Once, Willie, Norton, Suldair, and I visited a place dubbed as an entertainment venue. Upon entering, I noticed Willie staring at a wall which promptly displayed Guoker text; the text vanished as soon as she moved away.
"What are you looking at?" I asked Willie curiously.
"I'm checking my wealth credits on GIW," she replied.
"Wealth credits? What's that?"
"It's what you Earthlings call 'money.' It's like checking your bank balance," Willie explained.
I was puzzled. "Ah! I'm surprised. With Guoker Planet being so advanced, why do you still need money? If you can have anything you want, why the need for money?"
Norton chimed in, "Although our technology surpasses Earth's and what you need is either trivial or easily accessible to us, we Guokers have our own needs. These might include requiring services from others or accessing specific information. Where there's demand, there's trade, and where there's trade, there's money. Thus, money is indispensable."
"Money also helps in organizing the division of labor in society. Even civilizations more advanced than ours still use money," added Suldair.
Willie continued, "On Guoker Planet, money is virtual; we don't use physical currency like Earth's cash. Our money is merely a number on GIW. Our earnings and expenditures are automatically tracked by GIW, which manages our transactions. You don't carry cash, and nobody sees the money; it exists only as a digital figure on GIW. We can also access our wealth credits through our brain's direct link to GIW. Sometimes, to avoid hassle, we use external computers."
I was still confused. "For instance, if I work for a boss on Earth and dig a hole..."
Suldair burst into laughter. "Ho-ho-ho! Brother Qian, why do you always end up digging holes?"
"It's not that I enjoy it," I clarified. "I often dig mud on Earth to catch ricefield eels, so I end up digging a lot. For instance, if I dig a hole for a boss on Earth, he pays me in cash. How would that work on Guoker Planet if there's no physical money?"
"That's easy!" Willie exclaimed. "You simply log onto GIW, and when your boss pays you, you can see your wealth credits increase. If your brain were linked to GIW like ours, you'd know immediately."
"But, Brother Qian, you're an Earthling. Although you can link to our GIW, you're not familiar with it and lack a GIW identity. Thus, you can't properly receive wealth credits, which complicates things more than they would be on Earth."
"So, how do Guokers make money?"
"On Guoker Planet," Norton explained, "everyone regularly receives a fixed amount of wealth credits, sufficient for daily life. However, earning extra money is challenging. Nearly all financial activities rely on GMW and GIW. We belong to network protocol tribes formed through GIW. Willie, Suldair, and I are members of the 'Studying Earthlings' tribe. We continuously research and study Earthlings, which gives us some authority on Earth-related matters. This research also helps us earn wealth credits. We plan to build a physical structure to serve as a research base and exhibition center for Earth-related items. Once completed, Willie, Suldair, and I will earn significant wealth credits, and our virtual address on GIW will allow other Guoker people to visit and learn virtually. There will be much more people visiting virtually than actually. If more people come to visit in the future, we can continue to gain wealth."
"We can start building now. Brother Qian, you can see how we make money by constructing buildings. We'll head back to Willie's place to begin our work," we decided. Upon arriving at Willie's home via the GMW, everyone booted up their virtual computers to start.
I was puzzled. "You don't visit the construction site? How can you manage everything just from your computers?"
Willie responded elegantly, flipping her left hand palm up, "Simply by operating through the GIW, we can complete the building. Afterwards, we'll all go and check it out."
Norton explained, "First, we access the 'Guoker Biology Research Protocol Tribe'. We've already submitted and had our report approved that discusses the importance of studying Earthlings. Look, by building this 'Earth People Research Institute', we can gain a significant amount of wealth credits."
"Now, I'm logged into the 'Guoker House Manufacturing Protocol Tribe'," said Suldair. "We give them certain wealth credits, and they help us build. Right now, they need the structural blueprints from us, which can take a long time to prepare."
"There are plenty of free, ready-made blueprints on the GIW," Willie interjected. "I'll search for them."
Shortly, Willie announced she had found the blueprints.
"How long will the 'Guoker House Manufacturing Protocol Tribe' take to build this house?" I asked.
"Just a moment, literally a few seconds by Earth standards," Norton replied. "On Guoker Planet, building houses and manufacturing products are instantaneous. The actual construction doesn't take long; it's the design that takes time."
"Why so fast?" I wondered.
Norton clarified, "The 'Guoker House Manufacturing Protocol Tribe' uses the GlW to construct buildings. The GMW can perform high-speed remote cutting, moving, cold welding, and assembly, all under automated computer control. Even the tribe members don't go to the site; they operate remotely via the GIW."
A square on Willie's virtual computer quickly expanded outwards, and with her hands mimicking the expansion, she exclaimed, "The house is built!"
We quickly visited the newly constructed house via GMW. It was impressive, substantial, and decidedly real, not virtual.
Touching the smooth walls, Norton remarked, "These are cut from mountain rock by the GMW, not synthetically produced, preserving the natural patterns of the stone. I find these patterns stunningly beautiful."
"By building this house, you can earn a lot of money, right?" I asked them.
"Yes, our wealth credits have increased considerably," Suldair confirmed. "And as this building serves its purpose, we'll continue to earn more."
Norton added, "If the building becomes obsolete, it might be demolished, and we would stop receiving future credits. Under certain circumstances on Guoker Planet, buildings harmful to people or the environment might even lead to a deduction of the builder's wealth credits."
Seeing their ease at constructing the building, I was still confused, "It seems quite easy to make money this way. Why do you say it's difficult?"
"The main issue is gaining approval for your proposals and ensuring they are responded to," explained Norton. "Also, you need to join a protocol tribe and rely on an organization, as it's hard for individuals to earn money on their own."
Willie added, "Individuals can still provide services, engage in scientific research, or create cultural and artistic works to earn money. Alternatively, you can convert your sexual activities with a partner into digital data and sell it on the GIW."
I asked, "If Guokers don't earn money, how do they manage?"
Willie replied, "Ah, that's actually not a concern. We regularly receive wealth credits, ensuring our basic needs are met. However, if you desire a more vibrant life, filled with happiness, novel experiences, and exciting games, then you need to strive for additional wealth credits. In Guoker society, many essentials like nutrition supplements, travel, housing, most games and pets, medical treatments, health maintenance, and even body modifications are provided free of charge."
Curious, I questioned, "If I simply wait for my regular wealth credits and save them, could I eventually become very wealthy?"
Suldair responded, "That's a rather passive approach. On Guoker Planet, such behavior might label you as lazy, Brother Qian. If you neither earn nor spend wealth credits over a long period, you might lose some of them. There's an algorithm that easily detects such behavior, and our society doesn't really welcome laziness. On our Planet, wealth equates to power. Those who accumulate wealth credits have the ability to influence others' actions, similar to holding power. Simply put, being wealthy means you're a leader and possess significant influence. Thus, money is even more crucial on Guoker Planet than on Earth."
Norton added, "Many of our goods are free, and as you've seen, we own very few possessions. Unlike Earth, where money is made through production, that model doesn't apply here. Individuals must affiliate with organizations to make significant money, as it's hard for them to compete against powerful groups. These strong organizations provide high-quality goods and services for free, making competition nearly impossible. Only customized products or services can be offered by individuals. Particularly, organizations that control the GMW, GIW, and advanced algorithms can afford to provide high-quality, free products, information, and services on a large scale, which leaves little room for individuals to compete and diminishes their opportunities to earn money."
Resigned, I noted, "So, it seems I won't be able to take any Guoker currency back to Earth to show off."
"Exactly," Suldair confirmed, "as per Guoker regulations, you can't take anything back with you."