ears and four legs jumping on the floor. It looked so incongruous no matter how he looked at it.

AR (augmented reality) game, no wonder this game requires camera permission.

Microphone permissions.

On second thought, it’s not surprising. Even non-AR games are applying for these two permissions.

There are more than just these two, most of them even require GPS and contact book permissions.

Those who didn’t apply for it are most likely just stealing it.

"Isn't this just a copy of Pocket Monster Go?"

"If you really want to copy, at least make it cuter, right? How can this thing compare to the Pi Ka Ball? With so many good examples before it, won't I be scolded to death if I demonstrate this to you at the press conference?"

Lei Jun held it in for a long time, but he couldn't help it and scolded him.

Fang Yu chuckled, but before he could say anything, he heard an angry sound coming from Lei Jun's phone.

"Chiao~"

Lei Jun was stunned, he glanced at the screen and found that the mouse was transforming?

But he found that the long-legged mouse on the screen was twisting strangely. Its originally round body began to deform, its hair stood up, its face gradually became longer, and its facial features became ferocious.

In the blink of an eye, it changed from a harmless Q-version image to a hideous realistic style!

Fuck! What is this! ?

A long-legged, long-eared mouse with sharp teeth and claws appeared on the office floor on his screen!

"Ow~"

The long-legged mouse howled and pounced towards the screen with a ferocious look. Lei Jun was so scared that he almost threw his phone away. He leaned back and suddenly leaned against the back of the chair.

Swish!
The mouse's claws slid across the screen, leaving a claw mark on the screen that looked real.

"Haha, Mr. Lei, it just heard you say it's not as good as Pi Kaqiu, and it got upset, so it switched to combat mode. This ear mouse was just captured, and it hasn't developed any feelings for you yet, and it has a bad temper, so you have to be careful when talking to it."

Fang Yu stretched out his hand to block Lei Jun's chair.

! ? ! ? ! ?
Lei Jun raised his eyebrows. Is this an AI pet that has voice recognition capabilities and can interact with players in real time?

No wonder Fang Yu thought it could be announced at the press conference.

This thing is really interesting.

There are many virtual girlfriends on the Internet now, which are actually the same as this, but the interactive experience is not very smooth.

"This eared mouse was already three years old when it was caught. Its personality has already been formed, so it is difficult to train. But if we find it a companion and let it breed the next generation, and raise it from a young age, it is possible that some of its offspring will be more obedient."

! ! ! ! ! !
Lei Jun reacted immediately, his surprise evident on his face: "Wait a minute... Is this mouse controlled by a proxy AI? How much parallel computing power do you need?"

Fang Yu shook his head: "Without parallel computing, this ear mouse is not considered to be controlled by the proxy AI."

"No parallel computing? No proxy AI control? Then what do you use? Just simple speech recognition and conditional feedback?"

Lei Jun relaxed at once, ordered a cigarette, and said with a smile: "If that's the case, although it seems that this... ear mouse is more interactive than the monster in the pocket, it is not a revolutionary improvement."

"Twenty years ago, many electronic pets were based on this principle. I even invested in an electronic pet company at the time and made some pocket money."

"Oh, by the way, think about it carefully, if that's the case, you are similar to our classmate Xiao Ai."

Two columns of smoke blew out of Lei Jun's nostrils. He put out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. He felt that what he had just said was a bit too much, so he added:
"The switching between this thing's combat and daily forms is quite interesting. What graphics engine is it using?"

Fang Yu looked calm: "We developed a visual engine specifically for AR. As for the interaction, Mr. Lei, what I just said is that the ear mouse is not controlled by the proxy AI. I didn't say that it uses a scripted answering machine."

Lei Jun was stunned, then he stopped smiling and raised his palms up: "Can you give me some advice?"

Fang Yu pointed to the ear mouse on the screen and said, "I said the ear mouse is not controlled by a proxy AI because it is a separate AI in itself."

A separate AI? Lei Jun's eyes narrowed slightly.

What do you mean?
Looking at Lei Jun's reaction, Fang Yu smiled slightly: "What it means is that it doesn't know that it is an AI. It only knows that it is an ear mouse, a three-year-old ear mouse born in Danxun Mountain in the southern Zhanbuzhou of the Mountain and Sea Realm."

! ! ! ! ! !
Lei Jun's expression even changed, and the way he looked at Fang Yu was the same as the way he looked at Qiu Hongyi at last year's Internet conference.

Most people might not be able to understand what this sentence means for a while, but Lei Jun is obviously not one of them.

In terms of coding ability and technical expertise, ten Musks may not be able to compare with Lei Jun.

Almost instantly, Lei Jun realized the meaning behind Fang Yu's words, and immediately thought more deeply and further.

“Don’t you know you’re an AI?”

It was hard to tell whether the expression on Lei Jun's face was surprise or fear, and his voice was trembling.

"You mean, this is already a complete virtual world, and these so-called NPC pets think they are creatures living in this world?"

“Is this the digital life of the brain in the vat?”

“How do you remove metacognition from AI?”

“Does this mean that AI has already developed autonomous consciousness?”

“How to solve the computing power problem?”

This was the first time in Lei Jun's life that he was so shocked, even more shocked than when he knew that there was something called a computer in this world!

The so-called de-metacognition is to make AI unable to think, or to make it unable to think about how it is thinking.

Simply put, it can generate the question "What is this?", but it cannot infer the opposite question "How did I come up with this idea?"

It sounds simple, but it is harder to do than giving AI self-awareness.

Because this is equivalent to allowing AI to develop self-awareness while at the same time blinding AI's self-awareness.

In order to make the ear mouse unaware that the world it lives in is fake, at least three things need to be done:
1. Let it have only one self-consistent worldview.

Second, let its behavior be motivated by emotions rather than instructions.

3. Remove AI’s metacognition.

Among these, the most difficult and most critical point is to remove AI's metacognition so that it cannot think about how it thinks.

No matter which point it is, it is not possible to do it now. Not to mention the technical difficulty, even the massive computing power and algorithm maintenance required are far beyond the limits of what can be achieved now.

In order to maintain the independent consciousness and complete emotional system of each ear mouse, while preventing them from developing metacognition, it is necessary to continuously carry out micro-level cognitive disturbance and information closure management for each ear mouse.

This means that just maintaining the existence of a single ear mouse requires long-term computing resources equivalent to a medium-sized cloud AI model.

Nowadays, for a best-selling mobile game, 100,000 players is just the beginning; millions or even tens of millions of players are the sign of a big hit.

Super mobile games like King of Glory have over 100 million registered users, more than 20 million daily active users, and a maximum number of online users exceeding 3 million.

With so many users, if everyone's pet uses this independent AI, how much computing power is needed? How much bandwidth? How many algorithm maintenance personnel?
Even though the ear mouse uses a small cloud inference engine with 10 billion parameters, the average floating-point calculation volume per second is more than 10 billion times.

The cloud-based real-time reasoning and AR rendering used by pets require at least tens of megabytes of real-time bandwidth per second for each pet.

Putting aside the question of whether the network infrastructure can be achieved, how do you plan to make a profit from this game with such a huge consumption?

"It's not that exaggerated, Mr. Lei." Fang Yu grinned and blinked.

“There is no question of AI’s autonomous consciousness. You yourself said that computing power is the ultimate limitation.”

"The 'pets' in this game are all distributed micro-models, with very small model parameters, and the upper limit of the computing resources that can be mobilized is extremely low."

"Just like a refrigerator equipped with a MediaTek MT6575 chip cannot play Overwatch, the limit of evolution is there. No matter how many generations iterates, it cannot evolve into a complete autonomous consciousness. This is a physical limitation and there is nothing we can do about it." "The micro-model only retains the state machine and reaction template locally, and large-scale reasoning is still completed centrally on the server. The local server is only responsible for rendering performance. This not only reduces the burden on the terminal, but also controls the bandwidth demand within an acceptable range."

Fang Yu thought for a moment and said, "In fact, the 3G signal bandwidth should be able to run, but the fluctuations may be relatively large; with 4G signals, as long as reasonable compression is performed, there will be no major problems running."

"As for computing power, I have calculated that after the data center of Youzi Technology is expanded this year, it will be able to meet the needs of at least five million users online at the same time, including its own business needs."

Fang Yu waved his hand and smiled, interrupting Lei Jun's questioning: "Don't ask me about the specific technical solution. I can only tell you the general principle. As for how it was done, it is a technical secret and cannot be told."

Seeing Fang Yu's reaction, Lei Jun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly deduced the server architecture, data transmission, and cost model of this game called "Taihuang: Mountain and Sea Realm" in his mind.

In general, he could understand what was going on, but he had no idea how to do it.

There are countless technical difficulties that need to be overcome, and each difficulty can even be broken down into several or even dozens of small problems.

Every difficult problem may require a genius to lead a team of people to work on the problem for several months or even years.

He felt that even if he was still working in the gaming industry, he would not be able to handle these difficulties.

He had enough confidence that if he couldn't do it, no one in the Great Zhou would be able to do it.

Eh? Xiao Fang, you are not kind. Aren't you deliberately making things difficult for Mr. Ma?

It would be fine if this game wasn't popular, but if it were, Tencent wouldn't be able to copy it even if it wanted to.

Thinking of this, Lei Jun lit up another Caiba, leaned back in his chair and smiled innocently: "Xiao Fang seems to have a good idea about this game now. Of course I am willing to demonstrate it at the press conference. It really shows his support for me."

"But your game isn't finished yet, so there's no need to preheat it here. You don't need to raise funds."

Fang Yu shook his head: "Brother, you really guessed wrong. I will accept the financing this time."

Lei Jun sat up straight immediately, very interested: "Tell me in detail?"

Fang Yu took a sip of Coke and said, "2000 million Mai Yuan or 5 million Da Zhou coins, % of the shares, but the prerequisite is that you must have investment experience in the gaming industry and be able to bring me talent."

Hearing this price, Lei Jun couldn't help swallowing.

It’s not that the price is high, it’s that the price is too low, it’s like giving it away for free.

Not to mention whether this game can be successful, even if it is not, the accumulated technology alone is worth more than 26 billion Da Zhou coins.

Adding a zero is about the same.

Of course, at this price, the most likely possibility is a split in the company structure.

The game operating company is just a shell, and the one that truly holds the core algorithms, data rights, and IP rights may still be Youzi Technology.

But even so, this 5% is a semi-welfare share.

"What exactly do you mean? I see that your game is already well-completed, which means you have an excellent team. There is no need to bring in professional investors, right?"

In the mist, Lei Jun's expression looked a little unpredictable.

Fang Yu sucked his teeth and said, "Let's be frank, brother. Different trades are like different mountains. Every profession has its own specialties. I also play games. I know that the most important thing for a game to be successful is not whether the technology is advanced or how awesome the settings are. What is the most important thing? It must be good-looking and fun!"

"You saw the ear mouse just now. The Q version made by AI looks cute, but don't you think it's a little off? The realistic fighting style looks real, but it's just a copycat of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. It lacks the 'little thoughts' of the planners."

“In terms of underlying technology, Yuzu Technology has no problem, but in terms of artistry and entertainment, we still need to find a reliable team to refine it.”

“No matter how advanced my game technology is or how vast and complete the world view is, if it’s not good to watch or fun to play, I will still lose as much as I invested.”

"Although I also play games, I am not familiar with this industry and I don't know which awesome teams and people there are."

"These people may not have written any papers, and may not even have any successful cases before. Their technology and ability are strong, but they are unknown outside the industry. It is too troublesome for me to find them."

"The reason I went to your press conference is to attract better artists and planning teams."

"If there is an investor who can find the right talent for me, even if he doesn't pay, what's wrong with me giving him 5% for free?"

Lei Jun nodded in understanding, and said thoughtfully: "Looking for experienced investors? I do know a young man who specializes in game investment. Would you like to meet him? If we can reach an agreement, I can invest with him, and we can discuss the investment ratio at that time."

Although Xiao Fang is not very old, his way of speaking is quite interesting.

I'm afraid you're not just looking for someone with art planning skills, right?

If things go as expected, you asked me to join you probably because you were attracted by my supply chain system, right?

The boy is ambitious enough.

But it’s also good this way. If he wants to not only make games but also enter the terminal market, he can be prepared in advance.

Lei Jun was calculating quickly in his mind, but his expression didn't change at all, still smiling: "I checked my friends circle this morning, he should be in Xinhao, I'll give him a call and ask if he has time to come over."

Lei Jun picked up the phone, tapped the table lightly, and dialed a number as if to confirm something.
-
"Brother Yudan? Why is it you?"

Fang Yu looked at a young man who looked to be about 27 or 28 years old who walked in with a confused look on his face.

The young man was not short, about the same height as Fang Yu before, at about 1.85 meters. He had Ekin Cheng's hairstyle, and wore a suit vest over his shirt. He had no tie, his collar was loose, and his suit jacket was hanging on his arm. He looked quite handsome.

"Xiao Fang? Just now, Mr. Lei said he would introduce me to a noble person, and it was you? It's been three years since we last met, right? Old Chen and Uncle Fang are both doing well?"

Maybe it was because Fang Yu had changed a lot after not seeing him for a few years, the young man whom Fang Yu called Brother Yudan took a few seconds to recognize him and was a little surprised to see Fang Yu.

Fang Yu put his arm around Brother Yudan's shoulders, feeling a bit happy about meeting an old friend in a foreign land: "My grandpa and dad are both very nice. I was only in my third year of high school when we last met. I didn't expect to see them here today at Mr. Lei's place."

Lei Jun blinked and said, "Do you know each other? Since you know each other, there's no need to be polite. Come on, come on, sit down."

Fang Yu pulled out a chair and sat down, laughing, "We've known each other since childhood. Brother Yu Dan is eight years older than me. During the summer vacation of junior high school, I got into a fight with someone while playing games in the Xinhao Internet Cafe. It was Brother Dan who helped me fight. At that time, he had just graduated from college and returned to China."

"I didn't expect that after not seeing you for a few years, you've become the number one game investor in China?"

Yu Dan's actions and behavior show that he is a child of aristocratic family who has been influenced by his family since childhood. His movements are neat and proper, and his smile is just right, not too much and not too little. After getting to know him more, you can feel that he is a bit aloof.

But when he heard Fang Yu talking about the past, Yu Dan scratched his temples slightly embarrassedly.

"I don't have any other hobbies. I just like games, and this is the only thing I can do."

"As for you, I really didn't expect that you have become a leader in AI in just two or three years. A few days ago, Gao Bo asked me if he had any contact with you, but I didn't dare to ask you."

The two chatted about the past for a while, and seeing that Lei Jun kept looking at his watch, he knew that he was pressed for time, so he quickly changed the subject back to the main topic.

"You want to find a professional art and planning team? How many people do you need?"

After watching "Taishang: The Realm of Mountains and Seas", Yu Dan also took a deep breath. When he heard that Fang Yu was willing to sell 5% of Youguo Games' equity for million yuan in exchange for his and Lei Jun's investment, he agreed almost without hesitation.

"The more the better. I need at least 10 groups of artists, and the same goes for plot planning and numerical planning." Fang Yu tapped the table with his fingers. "Of course, the level must be high."

"Ten groups of artists? And they all have to be highly skilled?" Yu Dan frowned.

“Both positions are being laid off now, but the number of people is not a problem.”

"But I feel like this game is basically the Chinese version of Pocket Monsters Go. The workload for art and planning shouldn't be too much, right? Is it necessary to hire so many people?"

Fang Yu shook his head: "The content of this game is much larger than you think. Let me briefly talk about it..."

Twenty minutes later, seeing the game architecture diagrams drawn layer by layer on the whiteboard in Lei Jun's office, Yu Dan took a deep breath and said, "I understand now. Let me help you contact two groups to try it out. First, remake the demo content of the trial version. The underlying architecture is perfect. You only need to redo the art and small plots. Those who have experience in this area should be able to complete it in two or three days with the help of your AI production tool."

Fang Yu nodded and smiled, "That's great. Eh? Which team are you looking for? Have they released games before?"

Yu Dan hesitated for a moment and said, "They definitely have experience and are definitely capable. One of them came from a pig farm, and the other came from Tengxun."

"From Tengxun?" Fang Yu frowned.

Yu Dan knew what was going on when he saw Fang Yu's expression, and explained, "Some people who came out of Tencent are actually very strong. Not all of them just know how to copy. Many people in the industry now actually came out of Tencent."

"This is the team I'm looking for. They have a very deep understanding of the game and have worked on content for Classic of Mountains and Seas before."

Fang Yu said "oh", this is his good point, he respects professionalism.

"I'll contact them first. The group from Tencent had one or two products before, but they didn't take off. I'm quite optimistic about what they're doing now. If I talk to them, I guess they'll acquire the whole thing, and the premium might be quite high."

Yu Dan picked up the phone and started dialing.

(End of this chapter)