Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 63

 

| PN | Assassination | 63

The mine allocated by the association was at the border of the Linjing District. After arriving at the location with his two children, Qi Chao sent messages to the mine's staff and to Qiao Sheng.

Now, Qi Chao owned two mines: one for mother stones and one for energy stones. After signing the ownership certificates, Father Qi assigned a professional manager to help handle the mines.

In short, as a young master with literal mines at home, Qi Chao no longer had to worry about star coins.

It was the first time Li Bai and Lan Luo had been brought so far by Qi Chao. After disembarking from the aircraft and seeing the desolate surroundings, Lan Luo remained calm, while Li Bai seemed a bit nervous.

With a child standing on either side of him, Qi Chao reached out and ruffled the hair of the two children. “This area around the mine is all mountains and quite peaceful. Don’t be afraid.”

Lan Luo nodded with a bright smile. His slightly curly golden hair made him look as beautiful as an angel.

“I’m not afraid,” Li Bai said, though his words betrayed his true feelings.

Li Bai was always nervous when arriving at unfamiliar places but would become lively once he got used to it. He clung to his father's clothing, looking somewhat uneasy; if he had a tail, it would likely be tucked between his legs.

When Qiao Sheng and Lu Chen arrived, they saw Qi Chao looking like a single father guiding his children through the desolate mine area, creating a striking image of a disheveled but handsome man.

"You’re very punctual," Qi Chao said.

Qiao Sheng, sitting in his wheelchair, smiled. However, his weary face made any expression seem a bit lackluster. Lu Chen, standing behind the wheelchair, nodded at Qi Chao.

Lan Luo, who had been smiling brightly, suddenly turned somber upon seeing Qiao Sheng. His blue eyes seemed to flash with hostility, but he quickly reined in his emotions as if reminded of something.

Qiao Sheng found this reaction quite interesting.

"Have you already been inside?" Qi Chao asked, looking toward the direction from which they had come. It was clear they were near the mining area.

As the runner-up in the association competition, Qiao Sheng also owned an energy stone mine, and both of their mines were in the same mining district.

"We took a look around," Qiao Sheng replied, slumped in his wheelchair. He patted Lu Chen behind him. Lu Chen glanced at him, and as if he had done it a hundred times before, he adjusted the wheelchair's direction with practiced ease.

Qi Chao followed behind with the two children.

When Qiao Sheng invited him earlier, he hadn't mentioned that Lu Chen would be coming as well. 

However, Qi Chao wasn’t surprised, considering the close relationship between Qiao Sheng and Lu Chen.

The path in the mining area was uneven, with the wheelchair occasionally getting stuck in small pits. Lu Chen didn’t even frown; he simply lifted the wheelchair. Qi Chao clicked his tongue in surprise, noting how strong Lu Chen must be.

Though Qiao Sheng was slim, he was still a man, and the fact that Lu Chen could lift both him and the wheelchair spoke volumes about his strength.

Noticing Qi Chao’s expression, Qiao Sheng managed a faint smile despite his weary look. "Don’t let his quiet demeanor fool you. Lu Chen is still an active marshal."

Marshal?

Qi Chao looked at Lu Chen. It was his first time seeing someone with the rank of marshal in person. Thinking about it, Lu Chen did indeed have a military bearing.

With a friend at the marshal level, Qiao Sheng’s background must be more significant than just being a puppet master.

Qi Chao smiled. "So that’s why you’re able to lift him."

Lu Chen wasn’t stunningly handsome but was still quite good-looking, with sharp, defined features. He stood like an unsheathed sword, and though his demeanor was reserved, his careful attention to details in handling Qiao Sheng revealed his meticulous nature.

At the entrance of the mining area, Qi Chao saw the mining manager his father had arranged for him.

"Why don’t you start by taking a look around your mine?" Qiao Sheng said weakly.

Qi Chao had no objections and led the two children inside.

With the presence of strangers, Lan Luo and Li Bai were mostly silent, curiously observing their unfamiliar surroundings. They occasionally tugged at Qi Chao’s clothing, pointing out things they hadn’t seen before and whispering to him about what those things were.

While one child’s questions weren’t too numerous, the combined questions from both children felt a bit overwhelming. Qi Chao didn’t mind their curiosity; he answered each of their questions patiently.

Qiao Sheng and Lu Chen walked behind Qi Chao, keeping a distance. If measured, this distance was exactly at the S-level puppets' hearing threshold, so they didn’t need to worry about being overheard.

"He really likes puppets," Lu Chen said softly.

Qiao Sheng gave a faint nod. He struggled to lift his hand to adjust his glasses, his face still pale. "It was evident during the competition. He treats puppets like children. He’s quite an odd person."

"Isn’t that the same for you?" Lu Chen didn’t understand the mentality of these puppet master. He pushed Qiao Sheng’s wheelchair, his gaze fixed on the figure ahead. "You also treat Chao Yang as your daughter."

"Not the same."

Qiao Sheng weakly retorted, “I only care about my own daughter. I wouldn’t treat the demons from Shen Yuxi’s family as treasures.”

Qiao Sheng knew that the puppet named Lan Luo was made by Shen Yuxi. Although it looked exquisitely angelic, it was obvious that its appearance was just a façade. A puppet created by Shen Yuxi was bound to have a venomous nature beneath its surface.

Seeing Qiao Sheng’s distracted demeanor, Lu Chen quickened his pace slightly.

Lan Luo, who had been pretending to be an innocent little angel in front of Qi Chao, sensed the activity behind him and his blue eyes grew dark.

What was Qiao Sheng doing here?

Lan Luo’s right hand began to gather dark mist, signaling that he was preparing for something. 

The fact that Qiao Sheng had brought a helper along meant that his own puppet might also be lurking nearby. That beastman was skilled at hiding.

If someone approached Qi Chao with ill intentions, Lan Luo would not allow them to harm him as long as his father hadn't given any orders otherwise. Qi Chao had been very kind to Lan Luo. 

Lan Luo withdrew his gaze, already planning to find an opportunity to eliminate Qiao Sheng within the mine. It was convenient, as this man often angered his father. 

Although Lan Luo didn’t understand why his father had tolerated Qiao Sheng for so long, he was determined to solve the problem himself. Even if his father thought he acted too quickly, he would still be pleased.

Lan Luo was the most anxious and impatient puppet among those made by Shen Yuxi. Even though he tried to conceal his nature in front of Qi Chao, his true disposition always showed through.

Li Bai seemed to sense something was off and glanced at Lan Luo. He saw Lan Luo smiling at him brightly, as usual, which didn’t seem out of the ordinary.

Noticing Li Bai’s puzzled expression, Qi Chao chuckled and asked, “What’s wrong, Li Bai? Is there something you don’t understand?”

Li Bai had intended to ask Lan Luo something, but with his father’s interruption, he completely forgot his question. Deciding it wasn’t important, Li Bai smiled brightly, his golden eyes full of cheer, and said, “No, it’s nothing!”

The group soon arrived at Qi Chao’s energy stone mine. The area was sparsely vegetated, and inside the mine, Qi Chao scanned the surroundings. He saw many vividly colored high-quality energy stones in the mine carts, with robot miners moving back and forth in the distance.

Qi Chao instructed the two children to play nearby while he discussed the mine’s profitability with the manager. Seeing this, Qiao Sheng joined in.

As a university finance professor, Qiao Sheng was knowledgeable about anything related to money. Qi Chao, who had experience in entrepreneurship and was familiar with star coin circulation, engaged in an enthusiastic discussion with him and the manager.

Lu Chen stood behind the wheelchair, listening expressionlessly to the discussion among the others. After a few moments, he seemed to sense something and shifted his gaze toward the golden-haired “boy” not far away.

The golden-haired puppet was examining a robot with another puppet. When he noticed Lu Chen’s gaze, he flashed a bright smile, but Lu Chen, a seasoned soldier, could clearly sense the murderous intent emanating from him.

Thinking that the puppet might pose a threat to Qiao Sheng, Lu Chen tightened his grip on the wheelchair. An unknown S-level puppet required his utmost vigilance.

After a while, Qi Chao and the others paused their conversation. Qiao Sheng, noticing Lu Chen’s demeanor, realized he might be under scrutiny.

He had brought Lu Chen along to protect himself, fearing that he wouldn’t be able to handle any attacks from Shen Yuxi. 

However, he hadn’t expected that Shen Yuxi’s puppet would show hostility first.

This was quite troublesome.

Qiao Sheng watched Lan Luo from a distance, his lips curling into a smile.

Qi Chao glanced at Qiao Sheng, sensing something was off about his attitude. He pressed his lips together and took a few steps forward, blocking Qiao Sheng’s view of his own two children.

He casually smiled at Qiao Sheng and said, “I’m heading to the mother stone mine next. If you’re in a hurry to inspect your own mine, you can go on ahead.”

Qiao Sheng looked up at Qi Chao, as if he had come across something interesting. “No need. I’ll follow you.”

“Alright.” Qi Chao, with his hands in his pockets, called his two children over. Although Qiao Sheng seemed pleasant enough and said some interesting things, Qi Chao still felt something was off about him. 

He decided it was best not to let the children out of his sight around this peculiar man.

On the way to the mother stone mine, both Qiao Sheng and Lan Luo noticed that Qi Chao appeared somewhat wary. 

Qiao Sheng was indifferent; after all, he was here to uncover what was unique about Qi Chao. Although he hadn’t discovered it yet, he wasn’t in a rush.

In contrast, Lan Luo grew increasingly anxious upon noticing Qi Chao’s cautious demeanor. He had plans to eliminate Qiao Sheng today.

However, Lan Luo was determined to follow through with his plan. Inheriting his father’s obsession, Lan Luo felt slightly relieved when they arrived at the mother stone mine. He knew Qi Chao would need time to select a mother stone for making his next puppet. This meant there was still a chance for him to kill Qiao Sheng.

The mother stone mine was a labyrinth of complex terrain with many intersections. To maintain some distance from the others, Qi Chao walked quickly with the two small children.

 After they had navigated a few intersections, he felt a slight sense of relief.

“You two stay on this path and play, but don’t wander off,” Qi Chao instructed. The path wasn’t very long, but it was enough to keep the two children occupied. There were many mother stones piled up along the corners of the path, and Qi Chao decided to search for a suitable one here.

“Okay!” Lan Luo’s smile was radiant, as sweet as an angel’s, while Qi Chao patted his head, completely unaware that this so-called little angel was plotting to slip away from under his nose.

While Qi Chao crouched by the side of the path to select a mother stone, Lan Luo tricked Li Bai into playing hide-and-seek, using it as a cover to sneak away.

Qiao Sheng and Lu Chen, still at the previous intersection preparing to turn, encountered Lan Luo returning to find them.

Lan Luo thought he had about five minutes before Qi Chao would notice what was happening.

In that brief window, Lan Luo planned to deal with these two.

“Do you want to kill me?” Qiao Sheng asked without any surprise, instead smiling. “Well, let me put it this way: you might not know this, but I’m quite fond of staying alive.”

As soon as the words left Qiao Sheng’s mouth, Lu Chen shot forward from behind the wheelchair with lightning speed, almost invisible.

Puppets that attack humans can be directly destroyed. Lu Chen thought that such puppets shouldn’t exist in this world.

Lan Luo’s black mist swirled around his wrist, suddenly enveloping Lu Chen. With his blue eyes darkened with caution, Lan Luo was alert to his surroundings. The next second, a figure appeared behind him, aiming straight at his chest.

While human hands could not pierce through a puppet’s body, Lu Chen was skilled in handling treacherous puppets.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao was busy selecting mother stones when Li Bai gently tugged at his clothes.

“What’s wrong, Li Bai?” Qi Chao asked with a smile.

Li Bai looked somewhat embarrassed, his golden eyes showing discomfort. “Dad, I was playing hide-and-seek with Lan Luo, but I can’t find him. I don’t want to play anymore. Can you help me look for him?”

Hide-and-seek?

Qi Chao looked at the dark, winding path and patted Li Bai’s head. “That’s easy. Just wait a moment, Dad will find Lan Luo soon.”

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