| PN | Fate | 117
On this day in March, the midday drowsiness was particularly overwhelming.
This drowsiness came without reason; usually, San Yue would be sleepy at noon. He lay on the bed, and as soon as he closed his eyes, his consciousness was plunged into darkness, as if everything in front of him was separated by an invisible wall.
A man in a wheelchair was wearing a white coat, his hair disheveled, looking like a dejected uncle, but his brows revealed a hint of malice, and his smile seemed somewhat insincere.
“Where is Moss? Chairman, we agreed that we would use him as a bargaining chip. If something goes wrong on Marshal Lu’s side, you won't be able to bear the consequences.”
The elderly chairman with a white beard smiled warmly, “I certainly know that. Professor Qiao, there's no need for you to worry; the information you've provided us before has been invaluable. We won't let you down for this.”
The two spoke in vague terms, and San Yue silently observed the scene, his fists slightly clenching upon hearing the familiar name.
None of the puppets in his dreams ever had a good ending, and hearing the name Moss at this moment was clearly not a good sign.
Sure enough, in the next second, the scene shifted.
The puppet, its hands and feet severed and locked in a cage, seemed to have lost all signs of life, staring blankly at the ceiling. In the corner of the cage lay piles of white bandages, and under the bright lights, the mottled scratches on Moss's body were glaringly conspicuous.
Not long ago, San Yue had seen the man called the chairman standing outside the cage, coldly observing the scene before ordering someone to take Moss out of the cage.
San Yue stood beyond the invisible wall, watching as Moss was tossed into a massive metal machine.
Before long, the machine spit out a red mother stone.
A living puppet had instantly turned into a mother stone.
Anyone who witnessed this scene would find it horrifying.
San Yue had only met Moss two or three times and barely exchanged a few words, yet the dazzling red crystal before him made his breath quicken and his body tremble slightly.
He saw the man in the white coat rush in, his face dark as he shouted angrily at the chairman, while the chairman wore an indifferent expression.
The two, who had initially appeared to reach a cooperative agreement, had completely fallen out and parted ways in anger.
When San Yue opened his eyes, he realized he was drenched in sweat. Puppets rarely sweat, and such an abundance of perspiration could only mean that his emotions had become too agitated, causing an imbalance in his energy flow.
There was no need to panic.
When he had dreamed of Lan Luo before, the situation had been dire, yet Lan Luo was still healthy and well, accompanying Qi Chao now. This was just a dream.
San Yue looked at his trembling hands, continuously reassuring himself as he tightly clasped his hands together, trying his best to suppress the overwhelming pressure within.
….
Meanwhile, Qi Chao had his agent arrange a resting room for him and had them prepare some maintenance solution.
The cracks on Lan Luo's face were finer than those caused by the original owner, but they extended a full inch longer than before.
As Qi Chao applied the ointment, his eyes were filled with concern, and his brows remained tightly knitted.
Lan Luo looked up at Qi Chao , his slightly curled golden hair accentuating his gentle and understanding demeanor. “Dad, Lan Luo doesn’t feel pain anymore. Please don’t be too sad.”
“Mm, I know.”
Qi Chao replied, but his frown had yet to ease.
Li Bai anxiously paced around Lan Luo, repeatedly muttering that Lan Luo doesn’t feel pain. His brows were tightly furrowed, as if it were he, not Lan Luo, who was in pain.
Xiang Yue, Xuan Jian, and Shuang Jian appeared relatively calm, but after spending so much time together, it would be a lie to say they felt nothing.
Their subtle expressions and movements clearly showed their concern for Lan Luo.
Qi Chao didn’t notice the few children behind him. After applying a layer of emergency ointment to Lan Luo’s cracks, he gently rubbed the top of Lan Luo's head.
“Dad is going to step outside to talk to Qiao Sheng for a bit. You all stay in the resting room and don’t go out.”
Qi Chao smiled at the children, appearing calm on the surface.
“Dad…” Lan Luo said anxiously, grabbing Qi Chao’s shirt and refusing to let go, stammering as he searched for a reason. “Lan Luo wants to go out too.”
He was worried that Qiao Sheng might say something inappropriate to his father.
Lan Luo felt a hint of regret.
He once again realized why his father had said he wasn't suited for missions. He had set a trap to make his father dislike Qiao Sheng, but Qiao Sheng was too unpredictable.
If Qiao Sheng ended up meeting with his father alone and said something he shouldn’t, Lan Luo would never be able to forgive himself.
“Don’t worry.”
Qi Chao noticed that Lan Luo was gripping his shirt tightly and assumed he was still scared. He comforted him, “Dad will be back soon.”
Lan Luo still wouldn’t let go.
Seeing this, and recalling Qiao Sheng’s earlier words along with Lan Luo’s reaction, Qi Chao paused for a moment before saying, “Dad won’t believe what he says.”
The hand gripping his shirt seemed to tremble slightly, and Qi Chao noticed this. He reached out to ruffle Lan Luo's hair gently. “Be good. Stay here with your brothers for a little while. Dad will come back soon to help you fix your face.”
Lan Luo's facial injuries had only been treated in an emergency manner; to achieve full recovery, he would need a specially formulated ointment from Brother Shen.
Hearing this, Lan Luo hesitated. His father had a good temperament, but once he made a decision, it rarely changed. If Qi Chao truly could disregard what Qiao Sheng said, perhaps Lan Luo didn’t need to cling so tightly.
He also worried that holding on too tightly might make Qi Chao suspect something was off.
“Then Dad, you need to come back quickly.”
Lan Luo released his grip on Qi Chao’s shirt, forcing a faint smile at the corners of his mouth.
Qi Chao observed Lan Luo’s expression and responded with a cheerful “Mm.”
He was well aware that Lan Luo was concealing certain matters. Based on Qiao Sheng’s previous attitude, the information Lan Luo had hidden was likely related to Brother Shen.
Qi Chao wanted to know about Brother Shen’s experiences, but there was no need to ask Qiao Sheng about it. He could simply ask Brother Shen himself later.
For now, none of this was particularly important.
With this thought in mind, Qi Chao left the room.
Once the door closed, Lan Luo felt a lingering unease.
Although Qi Chao had assured him that he wouldn’t believe Qiao Sheng, it was impossible for Lan Luo to fully relax.
Xiang Yue, who had been observing Lan Luo’s expression, suddenly spoke up. “What are you planning to do?”
Lan Luo's back stiffened, and he forced a bright smile as he replied, “What do you mean?”
Li Bai, Xuan Jian, and Shuang Jian all shifted their gazes to Xiang Yue, their eyes filled with confusion.
Xiang Yue’s tail flicked slightly as he quietly regarded Lan Luo, his red eyes reflecting thoughtful contemplation.
After a moment, he withdrew his gaze. “It’s nothing.”
Xiang Yue was sensitive to various emotions and could sense that something was off with Lan Luo.
However, since Lan Luo didn’t harbor any ill intentions toward his father and was currently injured, Xiang Yue decided not to press further.
Seeing that Xiang Yue had stopped asking questions, Lan Luo clenched his hands tightly into his pants at his knees, lowering his eyelashes to hide all his emotions.
He couldn’t be too anxious.
Otherwise, Xiang Yue and the others would definitely notice something was wrong.
Meanwhile, after Qi Chao left the resting room, he went to the adjacent room, where Qiao Sheng was lost in thought.
The beast puppet, Chao Yang, had been placed in another room.
Upon seeing Qi Chao enter, Qiao Sheng slumped in his wheelchair and forced a weary smile. “How is Lan Luo doing?”
His tone was sincere, yet his eyes were cold, as if he didn’t truly care about Lan Luo’s injuries.
The question seemed to be merely a way to appease Qi Chao .
Qi Chao didn’t respond to Qiao Sheng’s inquiry and instead shifted the subject. “Are you in a wheelchair because your previous injury hasn’t healed?”
The abrupt change of topic caught Qiao Sheng off guard for a moment, and he replied, “No, I’ve just gotten used to it.”
As he spoke, Qiao Sheng stood up from the wheelchair and walked a few steps, demonstrating that he was a normal person.
His willingness to cooperate was motivated by a desire to leave quickly.
Qiao Sheng had now given up on using Qi Chao’s side to provoke Shen Yuxi. Collaborating with the association was far more efficient.
It wouldn't completely anger Shen Yuxi, which could lead to Lu Chen being harmed, while still ensuring that Shen Yuxi wouldn’t have an easy time of it. It was a win-win situation.
He raked his fingers through his disheveled hair and let out a weary sigh.
The next moment, a sudden sound sliced through the air, and Qiao Sheng instinctively tried to dodge, but due to the angle, he couldn’t evade it in time.
A fist slammed into his abdomen, causing him to collapse back into the wheelchair.
Qiao Sheng hadn’t anticipated that Qi Chao would suddenly attack him. A flicker of murderous intent glimmered in his eyes but quickly vanished, and he immediately retaliated against Qi Chao.
Qiao Sheng rarely engaged in physical confrontations. However, having lived in the Ganfen District for a long time, his fighting skills were not weak.
Yet as he fought with Qi Chao, he was surprised to find himself at a disadvantage. After narrowly dodging a punch from Qi Chao, he called out, “Let’s not fight anymore; we can discuss this properly!”
“There’s nothing to discuss.”
A faint smile played at the corners of Qi Chao's lips, but his deep brown eyes held a hint of chill.
From the moment he walked in, he had noticed that Qiao Sheng showed no remorse, as if the injuries to his child were of no concern to him.
Qi Chao was a reasonable person.
Initially, he had only wanted Qiao Sheng and Chao Yang to sincerely apologize to Lan Luo.
But now, it seems unnecessary.
“Lan Luo went over to check on you and got attacked by Chao Yang, and you, as her father, show no sign of remorse?”
Thinking of the crack on Lan Luo's face, Qi Chao’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I don’t need you and Chao Yang to apologize anymore; it wouldn’t be sincere anyway. Just a good beating will suffice.”
Chao Yang had attacked Lan Luo, and now Qi Chao was hitting Qiao Sheng. It seemed fair enough.
Qiao Sheng endured the blows passively, and when another punch landed on his abdomen, he sucked in a sharp breath, growing increasingly irritable.
“He cares about me?” Qiao Sheng laughed in disbelief. “You can tell that Lan Luo dislikes me, right? Isn’t it strange for him to suddenly show concern?”
“So what if it is?”
Qi Chao didn’t deny it. He turned his head to look at Qiao Sheng. “The fact is, my child is hurt. Can you deny that?”
Qiao Sheng was momentarily speechless.
He should have known by now that Qi Chao was unyielding. This guy was not only blind to certain things; his focus was also far from normal.
“Aren’t you curious about what Shen Yuxi has done?” He dodged another attack clumsily, trying to plant a seed of doubt in Qi Chao’s mind.
“Not curious.”
Qiao Sheng felt a lump in his throat; he was so speechless that he momentarily forgot to react.
It was only when he saw a fist coming toward him that he realized the danger. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, but the punch never landed on his face.
“Let’s meet less often in the future.”
Qiao Sheng heard Qi Chao’s voice reach his ears. “I don’t know what you came to see me for today, but my child is timid. Since things have escalated like this, there’s really no need for us to meet.”
Qi Chao was keeping track of the punches; he was fully aware that he was fighting for his child’s justice, not merely venting his anger.
“I understand.”
Qiao Sheng rubbed his aching abdomen. Although the last punch hadn’t landed, Qi Chao hadn’t held back at all from the beginning. He had taken several blows to the stomach alone.
He couldn’t help but wonder what the wealthy son of a prominent family was doing with such fighting skills. One might think he had been in fights since childhood.
The gaze behind Qiao Sheng's glasses grew murky. “If that’s the case, I’ll take my leave.”
He needed to deal with the matters related to collaborating with the association to rescue Lu Chen as soon as possible.
Once Lu Chen was saved, he would no longer have to worry about being blackmailed by Shen Yuxi regarding Lu Chen.
This time, he had made a note of it; he would get even with Shen Yuxi sooner or later.
Qi Chao watched Qiao Sheng’s departing figure without following him. Instead, he opened his holographic device and posted about his fallout with Qiao Sheng on his social media.
[Not long ago, I received an invitation from a friend to join the association. I was tempted, but I’ve heard that Professor Qiao has a good relationship with them. After some contemplation, I think I’ll pass. After all, Professor Qiao doesn’t think highly of my family’s puppet, so the association might feel that I’m not qualified to join either.]
He wasn’t particularly vindictive, but even though he had avenged his child, as a father, Qi Chao couldn’t shake off his frustrations.
The association had been inviting him to join, and Qiao Sheng had connections with them.
While this message might not significantly impact their relationship, the most satisfying part was that it would irk Qiao Sheng.
As he thought this, Qi Chao felt a bit childish for his actions. Looking at the screen filled with comments asking what had happened between Professor Qiao and the esteemed Qi Chao, he raked his fingers through his hair and chuckled softly.
Well, that’s that.
Who hasn’t had moments of emotional impulse?
After closing the holographic device, Qi Chao exhaled deeply, stood up, and left the room, ready to take Lan Luo back to treat his injuries.
From Qiao Sheng's words, it was clear that Lan Luo’s previous concern for him had ulterior motives.
Qi Chao could certainly sense this; after all, Lan Luo had always disliked Qiao Sheng.
However, he knew that Lan Luo wouldn’t dislike someone without reason.
Just like he had promised Lan Luo before, he was merely a father fulfilling a commitment to his child. He wouldn’t take Qiao Sheng’s words at face value, nor would he overthink the situation.
Having left the room, Qi Chao was preoccupied with thoughts of his child's injuries and remained unaware that his message had indeed created a rift in the relationship between the association and Qiao Sheng.
One was a talented puppet master with four S-level puppets, holding a bright future ahead. The other was a puppet master with only two S-level puppets, who had made it clear from the start that he wouldn’t tolerate anyone laying hands on his puppets.
The association had been scheming to recruit Qi Chao, but with his recent post, he had made it glaringly obvious to everyone that he was considering joining—only to withdraw his interest because of Qiao Sheng’s presence.
Regardless of whether the news was true or false, the vice president of the association saw that post and immediately felt his impression of Qiao Sheng plummet.
When he later heard that Qiao Sheng wanted to meet with him, he instinctively rejected the appointment in a fit of anger.
Meet?
What for?!
He had finally waited long enough for performance indicators, and now they were all gone.
How dare Qiao Sheng come looking for him?
With a dark expression, the vice president stood up and headed toward the association’s basement.
That guy was dragging everyone down!
How much had Qiao Sheng delayed their plans?
They were talking about four S-level puppets!
As the door to the basement opened and closed, the gears of fate slowly began to turn in reverse. The original timeline seemed to twist and change at that moment, heading toward an entirely new direction.
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