Competitor?

"Competitor?" Ernest repeated Hollen's words. He grabbed and inspected the soap.

The moment he picked it up, several things immediately stood out.

The color looked inconsistent.

Some portions appeared darker than others.

The edges were uneven.

The shape itself lacked uniformity.

And when Ernest pressed his thumb lightly against the surface...

The soap felt softer than it should.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

Meanwhile Hollen sat quietly across the desk while watching Ernest examine the competitor's product.

Ernest brought the soap closer to his nose afterward.

The scent hit him immediately.

Strong.

Far too strong.

It smelled like someone dumped fragrance directly into the mixture without proper balancing.

It smelled pleasant initially.

But after several seconds?

Overwhelming.

Then he scratched a small portion of the soap surface using his fingernail.