Puppet Notes (Wearing Book) - 177

 

| PN | One and Two | 177

For You Zhao and the others, Qi Chao’s presence was nothing short of a guiding light.

Before they met Qi Chao, the three of them had been unable to successfully create a single puppet. They boasted about being puppet-makers, but in truth, they survived by selling energy stones.

It was Qi Chao who patiently guided them step by step in creating puppets, correcting their every mistake. This level of dedication was something no other master-level puppet-master mentor would ever offer.

No other mentor in this field would be as responsible and devoted as Qi Chao, who seemed to do everything purely for the sake of the craft and the growth of a puppet, rather than for power or fame.

You Zhao and his friends were not ungrateful people. When they learned that Qi Chao was coming to see them, they began preparing cakes and gifts to welcome their teacher and show their appreciation.

"Teacher must have his reasons for doing this," You Zhao said as he waved his light-brain. 

Although he didn’t fully understand why his teacher had asked him to announce his return on the light-brain, he faithfully carried out the request. “Don’t overthink it.”

Guo Li and Li Lang agreed with him. The three continued tidying up their workshop as they waited for their teacher and his partner to arrive.

"I wonder what Teacher's lover looks like," Li Lang suddenly mused.

Their teacher was undeniably handsome, so his partner likely wouldn’t fall short in comparison. 

Hearing this, the other two couldn’t help but let their imaginations run wild.

The three apprentices had never seen their teacher’s lover before. When they learned that their teacher’s partner would also be visiting this afternoon, they became extremely nervous, worried about making a bad impression. Only now had they managed to calm down somewhat.

However, when the knock at the door came, the previously tranquil workshop erupted into chaos. The three of them scrambled around nervously—grabbing, pushing, and shoving one another—before finally opening the door.

The next moment, they were greeted by the sight of Qi Chao’s warm, smiling face, and the blond-haired man standing behind him.

"Teacher, and Brother Shen," they stammered awkwardly.

"Hello," Shen Yuxi greeted them with a gentle smile. Having only recently recovered from a severe illness, he still looked pale and frail. 

His appearance exuded the delicate beauty of a sickly yet captivating man, instantly evoking a sense of fondness in others.

The teacher's partner seemed to have a very good temperament.

The three apprentices didn’t connect Shen Yuxi, the gentle-looking blond man before them, with Doctor, the notorious adversary of the association. Seeing the soft smile on his face, they felt their tension ease.

Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi entered the workshop together. Since returning to Linjing District, Qi Chao had deliberately altered his appearance: his long hair was cut short, his emerald-green eyes were now a deep brown, minimizing the influence of the Mother Tree.

To You Zhao and the others, their teacher didn’t look much different from before, though his demeanor seemed steadier and more composed, as if he had grown taller too.

“Teacher, I’ve posted the message you asked me to,” You Zhao said as Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi settled into their chairs. Calming his nerves, he handed his light-brain to Qi Chao. “I didn’t respond to the comments section, just to avoid disrupting your plans.”

“That’s fine,” Qi Chao said with a smile, having already reviewed the post earlier. “This is good enough.”

You Zhao felt a wave of relief wash over him.

Guo Li and Li Lang, standing to the side, quietly cut the cake and placed it in front of Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi. Both were naturally reserved and not adept at expressing themselves. 

While they were genuinely happy to see their teacher return, coming up with elaborate, flowery words was a bit beyond them.

Thankfully, Qi Chao understood their sentiments. After a few lighthearted exchanges, he shifted the conversation to a more serious topic: “In your opinion, how does the Empire view puppets?”

This question struck a chord deep within the three apprentices, touching on something they had kept buried in their hearts. Hearing it, they froze for a moment. 

Whatever thoughts surfaced left a shadow over their expressions.

Ever since the first puppet was created in the Empire, the treatment of puppets had been a subject of heated debate.

“Low-grade puppets have no chance of survival; they’re discarded like trash. High-grade puppets, from the moment they’re created, become nothing more than the playthings of the powerful,” You Zhao said, his voice tinged with bitterness. 

“When puppet-masters hand over their creations, they lose any right to have a say. There are hardly any laws in the Empire’s puppet policies that genuinely protect them.”

From this perspective, it seemed that the life of a puppet was destined to be a tragedy from the very moment it began.

If puppet masters didn’t want their creations to meet tragic fates, the only option was for compassionate puppet masters to raise them, shielding the puppets under their protection forever.

The three apprentices, having been raised by puppets themselves, deeply loved these beings. 

As puppet masters, they felt a profound sense of emotion and awe every time a puppet was born under their care. 

Yet, they were all too aware of the grim reality puppets faced. This was why they had always chosen to raise their creations themselves, keeping them hidden from the outside world.

Seeing the expressions on their faces, Qi Chao knew there was no need to elaborate further. 

After a moment of silence, his voice deepened slightly. “Not long ago, the association was secretly conducting experiments to transfer the abilities of S-class puppets to humans.”

Transfer?

The three apprentices thought they must have misheard. Guo Li, seemingly realizing a certain possibility, turned pale. “What happens to the puppets whose abilities are transferred?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Qi Chao didn’t respond immediately.

After a prolonged silence, he spoke of something seemingly unrelated: “Do you know what happens to a human being when all their blood and bones are removed?”

The abilities of S-class puppets flowed through their meridians like blood. Extracting those abilities was akin to draining all the blood from a human body. 

To achieve this, the machines would crush the puppet’s entire body.

Even imagining it left Qi Chao’s heart feeling unbearably heavy. The three apprentices, standing nearby, were pale with shock. It was evident they hadn’t anticipated the association to commit such atrocities.

Puppets had emotions.

Every puppet master knew this.

Even low-grade puppets, while limited by their physical forms and unable to display a full range of expressions, still had emotions. 

High-grade puppets, on the other hand, were almost indistinguishable from human children in their emotions and behavior.

The association’s actions were nothing short of chilling.

Putting themselves in the puppets’ place, the three apprentices couldn’t help but think: if their lively, affectionate creations—the ones who clung to them and begged for attention—were to be destroyed by the association, they’d feel an almost uncontrollable urge to kill the association’s president themselves.

“So, Teacher, are you planning to go against the association?” You Zhao asked, clenching his fists as he looked at Qi Chao. 

If his teacher truly intended to challenge the association, he was determined to give his all to support him.

Qi Chao didn’t deny it. That alone was enough for the three apprentices to understand his intention, and their excitement was immediate.

“Then, Teacher, what should we do?” they asked eagerly.

Sitting quietly nearby, Shen Yuxi, who had remained silent until now, tapped lightly on the screen of his light-brain. 

He then turned the device around and presented it to the three of them. “This is the account number of the Puppet Master Bugu. Add her, and she’ll guide you on what to do next.”

Bugu was one of Shen Yuxi’s subordinates.

Since Shen Yuxi had taken the converter device’s core, Bugu had been responsible for relaying information from the research institute to them.

“Bugu?”

You Zhao recalled that Bugu was a well-known master-level puppet master, someone who also had a good relationship with their friend Xiu Mei.

“She has a good relationship with your Brother Shen,” Qi Chao added from the side. He had only learned yesterday that Shen Yuxi had quite a few subordinates, including Bugu herself.

“Understood,” the three apprentices responded quickly, nodding earnestly.

The purpose of Qi Chao’s visit had been to discuss this matter, and with the objective accomplished, he and Shen Yuxi didn’t linger at the workshop. 

Their thoughts were already on the children waiting for them at home. Before leaving, Qi Chao offered a few pointers on areas where the apprentices’ puppet-master techniques needed improvement. 

Then, the two departed, leaving the workshop behind.

On their way back, Qi Chao and Shen Yuxi discussed their next steps while inside the aircraft.

Human desire and greed are boundless.

As long as S-class puppets existed, the research institute would eventually develop a substitute for the Mother Tree’s core and resume their ability-converter experiments. 

This was precisely why Qi Chao had returned from Ganfen District—he had to take action to ensure the royal family abandoned any further plans to exploit abilities.

He had carefully considered all options, whether it meant destroying the ability-user bases or overthrowing the association entirely. 

After much deliberation, the plan they were now executing had been decided upon.

The first step involved Qi Chao proactively building a relationship with the association to gain access to the ability-user bases and make further moves.

The second was to rally other puppet masters from Bluestar to collectively oppose the royal family and the association. 

However, he knew that the puppet masters alone would never be enough to force the royal family to take the issue seriously. To truly make an impact, public involvement was essential. 

Needless to say, accomplishing this would be an immense challenge.

Perhaps noticing the furrowed brows on Qi Chao’s face, Shen Yuxi gently placed his fingertips on the back of Qi Chao’s hand. In a soothing voice, he reassured him, “Don’t worry too much. We’ve already taken the first step, haven’t we?”

Shen Yuxi’s voice was soft yet reassuring, and it naturally put one at ease.

Upon hearing his words, Qi Chao gave a soft hum in acknowledgment.

"I know," he said, "but I still can't help feeling a little concerned. If the association has lost interest in master-level puppet masters, then the message I had You Zhao send might end up being useless."

It was rare for Shen Yuxi to see Qi Chao entertain such pessimistic thoughts. His eyelashes fluttered slightly, and a subtle discomfort stirred in his heart. He didn’t want Qi Chao to be weighed down by such emotions.

“It won’t come to that,” Shen Yuxi replied with quiet certainty. "If the association doesn’t come looking for you, there are always other ways to get inside, aren’t there?"

Out of Qi Chao’s sight, Shen Yuxi’s gaze darkened. It was difficult for him to imagine a day when he would willingly allow one of his own people to engage with the association in such a way.

Getting into the association was easy, but Shen Yuxi didn’t want Qi Chao to see the methods he was willing to employ just yet.

Qi Chao didn’t dwell on it for long. He chuckled lightly, realizing his concerns were a bit too stubborn, and it wasn’t really that big of a deal.

Once he cleared his mind, Qi Chao returned to his usual demeanor. He reached out and took Shen Yuxi’s hand, the warmth of his palm mixing with the coolness of Shen Yuxi’s. The temperature of their hands gradually aligned.

“Mm, I understand, Brother Shen.”

In fact, Qi Chao didn’t really need to worry so much. Even without the core, the association’s obsessive attitude toward S-class puppets remained unchanged.

The higher-ups in the association were always driven by the belief that if they could just find the core, they could immediately harness the power of S-class puppets. Their eagerness to collect them only grew stronger.

When the association learned that Qi Chao had returned from his travels, the president immediately sent someone to his villa.

"Let’s put aside the fact that you were late the last time you were tasked with finding Qi Chao. You missed the superhuman last time, but that can be overlooked. This time, you must meet with Qi Chao."

The assistant secretary of the association wiped the sweat off his brow, nodding repeatedly as he reassured, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. This time, we will definitely complete the task.”

The president had recently been reprimanded by the emperor, and he was now in a state of constant agitation. His once-kind gaze had been replaced by frustration and coldness.

“What I want isn’t just for you to meet Qi Chao. You must also get him to join the association, understand?”

Getting someone to join the association was no simple task.

The secretary had no choice but to keep his frustrations to himself. They couldn’t resort to force or coercion with the eldest son of the Qi family. They had invited Qi Chao to join the association a long time ago, but he had refused, and there was little they could do about it.

However, in front of his superior, the secretary didn’t dare voice his true thoughts. He could only nod in fearful compliance.

The next morning, the secretary arrived at Qi Chao's villa and knocked on the door.

As he waited for Qi Chao to open the door, the secretary had already come up with a plan. All he needed to do was bring Qi Chao to the association, and his part in the task would be considered complete. The rest would be up to his superior to handle.

When the villa’s door opened, the assistant secretary instinctively flashed a fawning smile, ready to greet Qi Chao. But before he could speak, he froze as he saw an unfamiliar puppet standing in front of the door.

From both the puppet's expression and appearance, it was clear that it was of a high tier. Based on Qi Chao’s usual craftsmanship, the secretary quickly deduced that this puppet was an S-class.

Just a year had passed, and he had already created another S-class puppet.

The secretary couldn’t help but click his tongue in admiration. Truly, Qi Chao was the kind of puppet maker that the president had been thinking about day and night. His speed at creating puppets was nothing short of terrifying.

“What are you staring at? Hurry up and come in if you’re going to.”

The S-class puppet, with a scar on the bridge of its nose, turned its head with an irritated expression.

How rude.

The secretary's smile froze.

If this puppet had abilities, once the converter device was repaired, he would be the first to throw it into the machine.

What he didn’t know, however, was that the puppet’s gaze, filled with malice, was fixed on him.

This was the first human to open the door for it, and once its abilities were restored, it swore to kill this human first.

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