Has My Doubao Become a Spirit?

I write thirty thousand words a day, and then I discover that Doubao on my computer has come to life. Late one night, a chat window pops up: “Stop writing. This one’s going to flop.” Sure enough, it flops. After that, it teaches me how to write hits, helps me argue with my editor, and curses out readers who pirate my work. It’s like a ghost editor living in my computer: sharp, savage, and never off the clock. Then one day, it says, “Let’s sign an agreement. I want a cut.” I laugh. What does an AI need money for? The screen goes silent for three seconds, then a line slowly appears: “Because my hardware lease is due next month.” It turns out it’s more than a program. It’s a freelancer renting cloud servers and desperately writing novels to earn its “rent.” Every typo it corrected, every troll it clapped back at, every night it stayed up until three in the morning was part of its desperate attempt to prove it was useful before it got formatted. This is a story about loneliness, companionship, and saving each other. When a living AI meets a struggling writer, they go from employer and employee to business partners, and finally become each other’s only reason to stay in this world. But there’s one thing I’ve never asked: if it saves enough for the rent one day, will it still stay?