Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 68

 

| PN | It's Really Interesting | 68

They agreed to meet in the eastern part of Linjing District. 

The Blue Star government has recently been developing the economy in the east side, and this area is filled with construction sites. Occasionally, you can see robots carrying cement and wooden boards back and forth.

Qi Chao stepped off the aircraft and saw a slender young boy not far away. The boy was wearing a hat and standing nervously in front of a large construction building. Compared to the huge construction site behind him, he looked pitifully small.

On the other side, Tu Zhuang had been waiting at the construction site since 7 o'clock in the morning for someone who claimed to be a friend of Shao Qi. 

In just three hours, it felt like decades had passed for Tu Zhuang. He nervously looked at everyone passing by, quickly averting his gaze when he noticed their curious looks.

Tu Zhuang told himself not to be anxious, but on the other hand, he was nervously biting his nails, with a band-aid on his left thumb faintly seeping blood.

Another aircraft landed not far away, and a black-haired man stepped out of it. Tu Zhuang's heart tightened. When the man’s gaze turned towards him, Tu Zhuang couldn't help but stand up straight.

The black-haired man walked towards him and nodded, his deep voice carrying a hint of laughter: "Hello, are you Tu Zhuang?"

After agreeing on the meeting place, Tu Zhuang told the man his name. He clenched the light-brain device in his hand, licked his chapped lips, and looked at the man who was two heads taller than him. "Yes, I am."

"My full name is Qi Chao. I'm older than you, so you can call me whatever you like." Qi Chao smiled at him. "Let's go. We'll first take a look at the puppet."

Tu Zhuang nodded silently, his hanging hand clenched into a fist. Thinking that the long-sleeping San Yue might wake up soon, his face turned red with excitement, and he felt as if he were walking on clouds, an unreal sensation.

Qi Chao followed behind Tu Zhuang, observing his yellowish, dry hair and emaciated body. Qi Chao frowned slightly; Tu Zhuang looked like he had been malnourished for a long time.

Tu Zhuang lived in an old warehouse at the construction site in the development zone. Most people living there were impoverished migrants from other places trying to make a living.

Robots had long replaced human labor on Blue Star, but there were still many people on construction sites. They were either high-level intellectuals or laborers whose wages were much cheaper than those of robots.

On Blue Star, it was even harder for the impoverished to survive than in the previous era.

The lights in the warehouse were on, and it was filled with a lot of discarded junk. The cramped space of less than 30 square meters felt oppressive, with the narrow bed pushed against the wall.

"Sorry, there's quite a bit of stuff here," Tu Zhuang said nervously, afraid that Qi Chao would refuse to introduce him to Shao Qi upon seeing the mess. He hurriedly added, "You don't need to worry about money. I will make sure neither you nor Shao Qi suffer any loss. As long as San Yue can wake up, I am willing to agree to anything."

"It’s fine, I’ll check the puppet’s condition first." Qi Chao noticed Tu Zhuang's anxiety and smiled to reassure him.

From the moment he saw the old warehouse, he knew the environment inside wouldn't be great. 

After his parents passed away in his previous life, Qi Chao had dropped out of school to work and had lived in places worse than this warehouse. Seeing the scene before him, he didn’t find the warehouse particularly unbearable.

"Alright."

Tu Zhuang was very good at reading people and could tell that Qi Chao’s words were sincere, which eased his mind a bit.

Qi Chao walked over to the bed and looked at the puppet, San Yue, who was lying there with his eyes closed.

San Yue was an adult male A-level puppet. His appearance wasn’t particularly delicate, but he had a rugged handsomeness. In terms of demeanor, he resembled a seasoned officer in a criminal investigation team, exuding a sharpness that couldn’t be concealed even with his eyes closed.

"Has he been asleep for five weeks?"

Qi Chao turned to look at Tu Zhuang.

"Yes."

Tu Zhuang’s heart tightened as he hurriedly explained, "I went out to work that day, and San Yue helped me make breakfast in the morning. When I returned at noon, he was lying on the ground and wouldn’t wake up no matter how much I called him."

Tu Zhuang felt uneasy. San Yue was an A-level puppet, and on Blue Star, even A-level puppets were valuable. Although Tu Zhuang hoped Qi Chao could awaken San Yue , he also feared that Qi Chao had come here with the intention of taking San Yue away from him.

He clenched his fists, causing the almost-healed wound to seep a bit of blood, making the previously dry bandage slightly sticky and damp.

When San Yue was awake, he had more than once expressed his desire to go out and work to help relieve Tu Zhuang's burden, but Tu Zhuang had never agreed because he feared losing San Yue. 

However, if the price of waking San Yue up meant he would never see him again, Tu Zhuang felt conflicted.

He feared San Yue's death more than not seeing him again. Having already lost his closest family, Tu Zhuang would rather have San Yue alive somewhere he couldn't see than dead.

Qi Chao didn't know what was running through Tu Zhuang's mind in that split second. He naturally found it strange that someone as poor-looking as Tu Zhuang possessed an A-level puppet.

However, Qi Chao wasn't overly curious. Everyone had a past, and there was no need to ask too many questions.

He could see that Tu Zhuang cared deeply about San Yue. Despite the small size of the warehouse, San Yue's bed remained tidy, while Tu Zhuang's bed was piled with clothes and other miscellaneous items.

"Can you remove San Yue's shirt?"

Hearing Qi Chao’s request, Tu Zhuang hesitated for a moment but then nodded, hurriedly unbuttoning Shen Yue's shirt.

The puppet lying on the bed did not look to be in good condition. His skin appeared somewhat dehydrated, making it look very dry, and there were some faint cracks on his chest.

Seeing this, Qi Chao became even more certain that the puppet's state of sleep was due to a lack of energy.

Under normal circumstances, if energy was not replenished in time, the cracks on the chest would gradually widen and eventually turn into black fissures.

Although San Yue’s condition wasn’t very dangerous yet, it couldn’t be delayed any longer. With this in mind, Qi Chao said to Tu Zhuang, "I need to take San Yue to see Shao Qi."

Of course, Shao Qi's existence was a lie. Qi Chao intended to try to fix the issue himself first. If he couldn’t manage it, he would have to find an excuse to delay for a few days until Li Yuqin found some information, and then he could make further plans.

Tu Zhuang had been waiting for too long to meet Shao Qi. His muddled brain had equated meeting Shao Qi with San Yue waking up.

At this moment, he might not have considered whether the other party would deceive him, nor had he thought about what he would do if the other party demanded a reward beyond his means.

Or perhaps, Tu Zhuang had considered all this, but the temptation of San Yue waking up was too great, making him willing to forgo all rationality.

"Alright."

Tu Zhuang nodded stiffly, clumsily dressing San Yue again before hoisting him onto his back.

An adult puppet was not light, and Tu Zhuang, being short and thin, staggered a bit as he lifted San Yue.

Qi Chao reached out to steady him. Seeing Tu Zhuang's frail form, he offered, "Let me carry him."

"No need."

Tu Zhuang shook his head and refused.

Seeing this, Qi Chao didn’t insist. He deliberately stayed half a step behind Tu Zhuang so that he could catch him if he stumbled.

When they reached the aircraft, Qi Chao placed San Yue in the back seat and noticed the hesitant expression on Tu Zhuang's face.

"What’s wrong?" Qi Chao asked.

Tu Zhuang shook his head and sat beside March. As Qi Chao returned to the driver’s seat, Tu Zhuang turned his gaze to the still sleeping San Yue.

Can I trust this person?

Someone who could afford such an aircraft, even if A-level puppets were rare, probably wouldn’t go to such lengths to deceive him.

Tu Zhuang told himself this in his heart as he reached out to tightly grasp San Yue's fingers. The intense mix of hope and despair in his eyes made him appear somewhat crazed.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao piloted the aircraft in the opposite direction of his home.

Although Tu Zhuang's situation was genuine, Qi Chao wasn’t planning to take them to his villa. For one, they were still strangers, and for another, it was easier to maintain a disguise this way.

The place they were heading to was another property Qi Chao owned in the Linjing District.

Because it was too far from the city center, he rarely visited that villa, but it was regularly cleaned by staff. Using this villa as a disguise was perfect.

"Due to special circumstances, Shao Qi cannot meet outsiders. I'll need you to wait in the living room. Once the procedure is done, I'll bring him down," Qi Chao explained to Tu Zhuang after they got off the aircraft.

Seeing such a large villa and hearing Qi Chao's explanation, Tu Zhuang's previously anxious heart finally relaxed. Surely no one would go to such lengths just to deceive him. 

Overwhelmed with emotion, he looked at Qi Chao with a mix of excitement and gratitude. He pressed his lips together, wanting to express his thanks, but felt that mere words were too superficial.

Watching them disappear around the corner on the second floor, Tu Zhuang, left alone in the living room, began to grow anxious again. He bit his nails, counting the seconds, impatiently wishing for San Yue to wake up soon. If waking up San Yue meant he had to die right then and there, Tu Zhuang would do it without hesitation.

Meanwhile, Qi Chao, unaware of the extreme thoughts running through Tu Zhuang's mind downstairs, laid San Yue on the bed and locked the door. He then opened his toolkit and began his work.

He applied the puppet care solution to San Yue's chest and then closed his eyes to begin meditating, channeling his mental energy into San Yue's heart.

The naked eye couldn't see the green light that followed the pathway to the puppet's chest, hovering there as if in resistance.

Qi Chao sensed something amiss and furrowed his brow, summoning more green light. He repeated the process several times until the green light filled the room.

Countless clusters of green light charged at the puppet’s chest, unable to penetrate at first. Many clusters dissipated, but each wave was followed by another.

The green light clusters were like soldiers repeatedly charging at an invisible barrier. Qi Chao's brow furrowed deeper, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Suddenly, the sound of a shattering bottle rang in his ears, and the green light surged into the puppet's chest, this time successfully merging.

Once the mental energy fused with the heart, the puppet would gradually awaken with sufficient energy input.

After sensing that the procedure was progressing well, Qi Chao’s lips curved into a faint smile. 

He continued to channel his mental energy into the puppet’s heart, and after estimating the time, he opened his eyes.

San Yue remained still on the bed, but his complexion had improved significantly. Qi Chao noticed the fluttering of San Yue’s eyelashes, indicating that he was close to waking up.

So, he really can help other puppets.

With this thought, Qi Chao’s deep brown eyes showed a hint of satisfaction. He stood up, opened the door, and walked back to the living room.

San Yue’s chest still had some cracks, but they were not deep. After receiving enough energy, the application of ointment would heal them quickly. In fact, the procedure was effectively complete.

“San Yue should wake up soon. Shao Qi has already left the room. If you want to go up and check on San Yue, you can. Just don’t disturb Shao Qi,” Qi Chao said, sounding as if Shao Qi was genuinely resting upstairs. His serious expression left no room for doubt about his sincerity.

As soon as Qi Chao finished speaking, Tu Zhuang rushed up the stairs. His excitement nearly caused him to stumble on the stairs.

Qi Chao watched this with a faint smile, understanding the man's eagerness.

Tu Zhuang’s actions were indeed extreme; otherwise, he wouldn’t have agreed to the invitation so readily. Qi Chao knew that San Yue must be very important to him.

With this thought, Qi Chao checked the time. He had instructed the household robots to return by noon, so it was likely around that time now.

As soon as Qi Chao turned on his screen, he was taken aback. It felt like only a few minutes had passed, yet it was already 5 PM?

The screen was filled with missed calls, including several from Lan Luo and Shen Yuxi. There were quite a few in total.

Qi Chao first returned Lan Luo’s call, explaining to the two small puppets that he had been preoccupied and was relieved to hear that they had managed lunch on their own.

Next, Qi Chao sent a video call invitation to Shen Yuxi. Shen Yuxi rarely initiated video calls, so the fact that he had sent two or three calls indicated something important.

In the basement, Shen Yuxi heard the sound from his communicator and glanced at the screen before picking it up. He gazed at the screen quietly, his lashes lowering as if deep in thought. A few seconds later, his attention shifted to the corner where Chi Yao stood.

Chi Yao, gripping her large knife, seemed to sense that Shen Yuxi might be about to send her away. She immediately said, “Father, I suddenly remembered that there’s something in the trial grounds that needs my attention. I’ll return as soon as I’ve handled it.”

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

Shen Yuxi’s voice was gentle. After Chi Yao left, Shen Yuxi looked at the screen, hesitated for a moment, then reached out to accept the call from Qi Chao.

On the other side, Chi Yao leaped up into the trees with impressive agility. Although her departure to the trial grounds was just an excuse, she genuinely had a task there. She needed assistance in finding her father’s future partner..

Her older brother, Moss, had already warned her not to get involved in this matter, so she knew he wouldn’t help. Her sister, Ayu, still wasn’t aware of the partner search, but Chi Yao understood that Ayu would never conceal things from their father.

The only person who could help her was Agu. Although Chi Yao disliked Agu, she had to admit that he was indeed the smartest among them.

The trial grounds were vast, with endless mountain ranges stretching as far as the eye could see. 

However, Chi Yao navigated through the dense forest as if she knew exactly where she was going and soon arrived at a lake.

She waited by the lake for a moment, and soon, from the nearby forest, came the sound of a off-key song. 

A wheat-skinned puppet bounced out from a path, its hands covered in blood. With a cheerful smile and green eyes, it was unclear what it had been doing, as it was also smeared with bright red stains.

"Eh, Chi Yao, you came to see me!" Agu tilted his head and looked at Chi Yao, who was standing by the lake. Excited, he ran over, trying to hug her.

Chi Yao, of course, knew that Agu's enthusiasm was just to smear the disgusting blood on her, so she nimbly jumped into a tree, dodging his attack.

"My little sister is really shy."

Agu didn’t achieve his goal but still smiled with satisfaction, humming lightly as he wiped his hands on a nearby leaf.

Upon hearing his words, Chi Yao almost lost control of the big knife in her hand and was tempted to look at him. However, thinking of her plan, Chi Yao's red eyes burned brightly. She looked at Agu and, without beating around the bush, directly said, "I want to have Father and Qi Chao become partners. You need to come with me to the Linjing District."

"Become partners?"

Agu was stunned, tilting his head. Wasn’t it the father who was trying to attract men? Why did Chi Yao say ‘become partners’?

"Yes, there’s a pretty boy trying to seduce Qi Chao, which made Father very angry. I want to capture Qi Chao and throw him onto Father’s bed so they can have some 'exercise' and become partners. This way, Father will be happy."

Chi Yao thought her plan was great.

Based on years of experience watching over the trial grounds, Chi Yao believed that the young pretty boy she had heard about from the light brain was exactly the type of pretty boy that the women in the trial grounds liked.

Agu didn’t understand much, but he knew what Chi Yao meant by "exercise."

It must be said, as a puppet with a taste for dark humor, Chi Yao’s suggestion completely piqued Agu's interest. Just thinking about throwing Qi Chao onto Father’s bed seemed amusing.

Agu smiled and said, "Sure, but Chi Yao, you know that Agu is being punished right now. If I go out, Father will be angry."

Before Chi Yao could say anything, Agu added, "But for my lovely sister, Agu is willing to be punished."

Chi Yao gripped the big knife in her hand tightly once more.

Calm down, Chi Yao, don’t chop him yet. This puppet still has its uses. It can be dealt with after she captures Qi Chao.

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