| PN | 18
The doctor and his assistant did not live in Linjing District.
Since the two of them came here to treat Lan Luo, Qi Chao thought it was only right to act as a host and at least cover their expenses and costs in Linjing District.
Qi Chao: [Sure, doctor, what time will your assistant arrive tomorrow? Does he have any dietary restrictions? Once you arrive, I’ll cook a delicious meal for you all!]
Doctor: [No need to go to such trouble. We can handle things ourselves.]
How could that be? Setting aside other considerations, Qi Chao now regarded the doctor as a friend. How could he neglect a friend visiting his home? Besides, he was genuinely looking forward to the doctor staying at his house.
Qi Chao: [Don't be so polite. Lan Luo really misses you. You can stay at my place, and it will be a great opportunity for you to bond with Lan Luo.]
The other side seemed hesitant, the chat box showing that the other party was typing for quite a while. Seeing this, Qi Chao seized the moment and quickly typed out a flurry of messages.
Soon, the doctor gave in and agreed to Qi Chao's proposal.
Doctor: [My assistant is Lan Luo's older brother. He is somewhat special, so I hope you won't be scared when you see him tomorrow.]
Qi Chao: !!! Lan Luo's brother? Doesn't that mean he's a puppet?
Scared? How could he be scared?
He would be thrilled!
Since traveling here, Qi Chao had only seen one puppet, so the prospect of meeting a second one was extremely exciting.
Qi Chao's fingers flew over the keyboard, practically a blur. [What's Lan Luo's brother's name? What time will he arrive tomorrow? I'll go pick him up! By the way, what color energy stones does he like to eat? Does he prefer a soft bed or a hard bed?]
Message after message followed in quick succession, filling the chat screen with Qi Chao's questions.
The doctor, as always, responded patiently and kindly, addressing each of Qi Chao's inquiries.
After gathering all the necessary information about the puppet, Qi Chao finally stopped bombarding the doctor with messages. Noting the late hour, he exchanged a few more words with the doctor, bid him goodnight, and then got up to prepare rooms for Lan Luo's brother and the doctor.
Lan Luo's brother was named Moss, and according to the doctor, Moss would arrive in Linjing District on a spaceship at 9 a.m. the next morning.
"Kiddo, your brother is coming tomorrow. Are you excited?" Qi Chao turned to look at Lan Luo, who was trailing behind him, a smile in his deep brown eyes.
Lan Luo looked up and nodded slightly.
Although his child nodded, he didn't seem genuinely excited. Qi Chao was puzzled. He walked over to Lan Luo, ruffled his fluffy blond hair, and asked, "What's wrong, kiddo?"
Lan Luo gazed quietly at Qi Chao.
"Is Lan Luo a good child?"
"Of course!" Qi Chao replied without hesitation. "My Lan Luo is definitely a good child!"
Lan Luo was satisfied. Whatever he was thinking about, he emphasized, "Master must tell my brother about this."
Tell him what? At first, Qi Chao didn't understand, but after a moment, he realized what Lan Luo meant. So, the kid wanted to show off a bit in front of his brother?
How could he be so adorable?
Qi Chao chuckled.
"Of course, no problem!"
Hearing this, Lan Luo became even happier. It was as if he had accomplished something important. He turned and ran back to the sofa to continue watching his cartoons.
Meanwhile, a spaceship from Ganfen District on Blue Star was slowly traveling towards Linjing District. Ganfen District was the poorest area on Blue Star, while Linjing District was the wealthiest.
The passengers on the spaceship were starkly divided: the rich, dressed in luxurious clothing, enjoyed themselves in lavish private cabins, while the poor huddled in cramped, narrow bunks. Though they were on the same spaceship, it felt like they were in two different worlds.
Wealthy ladies were gathered for a tea party in the spaceship's opulent hall. The gleaming white silk tablecloths were adorned with exquisite pastries.
"Mrs. Gray, your C-class puppet is truly adorable," remarked a plump brunette woman with a knowing smile.
Following Bailey's lead, the other ladies cast their gazes towards the puppet kneeling in the corner.
The puppet had an exquisite appearance, looking no more than seven or eight years old, with black hair and green eyes. Kneeling on the ground, it resembled a noble and clingy Persian cat, easily evoking maternal affection from the women.
Several ladies covered their mouths and laughed lightly. Everyone present knew that Mrs. Bailey had recently acquired an adorable A-class puppet. Her remark was clearly a jab at Mrs. Gray.
Hearing her rival's sarcastic comment, Mrs. Gray's face showed displeasure. She yanked the chain in her hand, dragging the puppet from the corner, causing it to stumble forward.
"Did you hear that, dear? Auntie Bailey said you're adorable. Go and give her a kiss," Mrs. Gray said softly, as if speaking to her beloved child.
The C-class puppet wasn't as agile as an S-class one. It nodded stiffly, the long chain dragging behind its neck. The ladies watched as it walked over to Bailey. Just as it stood on tiptoe to give a kiss, Bailey kicked it several meters away.
"Mrs. Gray, don't you think you're being too much? Using such a piece of junk to insult me?" Bailey's chest heaved with anger, her narrow eyes filled with displeasure.
Mrs. Gray raised her chin slightly, taking a sip of her tea, looking quite satisfied. The other ladies, having watched the drama, exchanged glances and eagerly began to mediate, restoring a facade of harmony to the tea party.
The ladies laughed and chatted lively, creating quite a scene. No one cared about the puppet that had been kicked to the ground.
The black-haired puppet, with empty eyes, crawled up, dragging the long chain. It knelt beside its owner, cowering in the corner like a pet. Throughout the entire episode, Mrs. Gray never once glanced at her puppet.
Puppets were made for the amusement of the rich. Whether their owners treated them as pets or toys, they had no choice but to accept it. This was their fate as puppets.
The tea party grew increasingly lively. This was their haven, where they could freely complain about their husbands and lovers. However, immersed in the joyous atmosphere, the ladies were unaware that their every move was being watched by a peculiar eye.
The eye was unnervingly large and dark, its pupil shifting from side to side within its socket like some monstrous eyeball. It was so creepy that anyone who met its gaze would surely have nightmares.
"Ah, I'm bleeding," one of the ladies exclaimed, holding out her hand daintily. A bead of blood formed on her index finger, and the other women quickly offered their consolations.
As the ladies murmured soothing words, a shower of white powder suddenly drifted down in the spaceship's hall. Strangely, it seemed they couldn't see it. The powder settled on their skin and disappeared instantly, as if absorbed into their flesh.
The eerie eye, watching from behind several walls, narrowed slightly. Satisfied that the task was successfully completed, its owner withdrew his gaze and rubbed his sore eye, feeling much relieved.
The owner of the eye was nearly 1.6 meters tall, with the figure of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy. He stood in the spaceship corridor, dressed in a black suit, with bandages wrapped around his body, even covering his head, resembling a burn victim.
People passing by cast strange and disgusted looks at this peculiar figure, invariably steering clear of him, as if fearing contagion from some disease he might carry.
After some time, the spaceship gradually arrived at its destination. Moss, carrying a suitcase, disembarked with the crowd. Unlike the packed crowd, he had space around him, as no one wanted to get close to the eerie man.
Following his father's instructions, he needed to find Lan Luo's master.
Moss had no idea where to start looking.
If Lan Luo's master hadn't offered to pick him up, Moss could have traveled directly through a spatial rift to reach his destination.
Exiting the spaceship docking area, Moss continued to follow the crowd until he reached a public transportation stop. The weather in Linjing District was gloomy today, with dark clouds threatening to descend at any moment.
A considerable number of people were gathered at the stop. The cold wind blew, and the cacophony of voices from young and old alike was irritating. Moss stood in an inconspicuous corner, contemplating how to find Lan Luo's master while keeping his distance from the humans around him.
However, what Moss considered an inconspicuous corner was anything but. He was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, he was an eerie sight, drawing stares and whispers. His presence even scared a three or four-year-old child into tears.
The child's piercing cries only intensified the murmurs around him.
With advanced medical technology on Blue Star, bandages were primarily used for decorative purposes. Thus, someone wrapped entirely in bandages was a rare and unsettling sight.
"Aren't you going to apologize?" the child's father demanded, clearly displeased. "You look like a ghost and scared my child. Shouldn't you at least apologize?"
Moss looked at him coldly, his black eyes devoid of emotion.
Why should he apologize?
Unlike Lan Luo, who was easily affected by external factors, Moss remained indifferent. He never cared about humans.
The child's father, seeing no apology forthcoming, was outraged. His friends joined in, berating the oddly dressed boy.
Moss remained unfazed, standing still regardless of their scolding.
However, while Moss remained indifferent inside, the situation looked quite different to outsiders. Seeing the bandaged boy surrounded and scolded by several burly adults, some onlookers couldn't help but feel sympathy. Though the boy's attire was indeed strange, his slender frame indicated he was still young.
Seeing the boy hanging his head in silence, looking helpless and mute, some bystanders felt it was unfair. After all, people had the freedom to dress as they wished. Even if he had scared a child, the reaction of the adults seemed overly aggressive.
Just as one of the onlookers was about to intervene, a man suddenly appeared in front of the boy.
The man stood about six feet tall, with a strikingly handsome face but a fierce look in his eyes. With one hand in his pocket and a slight smile on his lips, he exuded an air of irritation, as if ready to fight at any moment.
He positioned himself protectively in front of the bandaged boy, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So, I couldn't find my kid because he was getting bullied here?"
"Why don't you guys tell me what's going on?"
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