Chapter 19: Cameras, Control, and Coming Collapse - Part 4

Terrible, Theo thought, a savage, icy glee spreading through his chest, completely hidden behind his concerned expression. Or perfectly timed. The +1 enhanced water main pressure he'd applied Monday night... seventy-two hours of sustained, abnormal stress on old, likely poorly maintained plumbing... it had worked even better than he'd hoped. Not just a leak, but a burst. Beautiful.

"Well," the woman sighed, turning back to the menu board at Maria's, "guess we're having chicken today instead! What's good here? We haven't been since the old owners left."

"Everything," Theo said smoothly, stepping aside to let Olivia take their order. "Especially the chicken and chips."

Over the next hour, two more sets of customers came in specifically mentioning the disaster down the street. "Yeah, fire department had the whole block taped off," one man reported while waiting for his order. "Water damage looked pretty bad from what I could see through the window. Gonna take them a while to clean that up, I bet."

Theo listened to these reports with intense, hidden satisfaction. This wasn't just random bad luck for his rival. This was a direct consequence of his actions. A precise, deniable strike using his power, amplified by the owner's likely neglect of his own infrastructure. The financial hit from the water damage, the lost inventory, the forced closure for repairs... it would be crippling. Bankruptcy felt less like a possibility now and more like an impending certainty for the owner of 'Something Fishy'. Theo felt no remorse, only a cold affirmation of his own ruthlessness. You don't sabotage my business and walk away unscathed, he thought, watching Henry expertly pull perfectly cooked chickens from the rotisserie. This is just the beginning.

Week 25 - Thursday

Thursday. Theo decided it was time for the ultimate test of his delegation strategy, a full day away.

"Alright team," he announced during the morning prep huddle. "I have… off-site strategic planning meetings… all day today. Won't be back until late tonight, maybe just before close. Henry, you're running the show completely. Handle any supplier issues, customer complaints, operational hiccups. Olivia and Jenny support Henry. You know the standards, you know the process. Only call my cell if the building is literally on fire or someone needs an ambulance. Otherwise, you guys have got this."

He saw a flicker of nervousness in Henry's eyes, quickly masked by determination. Olivia and Jenny nodded seriously. Theo grabbed his laptop bag, containing nothing but his personal laptop, no work files, and walked out, forcing himself not to look back.

He drove across town to the public library, found a quiet corner, and tried to focus on researching completely unrelated potential ventures, the market for enhanced artisanal tools, maybe specialized medical equipment components. But his focus kept drifting. He found himself pulling out his phone every twenty minutes, resisting the urge to open the Ring camera app. Trust the process, he told himself sternly. Trust Henry. Trust the system you built. He forced himself to read articles on materials science, on biotech startups, trying to immerse himself in possibilities beyond charcoal chicken.

By 6:00 PM, the anxiety was a low thrum beneath his skin. The dinner rush would be in full swing now. Was Henry coping? Was the shop descending into chaos without his presence? He couldn't stand it anymore. He packed up his laptop and drove back towards the shop, parking deliberately two blocks away. He walked towards Maria's, heart pounding slightly, approaching not as the owner, but as just another hungry customer.

He rounded the corner and paused, observing from across the street. The 'Open' sign glowed warmly. There was a steady queue, maybe five people deep, but it was moving efficiently. Inside, through the clean window, he could see Henry at the counter, taking an order calmly, handing change. Olivia was a blur of motion at the packing station, assembling boxes with speed and a smile. He caught a glimpse of Jenny at the fryer station, confidently loading baskets. No visible panic, no chaos. Just… a busy, well-run takeaway shop.

He crossed the street, joined the back of the short line, feeling strangely anonymous. When he reached the counter, Henry looked up. "Welcome to Maria's, what can I get… oh! Hey boss! Didn't expect to see you!" Henry's grin was wide, tired, but genuinely proud.

"Just grabbing some dinner," Theo said casually, playing the part. "Half chicken and chips, please."

"You got it!" Henry rang up the order efficiently (using the enhanced POS). Olivia quickly packed a box with perfectly cooked chicken and crispy fries.

"Everything running smoothly?" Theo asked Henry quietly as he paid (using cash from his personal wallet).

"Yeah, totally!" Henry confirmed. "Got slammed around 5:30, but we kept up. Olivia handled a big phone order, Jenny's rocking the fryer station. No major dramas!"