Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 126

 

| PN | Cute | 126

The certification of the Puppet Master went exceptionally smoothly.

"Your certification has been approved. Here is your identification information; please keep it safe." The head of the organization had a very good attitude, extending his hand to push a silver box in front of Qi Chao.

"Inside is the certification material from the organization. If you agree, we will publicly disclose your identity information on our official website."

Public disclosure of identity information? 

Qi Chao had no objections. He became a Puppet Master to influence some puppet master's perspectives on puppets and to ensure that puppets were taken more seriously. 

The greater the fame, the more beneficial it would be for his goals.

"That’s fine."

The person in charge let out a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, "That's good. Puppet Master’s will be awarded medals by His Majesty the Emperor. At that time, the internal affairs staff will coordinate with you."

"Alright."

Qi Chao had previously been awarded a medal by a prince during the Puppet Master Association competition. Now, the one presenting the medal had a higher status, but he didn’t feel particularly nervous about it. 

Perhaps it was because there were so many high-ranking individuals in this place; even his own status was not low, which made him somewhat desensitized to the presence of these princes and emperors.

The person in charge noticed Qi Chao's expression and inwardly felt a bit of anxiety for the president. Qi Chao’s demeanor clearly indicated that he did not fully admire the emperor. It would not be easy to persuade this extraordinarily talented puppet master to work for the emperor.

Unlike Qing Yu, whose eyes were filled with greed and a thirst for power, the person in charge could clearly sense Qi Chao's genuine dedication to puppets. 

In this case, even if he were to serve the emperor, there was no guarantee that he would sacrifice his puppets.

But that was something the president needed to worry about. The person in charge, having completed his task, regarded Qi Chao as if he were a family member and praised him, saying, "The puppets you’ve made are all very charming. If an auction were to see them, they would surely compete to purchase these puppets."

As he spoke, he glanced over at the five puppets and two very well-dressed “humans,” one large and one small.

Setting aside the two oddly dressed humans whose purpose was unclear, the five puppets were exquisitely crafted, with expressions and movements indistinguishable from those of real humans.

 Among them were even two fantasy types. Even if the S-class puppets inside did not possess special abilities, their auction price would definitely be around five hundred million.

Qi Chao noticed that his child stiffened involuntarily at the mention of the word "auction," and his brows furrowed subtly. 

He stood up and gave the children a knowing glance before politely addressing the person in charge, saying, "I have no intention of auctioning off my puppets. If there are no issues, I will take my leave now."

The person in charge was completely unaware that his words had caused any discomfort. Upon hearing Qi Chao's intention to leave, he hurriedly nodded and said, "Alright. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the organization at any time."

Qi Chao smiled politely.

Once he exited the organization, he gently ruffled the heads of several of his children, reassuring them, "You don’t need to be afraid. Unless you want to leave on your own, Daddy will never send you away."

He paused for a moment and then turned to Lan Luo, who was dressed in heavy clothing, gently patting Lan Luo's head through the hat. "Lan Luo understands that Brother Shen has his reasons, right?"

Lan Luo looked a bit bewildered.

He didn’t quite understand what his father meant by that, but recalling what Qi Chao had just said, Lan Luo quickly realized.

His father was worried that he might remember his experience of being put up for auction by his own father.

Looking up at Qi Chao with a smile in his eyes, Lan Luo nodded vigorously and said, “I know Father had no choice. He is different from other puppet master’s; Father never abandoned Lan Luo.”

When Lan Luo first arrived in the Lingjing District, it was for his father’s plan. Due to his personality, he had caused the plan to fail several times, but through it all, his father never abandoned him.

His Dad was worried he would be sad.

As Lan Luo thought this, his smile widened. Both he and his father were grateful that after the initial plan fell apart, and he hadn’t returned to the trial grounds immediately.

Hearing Lan Luo's cheerful tone, Qi Chao felt a bit more at ease. He didn’t know much about Brother Shen’s past, not even the reason why Lan Luo had ended up at the auction.

Brother Shen had his own struggles.

Qi Chao had understood this for a long time, and out of consideration for Brother Shen’s feelings, he didn’t plan to ask too many questions. He had been pondering how to comfort Lan Luo if he kept dwelling on that incident. 

It seemed that Lan Luo knew more than he did.

Xiang Yue stood beside Qi Chao, quietly listening to the conversation between him and Lan Luo, although his gaze frequently darted to the humans passing by.

Originally, Agu had been a bit vigilant, but upon noticing Xiang Yue's actions, he immediately began to relax, putting his hands behind his head and humming a tuneless song.

Having someone like Xiang Yue around was truly reassuring, Agu thought to himself. 

If that group of clueless people attacked his father, Xiang Yue would be the first to charge in and take them down, leaving him to finish off the remaining ones later.

Of course, Agu thought that the people in the association were probably not foolish enough to seek death in such a way.

Once they boarded the aircraft, Agu and Lan Luo finally took off their heavy outer coats.

Qi Chao chuckled softly, intending to make a playful remark when his pocket-sized holographic computer vibrated several times. He paused for a moment, took it out, and checked the screen.

It was a message from Xiu Mei.

Xiu Mei: 【！！！When did you become a Puppet Master?!】

It was clear that Xiu Mei was shocked; she hadn’t even had time to use her usual formal address.

Qi Chao was taken aback. 

The organization released the news that quickly? Hadn’t he just stepped out?

Noticing that Qi Chao hadn’t replied immediately, Xiu Mei sent a link to the post directly.

# Is the latest Puppet Master the big shot I think it is? #

Qi Chao hadn’t even opened the post yet when Xiu Mei sent another message: 【This is the latest post, and there are many others speculating that you’ve become a Puppet Master! So, is it true or not?!】

Xiu Mei’s tone was a bit excited, and her words were somewhat jumbled. But it was understandable; after all, in the industry, the gap between a Puppet Master and an ordinary puppet master was as vast as a chasm. 

Imagine, two years ago, standing at the same starting line as you, a friend suddenly transforming into a myth of the industry—who wouldn’t be shocked? 

Even though Xiu Mei had always known Qi Chao was impressive, she hadn’t expected him to reach such heights so quickly.

Five S-class puppets!

 Even Qing Yu, who was recognized as the most talented puppeteer, took nearly eight years to achieve this. If this Puppet Master was indeed Qi Chao, it meant he had done it in less than three years!

【Yeah, I just got certified today.】

Qi Chao replied, opening the post to take a look. He found that there was quite a commotion online over who the new Puppet Master was.

Some netizens believed it was Qi Chao, but most thought it was unlikely because it seemed too unbelievable. Their impressions were still stuck on last year when Qi Chao created the fantasy-type puppet, Xiang Yue.

In such a short time, remaking three puppets—no matter how powerful one's mental strength, it would be difficult to deny that achievement, right? 

After glancing at the post and realizing it was just netizens’ pure speculation, Qi Chao exited and returned to the chat interface with Xiu Mei. 

There was no need to reply to such posts for now. Once the official website released a statement, the matter would settle down.

On the screen, the chat interface still displayed the last part of their conversation. Qi Chao didn’t wait specifically for Xiu Mei’s reply; he sent a quick message saying he would talk later, tossed the holographic computer aside, and powered up the aircraft.

At that moment, Xiu Mei stared at the sentence on the chat interface, her expression dazed as she repeatedly echoed the words "Qi Chao is incredible" in her mind. 

She actually knew such an impressive person!

Wasn’t she pretty awesome herself? 

Xiu Mei couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement; she had made the right decision by ignoring the association’s nonsense back then! 

Otherwise, where would she have found a friend who was a High lever Puppet Master now?!

Neither Qi Chao nor Xiu Mei knew that in the brief span of a few minutes, the organization’s official website had already announced the identity of the new high rank Puppet Master. 

Contrary to Qi Chao’s expectation that things would settle down, the discussion surrounding the Puppet Master surged dramatically after the news broke.

【Damn! Someone tell me, are my eyes playing tricks on me?!】

【Ahhh, it’s really Qi Chao! I guessed right!! Qi Chao, my god, he’s become a Puppet Master!!! I’m witnessing a miracle.】

……

【Am I the only one who wants to know how strong his mental power is? Why is he so formidable?!】

【What’s the point of knowing? You can’t train mental strength. If someone is born strong, what can you do about it?】

【A Puppet Master! Will the association invite Qi Chao to join?】

【Are you kidding? The association president is just a Puppet Master; what’s Qi Chao going to do there?】

The attention on the Puppet Master was incredibly high. Almost instantly, the new threads stacked up rapidly, with netizens initially screaming about how impressive Qi Chao was. 

However, from a certain post onward, the sentiment began to shift.

Alongside numerous posts about the association, there were also snippets of gossip regarding the other Puppet Master’s.

【The Masters I follow haven’t released any news about new puppets in a long time. It feels like Puppet Master’s are like that—they shine for a while, attend a few banquets, and then disappear.】

【Exactly! Even Qing Yu has been silent lately. Has he made enough money and decided not to come out anymore?】

【Ah, no way! Qi Chao wouldn’t do that; he works hard and doesn’t lack money. He can’t just vanish!】

After reading a few messages, the fans who had initially been excited about the news of Qi Chao becoming a Puppet Master quickly grew anxious. 

Upon reflection, it was indeed true that many famous Puppet Masters in the empire rarely appeared in public anymore, and there hadn’t been any news about whether they were still making puppets.

Qi Chao rarely posted on social media, and it was already challenging for his fans to keep track of him. If he became a Puppet Master, wouldn’t it make it even harder to follow him?!

【I don’t want that! Boohoo, the puppets Qi Chao makes are so lovable! I come to check them out every day, and if they disappear, won’t my happiness disappear too?】

Logically, these unfounded rumors should have been quickly suppressed. However, for some reason, this time, the association couldn’t manage to silence them, and they seemed to be escalating instead. 

Even the hashtag # Have Puppet Masters Earned Enough Money? Why Have They All Vanished? # was gathering more and more comments.

When the president received the news, he initially didn’t pay much attention. 

But when the wealthiest individual sent a message declining to meet the next day, the president nearly fumbled the teacup in his hand. He narrowed his eyes, his mustache twitching with anger. “Declined? What’s the reason?”

“The current rumor is that the Puppet Masters rarely appear because our association is suppressing them. The tycoon thinks you invited him to discuss this matter, so he outright refused.”

The subordinate’s tone held a hint of disbelief; he never imagined the rumors would escalate to such absurdity.

“We're suppressing Puppet Masters?”

The president was both amused and angered by the situation. Setting aside the fact that Puppet Master was to be revered, he himself was a Puppet Master —how could he possibly suppress his own kind?

"Yes, the reason they provided is that Puppet Masters haven't produced any new works in a long time." Even the most talented, Qing Yu, hadn’t made any moves this year.

As the subordinate spoke, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Sure enough, the president’s expression darkened the next moment.

Puppet Masters creations went directly into the machines; how could they have the opportunity to be showcased?

“The head of the Qi family is not someone who would easily believe rumors,” the president remarked.

Before he could finish, the subordinate trembled slightly and said, “I’ve heard that the head of the Qi family dotes on his son. While the rumors are unreliable, it’s possible that he might believe them in a moment of emotional turmoil regarding his child.”

“Send him another clarification letter.”

The president thought the head of the Qi family was even more foolish than he had imagined.

The subordinate nodded and turned to leave. After a few minutes, he returned with a report: “The head of the Qi family feels that the association's reputation has declined, and he stated that he won’t accept the clarification letter until the association restores its reputation.”

The president was momentarily taken aback, doubting whether the other party was trying to manipulate public opinion. On the other hand, he found it unsurprising that a businessman’s first reaction to public scrutiny was to distance himself from the situation.

His face darkened. “Call the vice president over and find out the source of these rumors.”

The subordinate immediately complied.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Bugu, who had successfully cast a shadow over the association, felt quite pleased with herself. 

Given the association’s capabilities, it wouldn’t be long before the issue was suppressed—previous instances of public scrutiny against the association had also vanished in a similar manner.

However, as long as she could provide a suitable excuse to the tycoon, this round of the public relations battle would be deemed a success.

With that thought in mind, Bugu lowered her head and sent a message to her boss.

【Understood.】

Seeing those two words, Bugu suddenly felt that her boss seemed much gentler, though she instinctively shook her head. 

How could that be? Her boss's kindness was all an act—only a fool would believe it.

When Qi Chao returned home and opened his light brain, he found the online discourse somewhat baffling. 

After a moment of silence, he confirmed his identity on the social media platform and then switched back to his chat with Brother Shen.

【Brother Shen, have you seen the trending posts on social media?】 Qi Chao typed. 【I feel like the topic has taken a strange turn.】

【There will always be such posts online.】 

Shen Yu Xi seemed to be somewhere inconvenient for typing and used voice messages. His soft voice came through the light brain, 【Some posts are indeed odd, but as long as they don’t harm you, it’s fine to just enjoy the spectacle.】

While his words were quite rational, Qi Chao couldn’t help but feel amused. Perhaps it was the saying that love makes one blind, but he found Brother Shen’s expression of concern endearing.

"As long as it doesn't harm you."

Qi Chao recalled Brother Shen's words, and a broader smile spread across his face. 

Of course, if Qi Chao had known that the strange posts guiding the discussions were orchestrated by Shen Yuxi’s subordinates, his assessment of Brother Shen might have gone beyond just finding him adorable.

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