Chapter 308 Strange Dollhouse
The Pearl District’s central business district, known as the old downtown, boasts narrower roadways and comparatively shorter buildings compared to the newer parts of the city.
Among the 20 or 30–story buildings in the area, the Opelucid Building stands as a prominent landmark, soaring 47 stories high.
There were many companies in the Opelucid Building, such as hotels, catering, clothing, jewelry, and shoes, and various companies rented office buildings and offices…
Spring Friends was located on the 38th floor of the Opelucid Building. However, it was not eye–catching as there were hundreds of companies with thousands of facades.
Josh reached the given address and stood in front of the unpretentious shop. He could not believe that this seemingly ordinary place was the renowned doll store producing five–million–dollar dolls.
Lilly pointed to a tiny sign on the door and read, “Spring Friends Doll House,”
Drake twitched his mouth. “How many words are there?”
Huh? Oh, I know this one!
Lilly counted the number of words on the sign and replied, “Two!!”
Drake continued, “How many words did you say just now?”
Lilly counted as the words on the sign, “One, two, Three, Four… Four words!”
Drake let out a cold snort and remarked, “Exactly, you can at least count correctly. The sign has two words, but you said four words. Does that make sense?”
Lilly shook her head innocently. “Sorry Drake, I was wrong,”
Drake choked.
He then continued, “It says Spring Friends,”
Lilly nodded and stared at the words, trying hard to remember them.
At this time, a girl came out from inside. She was wearing an apron, bent over slightly, and smiled, “Hello kids, what brings you here….
Josh said, “We are here to buy dolls,”
The young lady was taken aback, and looked around strangely, “Where are your parents?”
Josh and Lilly looked at Drake together.
Drake and Lilly looked at Drake together.
Drake had a cold face and said, “I am,”
The young lady was dumbfounded.
Uhh… Are you sure about that?
1/4
He’s surprisingly tall for his age, but when I look at him, he seems no older than eight… maybe nine. At most, he could be eleven or twelve years old.
Drake asked coldly, “Is there a problem?”
At that moment, he resembled Anthony a little.
The young lady shook her head subconsciously, “No, nothing’s wrong… Please, come in…”
Lilly looked at Drake in amazement and whispered, “Wow, Drake! You’re my idol!”
Drake immediately felt pleased when he heard Lilly’s praise.
Drake snorted. “It’s useless if you’re trying to flatter me,”
After finishing speaking, he put his hands in his pockets and went in.
Whether flattery holds any significance or not, it could be told by his twitching lips.
The young lady retrieved a notebook and posed her routine question. “Who’s interested in customizing dolls? Have you already commissioned an artist to design them, or…?”
Josh took out a piece of paper, “Yes, it’s this one,”
Money had the power to work wonders. Before his arrival, he arranged for someone to complete an overnight commission for an anime character design.
His description was based on Lilly, so when the young lady saw it, she subconsciously glanced at her.
“How cute,” she said.
Josh asked, “Then, let’s talk about the details!”
The lady glanced at Lilly, who was curiously exploring the store and was convinced that it should be fine. for a child to look around the store. She kindly instructed, “Little girl, you can watch, but please don’t touch them,”
Drake crossed his arms, his eyes displaying a hint of impatience. He asserted, “Don’t worry, if she happens. to break anything, I’ll pay double the amount!”
His sister just wanted to take a look at the dolls.
Let’s not make a big deal out of it. What’s the harm even if she picks it up?
In the worst–case scenario of accidental breakage, he would simply have to use his savings to cover the
COST.
Drake froze at the thought of it.
This was not right, if Lilly damaged the items, why would he need to pay for the damages with his savings?
He should ask Anthony to pay for it!
Realizing his inexplicable thoughts, Drake’s face grew darker and became more ruthless.
The young lady glanced at the children’s well–dressed attire and assumed they came from a wealthy family. She believed they would be able to compensate for any damages if they occurred.
She had no choice but to nod, she explained the process of making the dolls to Josh.
Lilly enjoyed ample time and freedom to explore the shop, but as she moved around, her brows gradually furrowed tighter.
There were two ordinary glass doors at the entrance of the shop.
However, the interior space was surprisingly spacious, akin to a rented half–floor apartment. They proceeded from one room to another as they explored the premises.
Most of the rooms were filled with display cases with a variety of dolls.
The dolls in this place had a slightly eerie vibe compared to the ones at Quinnie’s house. While the dolls. in the outer rooms appeared normal, the ones inside had a different aura altogether.
From the seventh or eighth room onwards, the dolls showcased in the display cabinets exhibited a pale complexion with two round red blushes on their cheeks and a touch of vermilion on their lips.
The dolls hairstyles were not reminiscent of the traditional or contemporary Dudroinian styles but rather resembled the fashion of the neighboring country.
Apart from the pale–faced dolls resembling singers and such, there were also warrior dolls wielding machetes and Priests dressed in their uniforms, although they were not an exact match.
Although the garments of the peculiar priests varied slightly, they all shared a common feature–a pale chrysanthemum embroidered on their clothing.
“It doesn’t look like something from the underworld Lilly whispered to herself.
Passing through the floor, it seemed to be a studio for making dolls.
At another corner of the shop, there was a glass door with several sacks piled up near it. Inside, a few staff members were diligently engaged in their tasks, appearing busy.
Drake, who was outside, watched Lilly go further inside until she disappeared.
He frowned and stood up, “I’ll check up on her,”
Josh quickly nodded, “Okay!”
Initially, Josh wanted to go inside, but someone had to occupy the lady.
He could have asked his brother to do so, but he knew his brother would likely end the conversation in just a few words. Plus, Josh had a bad feeling about the inside and he did not dare to go in.
Drake disappeared too.
The young lady hesitated for a moment, but Josh asked, “How much is the deposit?”
The young lady responded, “Huh? Oh, based on what you mentioned earlier, the deposit would be at least 100000 dollars,”
Josh took out his card and paid the amount.
Upon witnessing Josh’s keen interest in custom–made dolls, the young lady concluded that he was a serious doll enthusiast and potentially a big spender. She then reviewed the details with him.
Lilly lay on the glass door staring at the workers mixing materials.
At this moment, a tall figure appeared behind her quictly.
In the dimness, the person’s eyes revealed a glimmer of darkness as he stealthily approached and seized Lilly’s arm.
