Page 14

Qi Chao was impressed by the system's speed and asked inwardly, "Does the Artisan General Bureau provide materials on dollmaking?"

The association had blocked all information related to dollmaking online, and now it was nearly impossible to find anything useful. Anyone who wanted to learn how to make dolls had to register with the association and undergo an assessment first.

Qi Chao had learned from the forums that puppeteers studying under the association were required to work for free for two to three years. Any dolls made during that service period belonged to the association.

How could he possibly agree to that?

To him, handing ownership of his dolls over to the association was no different from watching someone else carry off his own child. What parent could stand that?

But if he did not go through the association, the existing information online was nowhere near enough for him to systematically learn how Blue Star dolls were made. Lan Luo still had cracks that needed repairing, and the thought gave Qi Chao a headache.

[Sorry, Host. The General Bureau does not provide free materials.]

The moment the system finished speaking, Qi Chao caught the key point. "No free materials means you offer paid ones?"

[Yes. The system store can provide materials, but transactions require Artisan Points. You currently have zero Artisan Points.]

"How do I earn Artisan Points?" Qi Chao had thought the road ahead was blocked, only to find another way out. He relaxed inwardly.

[After side quests are unlocked, completing each one will earn one hundred to two hundred points.] After saying that, the system added, [Generally speaking, once an artisan arrives in a world, the General Bureau will issue side quests within one week. Your side quest is still being generated, so there is no need to worry.]

According to the rules, the system should have explained the store and point system after issuing the side quest. However, this host was exceptionally diligent, so it introduced them early.

Within a week? Qi Chao calculated it. There were still four days left.

Seeing Qi Chao lower his head without speaking, the system compared him to the effeminate guy next door and could not help but interject, [I suggest that you do not place all your hopes on the system store.]

[Side quests refresh once a week and can earn at most two hundred points, but the items in the store are rather expensive.]

The system practically wanted to tell Qi Chao outright that the store was a complete rip-off. After thinking it over, it projected the store into the air and let the facts prove its point.

Qi Chao froze for a moment, his gaze falling on the transparent screen before him. Items were categorized by rank, with their prices clearly listed.

C-rank Items

Starry Blue Hair Ribbon

[Doll Use Only] 500 points

Decorative Bandage Patch

[Doll Use Only] 600 points

...

A-Rank Items

Complete Guide to Dollmaking

[Essential for Puppeteers] 10,000 points

Completing a side quest earned at most two hundred points, yet even the lowest-rank hair ribbon cost five hundred points. Not to mention that book cost a full ten thousand points! To buy the dollmaking guide, he would have to complete at least fifty quests!

It really was a damn rip-off.

Qi Chao gave a wry smile, as though he had suddenly returned to the days more than a decade ago when he did not have a single cent in his pocket. His pen poked at the blank drawing paper as he sank into thought.

Seeing this, the system knew its host needed some time alone. Considerately, it slipped away and headed next door to comfort its second Jiao Jiao host.

Relying on side quests to learn dollmaking was far too slow, and the association was not an option either. Under the warm yellow desk lamp, Qi Chao's dark brown eyes looked somewhat dim. He scratched the slightly upturned hair at the back of his head and suddenly thought of the original owner.

The Qi Family was a

wealthy

family.

Father Qi was also Blue Star's richest man. None of that was the important part. What mattered was that the Qi Family had an enormous library. The original owner had first learned of dolls from one of the books in the old residence.

That meant there had to be methods for making dolls in there. No matter how far the Puppeteer Association's reach extended, it would not meddle in the home of the richest man.

Qi Chao absentmindedly drew a checkmark on the paper with his pen. Even if there were no detailed methods, there would surely be a sentence or two that could prove useful. That was still better than wandering around like a headless fly.

He still needed to make a trip back to the old residence.

He took out his Light Brain and sent a message to the old residence's butler, informing him that he would be returning home the next morning. Then he began considering how to deal with the original owner's family tomorrow.

The original owner's parents had entered a business marriage. After giving birth to him, they separated. Father Qi expanded his business empire across Blue Star, while Mother Qi ran off with her true love to another planet and started a new family.

Strictly speaking, the original owner had been rather pitiful too. But he had been a pitiful person twisted into a pervert, and Qi Chao felt no sympathy for him whatsoever.

There were not many people in the Qi Family now: Father Qi, the original owner, and the original owner's two younger half-brothers from the same father.

Father Qi was busy with work and spent most of his time flying all over the place, rarely staying at the old residence. His two younger brothers were in high school, and since tomorrow was a day off, he would very likely run into them.

However, Qi Chao was not too worried. The original owner had been a sanctimonious hypocrite with an excellent reputation in their circle. No matter how much he loathed and discriminated against his two illegitimate younger brothers, he always acted like a good older brother in public.

The two younger brothers appeared rebellious and unruly in the eyes of outsiders, constantly causing trouble, but in truth, they deeply admired the original owner as their older brother.

On the surface, the three brothers had a fairly good relationship.

In Qi Chao's eyes, though the two younger brothers had poor reputations, compared to the original owner, they were practically innocent little white rabbits.

As an experienced adult, Qi Chao could handle two boys of sixteen or seventeen no matter what.

As long as he did not run into the original owner's shrewd father, everything would be fine. Father Qi had not returned home for nearly a year. He was a busy man, so Qi Chao should not be unlucky enough to encounter the final boss on his first trip to the old residence.

After making all his plans, Qi Chao got up and returned to his room to sleep. When he woke the next day, he told Lan Luo that he would be leaving temporarily for a day. He was still unfamiliar with the old residence himself, and taking the little doll along would introduce too many variables. It was better to let the child rest peacefully at home.

Lan Luo's azure eyes curved into crescents as he smiled and nodded. It was difficult to see any reluctance in his expression.

Or perhaps the little doll truly did not feel reluctant. After all, that guy, the original owner, had rarely returned to the villa before.

Lan Luo was still wearing the little deer headband, so it was inconvenient for Qi Chao to rub the little doll's head. Instead, he gently patted Little One's soft hair.