Liam Xiao stood at the entrance of the Lin family hall, his hand gripping the engagement termination agreement.
The paper was crumpled. His knuckles were white.
Thirty-something people sat inside. All relatives. At the head of the table sat his uncle, Lin Guodong. Next to him was his cousin, Lin Hao. Lin Hao held a cup of tea, smiling at him like this was entertainment.
"Liam. Sign it." Lin Guodong tapped the table. "The engagement between you and the Su family was arranged by your father. He's gone now. This marriage doesn't fit Su Qing's standing anymore."
Liam didn't speak.
He looked at Su Qing in the corner. She wore a white dress. The same dress she wore when they first met three years ago. Now she wouldn't meet his eyes. Her hands were folded in her lap. She was twisting her ring finger. The ring wasn't there anymore.
Three days ago, she said she'd wait for him. Said they'd build something together. Said his mother would be proud of him.
Today, she was here to break it off.
"Bro." Lin Hao stood up, walked over, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't take it hard. Look at where the Su family is now. Your little security company? How much does it make in a year? You can't match up."
The slap landed hard. His shoulder stung.
Liam knew it was deliberate. Lin Hao had been doing this since they were kids. A pat on the back that was really a shove. A hand on the shoulder that was really a punch. Always smiling. Always in front of an audience.
"Fine." Liam let go. The agreement fell to the floor. "I'll sign."
The hall went quiet for a second.
Lin Hao blinked. He didn't expect that. His smile flickered.
"But I have one condition." Liam said.
"What condition?"
"The security company my mother left. No one touches it."
Lin Guodong frowned. His chopsticks stopped halfway to his mouth. "That company is three million in debt. Why keep it?"
"That's my problem."
Lin Guodong glanced at Lin Hao. Lin Hao gave a small nod.
"Fine. The company is yours." Lin Guodong said. "Sign."
Liam bent down, picked up the agreement, and took the pen.
The moment the pen touched paper, his head buzzed.
It felt like someone had pressed a tuning fork against his skull. A low vibration spread from the base of his neck to his temples. His vision blurred for a second.
[EXCESSIVE NEGATIVE EMOTION DETECTED.]
[EMOTION HARVESTER SYSTEM ACTIVATING...]
[ACTIVATION SUCCESSFUL.]
Liam's hand stopped.
A translucent panel appeared in front of him. Only he could see it. Blue letters against the air. Like something from a video game. But this was real. His hand was shaking. The pen hovered over the paper.
[HOST: LIAM XIAO]
[EMOTION STORAGE: ANGER 237, DESPAIR 89, RESENTMENT 156]
[HARVESTABLE EMOTIONS WITHIN 5M: JEALOUSY(LIN HAO) 85, CONTEMPT(LIN GUODONG) 42]
[SKILL: EMOTION HARVEST LV.1 — ABSORB NEGATIVE EMOTIONS FROM OTHERS, CONVERT INTO TEMPORARY POWER.]
Liam stared at the panel.
He looked up at Lin Hao. A green glow hung over his cousin's head. Thick and pulsing. Jealousy. Liam could almost taste it. Bitter. Like burnt coffee.
Lin Guodong had gray. Contempt. Thin and cold. Like frost on a window.
He scanned the room. Every person had colors floating above them. Red anger. Gray contempt. Green jealousy. Black malice.
The whole room. Not one person wished him well.
Su Qing had gray too. Contempt mixed with something else. Guilt? The gray had a yellow edge to it.
Liam smiled.
It wasn't a happy smile. It was the smile of a man who had just realized something he should have seen years ago.
"What are you smiling about?" Lin Hao frowned.
"Nothing." Liam signed the paper and put the pen down. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For showing me something I needed to see."
Liam turned and walked out.
At the door, he stopped.
[HARVEST SURROUNDING EMOTIONS?]
He selected YES.
In an instant, all the negative emotions in the room flooded into him.
It felt like being hit by a wave. Green jealousy. Gray contempt. Black malice. It all came at once. His chest tightened. His hands balled into fists. The emotions weren't his, but they were in him now. He could feel Lin Hao's jealousy like a knot in his stomach. Lin Guodong's contempt like ice in his veins.
Then something shifted.
The emotions started burning.
Heat spread through his bones. His muscles tightened. His vision sharpened. Colors became brighter. He could hear people breathing in the hall behind him. He could smell the tea on Lin Guodong's table.
Strength pushed out from somewhere deep.
[HARVEST SUCCESSFUL. EMOTION VALUE GAINED: 487.]
[STRENGTH TEMPORARILY INCREASED: 200%.]
[DURATION: 30 MINUTES.]
Liam walked out of the hall.
The sunlight hit his face. He blinked. The world looked different. Sharper. Clearer. Like someone had adjusted the focus on a camera.
Behind him, footsteps.
"Liam!" Lin Hao called.
Liam turned.
Lin Hao stood on the steps, looking down at him. The green glow was still there. Thicker now.
"Let me give you some advice, bro. Don't bother. That company of yours won't last a month."
Liam looked at the green glow.
Jealousy.
Lin Hao had everything. The money. The position. The respect of the family. But he was still jealous.
Why?
Because that security company was Liam's mother's legacy. And Lin Hao's mother had left him nothing. No company. No story. Nothing to prove she ever existed.
Lin Hao had everything. But Liam had something Lin Hao could never buy.
A mother who loved him.
"You're afraid of me." Liam said.
Lin Hao's face changed. The smile vanished.
"What did you say?"
"You're afraid I'll turn things around. That's why you pushed me to end the engagement. That's why you're obsessed with my little company." Liam smiled. "You know I'm like my mother. I don't stay down."
Lin Hao's fists clenched.
The green above his head turned red. Thick red. Angry red. It pulsed like a heartbeat.
[EXTREME ANGER DETECTED. CONCENTRATION: HIGH.]
[HARVEST?]
Liam selected YES.
A portion of Lin Hao's anger drained away. Liam felt it enter him. Hot. Heavy. It settled into his arms, his shoulders, his chest. He felt stronger. Not just physically. Something deeper.
Lin Hao didn't even notice the drain. He just suddenly felt tired. His shoulders dropped. His eyes lost focus for a second.
Liam felt his fists harden like stone.
He turned and walked away.
Behind him, Lin Hao stood there, yawning for no reason.
The system panel stayed open in Liam's vision. He dismissed it with a thought.
Thirty minutes. That's how long the boost would last.
He needed to make it count.