Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 67

 

| PN | Daily Pitfalls | 67

After the application message was sent out, it was quickly verified. Qi Chao, leaning against the headboard, was about to send a message to persuade the original poster when suddenly a bunch of messages appeared on his virtual interface.

【Are you really a friend of Shao Qi?】

【Please tell me his location.】

【Shao Qi has been missing ever since he left the Puppet Master’ Association. I’ve been searching for him for a long time and haven’t found him. Please, I beg you.】

……

Qi Chao paused for a moment, looking at the messages sent by the other party. He replied, 【Yes, but I only said one thing, and you added me. Aren't you afraid that I might be a scammer?】

The other party did not respond immediately. A few seconds later, they said, 【There's no other choice.】

【I'm really at my wit's end. He has been in a deep sleep for a long time and hasn't woken up. I can't lose him. Can you tell me where Shao Qi is? I’m willing to do anything, and I can pay any amount you ask.】

He received a long message that was somewhat desperate, but Qi Chao could tell that the other person truly cared about their puppet.

【The person who asked for your virtual number on the forum—did you add them?】

【Yes, I added them. They sent me the room number and asked me to go to the hotel tomorrow.】

【So, are you really planning to agree?】

The other person was silent for a long time before replying, 【If there is indeed any news about Shao Qi.】

This response was essentially an admission. Qi Chao was speechless. A few seconds later, he typed, 【How old are you this year?】

【16.】

Qi Chao had anticipated this, but seeing the number still made him curse the man who posted on the forum. How dare someone target a minor? There’s no bottom line at all.

At sixteen, one understands a lot and is responsible for their choices. However, as a nearly thirty-year-old adult, Qi Chao couldn’t just watch someone being dragged into the abyss by those with malicious intent when they sought help.

Even if they wanted to save the puppet, there was no need to risk themselves. There are many paths to take; if one doesn't work, another can be tried.

Since he had added the other person's virtual number, Qi Chao would not stand by idly.

【You don’t need to find that person. I know Shao Qi. Please send me the specific condition of the puppet.】

【Really… really?】 The other person seemed a bit incredulous and, as if afraid Qi Chao would have second thoughts, immediately sent a long message detailing the puppet's condition.

Qi Chao scrolled through the messages on the screen. He didn’t know Shao Qi personally and only knew from the earlier conversation that Shao Qi had left the Puppet Master’ Association a few years ago and had not been heard from since.

From the information sent by the other person, it appeared that the puppet was in a deep sleep due to a long-term deficiency of energy stones. Without prompt treatment, the puppet's heart would soon be damaged beyond repair.

According to the book, during treatment, a puppet master needs to inject mental energy into the puppet's heart to revive it.

Qi Chao reviewed the condition described and felt a flicker of hope. If it was only about injecting mental energy, he should be able to handle it. However, since he hadn't tested it specifically, he wasn’t certain if he could actually wake the puppet up. The best approach would be to treat it while continuing the search for Shao Qi.

This wasn’t a big deal for Qi Chao, as his status made it relatively easy to find someone on Blue Star.

Qi Chao exited the chat with the teenager and searched his contacts for someone named Li Yuqin. This person had connections to the black market.

A long time ago, Li Yuqin had helped the original owner buy some "little trinkets" and had also assisted Qi Chao in finding a contact for a doctor. Since Shao Qi had left the Puppet Master’ Association, it would be much easier to find him through Li Yuqin, who had extensive connections in the black market.

Li Yuqin responded quickly, promising to help find Shao Qi as soon as possible. Qi Chao sent a brief thank you and then returned to the previous chat interface.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the chat, Tu Zhuang was growing increasingly anxious as he noticed no reply from the other party. He kept typing out messages, only to delete them before sending. 

He couldn’t rush him.

Tu Zhuang’s eyes were red with stress. He nervously bit his nails, causing the rough edges to soon bleed.

He couldn’t afford to pressure the other person. If he angered them, there would be no hope for San Yue. Tu Zhuang repeated this thought over and over in his mind.

Yet, this anxious emotion was hard to control with reason. While waiting for Qi Chao’s reply, Tu Zhuang repeatedly typed and deleted messages. His fingers left small bloodstains on the screen, which quickly blurred the clean surface, making it hard to read the letters on the keyboard.

He curled up on the narrow bed in the dimly lit, cramped warehouse. Moonlight filtered through the window, faintly illuminating the figure lying on the other side of the bed: the puppet San Yue, who had been in a deep sleep for the past five weeks.

Tu Zhuang's cheeks were sunken, his frame emaciated, but his eyes gleamed with a terrifying intensity. He obsessively refreshed the chat interface, desperately wanting to see a reply.

However, it seemed as though the other party had vanished, leaving no response. Meanwhile, the person who had invited him to a hotel sent another message.

【First verify the item, you understand, right? Record a video of it and send it to me. Go to the bathroom to film, remember to undress completely—don’t cover up. It’s disgusting to see it half-covered.】

Tu Zhuang looked at the message, nervously biting his nails. The bloodstains on the screen had dried, dotting the text like a monstrous, dark creature with a bloodthirsty mouth, devouring everything.

He had to go to the bathroom now.

Tu Zhuang thought that the person claiming to be Shao Qi’s friend might just be a scammer. Even the person demanding the video could be lying. 

But he had no choice but to comply.

Tu Zhuang glanced heavily at the puppet by the bed, stood up, and prepared to head to the bathroom. Just then, his virtual screen suddenly vibrated.

A new message appeared on the bright screen.

【I’m in the Linjing District. Which district are you in? If it’s convenient, let’s arrange a meeting place for tomorrow. Bring the puppet with you; I need to check its condition.】

Check the puppet's condition?

Tu Zhuang stared at the screen, his emaciated face showing a dazed expression, as if seeing a beam of light after being trapped in darkness for a long time. His first reaction wasn’t joy but a bewildered doubt about whether this was a hallucination.

【?】

It seemed he had paused for too long, and the other party sent a question mark. Tu Zhuang snapped back to reality and hurriedly grabbed his virtual device, typing a simple "Good."

He originally lived in the Ganfen District but had moved to the Linjing District to earn money and care for San Yue.

【I’m also in Linjing District. I’m available any time tomorrow. You can choose whenever you like.】

As Tu Zhuang typed this, his fingers trembled. He hadn’t spoken to San Yue in five weeks, he was enveloped constantly by immense loneliness and darkness.

After his parents’ death, San Yue was his only family. Tu Zhuang didn’t know what life would mean without San Yue.

【Okay, then let’s meet at 10 a.m. Since your puppet is sick, let’s choose a location closer to your home.】

Tu Zhuang looked at the message, his pale, emaciated face flushing with excitement. He couldn’t help but grip the virtual device tightly, his previously scabbed-over nails bleeding again from the pressure.

If the other party said this, it meant they were agreeing to help San Yue, right? Tu Zhuang’s fingers trembled with excitement. He pounded his head with his fist, trying to clear his mind.

He didn’t know if this person was a scammer. If they were, they might either be interested in his body, like the people in the post, or they might want to use him for something.

The two possibilities were the most likely, but trapped in darkness, helpless and lost, Tu Zhuang preferred to believe that the other person was genuinely trying to help his puppet.

He was truly afraid of San Yue dying.

【Haven't you finished filming yet? Are you eating shit? Do you still want the puppet master's information or not?】

The person in the post seemed to be losing patience and sent a flurry of angry messages.

Tu Zhuang knew that the best thing to do now was to head to the bathroom, as he couldn’t be certain if the person claiming to be Shao Qi’s friend would actually help him.

But his feet felt as though they were glued to the floor. After a few seconds, Tu Zhuang sat back down on the bed and blocked the messages from the other person.

Looking at San Yue’s sleeping face, Tu Zhuang tightly grasped the puppet’s hand. He thought that if Shao Qi’s friend was deceiving him, he could still take pictures for the person wanting to book a room tomorrow.

Even if it meant enduring a lot of humiliation, it would be worth it if he could save San Yue.

With this thought, Tu Zhuang felt somewhat relieved. Deep down, he still didn't want to give up his body easily. At least, he wouldn’t do so until he was completely out of options.

On the other side, Qi Chao, after setting up the meeting time, estimated that by 10 a.m., even if the minor was deceiving him and agreed to meet the disgusting person from the post, it would likely be too late to meet. 

At that point, he could personally check the puppet's condition and persuade the minor, hopefully saving him from his misguided choices.

After a night of watching drama and saving a misguided youth, Qi Chao fell asleep immediately after closing his virtual device, completely forgetting why he had been tossing and turning the night before.

He woke up the next morning at eight o'clock.

Qi Chao quickly got up, washed up, and got ready. Downstairs, Lan Luo and Li Bai had woken up unusually early.

The two puppets had been disputing over a cartoon for a while, with no resolution yet. Early in the morning, Lan Luo had woken up first and snatched the remote control, turning on his favorite cartoon.

By the time Li Bai woke up, Lan Luo had already been watching for some time. Li Bai, displeased, kept taking off and putting on his mask repeatedly, trying to calm himself.

Lan Luo glanced at him with a smug smile, his blue eyes curving slightly, and snuggled the remote control into his lap.

Qi Chao, pressed for time, rushed to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. After both children finished eating, he put on his coat and prepared to head out.

“Dad, are you going out?” Li Bai's attention shifted from the boring anime to Qi Chao, his amber eyes sparkling. “Li Bai wants to go too!”

While the cartoon was enjoyable, Lan Luo preferred going out. He followed Qi Chao to the entrance, tugging at his clothes and looking up with a hopeful expression. “Lan Luo wants to go out and play too.”

If it were any other day, Qi Chao would have been happy to take the two children out, but today he had important business to attend to, and bringing Li Bai and Lan Luo along would be inconvenient.

“Be good. I’m going to meet someone now. I’ll take you out to play when I get back, okay?” he said, rubbing the heads of the two puppets.

Li Bai flashed a small, toothy smile and nodded eagerly, while Lan Luo, curious, asked, “Who is Master going to meet? When will you be back?”

Qi Chao didn’t go into details. He smiled and said, “You don’t know him; he’s a sixteen-year-old young man. I’ll probably be back by noon. Li Bai and Lan Luo, you two be good and watch the house.”

Both puppets nodded vigorously.

After Qi Chao left, Li Bai and Lan Luo returned to the living room.

After a while, a video call sound suddenly came from upstairs.

Lan Luo recognized it as the sound of the virtual device he had left in the drawer. He jumped off the sofa and quickly ran upstairs.

Li Bai, sitting nearby, immediately followed. Besides Dad, nothing could stop Li Bai’s curiosity.

Lan Luo, seeing Li Bai tailing him, considered for a moment but decided not to shoo him away. He went to the drawer, took out the virtual device, and saw his father’s name flashing on the screen.

Was there something going on with Father?

Lan Luo, feeling a bit puzzled, immediately answered the call.

“Are there only the two of you home?”

Shen Yuxi glanced at Li Bai and Lan Luo in front of him, his fingers tapping nervously on the armrest of the sofa.

After the pleasant atmosphere yesterday, Shen Yuxi had hoped that he would soon get Qi Chao into bed. 

However, this morning, Qi Chao hadn't sent him any messages, and even after Shen Yuxi took the initiative to message him, he hadn't received a reply.

It had been three hours since he sent the message.

“Yes, Father.”

Lan Luo nodded, not quite understanding.

“Where did Qi Chao go?”

Shen Yuxi's voice was gentle.

Lan Luo was about to answer when Li Bai, who hadn't seen his godfather for a long time, jumped onto Lan Luo, eagerly responding first, "Daddy went to meet a young man!"

Young… man?

Shen Yuxi's gentle smile slowly faded, and his blue eyes turned icy.

In the corner not far from him, Chi Yao, who was guarding the door, paused upon hearing this. She gripped her large knife tightly.

She thought to herself, it's best to act quickly and seize the man. Tomorrow, she would throw Qi Chao onto her father's bed, ensuring he couldn't run off with someone else!

She would never allow her father's partner to escape from his bed!

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