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Qi Chao explained the situation on his light-brain and then said, "The matter has been resolved. The chubby kid apologized to him, Lan Luo wasn't hurt and his mood wasn't affected. He's very well-behaved, so you don't need to worry."
After sending the message, there was no reply from the other side. Instead, the chat interface kept showing that the other party was typing.
Originally, Qi Chao didn't pay much attention to it, but seeing this status last for about ten minutes, his curiosity was piqued. He patiently waited a few more minutes, and finally, a message popped up in the chat interface.
[Doctor: Thank you for your hard work.]
After nearly twenty minutes, the other party squeezed out four words. Qi Chao found it a bit amusing. He could almost picture a scene where a young man, not good with words, sat in a chair staring at the chat interface, writing and deleting sentences repeatedly before finally sending out those four words, feeling conflicted.
It was quite adorable, actually.
Qi Chao tapped on the chat interface, his dark brown eyes flickering with amusement.
Upon hearing the host's description, the system was puzzled: ...??
Let's just say, is there a possibility that its host’s words were so funny that even the villain found them amusing, hence the long delay?
The Doctor is a very mysterious puppet master. All his information online is confidential, but that hasn't stopped his die-hard fans from constantly praising him.
It's rumored that he created five S-class puppets in his early twenties. Whether it's true or not, no one knows, but it's certain that the Doctor is young and undeniably talented to have such achievements.
Qi Chao pondered and then typed on the keyboard: [Do I need to prepare anything in advance for repairing a puppet?]
[Doctor: No, you don't need to.]
In this passage, Qi Chao received a quick response this time:
[What time will you arrive? I'll pick you up.]
Qi Chao pondered that with the villa having multiple rooms, so he could stay longer, allowing Lan Luo to bond more with his biological father.
[Sorry, you might need to wait a bit longer as something has come up. I might only be able to come to your place next month. If the time is confirmed, I'll send my assistant a day early to check on Lan Luo's condition.]
The puppet master seemed to embody etiquette to the core, every word exuding good manners and gentlemanly demeanor.
Next month?
Qi Chao had no objections and was even welcoming of the idea. With around seven hundred thousand star coins at his disposal now, it wasn't a small sum.
However, the Doctor hadn't yet conducted a physical examination of Lan Luo's injuries or devised a definite repair plan. Qi Chao wasn't sure how much he should pay. If it was next month, he could save up more.
[Alright.]
Qi Chao typed these two words with a smile, ending the conversation. Just as he leaned back in his chair and exhaled, he furrowed his brow again to continue calculating various proportions.
The system in his consciousness watched the busy host and refrained from issuing any prompts. There was no need anymore; there was only a month left before the host would be in the coffin.
Even if it tried to establish connections or give hints, it would be too late.
The only thing it could still manage was that the coffin it had previously ordered wasn't ready yet.
It could ask the coffin shop to gild it with a layer of gold powder, footing the bill itself, considering it as settling the bond between itself and the host!
Qi Chao remained unaware that he had once again been sentenced to "death row" by the system.
As dawn approached, he continued working at his desk.
Creating puppets was a laborious and time-consuming task. From design to sculpting and polishing the molds, each step consumed considerable physical and mental energy for the puppet master.
The puppet on the drawing paper had been an idea Qi Chao had been conceptualizing since his previous life.
Originally, the cub's stature was only about 43 centimeters tall. However, considering Lan Luo's height of 1.2 meters, a smaller-sized new cub might not be quite appropriate.
To refine the proportions, Qi Chao worked through the night.
The next day, just as the sky was beginning to lighten, the scratching sound of pencils finally ceased, and the trash can beside the desk was filled with crumpled balls of paper.
The design draft was finally complete.
Qi Chao had just let out a sigh of relief when a familiar electronic sound rang in his ears.
【 Currently in progress—
Item: Puppet Design (Acquired)
Creator: Qi Chao
Level: Unknown (Pending Verification)
Difficulty: Unknown (Pending Confirmation)
Ding—
Congratulations to the host for achieving the milestone: Beginner's Entry
Account Points: 200】
【Ding—
Detected that the host's speed exceeds that of 60% of the Bureau's craftsmen. Initiate early activation of side quest.
Collect Essential Tools for Puppeteers (0/30)
Reward Craftsman Points: 100 (Pending Acquisition)】
After a sleepless night, Qi Chao's nerves were somewhat fragile, and the electronic sounds had left his ears buzzing. With the heavy responsibility of supporting his family, his first reaction wasn't to immediately consider completing the task but to calculate the points.
Two hundred points equated to sixty thousand star coins, a substantial amount that left Qi Chao quite satisfied.
【Congratulations to the host for initiating the side quest early. Side quests refresh weekly, and it is recommended to complete them within one week,】 the system accompanied Qi Chao after staying up all night, finally seeing its wait pay off.
The system had never held expectations for a dying person like Qi Chao in tasks, but given that the host's achievements were linked to its performance, and Qi Chao was undeniably diligent, it now looked at him like a dead man capable of spewing gold coins from time to time, filled the system with conflicting emotions.
"Alright," Qi Chao nodded, feeling that this side quest wasn't difficult as long as money could solve it. He thought for a moment, then took out his light-brain to start purchasing items.
The process of creating a Blue Star puppet was significantly different from his past life. Puppet masters used mental power to craft puppets, and the tools they used were specially made.
While the Association monopolized puppet-making materials, these tools were outside its control. Special gloves, carving knives, scrapers, gas masks, and various other items totaled more than thirty pieces. Qi Chao placed an order through his light-brain, and ten thousand star coins were debited from his bank card.
This was already considered inexpensive; Qi Chao still needed to buy special clay, resin, and most importantly, the heart that would grant life to the puppet. These were crucial items he didn't plan to purchase online.
Despite not sleeping the entire night, Qi Chao didn't feel tired. He planned to go shopping for resin and other materials in the afternoon.
It's nearly seven o'clock now, and his cub was also starting to wake up.
Qi Chao stretched his muscles and prepared to cook. Before leaving, he remembered something and tapped on his light-brain.
On the screen appeared the literacy books Qi Chao had ordered yesterday, marked with a delivery time of one hour later.
Given Lan Luo's intelligence, these simple books wouldn't pose a challenge to him at all.
And indeed, as Qi Chao had expected.
After teaching him once, Lan Luo could memorize everything perfectly. Even the complex characters of Blue Star, he could write accurately.
He was truly a natural-born top student.
Qi Chao ruffled the cub's hair and received a smile as bright as an angel's.
He wasn't sure if all S-class puppets were as intelligent as Lan Luo, but with Lan Luo's biological father being a genius, it was highly likely that his exceptional intelligence stemmed from his father.
Although there was no direct evidence suggesting that a puppeteer's intelligence affected the puppet.
"Little one, Dad will be going out this afternoon. Do you want to come with me?" Qi Chao asked after finishing their study session.
Upon hearing this, Lan Luo's attention shifted from the book. He looked up at Qi Chao, his deep blue eyes brimming with anticipation. "Are we going to play?"
"Not this time," Qi Chao chuckled. It seemed his cub really loved playing, as now, whenever he heard about going out, he automatically assumed it meant playing.
Qi Chao gently rubbed Lan Luo's golden hair. "Dad is going to pick something for your good friend."
Not playing = Not seeing human kids = Boring.
Lan Luo instantly lost interest.
Although all human children have friends, Lan Luo also wanted to have friends. However, he merely wanted them and didn't really care about having friends.
Seeing Lan Luo disinterested, Qi Chao didn't think much of it. He just assumed that the kid was feeling down because he couldn't go out and play.
He pinched Lan Luo's soft cheeks and comforted him, "Since you don't want to go out, stay at home and wait for Daddy to come back. I'll take you out when I return, okay?"
Lan Luo's face instantly brightened up. Like a little cat, his eyes curved into crescents, and he nodded vigorously, "Okay!"
In the afternoon, after packing his things, Qi Chao gave Lan Luo a few instructions and then left home. His first stop was the city center of Linshui District. According to the puppet forum, the special resin here was the best, with the downside being its high price.
Linshui District was in the neighboring area and not as prosperous as Linjing District. Qi Chao set the aircraft to autopilot and looked out the window. From the surroundings, one could see the economic disparity between the two districts.
The resin stores mentioned on the forum were all located on the same street. It was unclear what the city planners intended by this, as the parking lot in the city center was next to the red-light district.
To get to the resin store, one had to pass through a street that would make even adults blush. Qi Chao, with his hands in his pockets and an impassive expression, was determined. To him, nothing was more important than his little kid.
However, just as he was about to step out of the red-light district, he saw a red-haired person and a white-haired person from a distance. Judging by their figures, those two were his half-brothers.
What gave Qi Chao a headache was that his half-brothers were holding hands with a girl, heading towards a hotel with suggestive posters.
Qi Chao thought: Impressive, really impressive.
Did they learn from the last lesson and come to this area to achieve the harmony of life?
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