| PN | 10
After breakfast, Lan Luo, having received some good news, ran to the sofa and began his delightful time watching TV shows. He had been watching science animation series whenever he had time these past few days, never missing a single episode.
Qi Chao stood at the kitchen door and watched him, he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't quite right. What kind of child watches cartoons every day? He scratched his head, thought for a second, and then decided to teach the child how to read.
He ordered a few books online but didn't disturb the little puppet. Instead, he quietly turned and went upstairs.
‘I'll let Lan Lou relax for one more day; tomorrow we'll start learning,’ Qi Chao thought as he returned to his study to plan for the future.
The first issue was that there was no money left at home.
Physical books on Blue Star are quite expensive. After buying a few books, the original owner's savings were down to three thousand, but there were many expenses at home. For example, in a few days, he would need to pay for Lan Luo's father's repair costs.
The doctor hadn't mentioned how much the repairs would cost, but according to data provided by users on online forums, it would be at least a million.
In his previous life, Qi Chao wouldn't have found this difficult, but in this life, he had nothing and didn't intend to rely on his parents. Making money was inevitably going to be challenging.
Solutions always come from people's minds.
Qi Chao sat at his desk, spinning a pen and staring at the blank paper in front of him, his mind racing with ideas.
Making puppets takes a long time. Since he needed money urgently now, he naturally had to find a quick-money business. The pen in Qi Chao's hand fell onto the desk. He thought quietly for a moment and then called out to the system.
【Hello, host,】 the system immediately responded to the host's signal, returning from the neighboring dimension. 【Is there something you need help with?】
Unlike the delicate host next door, this host rarely summoned the system. The last time was to ask about puppet-making methods, so the system couldn't help but be curious about the host's current needs.
Then, in the sea of consciousness, the system heard the host ask, "Can craftsman points be exchanged for this dimension's currency?"
"Of course, they can. One point can be exchanged for 300 units of currency," the system answered honestly, growing even more puzzled. As far as the system knew, the host had neither currency nor points.
Qi Chao felt a sense of relief upon hearing this. Knowing that currency exchange was possible, he smiled and asked, "If I want to collaborate with the mall, what do I need to do?"
"Collaborate with the mall?" The system was a bit stunned. As a new employee, this was the first time it had encountered such a request.
"Yes." Qi Chao sat up straight at his desk, speaking earnestly, "When I browsed through the mall before, I noticed that your new product release dates for items like headbands and other accessories occur every three months. If I'm not mistaken, this is the period when you're designing new products."
Since Qi Chao had become famous in the industry for his confrontation with unscrupulous bloggers, his studio had experienced a period with almost no orders. With employees to support and a need to make a living, he had to explore other side ventures.
During those days, Qi Chao made a living by designing various puppet costumes for people. Thanks to his professional skills, he actually made a name for himself. Later, when he had more money, Qi Chao didn't let this skill go to waste and continued to produce a few designs each month.
"If you need, I have nearly fifty unpublished costume designs from my previous life that I can sell to the mall at a discounted price," Qi Chao said, calculating in his mind. If the system agreed, those fifty designs could be converted into currency right away.
The mall was issued by the System Headquarters, which had much greater authority than the Craftsman Headquarters. As a minor employee, the system didn't have the authority to make such a decision. Even if negotiations were possible, it would be a lot of work for the system.
Instinctively, it wanted to refuse.
"What if I give you a 30% cut of the points if this deal goes through?" Qi Chao offered sincerely, his somewhat fierce single eyelid eyes looking genuine. When he smiled, the dimples at the corners of his mouth added a roguishly handsome touch.
The system's refusal was immediately swallowed back. "Really?"
"Of course," Qi Chao nodded.
The system, being new to the job, received the minimum amount of points each month, barely enough to buy an energy liquid. It thought for a moment, its green light flickering in the sea of consciousness, and finally made up its mind. "Alright! I'll go apply to my superiors."
With that, the system left.
After the system departed, Qi Chao wasn’t idle. He always preferred to have a backup plan. He opened the puppet forum and silently bookmarked several posts where people were paying for costume designs.
If the system route didn't work out, he would take commissions directly. Though it would be more tiring, it would bring in money quickly.
If it weren't for his tight schedule, Qi Chao would prefer a more stable way to earn money, but those methods took too long.
After sitting for a long time, Qi Chao felt stiff. He got up to stretch and went downstairs to see what Lan Luo was doing.
As expected, Lan Luo was still watching cartoons.
Qi Chao couldn't help but reflect on himself. Although he had planned to teach his child to read, Lan Luo's only form of entertainment was watching cartoons, which reflected poorly on his parental guidance.
Standing behind the sofa, Qi Chao gently ruffled the little puppet's blond hair through his headband. "Lan Luo, do you want to go outside and play?"
Lan Luo looked confused, as if he didn't quite understand. He tilted his head up and asked, "To the amusement park?"
"No, we'll just go to the park outside. I remember there being a swing there that many children like to play on," Qi Chao said, emphasizing the part about human children.
He had noticed before that Lan Lou was particularly interested in human children.
Perhaps it was because of the loneliness of not having a playmate?
Qi Chao was not an only child, he had grown up with a younger brother, the two of them often roughhoused together. Thinking about it this way, having Lan Luo as an only child did seem quite lonely.
Sure enough, as soon as Qi Chao mentioned going outside, Lan Luo eagerly nodded in agreement.
The golden-haired puppet quickly got up, turned off the projector, and ran upstairs. He changed into the clothes he had worn to the amusement park before and then dashed back down. His fluffy, slightly curly blond hair bounced with his movements, showing just how excited he was.
"I'm ready!" Lan Luo looked up at Qi Chao, his azure eyes filled with anticipation. His voice was clear and joyful, especially sweet with an upturned lilt.
Qi Chao's heart melted instantly, and he felt an overwhelming urge to hug and lift the little one high in the air. He cleared his throat, trying to calm his excitement, and said steadily, "Let's go."
The original owner’s villa was located in Blue Star’s top-tier affluent district. Naturally, the park designed for the wealthy residents' leisure was exceptional. Next door was a water park, but since the puppet could only play in water with special salts to avoid damaging his skin, the water park was out of the question.
Qi Chao took the little puppet directly to the adjacent park. Due to the villa district having few children and it being a weekday, there were only three or four kids playing in the sand and on the swings.
Lan Luo clutched the straps of his backpack, glanced at the swings in the distance, then looked up at Qi Chao, and then back at the swings again. He repeated this several times, clearly eager to try.
Qi Chao's heart, filled with paternal affection, was completely melted.
"Let's go, kiddo. You can choose any swing you like," Qi Chao said generously. If he were wealthier, he would definitely build seven or eight playgrounds full of swings just for Lan Luo to enjoy.
Hearing this, Lan Luo immediately ran to a swing and stood there. He glanced over at the other children, then carefully imitated their movements and sat down, starting to swing gently. Before long, he got the hang of it.
With each swing, Lan Luo soared higher, his eyes sparkling with joy, looking like an ordinary child filled with happiness.
Qi Chao sat three meters away on some exercise equipment, snapping photos like crazy. From this angle, he could perfectly capture the little puppet’s face.
It was Lan Luo's first time on a swing, and Qi Chao definitely wanted to document it!
The more Qi Chao photographed, the happier he felt. This adorable child was his! Looking down at the footage he had just recorded, his chest swelled with pride, almost overflowing. He couldn't help but want to share it with someone.
Since arriving in this new world, Qi Chao hadn't met many people, and it didn't seem appropriate to brag to the few acquaintances he did know.
Just then, Lan Luo's biological father came to mind.
Qi Chao suddenly realized—who better to share this with than Lan Luo's father?
With a few quick swipes on his communicator, Qi Chao sent the video over. He typed a few words but hadn't sent them yet when a message popped up on the screen.
Doctor: [So cute ^_^]
Qi Chao: !!!
What was this called? A true kindred spirit!
[He's ridiculously cute, isn't he!]
[Picture.jpg][Picture.jpg]
Qi Chao sent a few more pictures and typed out a stream of compliments about Lan Luo's adorableness. Just as he sent the message and waited for a reply, he suddenly heard a child's scream.
Looking up, he saw a short, chubby kid grabbing Lan Luo from behind and pulling him down.
Lan Luo was forcefully thrown to the ground.
Damn it! Whose brat is this?!
Qi Chao quickly ran over and scooped Lan Luo into his arms, checking him for injuries.
In reality, S-class puppets are not as fragile as they appear. Qi Chao's concern was due to his worry.
After confirming that the little puppet was uninjured, he turned and questioned the child, "What are you doing? Why did you pull my child off the swing?"
Qi Chao, with his single eyelid and deep brown eyes, could look quite intimidating when he wasn't smiling. Now, glaring angrily at the troublemaker, he looked even more menacing.
The chubby child, who had been feeling quite proud of himself, burst into tears under Qi Chao's fierce gaze.
Qi Chao was speechless. This chubby kid was really unreasonable. His own child had been bullied and looked bewildered and at a loss, but this kid had the nerve to cry?
Being an adult, Qi Chao was angry but knew he shouldn't argue with a child. The little puppet in his arms had his head lowered, making it hard to see his expression.
Qi Chao's heart ached with sympathy. He gently ruffled the puppet's hair and asked, "Where are your parents?"
The chubby kid cried loudly as if he had suffered a great injustice. The children playing in the sand a few meters away gathered around, comforting him with various comments.
"Xiao Jiu, don't cry. I'll go get your dad! He won't dare bully you!"
"Why are you crying? The swings are ours. Who told him to just start playing on them?"
"Don't cry..."
These children all knew each other, and from their words, Qi Chao understood what had happened. It turned out they considered the park their territory. Seeing a stranger using "their" swings made them upset.
This was ridiculous. The swings were public facilities. Why could they play on them, but his child couldn't?
Qi Chao, suppressing his anger, tried to reason with these children.
However, the three or four kids wouldn't listen. They stubbornly believed the chubby kid was right and continued comforting him. The chubby kid, who had been crying hard, wiped his nose and suddenly felt smug again.
"You can't play here!" the chubby kid hiccuped, shouting at Lan Luo. "My friends all say this is ours! No one is on your side!"
The chubby kid looked smugly at Lan Luo and then at his friends, making it clear he had four people on his side while Lan Luo had only one adult.
Qi Chao couldn't help but laugh in anger.
So, you're bullying my kid because he doesn't have brothers?
Fine, I'll go home and start making more puppets.
Just wait and see, when the time comes, let's see whose "brothers" are stronger.
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