Chapter 5

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?"