| PN | Sneak Away | 209
This is a very realistic issue.
The prohibition of puppet selling not only protects the rights of puppets but also respects puppets with emotions.
Most netizens do not oppose the cancellation of trading because, after gaining a deeper understanding of puppets, no one can confidently say, "Puppets have no feelings."
However, this depends on whether the puppet masters agree to this.
Banning puppet selling is equivalent to cutting off their livelihood. Previously, the various measures announced by the authorities, such as requiring puppets to study or mandating that transactions undergo approval by the Alliance, were inconvenient but barely acceptable to puppet masters.
But if selling is entirely forbidden, how could puppet masters other than those who work purely out of passion accept it?
Once the news broke, the puppet masters erupted in protest, leaving critical comments under the official live broadcast stream, denouncing the Alliance's actions.
[I knew they had ulterior motives! Damn it!]
[Ugh, I love puppets, but I really can't live without money. If I lose my income, I might have to leave this industry.]
[Hahaha, the Alliance is reaping what they've sown. If all the puppet masters quit, who are they going to protect? Stupid idiots!]
Some netizens, however, pointed out, [But isn't buying and selling emotional and sentient puppets unfair to the puppets? Doesn't it also violate the Blue Planet Biological Rights Protection Act?]
This statement garnered significant support from netizens; after all, puppets are sentient beings, and selling them casually is excessively cruel.
However, for puppet masters preoccupied with the thought of unemployment, such comments were attacking them. The outraged puppet masters lashed out like rabid dogs in the comment sections, turning the online space into chaos.
Even without checking the comment threads, Qi Chao could predict the uproar. He glanced at Xiang Yue, who was beside him, and chuckled softly, “Nervous?”
Xiang Yue’s tail swayed slightly behind him, and his red eyes remained calm as he replied, “Not nervous.”
After all, Dad was right beside him.
“That’s good. You won’t need to speak later; just let Dad handle the discussion. When it’s your turn to speak, I’ll let you know,” Qi Chao instructed, then shifted his attention to the other council members.
The members were quietly discussing the puppet trading issue Qi Chao had just raised. Typically, after a member proposed a topic, thirty minutes would be allocated for discussion before questions were posed.
Once a majority of the members approved the proposal, the Prime Minister would inform the Emperor—Elliton in this case—and if the Emperor had no objections, the matter would be finalized.
The murmuring among the members soon subsided.
Since the collapse of the Association, the council members connected to it were systematically removed, leaving only those with no ties to the organization.
These remaining members generally had a favorable impression of the Alliance.
After all, the Alliance not only actively paid taxes but also proposed measures like reviewing puppet transactions, which provided an additional source of tax revenue for the Empire.
On this foundation, most topics proposed by the Alliance received tacit approval from the council members.
For instance, during a previous session, they agreed to Qi Chao's proposal to appoint a puppet representative as a council member. Although the matter caused significant debate, Qi Chao eventually leveraged prior puppet legislation to gain their agreement.
However, the outright ban on puppet selling? That would result in the unemployment of puppet masters and a reduction in tax revenue—an idea many saw as outright reckless.
Of course, there were supporters, such as those who had puppets in their families or genuinely cared about them. These individuals were more likely to back such proposals.
“Councilor Qi, have you considered the consequences of banning puppet selling? Who will compensate the puppet masters for their labor? Or, to put it another way, if trading is prohibited, is there even a reason for this industry to exist?”
One of the council members, clearly viewing the proposal as nonsense, was the first to question him.
“Of course, I have,” Qi Chao responded.
He raised his eyes and looked directly at the council members. His expression was devoid of humor, and the seriousness in his strikingly sharp features made the questioning councilor feel a moment of unease.
“Previously, in the proposal I submitted, I outlined that while puppet selling would be banned, this does not mean puppet masters would be left without any source of income.”
Qi Chao, himself a puppet creator, understood the industry's reliance on puppet-making for livelihood.
In his past life, he had entered the profession for financial gain. He was far from a detached idealist unaware of practical concerns. The ban on trading was intended to promote puppet rights, not completely dismantle the industry, leaving ample room for adjustment.
“First and foremost, puppets can still be exchanged, but the method of exchange cannot rely solely on monetary transactions. For puppets with emotions, cold financial transactions fail to respect their feelings.”
Want to acquire a puppet?
It’s simple: pay a substantial portion of the money upfront, then spend two to three months interacting with the puppet. If the puppet consents, only then can the individual bring the puppet home.
Money, effort, time, and emotion—when someone invests so much in another being, it becomes significantly harder for them to harm that being.
Once emotional bonds are formed and the puppet's agreement is secured, the exchange can no longer be classified as mere business transactions.
As for the reduced financial gains compared to previous practices, the Alliance would provide subsidies to ensure no puppet master suffers losses. Even those not yet part of the Alliance would receive fair compensation, provided they adhered to the established rules.
“You’re saying the Alliance will make up the difference?”
The councilor was shocked. Wouldn’t this be a losing business?
“With great power comes great responsibility,” Qi Chao replied, his tone calm, betraying no particular emotion.
In truth, he felt no burden. The Alliance wasn’t really losing anything significant. After all, it controlled the Empire’s energy stone mines, and the funds used for compensation were but a small fraction of its profits, easily recouped.
Moreover, in the future, as puppets gained higher status and became independent members of society without needing human support, the Alliance wouldn’t have to invest so much effort into these initiatives.
This response quelled most of the councilors' objections. If the Alliance was willing to shoulder this responsibility, they saw no reason to oppose it. After all, the puppet master industry would still function as usual under the new framework.
Even online, the uproar among puppet masters subsided significantly. Apart from the occasional skeptic wondering whether the Alliance would follow through on its promises, most of them were sighing that the Alliance was responsible and was worthy of being the alliance that pampered puppets.
The audience in the livestream stared at the sole puppet councilor, Xiang Yue. Initially, they had assumed he would join the voices opposing puppet selling.
However, it soon became clear that Xiang Yue had no intention of getting involved in that particular debate.
The same question lingered in the minds of the other councilors: what role did this puppet plan to play?
It didn’t take long for them to find out. Xiang Yue proposed allowing puppets to legally participate in human jobs!
Despite his canine ears, Xiang Yue was far from the "cute" type. On the contrary, his expressionless demeanor mirrored the imposing aura of his father, Qi Chao, and carried a similar weight of authority.
The councilors initially wanted to argue against the proposal. However, having already approved the idea of a puppet serving as a councilor, agreeing to let puppets work seemed like a relatively minor step.
What reason could they have to oppose it?
Some hardliners tried to resist and turn the tide.
Yet their efforts paled in comparison to the sheer number of councilors who either had favorable views of the Alliance or simply wished to avoid conflict.
Among them were those eager to curry favor with the Emperor, Elliton, who was known for his fondness for puppets. With these dynamics in play, the matter was swiftly settled.
Thus, the heated debate surrounding puppet selling concluded with little more than a little thunder and rain.
Yet this “storm” did not vanish into the mud. Instead, it began quietly and imperceptibly changing many things.
Meanwhile, Zhao Qi—a wealthy second-generation heir with some time and money on his hands—watched with interest.
After graduating from university, Zhao Qi secured a cushy general manager position at a company—a role that required little more than clocking in and out. Most of his days were spent idling or going out to play.
Over time, though, the lifestyle began to make him feel lonely.
Everyone around him seemed to have jobs, goals, or dreams, while he was the only one drifting aimlessly, skilled at nothing beyond punching the clock.
Recently, with all the buzz online about puppets, Zhao Qi, who had never been particularly interested, found himself intrigued. Bored and seeking something to fill his time, he decided to get involved.
To his surprise, that small step turned into a plunge.
First, he paid the necessary fees to the Alliance—something he was familiar with. Then, the Alliance helped him select a puppet. What followed was a three-month period where he had to build a good relationship with the puppet, which turned out to be a long and demanding process.
Zhao Qi visited amusement parks, zoos, and every kind of attraction imaginable, treating the experience as if he were raising a little ancestor.
At the beginning, Zhao Qi thought about giving up.
But then he reconsidered: after investing so much time, money, and effort, how could he possibly quit?
Stubbornly, he pushed through.
The puppet the Alliance paired Zhao Qi with had a personality strikingly similar to that of a Siberian Husky.
A puppet about the size of a ten-year-old child, the puppet brimmed with curiosity and constantly asked "why" about everything. During their first meeting, the puppet seemed timid, but as time went on, it grew bolder.
By the time the puppet moved in with Zhao Qi, it was brave enough to climb onto his lap and beg to be taken to the amusement park again.
There were moments when Zhao Qi questioned whether he had made the right decision in adopting this puppet. After all, he now had to shuttle it to and from the Alliance school every day—a task that kept him absurdly busy.
But when he saw the puppet's affectionate and innocent smile, all his doubts vanished.
Later, when Zhao Qi fell ill, he witnessed the puppet crying its heart out. The once mischievous "Husky" became a clumsy and worried caretaker.
In that moment, Zhao Qi realized it was all worth it.
This little one he had been raising wasn’t a waste of effort.
During a follow-up visit by the Alliance's enforcement team, Zhao Qi happened to see the puppet's comments in the report. While other puppets wrote serious evaluations, his puppet cheekily wrote: [I want Dad to take me to the amusement park more often.]
Zhao Qi was so exasperated he wanted to strangle the little troublemaker. You’re making me lose face!, he thought.
Yet, despite his grumbling, he still ended up taking the puppet to the amusement park one more time.
Zhao Qi was just one of many people in this evolving world.
As the rules and regulations grew more refined and society’s understanding of puppets deepened, no one with a conscience could ever want to harm them.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Shen Yuxi handed Qi Chao the receipt returned by the enforcement team’s puppet, smiling as he spoke. “Puppets with guardians are doing well.”
“Hmm, I figured.” Qi Chao glanced through the receipt a few times, then wrapped his arms around Shen Yuxi’s waist. “Things have been running smoothly now. Even if they keep developing like this, it wouldn’t be bad, but I still can’t fully relax.”
There were no more stray puppets on the streets. The Alliance helped match them with appropriate guardians.
For those puppets who didn’t want to be paired with a guardian, the Alliance gathered them together to form teams, making crafts or engaging in other activities to earn energy stones. Life was much better than before.
“Take it slow.”
Shen Yuxi gently ran his fingers through Qi Chao’s hair.
“Mm.”
Qi Chao paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up. “Let’s head to Ganfen District tomorrow.”
Now that the Alliance was running smoothly without his direct involvement, even urgent matters could be handled through the holographic brain. He could easily leave everything in the hands of his students and sneak away for a while.
Of course, the main reason was that the children at home were all too tired.
Although there weren't many puppets that actually needed their attention, and the enforcement team's workload wasn’t heavy, since getting involved with this matter, the children hadn’t had a proper break—neither had Shen Yuxi.
“We’ll take the kids out to have fun!”
Seeing Qi Chao's serious expression, Shen Yuxi didn’t object, softly agreeing, “Alright, we’ll leave in the evening.”
That evening, the puppets were thrilled to hear that their father had arranged a break for them, and they could all go out together with him. They were beyond excited.
Qi Yang: “What about me?”
It was so hot outside; he didn’t want to go.
Qi Chao knew his younger brother’s temperament well and, understanding his reluctance, kindly said, “I already told Qi Feng and Qi Ye. You can go over there tomorrow for a meal.”
Qi Yang: …
Damn it, he would rather go out and play than stay behind like this!
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