Chapter 1: The Day of Betrayal
Kin's heart pounded like a war drum, competing with the hum of the premium espresso machine in the staff lounge. He gazed at his reflection on the glass wall of the G-Corp Tower, 35th floor. A 24-year-old in a pristine white shirt and thin-rimmed glasses, his eyes brimming with dreams and determination.
Today was judgment day… The day the project he had poured his heart and soul into for six months would be presented to the senior executives. It was a one-way ticket to transform his status from "intern" to "full-time employee" at the country's number one technology company.
His project, "Project Phoenix," was an intelligent AI for marketing data analysis that could predict consumer behavior more accurately than any model the company had ever possessed. It was his masterpiece, his very soul.
"Excited, Kin?"
A sweet, familiar voice spoke from behind him, accompanied by a faint scent of perfume. Kin turned and smiled at the owner of the voice, "P'Rin," his beautiful senior buddy. She was dressed in a dark blue fitted dress that accentuated her fair skin. Her smile always seemed warm and encouraging.
"A little, P'Rin."
"Don't worry," Rin chuckled softly, her slender hand touching his shoulder reassuringly. "Your project is amazing. I've reviewed it, and there's not a single flaw. Get ready for compliments today, my dear."
Her words were like cool water to his soul. All of Kin's worries vanished. He looked at the woman before him with profound gratitude and respect. For the past six months, Rin had been everything to him in this place. She was a mentor, an older sister, and a role model of perfection he aspired to be.
"Thank you so much, P'Rin. I couldn't have done it without you."
"You're welcome… Hurry and get ready. It's almost time." She smiled one last time before turning and leading the way to the main conference room.
Fifteen minutes later…
Kin sat rigidly near the end of the long marble conference table. The air in the room was so cold he could feel the dampness clinging to his skin. The atmosphere inside the room was filled with pressure. Executives in expensive suits sat lined up at the head of the table, each with an unnervingly bland expression.
"All right, gentlemen, to save time," said Khun Paisarn, the Chief Operating Officer (COO), opening the meeting. "Let's begin the project presentations from the selected employees today… First up, please welcome Khun Rinlada from the Strategy and Development Department."
Kin furrowed his brow in surprise… P'Rin? According to the schedule he knew, P'Rin wasn't supposed to present today.
But then, Rinlada stood up gracefully. She gave a professional smile to everyone in the room and walked to stand in front of the giant projector screen.
The first slide appeared…
The image before him blurred… His ears rang… The blood in his body seemed to stop…
On the large projector screen, white text appeared clearly against a dark blue background.
PROJECT PHOENIX
Presented by: Rinlada Wongpaisarn
Kin stared at the name of his project… The name he had personally given… Appearing beneath the name of the woman he had just thanked moments ago. His throat was dry; he couldn't swallow.
Rin began her presentation with a clear and confident voice. Every word, every chart, every data model that appeared on the screen… was entirely from his mind and hands. He even remembered the name of the minor algorithm he jokingly called "Icarus," which she uttered casually as if she had invented it herself.
Memories from three days ago flashed vividly in his mind… The image of him proudly handing her the tablet to show her the complete work… Her smile and compliments that day… 'I'll take a look at the details. I'll let you know if anything needs fixing.'
…She hadn't fixed anything…
She had just… stolen it all.
Kin sat rigid as a statue. He wanted to shout. He wanted to stand up, point his finger, and tell everyone that this was his work. But his voice was stuck in his throat. He was just an intern whom no one knew. Who would believe him? Who would listen to him? Especially now, when the company's "star" was impressively presenting his masterpiece.
"Excellent, Khun Rin," Khun Paisarn praised with obvious satisfaction. "It's a highly capable AI model. I approve of this project."
A thunderous applause echoed through the silent conference room.
For others, it was the sound of admiration.
But for Kin… It was the sound of a coffin lid closing, completely ending his future and his dreams.
His world… had collapsed.