The Secret World Of Sex Dolls And Adults [Story]

More and more artificial intelligence is being applied to sex dolls in an effort to fill the void of loneliness. After graduating from college, I joined an AI sex doll company as a salesperson—specializing in selling dolls to overseas customers. In that job, I witnessed some of the deepest loneliness and the most painful aspects of human nature.

At 7:30 a.m., I wake up, get dressed, and rush off to the office. My dorm is only a ten-minute walk away—just through a narrow, shadowy alley leading to a gray four-story building. From the outside, it looks no different from the old buildings on the outskirts of Guangzhou, but once you step inside, you’re guaranteed a shock.

Countless bodies of young women hang on steel frames like meat in a slaughterhouse, each wrapped in a clear plastic bag. Their skin tones vary—black, white, yellow—and their figures, whether plump or slender, are all exquisitely sculpted. Even though I had been working here for a while, every day when I entered the factory, the sight felt dreamlike. I couldn’t tell whether it was a nightmare or a beautiful dream.

In July 2017, after graduating from college, I was hired as a foreign trade specialist at this doll factory, with the task of selling our products around the world.

Our products are sex dolls—also known as realistic sex dolls—which fall under the category of adult novelties. When I first stepped onto the production floor, I realized that this was a company manufacturing sex dolls. Two girls who had applied with me saw the dolls and immediately turned around, saying they couldn’t explain it to their families.

Watching their retreating figures, I too felt the urge to leave—but my feet seemed nailed to the ground. My parents had passed away early, and my grandparents raised me, scraping together every penny to send me to college. They are now very old, and my only wish was to earn more money. With a high starting salary, commissions after a three-month trial period, and the factory providing room and board, the conditions were very good for me.

Most people in China only know about inflatable sex dolls, but these realistic dolls are made from silicone or mixed materials like TPE. While they’ve only been popular in China for a few years, they have been in vogue in Europe, America, and Japan for decades. These love dolls look remarkably like real people; every part is highly lifelike. They feature an embedded metal skeleton with joints that can bend into various poses. Moreover, the dolls come in a wide range of options—height, weight, skin tone, facial features, and even hair and eye color, tattoos, and nail details can all be customized. Their interiors can be heated, and you can even customize the voice box so the doll can speak simple phrases.

Standard models are priced between $500 and $3,000, and there are high-end custom versions as well. All a customer needs is a photograph and a list of requirements, and the factory can create an exact replica.

The factory has even developed an intelligent sex doll, with a movable head and limbs that can converse in both Chinese and English—much like a smart robot. However, these are expensive, with the cheapest starting at around $10,000. Compared to Western-made sex dolls, those produced in China are much more affordable.

After walking through the production area, I headed to the office and booted up my computer to check emails. My first task every day was to respond to all kinds of bizarre questions from new customers—questions like “Will I get stuck?”, “How high can the sex doll be heated?”, or “What’s the maximum bust size when the doll is standing?” It was both laughable and exasperating.

Just then, my computer chimed. It was an email from someone named Andy with the subject: “This Christmas, I Won’t Be Alone Anymore.”

Andy was my very first customer. An American, he was introverted and shy—a typical homebody.

A few months earlier, I knew nothing about the industry. I had no mentor to guide me, and since 80% of our love dolls were sold overseas, I often stayed in the office until midnight to accommodate our clients’ time zones. Even after my three-month trial period, I hadn’t made a single sale. I wondered—do people really buy this stuff? On the last day of my trial, feeling utterly depressed, I sat alone at my computer at 11 p.m., continuously wiping away tears.

Then, one November day in 2017, I saw a comment on Facebook from a potential customer: “I’m in America. Can the doll be shipped to me?” I was so excited that tears nearly welled up, and I quickly replied, “No problem—our customers come from all over the world, and we ship via courier.” Within a minute, I received a reply: “I want that elf doll, ES170009.”

ES17009 was the product code. That love doll was 160 centimeters tall, slim, with elf-like pointed ears and angel wings—it looked like a character from an anime. I replied, “No problem, we have it in stock. It can be shipped immediately, and you should receive it within two weeks.”

He asked, “Are you sure the love doll is exactly the same as the picture?”

“Absolutely,” I responded. “If you’d like, we can do a live video demonstration.”

He declined, saying, “Just record a video and send it to me.”

I promptly recorded a video, and to my surprise, he paid and placed the order immediately. The love doll was priced at $1000, plus $400 for shipping. I could hardly believe it—I had just made my first sale, and I quickly contacted a courier company.

During my time promoting the dolls, I encountered many people. Often, after exchanging a few messages, they’d want to video chat. Some even thought that a girl selling sex dolls was inherently disreputable; a few would send explicit videos immediately after adding me as a friend. It was both disgusting and frustrating.

But this customer was different. I looked at his profile—he was registered as Andy, 20 years old, with his occupation listed as “actor.” His profile featured only one photo: long hair, a thin frame, and a rather somber expression. Maybe I’m just blind, but he kind of looked like a depiction of Jesus.

The cost for that love doll was about 1,000 USD, and after accounting for sex doll accessories and other expenses, each sale netted roughly 2,000 USD—a 20% profit margin.

After that, Andy would email me every day asking, “Will the love doll arrive today?”

I’d send him screenshots of the shipping information, and he’d reply with a crying emoji. Two weeks later, when Andy finally received the doll, he told me he had set up a sofa in his bedroom just to display it. Before Christmas, he even bought another one—a doll that stood 168 centimeters tall, weighed 50 kilograms, with shipping costs exceeding $500.

From then on, Andy emailed me almost daily, discussing his love dolls. He dressed them in all kinds of fashionable, beautiful outfits, and every time he changed their clothes, he’d send me photos.

Gradually, we became well-acquainted. Andy suffered from social anxiety and was afraid to talk to people—only in the online world did he feel safe. Yet deep down, he longed for human connection and genuine friendship. Those two dolls were his first step in that direction.

Then it struck me—Christmas was only two days away. I opened Andy’s latest email and saw a picture of both dolls dressed in festive attire, with Andy seated in between them, his face beaming with joy. Previously, his photos had featured only the dolls; this was the first time he had included himself.

I felt a warm sense of satisfaction and couldn’t help but smile at the screen.

Just then, a colleague from the front desk rushed over and said sympathetically, “Mr. Gangcun just called you again.” Hearing that sent my head spinning.

Mr. Gangcun was my new client—a Japanese man whose full name was Taro Gangcun. His order was the largest I’d received since starting at the company: he ordered six high-end custom sex dolls, each costing around 5,000 USD.

Ever since Gangcun placed this order in early December, my stress had skyrocketed.

Gangcun was extremely particular about quality. He wasn’t satisfied with silicone sex dolls—they were too heavy, prone to discoloration and dust buildup. Instead, he demanded dolls made from a mixed TPE material. He required the factory to provide certificates proving that the material was new, not recycled; he even specified that the hair should be non-standard, and after numerous comparisons, there could be no discrepancy in skin tone.

Having worked in the United States for many years and being fluent in English, Gangcun spoke rapidly on the phone, leaving me no chance to argue—I could only apologize. Every time I received a call from him, I’d be trembling. After three weeks of repeated modifications, the doll finally met his requirements—only the wig and clothes were left, and then it would be ready to ship.

During one call, Gangcun said, “Chu-san (Chu is my surname, and ‘san’ is a Japanese honorific), I’ve noticed something off with the doll—the distance between the eyes is off by at least two millimeters from my specifications.”

I hadn’t even noticed that detail. He was so meticulous that he could spot a two-millimeter difference in the distance between the doll’s eyes from a photo. As I was trying to figure out what to say, he added, “Please correct it as soon as possible. I will come to China to inspect the sex doll before shipment, and if it doesn’t exactly meet my requirements, I won’t pay the remaining balance.”

When Gangcun came to Guangzhou to inspect the doll, it was already near the Chinese New Year of 2018. He was tall and thin, with white hair, dressed in an expensive suit and a black overcoat. He carried himself with refined courtesy, bowing to everyone he met, his manner gentle. On our first meeting, everyone had a good impression of him, but his continuous demands for modifications meant the entire factory was working overtime just for his order.

In Guangzhou, factories typically close early for the New Year. Workers were eager to go home and reunite with their families—even muttering curses about “those damned Japanese devils” behind each other’s backs, saying, “It’s just a sex toy; does it really need to be so meticulously crafted?” Finally, when the doll was modified to the point where Gangcun could find no fault, it was the day before New Year’s Eve, and the workers joyfully rushed home to celebrate. Gangcun had already booked his flight back to Japan for New Year’s Eve, and my boss told me to take good care of Mr. Gangcun while he slipped away.

Gangcun seemed unaware that it was now Chinese New Year. He asked me why the factory was empty that day. I replied, “Tomorrow is Chinese New Year; everyone has gone home to celebrate.”

He looked at me apologetically and said, “I’m sorry, Chu-san—I’ve caused you to miss going home for the New Year.” I shook my head and said it was fine; after all, I only have my grandparents at home, and I rarely visit—they’ve long been accustomed to spending the holidays alone. Mr. Gangcun then lowered his head in silent contemplation and began sharing stories of his past. Standing face-to-face in a workshop lined with dolls, his voice took on an almost ethereal quality.

When Gangcun was young, he was an outstanding employee. Shortly after his wedding, he and his wife were sent by their company to manage the American branch. During those busy years, he rarely got to go home even once a year. He made a lot of money, but he also missed out on so much—he wasn’t in Japan when his son was born, and he only learned of his father’s passing long after the fact. He was always busy, and when he finally retired and returned to Japan, ready to reunite with his family and enjoy life with his wife, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away prematurely. His only son, like him, was assigned overseas and was rarely seen.

Looking at the big house and the several luxury cars in his garage, Gangcun realized that after a lifetime of struggle, he was utterly alone. He recalled the youthful image of his wife, and the pain was almost unbearable. He then gathered photos from several important stages of her life and had these dolls custom-made.

It suddenly dawned on me—each of the six sex dolls was made in her likeness. No wonder he would not tolerate even the slightest flaw.

He gently caressed each sex doll as he explained, “This one is from when we had just gotten married—she was so slender, with big, round eyes; this one is from when she was pregnant—she became a bit chubby and, when she smiled, had a cute double chin; this one is from when she was 30, with a few fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes…” At that, he stopped, turning his back on me, and fell silent. Judging by his quickened breathing, I guessed he was crying.

Later, Gangcun would often email me updates on the love dolls. He would bathe them, dress them in new clothes, and even take them out to the park to bask in the sun. His neighbors and friends all recognized his dolls, and whenever they met him during their walks, they’d greet the dolls as if they were family.

Gangcun’s order earned me a bit of a reputation, and from then on, customers gradually increased. Some months I sold at least a dozen sex dolls, and at times nearly 50 sex dolls in a single month.

After a while, I became adept at quickly discerning which potential buyers were shady, bored men and which were genuine customers—often just by glancing at an email or chatting briefly on social media.

In March 2018, I received a custom inquiry from a Belgian customer. They sent a photo of a little girl, around three or four years old—with blonde hair, porcelain-like rosy skin, big blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and full, rosy lips. You could tell she was a beauty in the making.

I accepted the order and instructed the production department to expedite the process.

Unexpectedly, my boss said that manufacturing a toddler doll would cross a legal red line. Many European countries, in an effort to combat pedophilia, forbid the import of child-like realistic dolls. If customs discovered them, the factory could be blacklisted—or worse, we might end up in jail.

Those words instantly dashed the joy of receiving the order. I was devastated and had no choice but to send a lengthy email to the customer, explaining, apologizing, and refunding the deposit.

Two days later, someone suddenly added me on WhatsApp. As soon as I accepted, he demanded a video chat.

Ever since I started this job, I’d often been pestered by people who, right after adding me as a friend, insisted on video chatting—either perverts or sex maniacs, whom I’d usually block immediately. But there was something about this person’s name that seemed familiar. After a moment’s thought, I realized it was the same Belgian customer. I hesitated for a moment before accepting the video call.

On the video, I saw a middle-aged foreign couple. Both greeted me with cheerful smiles and a friendly “Hi.”

They explained that after receiving my email, they had thoroughly reviewed Belgian law and found no restriction on importing toddler dolls. They also appreciated my cautious approach and mentioned that they despised pedophiles. To put any hard feelings at ease, they arranged the video chat to show me why they wanted to custom-order a toddler doll.

During the video, the couple opened a door in their home, revealing a warm, charming room. The walls and ceiling were adorned with familiar cartoon characters—bunnies, Snow White, Alice, Cinderella—and there was a pink toddler bed piled high with stuffed animals.

In addition, many photos hung on the walls—mostly of a little girl with the couple. That little girl was the one featured in the custom sex doll’s photo.

The couple explained that the girl was their only daughter, who had tragically died in a car accident a few years ago. They had grieved her loss for a long time; every morning, the thought of their beautiful daughter filled their hearts. They had even considered having another child, but given their age and health, it wasn’t feasible.

One day, the wife happened upon my Facebook page and was immediately captivated by the many beautiful dolls that looked just like real people. After more than a month of consideration, the couple decided to have a doll made in their daughter’s likeness.

I reported the Belgian customer’s case in detail to my boss, who finally agreed to make the doll. I didn’t immediately instruct production to start; instead, I carefully confirmed every detail of the child’s appearance with the couple. I even asked them to send recordings of their daughter’s voice so that we could customize the doll’s voice box. Although it wasn’t an intelligent doll that could converse—it could only say simple phrases like “Daddy, Mommy, I love you, I’m hungry, I’m happy”—I believed that hearing their daughter’s voice again would bring them joy.

When the couple received the doll, they called me on video again. Through tears, they exclaimed, “It’s just like our daughter—it’s so adorable!”

I felt happy for them, but then a thought struck me: no matter how much they love this doll, it will never grow up. The couple will gradually age, but their “child” will forever remain the same. They will never see her grow taller, one day surpassing her mother or even her father; they will never see her carrying books out of school or bringing a partner home, hand-in-hand into a church… The thought made my heart ache.

By the end of 2018, business at the factory was booming. Not only had foreign trade exports doubled, but domestic sales in China had skyrocketed as well. The factory even hired two new foreign trade specialists, and I was promoted to supervisor—leaving me running around every day like a headless chicken.

I recalled the day I saw Mr. Gangcun off as he returned to his home country. Since it was still early, Gangcun invited me to join him for coffee at an airport café. It was a quiet New Year’s Eve afternoon at Baiyun Airport, with few travelers, and the café was just the two of us.

Lost in thought, Gangcun sat silently for a long while. I didn’t dare disturb him and sat quietly by his side. After what felt like an eternity, he suddenly whispered, “I feel so lonely.”

In that moment, it was as if a cold hand had touched me. The image of Gangcun—his hair streaked with white—sitting silently with his six dolls in his living room flashed through my mind. For the first time in my life, I longed to return to my grandparents, to get married quickly, and to have several children.

After the New Year, I resigned.

This article is based on firsthand accounts, and all names have been changed.