The very first time the intern participated in a major project bid, she used AI to generate the entire proposal. In my past life, I warned her: "You can't let AI fill in critical information, and you absolutely cannot let it submit the bid for you." She promised she understood. But behind my back, she dragged her feet until ten minutes before the deadline, scrambling to upload the files in a panic. The result? Our proposal was disqualified. The company lost a thirty-million-dollar contract. She sobbed in front of everyone. "If Chloe hadn't kept dragging me down and crushing my confidence, I would have finished it with AI way earlier! How is it my fault we missed the deadline?" My fiancé publicly took her side, forcing me to take the fall. During our argument on the rooftop, he pushed me off the ledge. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she was waving her phone, bragging about her AI tool. This time, I didn't stop her. I quietly watched her type prompts into her screen, and I even smiled and clapped. "So smart," I said. "A project this important should definitely be handed over to you."
"Chloe, look! AI is seriously going to replace all the old-timers now!" Daisy Vance thrust her phone right in front of my face. The screen was practically pressing against my nose. She had been at the company for less than a month. When she smiled, her eyes curved into sweet little crescents, making her look incredibly innocent. But the moment I saw her, a cold shiver ran down my spine. It wasn't because the office air conditioning was too low. It was because I could still clearly hear the wind howling in my ears from when I fell in my past life. And I could still see Brandon Knight’s face—cold, distant, and completely unrecognizable—as he grabbed my wrist right before the push. He had said, "Chloe, why do you always have to make Daisy's life miserable?" The next second, he pushed me. Twenty-seven stories high. Before I hit the ground, I didn't even have time to scream. Now, Daisy was standing in front of me again, beaming with pride as she showed off her AI-generated masterpiece. The screen displayed her chat history with the AI. [Based on the RFP requirements for Evercore Group's Smart Showroom project, generate a high-scoring proposal. Keep the pricing as low as possible to show our competitiveness.] The AI replied instantly: [Full proposal generated and submitted online. Estimated winning probability: 92%.] Several coworkers immediately gathered around. "Are you serious? It can actually submit the bid too?" "That's insane! We used to pull all-nighters for these proposals, and now it takes one sentence?" "Daisy, if you pull this off, your full-time offer is guaranteed!" Daisy blushed, soaking in the compliments. She shot a sideways glance at me, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Chloe, I know you senior employees like to do things the old-fashioned, cautious way. But times have changed." "From now on, we can just leave this grunt work to AI. You won't have to stay up late anymore. Isn't that great?" In my past life, this was exactly how it went. Back then, I warned her that Evercore Group had made us sign a strict NDA for this project. The bidding documents explicitly stated that core technical plans, pricing structures, and client data could not be uploaded to any third-party tools. Furthermore, the online submission required our secure corporate portal login and a secondary digital certificate. There was no way an external AI could complete the official submission. Daisy had smiled and said she understood. But right after, she ran straight to Brandon's office to cry. She told him I was bullying the new hire because I was jealous of her efficiency. Brandon was the Vice President of the company. He was also my fiancé. He criticized me publicly during our next meeting. "Chloe, just because you can't keep up with the times doesn't mean you should hold the younger generation back." Because of his interference, Daisy dragged her feet until the last minute before scrambling to compile the actual bid manually. She missed critical legal notarizations, left out the tax rate on the pricing sheet, and wrote the wrong authorized signatory's name. Evercore Group disqualified us on the spot. She burst into tears and blamed everything on me. I tried to explain, but not a single person stood up for me. To protect Daisy, Brandon tried to force me to sign a written admission of guilt. I refused. He called me up to the rooftop, claiming that if I just took the fall, he could still save my job. I wouldn't budge. During our struggle, he "accidentally" pushed me over the edge. I died with my name dragged through the mud. Thinking of this, I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. Daisy was still waiting for my reaction. She expected me to frown and lecture her like I did before. She even had tears queued up in her eyes, ready to play the victim at a moment's notice. But this time, I just looked at her and smiled gently. "Impressive." The entire office went dead silent. Daisy froze. I raised my hands and clapped twice. "Using AI to independently write and submit a bid is indeed much better than staying up all night like the rest of us." "Since you're so confident, you will take the lead on the Evercore project from now on."
The moment the words left my mouth, gasps echoed around the room. A flash of pure ecstasy crossed Daisy’s eyes, but she quickly masked it with fake humility. "Oh, I don't know if that's a good idea... Chloe, you've been on this project for three months. I was just trying to help optimize it." "It's perfectly fine," I replied smoothly. "The company needs to give talented young people a chance." Suddenly, the door to Brandon's office swung open. He stood in the doorway, his black shirt sleeves rolled up to his forearms. He looked handsome, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. "Chloe, I'm glad you've finally come around." I looked at him. That familiar face now filled me with nothing but absolute disgust. To think I once believed this man was my future. Brandon walked over and naturally stood right next to Daisy. "Daisy is highly efficient and sharp. You should mentor her more." Daisy lowered her head, her cheeks flushing pink. "VP Knight, I'm just worried I don't have enough experience." Brandon smiled warmly. "With me here, what is there to fear?" He didn't look at me once when he said that. The surrounding coworkers exchanged subtle, knowing glances. I heard someone whisper: "VP Knight is seriously playing favorites with Daisy." "Well, she's young, pretty, and knows how to use AI. Who wouldn't love that?" I didn't lose my temper. I calmly gathered the project files from my desk, locked them in my drawer, and sent a message to our department's WhatsApp group. [Chloe Miller: Effective today, Daisy Vance will have full ownership of the Evercore Smart Showroom project. I will only participate as an observer. All subsequent decisions, document submissions, and client communications will be handled by Daisy.] A few seconds later, Brandon followed up: [Brandon Knight: Supported. The company needs to embrace younger talent.] Daisy replied immediately: [Daisy Vance: Thank you for your trust, VP Knight! And thank you, Chloe, for giving me this opportunity. I won't let anyone down!] Looking at the screen, a slow smile spread across my face. In my last life, I cleaned up all her messes, only to end up as a corpse on the pavement. This time, I couldn't wait to see how she would land this contract with just her AI tool and zero backup from me. That afternoon, Daisy moved her things straight into my private conference room. That was the war room my team had been using for three months to map out the strategy. The walls were covered with Evercore’s user flowcharts, budget breakdowns, and construction timelines. Daisy clicked in on her high heels, looking at the walls with a disgusted pout. "So many physical paper files. How prehistoric." She turned to me. "Chloe, can I tear these down? They're making the room look so cluttered. The logical diagrams my AI generated are way cleaner than this." I glanced at her and said calmly, "Do whatever you want." She didn't expect me to be so agreeable, and her hand paused for a fraction of a second. Brandon walked up behind her. "Since the project belongs to Daisy now, she has the right to organize the room as she sees fit." He then looked at me, his tone warning. "Chloe, don't give her attitude." I smiled. "I'm not giving anyone attitude." Daisy’s eyes immediately crinkled with delight. "VP Knight, Chloe is just used to the old ways. It takes time to adjust." Though her words sounded considerate, her actions were ruthless. She began tearing down the charts I had spent weeks preparing, ripping them off the walls one by one. The sound of tearing paper echoed loudly in the quiet room.
One of my team members couldn't watch anymore and quietly interjected, "Daisy, those are Chloe's notes on the client's specific preferences. We might need them later." Daisy shook her head with a chuckle. "Client preferences? AI can easily analyze that from public data." "Besides, Evercore is a massive corporation. Their board's aesthetic is bound to be international, high-tech, and ultra-modern." I almost laughed out loud. Arthur Sterling, the Chairman of Evercore Group, absolutely despised the so-called "futuristic high-tech" style. He had started his career in traditional manufacturing before successfully pivoting. He wanted this smart showroom to showcase the company’s evolution, not to look like a sci-fi convention. I had personally accompanied him to the site five times. He had told me himself: "I don't care how advanced the technology is. If it lacks a human touch, it's trash." That was why my original concept was "The Legacy of the Forge meets the Energy of the Future." The first exhibition zone was designed to preserve their old machinery, vintage photos, and the ID badges of their very first employees. From there, digital projections and interactive displays would seamlessly transition visitors into their new clean energy production lines. That was what Evercore actually wanted. But Daisy didn't know any of this. Because she had never bothered to read the client dossier. She only knew how to ask her AI. Once she cleared out the conference room, she began treating her work like a live stream, constantly bragging about her process. "AI, design a jaw-dropping concept for a smart showroom. Make it as high-end and futuristic as possible." A bunch of buzzwords quickly populated her screen: "Metaverse." "Cyberpunk City." "Interstellar Travel." "Future Engine." Daisy’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Amazing! Now "this" is what I call creativity!" I sat quietly in the corner, checking my emails. An email from Marcus Drake, the procurement manager at Evercore, popped up in my inbox. [Hi Chloe, I heard your company suddenly changed the project lead? Chairman Sterling is a bit concerned. Will you still be attending tomorrow's clarification meeting?] I replied: [I will be there, but I won't be the main presenter.] Marcus replied almost instantly: [The Chairman only approved the direction you pitched earlier. Are you sure about this?] I glanced over at Daisy, who was currently prompting her AI to "generate a galaxy-class headline for the presentation." I typed back: [I will bring a backup proposal just in case. It won't affect your firm's decision-making process.] After hitting send, I encrypted my true final proposal on my laptop and slipped the printed backup copy into my bag. In my past life, I cared too much about Brandon and the company's reputation, backing down again and again. In this life, I wouldn't let anyone use my hard work to score points. And I certainly wouldn't let Brandon step over my dead body to protect his precious little intern. The next morning, we arrived at Evercore Group for the clarification meeting. Daisy had dressed up in a sharp white designer suit-dress, her makeup flawless, looking like she was ready to accept an award. Before getting into the car, she stood at the entrance of our office and gave me a sweet smile. "Chloe, since I'm presenting today, could you help me click through the slides?" The colleague next to us scowled in annoyance. But Brandon nodded approvingly. "Good. Let's keep the roles clear." I took the clicker from her hand. "Sure." A smug look flashed across Daisy's face. When we arrived at Evercore, Marcus was waiting in the lobby to escort us. Seeing Daisy leading the group, he paused. "And who is this?" Daisy immediately extended her hand. "Hi Marcus, I'm the new project lead, Daisy Vance." "You can contact me directly for anything regarding the project moving forward. Chloe will be assisting me." Marcus’s gaze shifted to me. I gave him a slight nod without offering any explanation. With a complicated look on his face, he led us into the executive boardroom. The room was packed. Arthur Sterling sat at the head of the table. His hair was silver, but his eyes were incredibly sharp. In my past life, after our bid was thrown out, he had called me and asked, "Chloe, is this trash really the best you can do?" Back then, I had no way to defend myself. This time, I wouldn't let him down. Daisy opened her presentation. The moment the first slide popped up, the room fell into a dead silence.
The title read: [Evercore Group: Interstellar Future-City Immersive Showroom] The subtitle: [Sailing Industrial Civilization into the Edge of the Galaxy] Arthur Sterling’s brow furrowed instantly. Marcus’s mouth twitched. Brandon, sitting beside them, was completely oblivious to the tension and shot Daisy an encouraging look. Daisy cleared her throat, confident and beaming. "Good morning, board members. Our design is inspired by deep space exploration. We want to build a galaxy-class starship showroom for Evercore." "Walking into this showroom will feel like boarding a spaceship." She grew more animated as she spoke. "The first zone is called 'Stargate Activation.' The second is 'The Milky Way Factory.' The third is 'The Metaverse Lounge.'" "We also plan to implement an AI-generated Virtual Chairman, allowing guests to interact with a younger, digital version of Mr. Sterling." The moment those words left her mouth, Arthur’s expression darkened completely. He slammed his coffee cup onto the saucer. "A younger version of me?" Failing to sense the danger, Daisy nodded eagerly. "Yes! It's the digital clone concept that's trending right now." "The AI will analyze your public interviews and create a younger, more approachable, and highly tech-savvy digital twin of you to greet visitors." Arthur let out a cold, biting laugh. "I am not dead yet. Why on earth would I need a fake, digital ghost of myself to greet my guests?" The boardroom turned ice-cold. The smile froze on Daisy’s face. In a panic, she looked at Brandon. Brandon quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Mr. Sterling, Daisy was simply trying to highlight Evercore's transition toward a younger demographic. She meant no disrespect." Arthur ignored him entirely and stared straight at Daisy. "Have you actually done any research on our company?" "We are building this showroom to show the world how we grew from a single metal lathe into what we are today. We are not hosting a sci-fi convention." Daisy’s face drained of color. She instinctively argued, "But the AI analyzed market trends! Younger clients prefer this high-tech aesthetic." Marcus couldn't hold back any longer. "Ms. Vance, this showroom is meant to host government officials, major institutional investors, and industrial partners. It is not an Instagram trap for influencers." Daisy was spiraling now. She frantically clicked to the next slide. But things only got worse. On the third slide, which showcased "successful case studies," the logo of Evercore’s fiercest competitor, Vanguard Group, was plastered right in the middle of the graphic. Marcus’s face turned bright red with anger. "What is the meaning of this?" Daisy stammered, "This... this must have been a sourcing error when the AI was compiling the template..." Arthur slammed his hand on the table. "You brought our competitor’s portfolio to pitch to me?!" Brandon’s face finally changed. He hissed under his breath to Daisy, "Skip it! Next slide!" Sweat dripping from her forehead, Daisy frantically clicked forward. The pricing page appeared. Once again, the room fell silent. Total Project Bid: $2.8 million. Marcus burst out laughing. "Ms. Vance, do you even know what our RFP budget is?" Daisy bit her lip. "The AI said... a lower price guarantees a higher chance of winning." Marcus slid the official RFP document across the table, pointing to the budget page. "Our minimum allocated budget is thirty million dollars. Any bid that falls 80% below the reasonable cost estimate is automatically flagged and disqualified for malicious underbidding." "What are you planning to build for us with 2.8 million? A cardboard box?"
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "NovelMaster" app ? search for "469230", and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster