7: Chapter 7 Special Skill Pack

Lin Feng squatted at the entrance of Popeyes, holding that sign that said "Thank you for making us famous," smiling like an idiot.

Beside him, the Mexican Guy leaned in: "Boss, how much longer are we going to squat here?"

Lin Feng glanced at his phone: 10:30 PM.

"Another half hour. We'll leave when there are fewer people."

The guy nodded and continued holding the sign.

Lin Feng looked down at the system message; that "Special Skill Pack has been issued" notification was still flashing.

He clicked it open.

[Ding—Congratulations to the host for obtaining the following skills:]

[1. Emotion Magnifier (Basic)]

Description: Can lock onto a single target and continuously perceive their emotional trajectory. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Tip: To truly see through a person is to get closer to them.

[2. Happy Smell (Basic)]

Description: Can perceive the source and concentration of "happy emotions" within a 20-meter radius.

Tip: Happiness has a scent. Learn to smell it, and you will find it.

[3. Tragic Resonance (Passive Skill)]

Description: When conversing with a target whose emotion value is lower than 3 (out of 10), their trust in you automatically increases by 30%.

Tip: Real tragedy doesn't need a performance.

Lin Feng stared at these three skills, stunned for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

This system really understood him.

---

The next morning, Lin Feng returned to the shop and found the queue at the entrance three times longer than usual.

The Mexican Guy poked his head out from the kitchen: "Boss! Why are there so many people today?"

Lin Feng took a look and realized most people were holding their phones, taking pictures of the sign at the door.

The notice "Declaring War on Popeyes" was still posted on the sign.

Someone recognized Lin Feng and shouted: "Boss Lin is here!"

The crowd instantly swarmed him.

"Boss Lin, did you really go squat at the entrance of Popeyes?"

"Was that 'Who?' from Popeyes forced out by you?"

"Who are you declaring war on today?"

Lin Feng, surrounded in the middle, suddenly felt a bit dazed.

In his previous life, he hadn't even won a prize in the company's annual meeting lottery.

In this life, he was surrounded by over five hundred people asking questions, like a minor celebrity.

He cleared his throat and said to the crowd:

"No war today. Today is the grand opening."

"Then when will you declare war again?" someone shouted.

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said:

"When I find someone more tragic than me."

The crowd laughed.

---

Lin Feng squeezed into the shop and found Maria already busy at the deep fryer.

The color of the cloud above her head was actually yellow today—expectation.

Lin Feng was taken aback.

Before, she had always been green, the kind of green that was almost black.

It had only been a week, and it turned yellow?

He quietly activated his newly acquired skill: [Emotion Magnifier].

Target: Maria.

[Target: Maria]

[Current Emotion Value: 6.2 (out of 10)]

[Emotion Type: Expectation + Calm + Slight Joy]

[Emotion Trajectory (Last 24 Hours): Sadness (3:00 AM) → Calm (6:00 AM) → Expectation (Now)]

Lin Feng stared at that "Expectation," a bit surprised.

What was she expecting?

He walked over and asked casually, "Why so early today?"

Maria didn't even look up: "Couldn't sleep, so I came."

"Insomnia again?"

Maria nodded.

Lin Feng was silent for a second, then asked: "What do you think about when you can't sleep?"

Maria's movements paused for a moment.

She didn't answer.

But Lin Feng's skill automatically popped up a notification:

[Emotional Fluctuation Detected—Target's emotion value dropped from 6.2 to 4.8. Trigger: Mention of 'insomnia'.]

Lin Feng didn't ask further.

He turned and went out, squatting at the door and continuing to scroll through his phone.

But he noted it in his heart: At 3:00 AM, Maria's emotion value was at its lowest.

---

At noon, after the lunch rush, Lin Feng called the Mexican Guy over.

"Do you know where Maria lives at night?"

The guy was stunned for a moment: "I think she lives in the East District, in some rundown apartment."

"By herself?"

"Probably. I've never heard her mention having any family."

Lin Feng nodded and didn't ask more.

At 3:00 PM, Lin Feng headed out.

He drove his newly bought second-hand pickup—twelve thousand dollars, as long as it runs—towards the East District.

Half an hour later, he stopped in front of a row of dilapidated apartments.

He took out his phone and located the spot.

Then, squatting in the car, he activated the skill: [Happy Smell].

Scanning a 20-meter radius.

[Scan Results: Happy Emotion Concentration—Extremely Low.]

[Source: None.]

[Tip: The overall emotion value of this area is below 4.0. Staying for long is not recommended.]

Lin Feng looked at that "below 4.0" and was silent for three seconds.

Maria lived in a place like this.

He started the car and drove back.

On the way, he sent a text to a number.

The number was left by a reporter who interviewed him a few days ago, saying there was a non-profit organization specifically helping single mothers find affordable housing.

Lin Feng hadn't taken it seriously at the time and just saved it randomly.

Now he felt it was time to take it seriously.

---

Friday morning, as soon as Maria arrived at the shop, she found a strange woman standing at the door.

The woman was dressed in professional attire, holding a folder, and approached Maria when she saw her.

"Are you Maria?"

Maria was stunned: "I am... and you are?"

The woman smiled: "I'm from the Hope Housing charity. Someone applied for housing assistance from our organization on your behalf."

Maria was completely bewildered: "Who applied?"

The woman flipped through the folder: "The applicant is listed as—Joe's Fried Chicken."

Maria froze on the spot.

She turned to look into the shop; Lin Feng was squatting at the door, a straw in his mouth, pretending to scroll through his phone.

Maria walked over and stood in front of him.

Lin Feng looked up with an innocent face: "What's wrong?"

Maria stared at him: "Was it you?"

Lin Feng blinked: "Was what me?"

Maria held the folder in front of his eyes.

Lin Feng took a look and nodded: "Oh, that."

Maria: "Why did you do this?"

Lin Feng stood up, brushed off his pants, and said seriously:

"Because you need it."

Maria was stunned for a moment.

Lin Feng continued: "Your daughter is gone, you're living alone in that dump, you can't sleep at 3:00 AM, and you still have to come fry chicken during the day. You think you can hold up?"

Maria didn't say anything.

Lin Feng sighed and pointed at himself:

"Me being more tragic than you? Fake. I'm not tragic at all. I have money, a shop, and a bunch of crazy employees. You? What do you have?"

Maria's eyes turned red.

Lin Feng saw that emotion value suddenly turn green and quickly waved his hands:

"Don't cry, don't cry. I didn't come here to make you cry. I came to let you—"

He paused, thinking for a long time before coming up with a phrase:

"—live a little easier."

Maria stared at him for a long time.

Then she smiled.

This smile was different from before.

It wasn't a polite smile.

It wasn't a perfunctory smile.

It was the kind of smile that rippled from the depths of her eyes.

A line of text suddenly exploded in Lin Feng's mind:

[Emotional Perception Ability triggered special feedback—]

[Target Emotional State: Lonely → Seen. Conversion Rate: +78%.]

[Congratulations to the host for triggering a hidden achievement:]

[Achievement Name: Making Someone Believe in the World Again]

[Achievement Reward: Emotion Magnifier (Intermediate)—Can perceive the target's emotional trajectory for the past 24 hours. Cooldown reduced to 30 minutes.]

Lin Feng looked at that line of text, stunned for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

The woman from the charity looked at the two of them, completely confused: "So... do you still want the apartment?"

Maria answered before Lin Feng could: "Yes."

She turned to Lin Feng: "How much is the rent?"

Lin Feng waved his hand: "The charity has subsidies; you don't need to worry about it."

Maria stared at him: "You applied for me; did you also put in some money?"

Lin Feng blinked with an innocent face: "Me? No money. I'm more tragic than you, remember?"

Maria couldn't help but laugh.

---

That evening, Maria moved into her new apartment.

One bedroom, one living room, good lighting, heating, and only twenty minutes by bus from the shop.

She sat on the floor of her new living room, looking at the Los Angeles night view out the window, dazed for a while.

Then she pulled out her phone and sent a text to Lin Feng:

[Thank you. I won't let you down.]

Three seconds later, Lin Feng replied:

[Down for what? You're in charge of being tragic; I'm in charge of making money. Happy collaborating.]

Maria looked at the text and smiled.

After she finished smiling, she stared at the screen for a long time.

Finally, she typed a line, deleted it, typed again, and deleted it again.

In the end, she only sent two words:

[Good night.]

Lin Feng replied instantly:

[Good night. Remember to wear comfortable shoes tomorrow.]

Maria was stunned for a moment and looked down at the shoes on her feet—still the old ones, but they were polished brighter today.

She shook her head with a smile.

This boss really is a lunatic.

But she suddenly felt that a place with a lunatic wasn't so bad after all.

[End of Chapter 7]