Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 141

 

| PN | Cheated | 141

Ganfen District is the most chaotic and impoverished place on Blue Star, and Street 677 is the worst among them. 

Anyone with a connection to Ganfen District knows that Street 677 hides many criminals, who hold significant power and have a complex web of connections. 

These criminals are linked not only to the upper echelons of the empire but also have ties with the neighboring Federation. So far, no one has dared to touch these people.

Street 677, the name of the superman.

These two factors combined feel like a malicious joke; no puppet master would choose to do business in such a cursed place.

Zhang Cheng had long suspected that the other party was a scammer, but when he finally confirmed it, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of loss. He looked at the screen of his holographic computer, preparing to delete this unscrupulous scammer.

Just as he was about to click on the settings button, the holographic computer chimed, and Zhang Cheng paused. He returned to the chat interface and saw that the scammer had sent several messages.

Superman: [What are the specific symptoms of the doll's illness? How long has it been sick?]

Zhang Cheng looked at the scammer's questions, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately decided not to rush to delete the friend request. 

Instead, he wrote: [It started two months ago. At first, it was just yellowing of the skin, but soon cracks appeared. I put my puppet in a glass vacuum chamber to slow the cracking.]

This illness is very strange. Zhang Cheng even suspected that the reason Qing Yu was so easily lured away by a voice call was that he didn’t know how to fix it at all. 

There was no response on the holographic computer screen.

For some reason, Zhang Cheng found himself actually waiting.

Half a minute later, a message suddenly popped up in the chat interface: [Got it. When you bring the doll over the day after tomorrow, remember to wrap a layer of black cloth around the glass cover. It’s best not to let the puppet see the light to avoid worsening the condition.]

Cannot see the light?

Zhang Cheng was a bit confused. As he carefully reread the scammer's message, he inexplicably felt that the other party was somewhat professional and was genuinely preparing to treat Ayao’s illness.

Once the chat ended, Zhang Cheng was still in a daze. He stared at the screen of his holographic computer, and a few seconds later, suddenly remembered something. He quickly got up and whispered a few explanations to Ayao inside the glass cover, then wrapped the glass cover with black cloth.

After finishing all this, Zhang Cheng let out a sigh of relief, then felt a bitter smile creep onto his face. He clearly knew it was a scam, yet he still believed the other party.

Rationality told Zhang Cheng that it was highly likely the scammer had figured out his psychological state and was leading him into a trap step by step. What he needed to do now was to cut his losses in time.

However, Qing Yu's attitude towards Ayao still made it hard for him to swallow this grievance. Coupled with their earlier conversation, Zhang Cheng actually developed a crazy idea.

The holographic computer vibrated as his friends in the group chat started to express their concerns again: [How is it? Did you reject that scammer? Hurry up and block him; go find Qing Yu while you still have the chance!]

Zhang Cheng paused for a moment, then typed:  

[No, I haven’t rejected him. This is the last time. If this time is a scam, I will definitely go find Qing Yu next time.]

Is he crazy?

There were a total of five people in the group, each holding a significant position in the empire. 

They regarded their puppets as family members, and after their puppets fell ill, the five sympathized with each other and became good friends.

Because they valued their puppets so much, the four could understand Zhang Cheng's thoughts. However, it was clearly a scam, and going out this time would only be a futile effort.

Yet no matter how much they tried to dissuade him, Zhang Cheng’s resolve remained unchanged.

He’s really lost his mind.

Seeing this, the four people formed a small group chat, determined that if Zhang Cheng ended up getting scammed and left with nothing, they would never abandon him, given the friendship they had built during this time.

On the other side, Qi Chao was unaware of the situation. The person he had previously suspected to be a scammer had now made him doubt himself first. Even the other party's friends were already preparing for the aftermath.

“Brother Shen, I just reported the location to him.”

Qi Chao looked at Shen Yuxi, unable to resist hugging his boyfriend and giving him a kiss. “I’m so grateful to you. If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be out looking for a shop.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just glad I could help,” Shen Yuxi replied, resting his cheek on Qi Chao's shoulder. His voice was soft, but his gaze was somewhat complex.

By agreeing to help treat the puppets outside, Qi Chao meant that even if the other party was in Ganfen District, he couldn’t just stay in his villa all the time. 

This wasn’t good news for Shen Yuxi, but it wasn’t bad either. At least he would have more time to deal with matters at the trial ground without having to exhaust himself looking for excuses.

He paused for a moment, then looked up at Qi Chao, his gentle peach blossom eyes revealing a hint of curiosity. “I’m more interested in knowing why you agreed to that person.”

“The reason is quite complex.”

Qi Chao rubbed his nose. The most important point was that when Nuo Yan sent the message, the client clearly stated that the puppet in need of treatment was made by the master-level shapeshifter, Qing Yu.

At first, Qi Chao didn’t want to agree because he thought the holographic computer was filled with a mix of people, and those informal ads for puppets were likely to attract scammers. 

Not to mention, the initial request was for two hundred thousand gold coins. Gold coins are worth significantly more than star coins, so when such a sum was mentioned, Qi Chao felt it was too far-fetched.

However, no scammer would casually joke about a master-level puppet master, as that would only expose their intentions faster.

Adding to that, Qi Chao didn’t particularly like Qing Yu, so the decision was made.

“Do you still dislike Qing Yu?” 

Shen Yuxi tilted his head slightly as he listened to Qi Chao’s explanation, his voice a bit soft.

“Yeah, I don’t like him.” Qi Chao didn’t deny it. 

After a pause, he continued, “Xuan Jian and Shuang Jian have forgotten a lot, but that doesn’t mean the pain they endured has been erased. Just the fact that Qing Yu maliciously made them deform is enough to disgust me for a lifetime.”

It was rare for Qi Chao to reveal his dislike.

Seeing his expression, Shen Yuxi's smile deepened a bit. Since Qi Chao hated the other party so much, he wouldn’t mind letting Qing Yu experience the pain of having severed limbs the next time he visited the association.

His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and he spoke, “Ganfen District is chaotic, and most people on Street 677 are obstinate, often engaging in activities that skirt the edges of the law. How about I have Moss pick you up and drop you off at home every day?”

Due to his special abilities, Qi Chao didn’t plan to reveal his identity. If he wanted to treat puppets, he couldn’t bring them to the villa.

It was at this moment that Shen Yuxi proactively offered up his property on Street 677, helping Qi Chao solve this urgent problem.

“Of course, that works.” 

Hearing Shen Yuxi's suggestion, Qi Chao smiled and said, “Having Moss take me is perfect since I won’t have to worry about where to park the aircraft.”

The Ganfen District is chaotic, and having Moss pick him up would also put Shen Yuxi’s mind at ease.

Of course, Qi Chao didn’t know that even a three-year-old child in Ganfen District would know not to talk to anyone with property on Street 677; they were a group of remorseless thugs. In the not-too-distant future, Qi Chao would also be seen as one of them.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Cheng and his assistant carried the glass cover wrapped in black cloth, struggled to park the aircraft at the designated area on Street 677.

Entering Ganfen District and Street 677 was challenging, and the paperwork took a long time.

“Teacher Zhang, is this the place?” 

The assistant swallowed hard, carefully following behind Teacher Zhang.

“Yeah, this is it.”

As soon as they got off the aircraft, the assistant felt a significant sense of oppression. The silent Street 677 seemed deserted, but everyone knew it was extremely dangerous—who knew if a madman was lurking behind a window, pointing a gun at them?

A chill wind swept through, causing the assistant to shiver. He regretted following Zhang Cheng to repair the puppet; coming to this place meant enduring immense psychological pressure. If this turned out to be a scam, it would be a huge loss for nothing.

But if it was real, the assistant felt even more apprehensive. What kind of decent person could run a shop in such a hellish place? 

He could easily end up saying the wrong thing and find himself in a precarious situation with a puppet master.

If it weren’t for the fact that Zhang Cheng was the most talented technician in their lab, the assistant wouldn't have risked everything to come along. Thinking of this made him almost want to cry.

Zhang Cheng was feeling some fear himself. He swallowed hard and, carrying the glass cover, said as he walked, “If it’s a scam, we’ll bolt immediately.”

“Okay, okay.” 

The assistant quickly nodded, already prepared to turn and run at a moment's notice. The two encouraged each other and finally arrived at Shop No. 3.

Street 677 was an old street with dilapidated buildings, each shop looking the same. It was quiet, exuding an air of long-standing decay and a terrifying silence. Even though it was broad daylight, it felt eerie and ominous.

The two of them found Shop No. 3, exchanged a glance, and the assistant swallowed hard, nervously stepping forward to knock on the door.

After a moment, a stunning woman dressed in a white naval uniform emerged from inside. She was tall with calm red eyes, a typical beautiful and alluring woman.

The assistant was mesmerized, his eyes filled with awe. It wasn't until he noticed her joints that he realized she wasn’t human at all but a puppet.

The puppet wearing a naval hat scanned the two of them with a glance, then moved aside to let them in, not saying a single word as if she looked down on the need to converse with them.

Watching the white-haired puppet in front of him, Zhang Cheng's emotions surged violently within his chest, and his palms were slick with sweat. He was about to find out whether this was a scam, and Zhang Cheng nervously licked his lips, his heart suddenly racing.

From the puppet’s exquisite appearance, it was clear that her level was not low. The fact that they had such a puppet significantly reduced the likelihood that the other party was a scammer.

Zhang Cheng couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.

He followed the puppet into the shop, only to realize that it was more like a warehouse than a shop, filled with haphazardly stacked energy stones and molds made of resin.

A man sat cross-legged on the floor, facing away from them, wiping down a shelf with a cloth. Hearing the noise, he turned around, revealing a Superman mask on his face.

Huh? A Superman mask?

Zhang Cheng felt a bit dazed.

Upon seeing them enter, the man wearing the Superman mask immediately said, “Sorry, my shop just opened, and I haven’t tidied up yet. Please feel free to find a place to sit.”

As he spoke, the man in the Superman mask stood up and began searching for teacups. It was clear that he was unfamiliar with the place; he rummaged around for quite some time before finally finding cups to pour water for the two of them.

Zhang Cheng glanced at the man wearing the Superman mask, his gaze falling on the chaotic pile of items behind him, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

He had thought “Superman” was just a name.

Who would have expected that this person was actually wearing a Superman mask?!

Moreover, this shop definitely wasn’t open yet, right? With so many messy items scattered on the ground, how could this be considered open for business?

As Zhang Cheng watched the masked man lazily sit back down in his chair, he found himself lost in thought. 

Could such a strange person really be able to cure his Ayao? 

He wondered if it was still too late to go back and find Qing Yu.

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