"Ring-ring-ring-ring-ring!!!"
The shrill alarm blared wildly, shattering the morning's peace.
In a slightly messy room, a small, somewhat rough hand reached out from beneath the covers, skillfully grabbed the alarm clock by the bed, and silenced it.
"Click."
As the alarm was shut off, a monkey plush at the bedside seemed to be tugged by something and fell straight backward, the back of its head accurately striking an inconspicuous button behind it.
A faint whir of mechanical transmission followed. The bedboard beneath its owner suddenly collapsed, and the still-groggy Kraft Lee fell through without a chance of avoiding it.
Then...
"Ahhhhh------!!!!!!"
An even more piercing scream rang out continuously. Kraft, thoroughly rattled, shot upright from a pile of screaming chickens while covering his ears.
Kraft rubbed his bird's-nest hair and staggered downstairs. His head was still buzzing, and combined with the low blood sugar from getting up early, he probably would not be fully awake anytime soon.
Dazedly following his usual routine, Kraft walked to the dining table with the gait of a drunk, sat down, stared blankly at the tabletop, and yawned from time to time.
It was not until his adoptive father, Mr. Lee, placed breakfast before him that he jolted awake and returned from his mental wandering.
"Looks like that new waking method you prepared for yourself worked pretty well," Mr. Lee said as he took two bottles of milk from the fridge and set one in front of Kraft. Then he added, "It was a little loud, though. It even scared me downstairs."
"Bread and milk again..."
Ignoring his adoptive father's comment, Kraft picked up a baguette, took a savage bite, and complained indistinctly through a mouthful of bread.
"We're Chinese immigrants. Even if we can't have congee with preserved egg and pork or jianbing, we should at least have steamed buns and soy milk or something!"
"I'm sorry, Kraft, but I don't know how to make any of that."
Mr. Lee smiled as he sat across from Kraft and picked up a baguette himself.
"That's why you need to find me a mom already," Kraft urged, waving the baguette that had been bitten full of craters. "She has to be a Chinese woman who can cook."
"You spend all day urging me to get married just so you can find yourself a cook?"
Mr. Lee's face darkened, and the baguette in his hand instantly lost its appeal.
"Um... isn't there a saying that goes like this..." Kraft shrank back a little, yet stubbornly argued, "Uh... whoever has milk is your mother? That's right! That's the one!"
"Sigh... that's not how that saying is used..."
Mr. Lee let out a helpless sigh, his voice full of exhaustion.
"Oh, it means more or less the same thing." Kraft grinned and waved his hand. "You get the idea."
"If you really want steamed buns and fried dough sticks, I can order some for you from Fu Man Lou."
Although Kraft was only his adoptive son, the bond between them went far beyond that of an adopter and an adoptee. Mr. Lee treated Kraft no differently from a biological son.
"Forget it." Kraft flatly refused. "Fatty Liao's family's place is way too expensive. I can't afford it."
"You can afford it," Mr. Lee said with a gratified smile. "I'm at least considered wealthy now, so we don't need to be as frugal as before. And can't you earn money yourself? If you're really craving it, go have a good meal at Fu Man Lou."
"Forget it. Bread's fine." Kraft stuffed the whole baguette into his mouth, then gulped down two mouthfuls of milk to wash it down. "The little money I make isn't even enough to buy new materials. As for your money, Martin, you should save it to help the people at FEAST."
After quickly finishing breakfast, Kraft grabbed the backpack beside him and hurried toward the door.
"I'm heading to school."
He completely ignored Martin Lee roaring behind him.
"Hey! You haven't even washed up yet!"
"Wash my face and brush my teeth? Too much trouble..."
Once outside, Kraft took out a piece of gum, popped it into his mouth, and started chewing. Then he randomly rubbed his face and hair a few times with his hands, calling it done.
At that moment, the school bus that picked up students appeared around the street corner.
"Hmm, perfect timing."
Kraft checked the time on his watch and nodded with satisfaction.
"My screaming chicken operation was a huge success~~~ It was just a little too intense..."
Remembering the terrifying experience of struggling to climb out from a group of screaming chickens, Kraft could not help shuddering.
"I really need to optimize it further."
"Hey! Kraft! Over here!"
The moment he boarded the school bus, an acquaintance greeted him. The one calling out was also a Chinese student, the young owner of Fu Man Lou mentioned earlier—Fatty Liao, as Kraft called him.
"Morning, David."
Kraft greeted the other students as he made his way over and sat beside David Liao.
"You were actually waiting for the school bus early today. So did that screaming chicken operation work?"
Fatty Liao, his face full of smiles, could not wait for Kraft to settle down before impatiently asking.
"It worked... but it was kind of traumatizing... It still needs some improvements."
Kraft wore an expression that was hard to put into words.
"Oh... what a shame. I was hoping to help you sell that wake-up system to Phyllis and the others sooner."
Fatty Liao said regretfully.
"Give it a rest." Kraft rolled his eyes. "Didn't I tell you already? I'd have to go to their homes to modify it. It's a huge hassle and has no value as a product."
After a pause, Kraft glanced sideways at Fatty Liao and asked, "Young Master Liao, are you short on money again? You're actually interested in my tiny cut of the profits... There haven't been any new games lately, right? The comic magazine only came out three days ago... Did you set your sights on some new treasure?"
At Kraft's question, the previously smiling Fatty Liao instantly changed expression and bitterly accused him, "Isn't it all because of my mom? She decided to do a big cleaning, and all my collectibles were found! But after I argued my case, my parents agreed to let me buy them back at their original price!"
The collectibles Fatty Liao spoke of were actually issues of the famous magazine Playboy. Fatty Liao had picky tastes, though; if he did not like the cover girl, he absolutely would not collect that issue.
But Uncle Liao and Aunt Liao were actually willing to let him buy those magazines back...
Truly worthy of people who ran a Black Shop! They would not even spare their own child!
"Serves you right!"
Having only recently turned fourteen and with his interests not yet shifting toward girls, Kraft could not understand Fatty Liao's pursuit at all.
A woman who can't cook is less useful than a hex wrench!
"Then don't you have any new inventions lately?"
Tears in his eyes, Fatty Liao hugged Kraft and refused to let go.
"If nothing else, make some more forehead-flick gadgets and Mechanical Locks. I'll take them to other middle schools to sell!"
"No!"
Kraft refused without hesitation. He had nearly made himself sick of forehead-flick gadgets and Mechanical Locks while raising funds before. Now, hearing those two names made him nauseous.
"Don't be like that... Without my treasures, I can't go on living!"
Fatty Liao wrapped an arm around Kraft's waist and began howling miserably.
"David, don't worry. When you're about to die, I can lend you one look at my collection to keep you alive a little longer. How about it? That's what friends are for, right?"
An African American student with the same hobby as Fatty Liao teased him gleefully in the rapid-fire cadence unique to Black speech.
"Get lost!"
Fatty Liao flipped the middle finger at his awful friend, then declared righteously, "I can't appreciate those big-ass Black girls you collect!"
"Hey! David! I won't let you insult my goddesses!"
The two dirty-minded boys of different skin colors then launched into a debate over their respective standards of beauty.
But Fatty Liao was quickly finished off by the Black student's line: "What's the point of saying all that? Your collection was confiscated anyway."
Only then did he remember his original purpose. He wrapped his arms around Kraft's waist again and started crying about his misery.
Kraft was getting thoroughly annoyed by Fatty Liao's pestering, so he told him, "There definitely won't be any forehead-flick gadgets or Mechanical Locks, but I've had some new ideas lately. Once the equipment I ordered arrives in a few days, we'll get to work. When it's done, we'll put the video online and see how people respond."
"I'm counting on you, brother!"
Fatty Liao heavily patted Kraft on the back. Kraft answered with an eye roll and could not be bothered with him.
But the other students became excited and crowded over to ask questions.
"Kraft, do you have another new invention?"
"Can you tell us what kind of invention it is?"
"Please don't make it too expensive. That toilet robot you invented last time cost way too much. I couldn't afford it at all."
"That thing wasn't meant for us in the first place, okay? It was for Clever Hands Channel's customers. I heard quite a few people bought it."
"Having money is nice..."
"Yeah, yeah..."
Vantas Middle School, where Kraft attended, was not some prestigious school. Most of its students came from ordinary families, while the rest were children from other ethnic groups like Kraft and Fatty Liao. Since most of the school's board members were Asian, many Asian families in New York were willing to send their children there.
Although America shouted slogans about human rights and equality all day long, it was all bullshit. Nonwhite people were treated differently in this country.
Back when Kraft and Martin Lee escaped from Maggia, Kraft had seen plenty of those people's ugly faces. So after Martin Lee made money and founded the FEAST homeless shelter to help the poor, Kraft had suggested refusing to take in white people. Unfortunately, Martin rejected the idea.
It's a shame I can't make those magical gadgets yet. Otherwise, I'd definitely make those Maggia bastards pay!
Remembering those miserable experiences, Kraft gritted his teeth in hatred toward Maggia, the culprits behind it all.