Three days later, tension spread across the local beverage market.
Two milk tea shops temporarily closed due to supply shortages.
Another store raised its drink prices.
Customers complained.
But Sweet Time Milk Tea continued running smoothly.
Inside the shop, the line stretched to the door.
Staff worked quickly to keep up with orders.
Zhang Rui watched the scene silently.
Something felt wrong.
Their success didn't feel natural.
"Have you noticed what's happening to other shops?" he asked his cousin.
His cousin nodded.
"Yeah. But why are we doing fine?"
Zhang Rui clenched his jaw.
"That's exactly the problem."
Across the street, Chen Mo stood quietly under a streetlight.
He observed the shop for a few minutes before leaving.
The system collected emotions from multiple sources.
[Emotion Harvest]
Envy +31
Fear +22
Regret +17
Chen Mo saved the data calmly.
Competition naturally generated powerful emotions.
And powerful emotions accelerated evolution.
He walked away slowly.
Behind him, Sweet Time Milk Tea continued thriving.
But Zhang Rui's suspicion was growing stronger.
Soon he would start searching for answers.
And when he did…
The emotions would become even stronger.