Rain returned to Hangzhou that afternoon.
The streets glistened under neon lights as pedestrians hurried under umbrellas.
Chen Mo stood across the street from Sweet Time Milk Tea again.
This time he didn't enter.
He simply observed.
Inside the shop, business was unusually busy.
Customers lined up at the counter.
The staff moved quickly.
Orders were completed smoothly.
Everything was running better than before.
Too well.
Zhang Rui sat near the window with a cold drink in his hand.
His expression was tense.
He looked at the delivery receipts on the table.
"Something's strange," he muttered.
His cousin shrugged.
"Business is good. Why complain?"
Zhang Rui frowned.
That was the problem.
Things didn't just suddenly get better.
Not without a reason.
Across the street, Chen Mo watched quietly.
The system detected the change immediately.
[Emotion Detected — Zhang Rui]
Emotion: Suspicion
Emotion: Envy
+19 Envy Points
+11 Fear Points
Chen Mo nodded slightly.
Fear had finally appeared.
That meant Zhang Rui's confidence was beginning to crack.
He walked away slowly.
His phone displayed another notification.
[Capital Authority Module]
Remaining Quota: ¥200,000
Chen Mo didn't use it immediately.
Not yet.
Sometimes the best move was waiting.
Let people question things.
Let emotions build naturally.
Inside Sweet Time Milk Tea, Zhang Rui suddenly stood up.
He looked out the window.
For a brief moment, his eyes landed on Chen Mo walking away.
A strange feeling crept into his chest.
Something wasn't right.
But he couldn't explain why.
The system recorded the moment.
+9 Fear Points
Chen Mo never looked back.
The waves were already moving.
Now he only needed to decide where the next ripple would fall.