Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 142

 

| PN | Not Qi Chao | 142

The shop at No. 3 on 677 Street has opened its doors.

This news quickly spread to every corner of 677 Street. As a neighbor of the No. 3 shop, Lu Yi had been sneakily watching next door ever since he sensed some movement there.

The No. 3 shop had always been an unreliable place on 677 Street.

Lu Yi didn’t know who the owner of the shop was; he had only heard rumors that the shop owner, along with dozens of vicious criminals, had tried to buy the shop from the broker. 

Before the broker could decide who to sell to, those criminals disappeared overnight.

Dozens of living people suddenly vanished.

Lu Yi shuddered.

The criminals who could enter 677 Street were all deeply connected to either the Empire or the Federation. Among those ten or so criminals, three even had bounties worth billions on the black market. 

It was unimaginable what kind of power the owner of the No. 3 shop must have to make such high-profile criminals disappear.

According to the broker, the person was a beautiful blonde man who looked exceedingly gentle. 

At this thought, Lu Yi shivered; indeed, the prettier the person, the more venomous their heart.

There were no fools on 677 Street; no one would recklessly provoke someone dangerous. Lu Yi was also someone who valued his life, yet he couldn't suppress his curiosity and kept peeking through the door crack.

He knew the others on 677 Street were surely as curious as he was; otherwise, it wouldn't be so quiet today. This area, known as the most chaotic in the Ganfen District, was no stranger to bloody violent incidents every day.

From seven to nine in the morning, with nothing to do, Lu Yi had been spying on his neighbor and occasionally heard sounds from the other side as if someone was tidying up.

He regretted not getting up earlier today.

Although he was a bit scared, he still wanted to see what the legendary figure looked like.

When two unfamiliar men knocked on the door of the No. 3 shop, Lu Yi squinted. As soon as the door opened, he hurriedly crouched down in front of the door crack and, in the next moment, saw a white-haired puppet come out, bringing the men inside.

Who are these two people? 

Lu Yi felt as though a cat was scratching at his heart; he was almost dying of curiosity. He anxiously ran to the other side, trying to press his ear against the wall to hear clearly what was happening next door.

However, before he could even press his ear against it, a sharp sword suddenly protruded from the wall in front of him, the blade mere centimeters from Lu Yi’s face.

Damn!

Lu Yi stumbled backward, staring blankly at the sword, his entire body trembling with fear. In the next moment, the sword was retracted, and a red eye suddenly appeared in the gap in the wall. 

The eye stared intently at Lu Yi, exuding a chilling calmness that sent shivers down his spine.

It’s over; I’ve been discovered. I’m going to die.

Lu Yi’s mind went blank. He trembled and opened his mouth, but no words came out. Regret and fear filled his heart, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead and back.

“Ayu, what are you doing in the corner?”

A man's voice faintly drifted from the next room. 

After those words were spoken, the red eye disappeared back into the crack in the wall.

Am… Am I safe?

The feeling of having survived a disaster made Lu Yi's legs a bit weak. His heart raced as he stared at the crack in the wall. He swallowed hard and awkwardly left the room.

Meanwhile, just a wall away in the No. 3 shop, Qi Chao lowered his hand from his mask and called out to Ayu.

When Ayu emerged from behind a shelf cluttered with various items, he smiled and asked, "What were you doing back there? I heard quite a commotion just now."

"Mm." Ayu pulled her navy hat down slightly, revealing only her delicate chin. She replied calmly, "There was a mouse back there, and it made quite a noise when I chased it away."

"There's a mouse?" Qi Chao paused, walking over to Ayu and letting his gaze fall on the clutter of items on the shelf. He sighed, "With so many things around, it’s no wonder there are mice."

"Are you scared, Ayu?" Qi Chao said, comforting her. "Don’t stay back there; come sit next to me."

Why would anyone be afraid of a mouse?

Ayu was puzzled. She looked up at Qi Chao, and despite her father's superhero mask, the worry in his voice was unmistakable. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.

Her father had ordered her to protect him. 

Sitting closer would make it easier to complete her task.

Zhang Cheng sat in a chair, watching the peculiar superman chat with him for a bit before running over to the white-haired puppet, whispering something to it. He didn’t bother to lower his voice intentionally.

Zhang Cheng could easily hear what the man in the superman mask was saying, and his emotions were somewhat complicated. 

It was just a mouse, yet this person was worried about whether the puppet would be scared, as if he truly regarded the puppet as a child.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

The strange man wearing the superman mask walked over, his tone sincere and tinged with a hint of laughter. The cool-looking puppet beside him nodded in apology as well.

Before Zhang Cheng could say anything, he saw the man in the  Superman mask pull out a chair from under the table and help the puppet sit down. The series of movements flowed smoothly, and his demeanor was entirely natural, as if pulling out the chair for the puppet was just an effortless task.

He was completely different from Qing Yu.

Zhang Cheng understood that if it were Qing Yu, the puppet might not even have had the chance to be here at all, being ordered to stay in a dirty corner instead.

His lips moved slightly, his thoughts becoming more complex. Everything felt like a scheme, but he couldn’t deny that his fondness for the man wearing the superman mask was steadily increasing.

"I've already understood the situation," Qi Chao said, looking at Zhang Cheng. "If it’s convenient, can you remove the black cloth?"

“Okay… okay.”  

Zhang Cheng hurriedly nodded and worked with his assistant to remove the black cloth.  

Inside the glass case, the puppet lay with its eyes tightly closed, deep in sleep. Its face and hands were covered in yellow spots, faint black cracks showing through.  

Seeing this scene, Zhang Cheng felt a tightness in his throat and turned away, not daring to look. He explained, “I have a friend who is a puppet master. He told me that if this continues, opening the glass case will cause the puppet to shatter completely within ten minutes.”  

He didn’t want Qing Yu to treat Ayao.  

The one suffering was actually Ayao.  

Zhang Cheng let out a bitter smile. Even if Qing Yu looked down on Ayao, he shouldn’t be so stubborn if it meant getting him better.  

Yet, he still didn’t want to go to Qing Yu.  

Zhang Cheng looked at the strange man wearing the superman mask, feeling a bit anxious. He tentatively asked, “Can you treat him?”  

On one hand, he thought this person might be a fraud; on the other hand, he couldn’t help but want to believe in him. The conflicting thoughts tangled in his mind, almost driving him to madness.  

“I can.”

Qi Chao's gaze swept over the puppet's damaged legs. He paused for a moment before resting his arm on the table, elongating his tone as he said, "It's just a very simple condition. It can be treated within a month at most."

The yellow spots and cracks on the puppet looked severe, but they were fundamentally caused by a congenital lack of mental energy. As long as the puppet master's mental energy was replenished, the issue could be resolved.

Zhang Cheng’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he stuttered with excitement, “R-really?”

Qi Chao replied with a soft “Mm.” Leaning back in his chair, he added, “Yes, but what can you give me in return?”

“You have to understand, I’m running a shop here.” 

“If it really can be treated, anything can be negotiated.” Zhang Cheng wasn’t surprised; treating a puppet would inherently require a significant cost. He had prepared for bankruptcy when he initially sought out Qing Yu.

On the contrary, such straightforward words reassured him considerably.

“Other than the two million gold coins we initially agreed upon, I’m willing to offer whatever I can if you can treat him,” Zhang Cheng said, eager to add, “If you can fix the puppet, I have many friends with sick puppets at home. I can introduce them to you.”

This person really does care about his puppet.

From Zhang Cheng’s attire, it seemed he was just reasonably wealthy; two million gold coins likely represented all of his assets.

Qi Chao looked at him and asked the question he had been wanting to pose, “You trust me this much? To offer two million gold coins, aren’t you afraid I might take the money and run?”

Zhang Cheng paused. After a brief silence, he nodded. “I am.”

If those two million gold coins were stolen, he would have to borrow money from friends to seek out Qing Yu again. Zhang Cheng clenched his teeth; even so, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he didn’t want to return to Qing Yu.

What if he had to come looking for me again?

Qi Chao could guess that Qing Yu must have done something to make Zhang Cheng prefer to seek out him, a person who might be a “fraud,” instead.

His gaze shifted to the puppet inside the glass case, warmth flickering in his eyes.

In this realm, there were indeed many who loved puppets and were willing to treat them as equals. However, the voices that regarded puppets merely as tools were so loud that they overshadowed these sentiments, resulting in the current situation.

“Alright, we’ll do it your way. The reward is two million gold coins. Since I’m opening a new shop, if you’re willing, you can help me promote it,” Qi Chao said with a smile.

Initially, he only intended to treat this one puppet, and the mention of a shop was merely a pretext. 

But now, Qi Chao found himself genuinely interested in opening a store. Respect for puppets was a minority viewpoint on Blue Star, and those willing to spend money to treat them were even rarer. 

He really wanted to help these people.

Of course, more importantly, Brother Shen had told him that this shop had been purchased anonymously, so if any trouble arose, he could simply flee without repercussions. 

Superman was indeed superman.

Qi Chao was Qi Chao.

How could two completely unrelated people possibly have any connection?

Thinking this, Qi Chao declared earnestly, “My shop operates legitimately; it’s not one that would run off with money. As for the two million, we can discuss that after the puppet is repaired.”

Zhang Cheng was taken aback, incredulously asking, “Y-you mean you’ll get paid at the end?”

“Mm.” Qi Chao wasn’t lacking in money. Since this person seemed to be speaking the truth, he didn’t mind easing Zhang Cheng’s worries.

Zhang Cheng was shocked.

From the beginning, he had never considered the option of paying after the treatment. The industry standard was to pay upfront, and if the puppet ultimately died, the money would not be refunded.

But Qi Chao’s words implied that he was confident he could heal the puppet; if he couldn’t, he wouldn’t accept any payment.

For someone to say such a thing, he must have a way to save the puppet. Zhang Cheng's anxious heart instantly found some peace.

Meanwhile, the assistant, who didn’t know much about puppets, could still glean some insights from the conversation between the two.

Zhang Cheng looked at the man in the superman mask, unable to suppress his emotions. It seemed that not everyone on 677 Street was bad. At least from his perspective, this eccentric person, who suggested that Zhang Cheng pay at the end, was far superior to those like Qing Yu.

“Thank you so much,” Zhang Cheng said, feeling a surge of excitement and not quite knowing what else to say.

“It’s nothing,” Qi Chao replied, thinking for a moment before adding, “When I’m repairing the puppet, I’m not used to having people nearby, so I’ll need you to wait outside.”

“Sure!” Zhang Cheng quickly agreed. “Are you going to start the treatment now?”

Qi Chao didn’t deny it. “It’s still early; I have enough time to work on some of the yellow spots.”

Hearing this response, Zhang Cheng quickly stood up with his assistant, nervously saying, “Then we’ll trouble you for now. We’ll wait outside the shop. Thank you for your hard work.”

After walking a few steps, Qi Chao recalled something and called out to them, “Before the repair is complete, the puppet’s skin will be extremely fragile. To protect the puppet, it’s best not to move the glass case.”

“If you have enough time, you can book a room at the nearby hotel. You might need to stay in Ganfen District for a few days.”

Zhang Cheng nodded hurriedly, feeling increasingly grateful.

Once the two left the shop, Qi Chao smiled and said to Ayu, “I’m really glad to see so many people on Blue Star who genuinely love puppets.”

Ayu tilted her head slightly, and under the brim of her hat, her red eyes shimmered with a complex light.

Those people loved puppets.  

Dad loved them too.  

But the two feelings were different. Ayu could clearly sense the distinction, though she didn’t know what made them different.  

Perhaps it was because her father was the only one in this world who felt happy for the puppets because humans genuinely loved them.  

Meanwhile, after Zhang Cheng and his assistant exited the shop, they began looking for a place to stay.  

“According to superman, treating Ayao will take a month. We need to stay here for a month.”  

“A month?”  

The assistant swallowed hard. Staying in such a dangerous place for a month, would they even survive?  

They exchanged glances, both seeing the fear reflected in each other’s eyes.  

“It’s okay; the hotel is right next to shop number 3. We can stay there for a month and avoid going out unless absolutely necessary.”  

This was good news for both of them.  

They walked in together.

Although 677 Street was dangerous, a hotel with a legitimate operating license offered a high level of safety. 

As Zhang Cheng walked in, he noticed that the hotel owner appeared somewhat unkept, with a pale complexion, as if he had been subjected to some sort of shock.

“Hello, Mr. Lu,” Zhang Cheng said, glancing at the name tag on the owner's chest, which read "Lu Yi." 

He politely requested two rooms.

Still caught up in the panic of having been discovered eavesdropping and facing imminent death, Lu Yi dazedly nodded and booked the rooms for the guests, all the while silently speculating about when he might be killed.

The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became. Just as he felt on the verge of tears, he suddenly heard the two people who had just booked the rooms engaged in conversation.

“The owner of shop number 3 is really nice.”  

“If he can really fix Ayao, Brother Zhang, you could help promote his shop…”

The owner of shop number 3 is nice?  

Remembering how close he had come to being turned into a sieve, Lu Yi desperately wanted to stop those two fools.  

Are they out of their minds?

Nice?

That guy is a monster!

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