Morning arrived quietly over Hangzhou.
The sky was pale gray, and a cool breeze moved through the university streets. Students rushed toward their classes, holding coffee cups and half-finished breakfasts.
Chen Mo walked among them calmly.
To anyone watching, he looked like a normal student heading to class.
But inside his mind, numbers were moving.
The system interface appeared.
[Emotion Evolution System]
Anger: 90%
Regret: 25%
Envy: 0%
Admiration: 0%
Chen Mo glanced at the data briefly.
The regret points from yesterday's investment were already accumulating.
Exactly as expected.
He opened another panel.
[Capital Authority Module]
Daily Remaining Quota: ¥320,000
Single Project Limit: ¥200,000
Loss Protection: 50%
The first ripple had already been sent into the water.
Now he only needed to watch how the waves spread.
Across the street, Sweet Time Milk Tea had just opened.
The owner looked far less stressed than yesterday.
A new delivery truck had arrived early in the morning. Fresh ingredients were being unloaded.
The staff moved faster today.
Chen Mo stopped across the street and watched silently.
Inside the shop, Zhang Rui's cousin looked relieved.
A supplier stood nearby checking invoices.
"Thanks for clearing the payment so quickly," the supplier said.
The owner laughed awkwardly. "Yeah… things worked out."
He didn't know how they worked out.
But Chen Mo knew.
A moment later, Zhang Rui appeared.
He pushed the shop door open and walked in with his usual confident attitude
But the moment he saw the delivery truck outside, he paused.
His expression changed slightly.
Confusion.
Suspicion.
And something else.
The system reacted immediately.
[Emotion Detected — Zhang Rui]
Emotion: Envy
+18 Envy Points
Chen Mo looked away calmly.
Perfect.
People like Zhang Rui were predictable.
When things went wrong, they blamed others.
But when things suddenly improved without them…
They started asking questions.
And questions always created emotions.
Chen Mo continued walking toward campus.
His phone vibrated again.
[System Notification]
Emotion Points Gained: +43
Evolution Efficiency Increased: +5%
Chen Mo saved the data quietly.
Small moves.
Small reactions.
Small emotions.
But over time, those small numbers would turn into something much bigger.
The city moved around him like a giant machine.
People laughed.
Cars passed.
Life continued normally.
But somewhere beneath the surface…
The first real ripple had already begun.
And Chen Mo was the only one who could see it.