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The thread quickly went off-topic. Looking at terms like "Association certification" and "Mental Power," Qi Chao seemed to understand something. He exited the thread and began searching the keywords. The posts that came up were equally vague, but after connecting the pieces, a rough outline formed in his mind.

First of all, not everyone on Blue Star could become a puppeteer.

When puppeteers made dolls, they not only had to create a shell but also construct meridians. The meridians connected the doll's heart and body and were essential channels for transporting energy.

When creating meridians, puppeteers had to infuse them with their own Mental Power. The higher their Mental Power, the higher the doll's rank and the smarter it would be. Conversely, low Mental Power resulted in low-ranking, dim-witted dolls.

Several decades ago, a doll made by a puppeteer sold for an astronomical price at an auction. Countless people, lured by the enormous profits, flooded into the industry and began frantically making dolls. This resulted in wildly uneven quality, and before the Puppeteer Association was established, Blue Star was filled with countless inferior dolls.

They were ugly and bizarre in appearance, moved stiffly, and could not speak. Some could not even stand, only able to roll their eyes. These dolls had no market, and all that awaited them was filthy, stinking garbage dumps.

Yet those blinded by money did not give up because of this. Day after day, they mindlessly mass-produced dolls, dreaming of becoming rich overnight.

Later, Mother Stone, the resource that nurtured doll life, was nearly depleted. Supply could not meet demand, and only then did people on Blue Star begin to address the chaos. Soon afterward, they founded the Puppeteer Association.

The Association certified puppeteers' qualifications, and when buying dolls, the public also preferred works made by professional puppeteers. Unable to make money, the creators of inferior dolls gradually withdrew from the market.

Only the inferior dolls thrown into garbage dumps faded away with the passage of time, forever falling into slumber.

Today, the Puppeteer Association had established professional academies and hosted major competitions. It had countless puppeteers under its banner and controlled the market's voice. A year ago, it had even banned all online materials on doll-making, monopolizing the entire doll industry.

If a puppeteer was not recognized by the Association, then that person was practically finished and would not be able to earn much money in the future.

Of course, there were still puppeteers who made a fortune without qualification certification, but they were only a tiny minority—a one-in-ten-million possibility.

Qi Chao sorted through Blue Star's history with mixed feelings. His heart churned, until it finally became a sigh. The only thing in that history that pained him was the dolls forever sleeping in the garbage dumps.

Created by people blinded by greed, their lives had not even had the chance to bloom before they were treated as trash.

Qi Chao turned to look at the blond doll beside him.

Lan Luo was staring brightly at the projection, his expression lively and natural. If not for the spherical joints at his wrists, knees, and other places that differed from those of ordinary people, anyone would have thought he was an ordinary human child.

As though sensing Qi Chao's gaze, Lan Luo tilted his head. His clear blue eyes held innocent confusion.

Qi Chao smiled and rubbed the little doll's head. "It's nothing. Keep watching."

"Mm!" Lan Luo's eyes curved into lovely crescents as he nodded heavily in delight.

Compared with those inferior dolls, S-Rank Lan Luo was far luckier—and far smarter.

At present, the highest-ranked dolls on Blue Star were only S-rank. It could be said that Lan Luo stood at the very pinnacle. Supposedly, every S-rank doll possessed a special ability, but Lan Luo apparently did not. Otherwise, the original owner would not have been able to buy him for merely tens of millions.

Qi Chao withdrew his gaze from Lan Luo and absentmindedly thought that the puppeteer who had created Little One must have had at least S-rank Mental Power.

That was fucking amazing.

Blue Star residents were born with Mental Power, and it was difficult to alter afterward. Qi Chao still did not understand what this abstract thing even was.

The original owner's Mental Power had been A-rank, which counted as exceptional on Blue Star. It was said that people whose Mental Power exceeded S-rank could be counted on one hand, while most people were C-rank.

He wondered how much Mental Power he had, and whether it was the same as the original owner's. If his rank was too low, that would be troublesome.

Qi Chao did not care whether the Association would certify his qualifications. His only concern was that if his Mental Power was too low, the dolls he made would have severe flaws.

Moreover, repairing dolls clearly required Mental Power as well. If his Mental Power was too low, he definitely would not be able to repair the crack on the back of Lan Luo's hand.

He could ask another puppeteer to help with the repairs, but he only had thirty thousand Star Coins to his name right now. Repairing a crack on an S-rank doll would cost at least a million. The more he thought through each issue, the more troublesome it became.

Qi Chao told the system about his concerns in his heart.

The system was not sure either: [According to the system's analysis, Mental Power is related to soul strength. Your Mental Power should differ from the original owner's. If you are worried, you can go to a professional institution for testing.]

Qi Chao unconsciously frowned, but quickly relaxed again. There was no point in agonizing over it now. He would know the result after going to an institution for testing tomorrow.

Going to an institution naturally meant leaving the house. If he left tomorrow, Lan Luo would be all alone in the villa.

Ever since Lan Luo had been bought by the original owner, he had been imprisoned in the villa. Let alone going outside, even going to the garden to bask in the sun had been a luxury.