To scrape together my mother's surgery money, I worked myself to the bone at this company for three straight years. My performance was always number one.

By myself, I supported half the sales department.

Then, a newly hired HR director decided every desk needed an AI camera, claiming it was to optimize efficiency.

Every blink, every breath I took was measured and calculated by the system.

"Warning. Employee Nathan Gray blinked more than twenty times within one minute. Mental distraction detected. Fine: 50."

"Warning. Employee Nathan Gray took 3.5 seconds to drink water, exceeding the standard by 1.5 seconds. Slacking detected. Fine: 100."

"Warning. Employee Nathan Gray's mouth corners drooped for over thirty seconds. Suspected spread of negative emotion. Fine: 200."

The most ridiculous part was the way he stood in front of the entire department, pointing proudly at my data on the giant screen.

"See that?" he said smugly. "This is the power of technology. In front of AI, you lazy freeloaders have nowhere to hide. Nathan, your bonus for this month has already been wiped out by the system. If you don't like it, get lost. Plenty of people are lining up to take your place."

What he didn't know was that the AI system he trusted so blindly had its core code written by me.

Tonight, I was going to show him what happened when he angered the one who built the machine.

Under the Lens

The conference room door closed behind me. In the entire sales department, dozens of people were packed into their seats. No one dared to look up.

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the soft mechanical whir of the AI cameras turning.

The newly appointed HR director, Lucas Reed, followed me out. He clapped his hands sharply, the sound cutting through the silence.

"Wake up, everyone. Don't end up like Nathan here—stuck in old habits, resisting new technology. In the end, the only one who loses is you."

He stopped at my desk and rapped his knuckles against the surface.

"Nathan, don't think I don't know what you're thinking. Not happy about this?"

I said nothing. I just looked at him.

"I'll spell it out for you. This system cost the headquarters eight figures to bring in from Nova Valley. It is the most efficient management model available. Whatever little schemes you're cooking up mean nothing in front of it."

The smile on his face widened.

"Oh, and one more thing. I almost forgot to inform you. Starting today, the AI monitoring system will include a 'positive energy' metric. It will evaluate your work enthusiasm in real time based on facial expressions. So keep smiling. Otherwise, what gets deducted won't just be your bonus."

With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and strode away like an official inspecting his territory.

At the desk beside mine, Claire Sullivan cautiously slid a note toward me. 'Nathan, are you okay? Mr. Reed went way too far.'

I picked up my pen and wrote a brief reply underneath. 'I'm fine.'

The moment I finished writing, the AI speaker above our heads came to life.

"Warning. Employee Nathan Gray has engaged in nonessential, non-work-related communication with a colleague. A fine of 100 has been issued."

Claire recoiled as if burned, pulling her hand back at once. Her face was drained of color.

I tightened my grip on the pen. The tip gouged deeply into the paper, leaving a deep mark.

The Smiles That Cost

The first day of the "positive energy" assessment hung over the office like a storm.

The room was unnaturally quiet. Everyone wore stiff, forced smiles, like a row of puppets on strings.

I tried to lift the corners of my mouth, but it was impossible.

My mother's condition had worsened again. The doctors said she needed surgery immediately, and I was over a hundred thousand short.

Just thinking about it felt like a boulder pressing down on my chest. How could I possibly smile?

"Beep! Employee Claire Sullivan—smile curvature standard, expression sincere. Award: 10 positive energy points."

"Beep! Employee Jack Steele—continuous smile for over one hour. Award: 20 positive energy points."

The AI's chimes kept ringing, turning the whole office into some absurd, grotesque contest.

And above my head, there was silence.

…

In the afternoon, Lucas appeared again in front of the giant screen to launch his daily commentary.

"Look, everyone, most of you have adapted very well! Our office atmosphere is buzzing with enthusiasm!"

His gaze swept the room, sharp and calculating, before zeroing in on me.

"But," he sneered, "there's always one or two bad apples, radiating negative energy, dragging the whole team down!"

On the screen, a red X appeared over my avatar. The numbers beside it were brutal.

Smile duration: 0 minutes.

Negative expressions (frown, downturned mouth): 183 minutes total.

Overall evaluation: Severely lacking workplace enthusiasm. Flagged for behavior improvement.

Lucas' voice dripped with contempt. "Nathan, according to the new positive energy guidelines, you will be fined 500 today, to be deducted directly from your base salary."

Blood rushed to my head.

Deducted from my base salary? That was my mother's surgery money.

I shot to my feet. The chair scraped sharply against the floor. Every eye in the office snapped to me.

"Mr. Reed," I said, forcing my voice to stay steady, "this rule is unreasonable."

Lucas crossed his arms and let out a cold laugh. "Unreasonable? Since when do you get to decide what's reasonable in this company?"

"I have an emergency at home. I—"

He cut me off. "Who doesn't have emergencies? You're here to get work done. If you don't like it, you can quit."

His eyes scanned me with pure disdain. "Nathan, don't flatter yourself. Your numbers? The company will move on just fine without you."

After Lucas left, my phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Mr. Gray, your mother's condition is worsening. You should come in today. Also, you need to prepare the surgery fee," the nurse said urgently.

I hung up, feeling as if all the strength had been drained from my body.

Then, Victor Hayes—Lucas' lapdog and perennial bottom performer—sidled up to my desk. As a sycophantic smile plastered on his face, he made a heart with his hands for the AI camera.

"Beep! Employee Victor Hayes—expressed love for the company, full of positive energy. Award: 50 points."

The Fall of Favor

Victor shot me a triumphant glance, lowering his voice. "Nathan, the smart ones know when to play along. You go head-to-head with Mr. Reed, and what do you get? Me? I just talk a little, keep Mr. Reed and the AI happy, and my paycheck stays untouched. You? You work yourself to the bone, and for what—nothing to show for it?"

I stared at his smug face, my stomach twisting with rage.

So, this was Lucas' idea of efficient management. It rewarded the sly and punished the diligent.

At that moment, Lucas stepped out of his office, a file in hand.

He cleared his throat and delivered a decision that sent shockwaves through the office. "Attention, everyone. You all know the Silverbrook Bay project in Southgate, right?"

Every head went still. That project was the crown jewel of the industry—and nearly half a year of my blood, sweat, and tears.

"I've just reviewed the AI's employee potential assessment report. According to the data, Victor is currently the most enthusiastic and promising member of our entire sales department. The AI doesn't lie; it sees things the human eye can't."

He paused, then fixed his gaze on me.

"So, effective immediately, Victor will take full responsibility for the Silverbrook Bay project. Nathan, hand over all your files and materials to Victor before the end of today."

The office erupted in murmurs.

Everyone knew how difficult that client was. I was the only one who had managed to break through, and now the deal was at the final stage, just one step away from signing.

Handing the project to Victor, who was all talk and no substance, was like knocking over a chessboard when the win was already within reach.

Even Victor froze, then practically leapt for joy, bowing repeatedly to Lucas. "Thank you, Mr. Reed! Thank you for trusting me! I won't let you or the AI system down!"

"Beep! Employee Victor Hayes accepted a major challenge. Emotion high, motivation max. Reward: 100 positive energy points."

Lucas nodded, clearly pleased, then shot me a deliberately provocative look. "Nathan, this is natural selection in the AI era. Your time is over."

I looked at the familiar AI interface, drew a slow breath, and opened the company intranet, trying to access a few backend paths.

A warning suddenly filled my entire screen.

"Severe Warning! Employee Nathan Gray, ID 0371, attempting unauthorized system access!"

Before I could react, Lucas stormed over with two security guards in tow.

"Nathan! Trying to hack the company system now? You've got some nerve!"

He jabbed a finger at my nose, spittle flying.

"Slacking off at work, slumping in your duties, and now sabotage! People like you are the cancer of this company!"

He snatched my mouse and pulled up my surveillance feed on the big screen.

"Everyone, look at this! Our former sales champion—what is he doing now? Trying to attack company property!"

My colleagues hung their heads in silence.

Only Claire looked at me, worry and sympathy shining in her eyes.

Lucas soaked in the moment, relishing the display. "Nathan, I'm giving you one last chance. If your overall rating is still the lowest in the department this week, consider your time here over."