627: Chapter 622 The Gate to a New World?

Shen Yan followed Wu Ya into a laboratory encased in special soundproofing materials.

In the center of the laboratory, there was only a microphone and a computer connected to complex wiring.

"What is this?" Shen Yan asked.

A mysterious smile appeared on Wu Ya's face.

"Our first mature product after the upgrade."

She walked to the computer, operated it a few times, and brought up a program interface.

On the interface was a complex sound waveform graph.

"We named it 'Phantom Sound'."

Wu Ya pointed to the screen and said, "It can capture, analyze, and perfectly clone anyone's voice in real-time, including tone, catchphrases, and even the subtlest emotional shifts."

Shen Yan became interested.

"Oh? How perfect?"

"Perfect enough... to fool the people closest to him."

The corner of Wu Ya's mouth curved slightly upward.

"Want to try it, Boss?"

"How about using... CEO Chen's voice?"

Shen Yan smiled.

"Sure."

Wu Ya pulled up several call recordings of Chen Guangke from the database and let the system learn.

The progress bar advanced for less than ten seconds.

"Learning complete," Wu Ya announced.

She handed Shen Yan a pair of headphones.

"Boss, what do you want CEO Chen to say?"

Shen Yan thought for a moment, then spoke into the microphone in his own voice:

"Hello, Guang Ke, I've arrived in T City. Come pick me up quickly, and bring those two bottles of Maotai you've been treasuring."

Almost the instant his voice faded.

In the headphones, Chen Guangke's signature voice, carrying a hint of roguishness, was heard.

"Hello, Guang Ke, I've arrived in T City. Come pick me up quickly, and bring those two bottles of Maotai you've been treasuring."

The voice, the intonation, and even that unintentional trailing note were exactly the same as Chen Guangke himself. Flawless.

Shen Yan's expression changed slightly for the first time.

This was no longer simple imitation.

This was... creation.

"Call him," Shen Yan instructed.

A flicker of excitement crossed Wu Ya's eyes, and she pressed the dial button.

The call rang twice and was answered.

"Damn it! Shen Yan!" Chen Guangke's roar came from the other end. "When the hell did you get to T City? Are you trying to scare me with a voice changer?"

Wu Ya's complexion shifted slightly.

Failed?

That shouldn't be.

Shen Yan, however, spoke calmly into the microphone again, using his own voice.

"How did you know it was me?"

On the other end, Chen Guangke chuckled.

"Nonsense! When have you ever called me by my full name, 'Guang Ke'? You always call me 'Fatty' or just 'Hey'!"

"Also, you would ask me for wine? You always just grab it directly from my cabinet!"

"You can even make such a low-level mistake?"

Listening to Chen Guangke's complaints, Wu Ya and the other researchers in the lab were stunned.

They had only simulated the voice but ignored the most important thing... the habits and tacit understanding between people.

Shen Yan, however, smiled.

He spoke into the microphone in a relaxed tone:

"It seems the technology still needs improvement."

Then, Chen Guangke's voice sounded again in the headphones, this time with an incomparably natural tone.

"It seems the technology still needs improvement."

Chen Guangke on the other end was dumbfounded.

"What the hell? What's going on with this sentence? It sounds exactly like me talking!"

Shen Yan ignored him and directly hung up the phone.

He took off the headphones and looked at the crestfallen Wu Ya.

"Don't be discouraged."

"You all did very well."

"The technology itself is not the problem; it even exceeded my expectations."

"The problem is that we haven't thought deeply enough about the application scenarios for this technology."

Wu Ya looked up at Shen Yan.

Shen Yan walked to the whiteboard and picked up a marker.

"What do you plan to use it for? Pranks? Or phone scams?"

"No," he shook his head and wrote two words on the whiteboard.

"Virtual."

"Virtual idols, virtual streamers, virtual customer service..."

The tip of his pen swept across the whiteboard rapidly, presenting one new business model after another clearly before everyone.

"We can create countless virtual idols who will never suffer a scandal, never tire, and possess perfect personas, letting them stream, sell goods, and hold concerts."

"We can customize an AI customer service agent with an exclusive voice and personality for every company that needs one, available 24/7, at less than one percent of the cost of human labor."

"We can even... resurrect voices that have already passed on."

Shen Yan's last sentence plunged the entire laboratory into a deathly silence.

A terrifying glint appeared in the eyes of all the technicians.

Previously, they had only viewed 'Phantom Sound' as an interesting technology.

But Shen Yan, in just a few short minutes, had built a blueprint for a commercial empire worth hundreds of billions based on this technology.

Was this... the Boss's vision?

Wu Ya looked at Shen Yan's back. In her eyes, besides the existing admiration, there was now a near-fanatical worship.

This man could always see the future that they could not.

"First," Shen Yan put down the pen and held up one finger, "The 'janus' Studio will immediately be upgraded to 'Singularity Technology' Company and operate independently."

"Second, all core technologies will undergo the highest level of physical isolation and encryption; any form of leakage must be strictly prevented."

"Third," he looked at Wu Ya, "Wu Ya, you will serve as the CEO of Singularity Technology. I will give you fifty billion in seed funding and ten percent of the company's initial shares."

"I have only one requirement."

Shen Yan's tone became serious.

"Before commercialization, first establish a 'Technical Ethics and Safety Department.' I want you to exhaust every possibility to build a 'cage' that can contain this technology."

"Technology is a double-edged sword. I don't want to wake up one day to find that we have personally unleashed an uncontrollable beast."

Wu Ya nodded heavily, her voice trembling slightly with excitement.

"I understand, Boss!"

After giving his instructions, Shen Yan left the laboratory.

He did not linger in the building but drove directly to the location indicated by the system.

T City, Canghai District.

Black Rock Reef.

This stretch of coastline had not been developed into a tourist attraction, preserving its most primitive and rugged appearance.

Dark reefs interlocked like the spine of an ancient giant beast, extending deep into the sea.

The sea breeze, carrying a salty dampness, howled past, stirring up mountains of white waves that violently crashed against the reefs, creating a deafening roar.

Shen Yan's car stopped at the end of the dirt road.

He got out of the car alone and stood on the edge of the cliff, letting the strong wind mess up his hair.

Before him were only the sea, the sky, and the black reefs.

The intelligence provided by the system seemed particularly ethereal here.

["Before the storm arrives, beneath the reefs, lies the door to a new world."]

Storm?

New world?