Qi Chao

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Qi Chao (戚朝)
Alias(es)	Young Master Qi; “Dad Chao”
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Qi family; host of Artisan System 01
Occupation/Role	Dollmaker / puppeteer; former corporate heir
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Background

Qi Chao was a dollmaker in his original world for thirteen years, creating thirty dolls whom he regarded as his children. Born into poverty, he initially learned the craft to earn a living, though he later developed his own artistic standards and a firm opposition to mistreatment of dolls. 3 7

After his death, Artisan System 01 recruited him as a craftsman and transferred him into the body of Blue Star’s wealthy “Young Master Qi.” The system’s intended “warm doll fairy tale” setting was abruptly reclassified as a dark horror plane before the transfer was completed. 1 4

The original body’s memories revealed that its former owner had imprisoned and abused the S-Rank doll Lan Luo. Qi Chao immediately went to the villa, freed Lan Luo from his cage, and began caring for him as his guardian. 2 3

The Artisan System assigned Qi Chao the main mission of creating an SSS-grade puppet, a legendary rank on Blue Star. 4

Appearance

Qi Chao has a fierce, handsome appearance that can make him seem intimidating when unsmiling, despite his generally approachable demeanor. His dark brown eyes, single eyelids, long fingers, and slightly curly hair are recurring features. 7 19

• His smile reveals two dimples, making his otherwise roguish appearance look unexpectedly youthful. 7
• He has refined skin due to the body he inherited, contrasting with the rougher appearance he had acquired through manual work in his previous life. 6
• His hands are well suited to detailed craftwork and are frequently shown sketching, carving, and shaping dolls. 7 29

Personality

Qi Chao is compassionate, protective, and uncompromising toward anyone who harms dolls. He considers dolls to be living children with emotions and pain, rather than possessions, and treats Lan Luo, Moss, and even an unborn puppet represented by a Mother Stone as family. 3 6 28

He is practical and strongly motivated by financial security, a trait shaped by his impoverished upbringing. Even while pursuing puppet-making, he carefully plans income, negotiates favorable deals, and keeps contingency plans when money is scarce. 7 19

Although usually warm and humorous, Qi Chao can become frighteningly angry when confronted with abuse. He is also capable of deception and manipulation when he believes it will protect others, such as misleading Qi Feng and Qi Ye to keep them from leaving home. 2 17

Qi Chao is socially perceptive but dangerously prone to misjudging hidden threats. He consistently interprets Lan Luo and Shen Yuxi’s gentleness at face value, while System 01 recognizes the danger surrounding him. 10 31 39

Abilities & Skills

Dollmaking

Qi Chao was an experienced dollmaker before transmigrating and quickly adapted his existing expertise to Blue Star’s Mental Power-based puppetry. He approaches dollmaking as both a profession and a parental responsibility. 3 22 29

• Created thirty dolls during his previous thirteen-year career. 3
• Produces detailed character sheets, proportional diagrams, clothing designs, clay models, molds, and puppet components. 7 21 22 29
• Completed a complex blueprint for Lan Luo’s future companion in a single night. 22
• Received advanced instruction from Shen Yuxi on joint construction and the installation of Mental Power threads. 43
• Cannot safely repair Lan Luo’s cracks himself, as a puppet’s meridians require the original maker’s Mental Power for repair. 16

A-Rank Mental Power

Qi Chao tested as possessing A-Rank Mental Power, placing him among Blue Star’s higher-level practitioners and qualifying him to make puppets. 10 11

• His Mental Power manifests as green motes and can be directed with a white, chain-like construct. 27
• He cannot naturally see his own Mental Power and initially assumes his output is ordinary for an A-Rank. 27 28
• His output is abnormally abundant; observers compare its concentration to that of numerous dollmakers meditating simultaneously. 27
• His Mental Power unconsciously nourishes Lan Luo and the heart-shaped Mother Stone. 27 28 44
• Prolonged activation of the Mother Stone exhausts him physically. 47

Design and Commerce

Qi Chao has professional experience designing doll clothing and accessories, allowing him to turn old drafts into income after transmigrating. 18 19

• Negotiated a seventy-thirty profit split with System 01 for the sale of his unpublished designs. 19
• Exchanged thirty C-Rank, fifteen B-Rank, and eleven A-Rank designs for points and 798,000 Star Coins after deductions. 21
• Maintains alternative income plans, including accepting direct commissions through the Doll Forum. 19

Fighting

Qi Chao has experience in physical confrontations and is capable of defending himself against multiple opponents. 20 34

• He is confident in arguments and credits his experience confronting hostile bloggers and online critics for his ability to defend Lan Luo publicly. 20
• Defeated a group of men in an alley after they continued insulting Moss. 34

Equipment / Items

• Light Brain — Used for research, messaging, shopping, drawing commissions, and maintaining contact with Shen Yuxi. 8 19 31
• Special dollmaking tools — Includes Mental Power-sensing gloves, carving knives, scrapers, gas masks, special clay, resin, and other equipment. 22 29
• Heart-shaped Mother Stone — Purchased for 50,000 Star Coins despite others dismissing it as defective; it later awakened into a translucent red crystal after sustained nourishment. 27 47
• Aircraft — Used to travel with Lan Luo, including trips to the testing institution and amusement park. 2 10
• Camera — Used extensively to photograph Lan Luo’s outings, clothes, crafts, and sleeping routines. 12 19 25

Relationships

• Lan Luo — Guardian and self-styled father. Qi Chao frees him from confinement, calls himself “Dad,” protects him from harm, and works to repair his cracks and create him a friend. 3 4 20 21
• Shen Yuxi / Doctor — Lan Luo’s creator and Qi Chao’s online correspondent, later acknowledged friend and mentor. Qi Chao admires Shen’s puppet-making knowledge and seeks his guidance, while Shen sees Qi Chao’s Mental Power as useful for the Puppeteer Competition. 31 38 43 44
• Moss — Lan Luo’s older brother and Shen Yuxi’s assistant. Qi Chao welcomes Moss into his home, prepares food for him, respects his boundaries, and attempts to build a relationship with him. 35 36 47
• Artisan System 01 — Qi Chao’s nervous system guide. It brought him to Blue Star, assigned his SSS-grade puppet mission, and gradually becomes attached to him despite expecting him to die. 4 21 22
• Qi Feng and Qi Ye — His younger twin brothers. Though they admire the original Young Master Qi, Qi Chao becomes genuinely protective of them and encourages them to make better decisions. 15 16 25
• Qi Chenming / Father Qi — His inherited body’s father and Blue Star’s richest man. Qi Chenming believes Qi Chao is a dependable eldest son and entrusts him with guiding the twins. 15
• Twin Mirrors — An S-Rank conjoined doll pair Qi Chao attempts to rescue at auction. He is forced to withdraw when the Puppeteer Association claims them. 49

Story Role / Major Arcs

Transmigration and Lan Luo’s Rescue

Qi Chao awakens as Young Master Qi, destroys a black-market puppet regulator, receives the original owner’s memories, and rescues Lan Luo from the villa’s cage. He begins replacing abuse and neglect with food, clothes, education, entertainment, and safety. 1 2 3 4

Becoming a Blue Star Dollmaker

After learning the basics of Blue Star puppetry, Qi Chao tests as A-Rank, researches repair methods for Lan Luo, and rejects the Puppeteer Association’s restrictive certification path. He resigns from the family corporation to pursue puppet-making. 9 10 14 16 25

Creating Lan Luo’s Companion

After Lan Luo is bullied for having no friends, Qi Chao decides to create another doll for him. He purchases and awakens a heart-shaped Mother Stone, then begins constructing a new puppet body. 20 21 27 29 47

Meeting Shen Yuxi

Qi Chao contacts the mysterious “Doctor” to repair Lan Luo, develops a daily online correspondence with him, and eventually meets him as Shen Yuxi. Their relationship grows into a friendship built around Lan Luo’s care and Shen’s mentorship in puppetry. 17 31 38 43

Disillusionment with Puppeteers

At an auction, Qi Chao sees Twin Mirrors displayed as an artistic spectacle and is horrified by their suffering. The Puppeteer Association’s intervention prevents him from saving them, deepening his distrust of the institution and prompting him to question Shen Yuxi’s own history of auctioning puppets. 49 50

Notable Quotes

“Lan Luo, if you don't want to smile, you don't have to.” 6

“You need to remember that hitting people is wrong in itself. You don't need to hide your pain. If anyone hits you, no matter who it is, you can fight back. You don't have to endure it.” 6

“A good friend is a companion who can play and fool around with you, and who will always stand firmly by your side.” 21

Trivia

• Qi Chao’s online handle, “Dad Chao,” embarrasses him when Shen Yuxi says it aloud in person. 38
• He calls Lan Luo “Dad” as a deliberate way to establish a closer guardian-child relationship. 4
• He likes carving Energy Stones into snack-like shapes and cartoon characters for the dolls. 4 40
• His first amusement-park memory involved his parents trying to sneak him in without tickets and being detained for a week. 10