Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 149

 

| PN | Danger | 149

"Zhang Cheng, he hasn't responded to our messages at all."

In a laboratory in the Linjing District, Si Qi and Ge Si looked haggard. Ever since they learned that Zhang Cheng's puppet had been cured, the two of them hadn't slept well. They regretted not going with Zhang Cheng to Ganfen District to meet superman, thinking superman was a fraud instead.

Now that superman wasn't responding, and seeing Zhang Cheng's puppet full of life while their own puppets were still seriously ill—potentially facing a complete slumber in just a few days—the weight in their hearts felt like a stone, filled with remorse.

"Did he not accept your friend request?" 

Zhang Cheng had been busy dealing with a backlog of work and had just heard about this situation. He felt a pang of worry, concerned that something might have happened to superman. 

According to superman's previous statement, he was in dire need of money; if a business opportunity came his way, he would likely not refuse.

"He accepted." 

This was also what worried Si Qi and Ge Si. "But after that, when we messaged him, he didn't respond at all."

As they spoke, the two of them handed over their light brains.

Zhang Cheng looked at their chat interface, which only showed their greetings. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I understand. You two wait here; I'll go ask superman."

Si Qi and Ge Si's eyes brightened at once, and they nodded eagerly.

Zhang Cheng wasn't sure whether superman would respond to him, but empathizing with his friends' experiences and worrying about the superhero's safety, he decided to take the initiative.

At that moment, Ayao had leaned in next to Zhang Cheng during their discussion about superman. 

"Master, has something happened to Uncle Superman?" 

When Ayao first opened his eyes, he had already been cured of his illness.

Although he had spent less than a day with superman, he felt a close bond with him.

Even after hearing that something had happened to superman, it was the first time Ayao proactively leaned toward his master in front of outsiders.

"It’s probably nothing serious, Ayao, don’t worry."

Ayao's level was low, making it difficult for him to express a wide range of emotions, but his inner feelings were rich, especially after his illness was cured. He increasingly behaved like a normal human being.

Zhang Cheng looked into Ayao's eyes, feeling an even heavier weight in his heart. Superman was a lifesaver to both the puppets and him. He sincerely hoped that superman hadn’t replied simply because he wanted some rest, rather than something bad happening.

While he was deep in thought, the previously silent light brain suddenly vibrated, and a new message appeared on the chat interface.

[Sorry, I've been busy lately and haven’t logged into my work account. If possible, could you let the two of them send me updates on their puppets’ conditions?]

Seeing this message, Zhang Cheng instantly felt a wave of relief wash over him, and even more excited were Si Qi and Ge Si beside him. 

Superman had finally responded!

This meant that their family members, who were accompanying them, might soon be able to recover and be as healthy as Ayao, accompanying them for the long term.

Si Qi and Ge Si were so excited that their legs felt weak. They fumbled for a long time on their light brains before finally sending the puppets' medical reports to superman.

Ever since they learned that Ayao had truly recovered, the two of them had been waiting for this day. During the past few days, Si Qi and Ge Si lived in a state of anxious anticipation, feeling as if the days stretched on forever. 

They waited so long that they began to panic, doubting whether their family members would ever recover. Now, with a glimmer of hope for recovery, they were terrified that this fragile hope might slip away from their grasp.

Superman: [If possible, you can bring the puppets to Store 3 for an examination the day after tomorrow.]

Si Qi and Ge Si received this message simultaneously. Before they could figure out how to reply, another message came through.

Superman: [Recently, a family member of mine has been ill. I only have two hours of work time each day. I hope you can understand.]

A family member was sick?

Zhang Cheng thought to himself that it was no wonder superman hadn’t replied; he was clearly a family-oriented person. When he had paid earlier, superman mentioned that the two million gold coins were meant to buy gifts for his loved one. 

One had to admit, having someone like that in the family must be very fortunate.

Si Qi and Ge Si felt a surge of admiration for superman upon reading the message. Most puppet masters tend to be arrogant, relying on their skills as a form of capital, and no one would blame them. 

But for a master of such caliber to humble himself and apologize for his previous actions was enough to earn their respect.

That evening, Si Qi and Ge Si began packing their bags, quickly preparing to stay at a nearby hotel next to Store 3 with their sleeping puppets. 

They had already missed one opportunity and were unwilling to let their puppets miss this one as well.

The hotel owner, Lu Yi, had been living quite happily these days. The demon from Store 3 hadn't visited in several days, which meant his life was safe—at least for the time being.

What could be more joyful than this?

The memory of almost losing his life when he overheard something and was nearly pierced by a dagger left a deep impression on Lu Yi. When he discovered that the owner of the shop next door hadn't come recently, he was so overwhelmed with happiness that he almost burst into tears and set off firecrackers to celebrate.

However, tonight, upon hearing the new guests' question, the smile on his face appeared somewhat forced.

"Hello, are you inquiring about the owner of Store 3?" 

"Yes, we have arranged to meet him the day after tomorrow. Do you know what he likes? We want to give him some gifts."

"I'm not sure." Lu Yi's smile became increasingly stiff.

Looking at the two new tenants' disappointed figures as they turned away, Lu Yi felt as if he wanted to cry even more than they did.

He immediately squatted down and started relaying messages to the street bosses. [Wah, the demon is coming back! From tomorrow on, we must restrain our subordinates; we need to be as quiet as possible and avoid provoking the demon.]

The infamous reputation of Store 3 had already spread throughout Street 677 due to Lu Yi's incessant chatter. Coupled with the terrifying tales of how several bosses had suddenly disappeared, when news of Store 3 reopening reached the street bosses, they didn't hesitate at all and immediately closed their doors to customers.

Two days later, Qi Chao brought Brother Shen to the store. Noticing the eerily quiet atmosphere outside, he joked with Brother Shen, "I remember you saying that Ganfen District was chaotic, but looking at it now, the security on Street 677 is even better than in Linjing District. It’s just a bit deserted."

"That's true," Shen Yuxi replied, his smile unwavering, as if he had no idea why the street was so quiet. He gently said, "I quite like quiet streets."

Moss stood silently by, holding a stuffed doll. In fact, both he and his father were fully aware of what Ayu had done to Lu Yi. 

Even now, they didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.

No one was allowed to eavesdrop or disclose information about his father without permission.

"I quite like quiet streets too," Qi Chao said casually. He glanced down at Brother Shen and then stepped closer to him, gently stroking Brother Shen's forehead. The temperature was slightly higher than normal, but still within a normal range.

Originally, Qi Chao hadn’t planned to come to work. Even if he wanted to help treat the puppets, it didn’t mean he could just drop everything and run off to work without any burden, leaving his loved one behind.

However, Brother Shen's attitude was unusually resolute. Once his temperature stabilized, he urged Qi Chao to return to the shop and work.

Qi Chao understood that Brother Shen did this because he didn’t want his illness to delay Qi Chao’s matters; it was for Qi Chao's sake. 

For that reason, Brother Shen was willing to overlook his own feelings.

Every time Qi Chao thought of this, his heart felt a pang of bitterness. Patients had the right to be willful, and Brother Shen was so understanding that it only made Qi Chao feel more heartache.

“Brother Shen, I’m going downstairs to work. You wait for me up here.” As Qi Chao said this, he looked at Moss and added, “Moss, take good care of your father. If he feels unwell, come find me downstairs.”

Moss nodded vigorously, clutching the stuffed toy tightly. His father’s illness had indeed scared him, and he was determined to listen to his dad and take good care of his fragile father.

Seeing Moss’s small gesture, Qi Chao smiled and encouraged him with a pat on the shoulder. 

Then he bent down to adjust the blanket on Brother Shen's legs, emphasizing once more, “Brother Shen, if you feel unwell, you must tell Moss, okay?”

“I know, don’t worry too much,” Shen Yuxi replied. He raised his hand to gently stroke Qi Chao's cheek, his gaze soft and affectionate. He chuckled lightly, “I came here with you, so why are you still worried?”

Qi Chao didn’t respond but smiled back at him. 

After receiving the message on his light brain, he had agreed to Brother Shen’s proposal to return to work. 

However, the condition was that Brother Shen could accompany him to the shop, making it easier for him to take care of Brother Shen.

After Qi Chao left the second-floor room of the shop, Shen Yuxi’s beautiful peach blossom eyes remained fixed on the doorway.

Moss couldn’t shake the feeling that his father would call for him to bring Qi Chao back at any moment. However, after waiting for ten minutes without any command from his father, he began to think he was overthinking it.

“Father?” 

Moss's voice was hoarse, tinged with confusion.

“It’s nothing.” 

Shen Yuxi snapped back to reality. He lowered his head, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Qi Chao was indeed worried about him because he had asked him to work. 

Although it felt a bit uncomfortable to send Qi Chao away, he was somewhat satisfied with the outcome and could endure it for now.

He paused for a moment, feeling his body temperature beginning to rise again, the same weakness he had experienced yesterday flooding back.

Here it comes again.

Shen Yuxi clenched his fists, his fingertips turning white, yet his gaze remained calm. He parted his lips and instructed, “Send a message to Chi Yao and Ayu. Continue targeting Lu Chen and the book characters. If necessary, eliminate them directly.”

This was the first time Moss had received such an order from his father. He immediately looked up at him and nodded after a few seconds.

Everything had changed; it was no longer just about the mission. Even if it was to ensure that his father could be together with Qi Chao forever, they would do everything they could to complete the tasks assigned by their father.

Meanwhile, Si Qi and Ge Si finally met the legendary superman. He matched Zhang Cheng's description perfectly: tall, with a great demeanor, wearing a peculiar superhero mask. He was very talkative and didn’t carry himself like a master at all.

“As I mentioned earlier in the light brain, I don’t have much time each day to repair the puppets. However, you can rest assured that since I’ve agreed to fix them, I will do my utmost. I won’t let the puppets remain in eternal slumber.”

Si Qi and Ge Si nodded eagerly. 

“We understand.”

To be honest, if it weren't for superman, they would have already prepared for the worst regarding their puppets' fate. Even if the outcome turned out to be disappointing, they wouldn’t blame anyone.

Qi Chao nodded. “Then that’s settled. You two can step out for now. I’ll start the repairs for a while and call you back when I'm ready.”

Si Qi and Ge Si had already learned about the supermab’s habits from Zhang Cheng. Upon hearing his words, they quickly exited, fearing they might disturb the puppet master’s work.

Street 677 was eerily quiet.

You could say it was unsettlingly so.

After stepping outside, both of them swallowed nervously. They had known for a long time that 677 was infamous for its chaos, but the profound silence felt abnormal. 

As time passed, their anxiety deepened, but for the sake of the puppets, they could only endure.

Standing in front of Store 3, Si Qi and Ge Si held hands and exchanged fearful glances, bracing themselves for any potential attack from criminals, ready to dash back into the shop at a moment’s notice. 

The store loomed before them like a golden bell, becoming the safest place in their minds.

However, little did they know, in the hearts of the bosses and underlings on Street 677, this very Store 3 was considered the most dangerous and terrifying place on the entire street.

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