I Think That's Pretty Scientific

Chapter 29: 029: Dream Toy Expo (Part 1)

Several days had passed since the music festival shooting, and no one had discovered what Kraft had done. Once the furor over the shooting had died down, his life returned to normal. Except for that pervert Liao Fatso, who still popped by every now and then to pester him for the dwarf invisibility device. However, once he learned that the invisibility device only lasted a dozen or so seconds, he looked utterly dejected and gave up on the idea of his own accord. Soon, it was time for school to break for summer vacation. Once the break was over, he’d have to arrange for Alice to start school,Fortunately, Kraft had been growing rapidly lately. From being half a head shorter than Alice at the start to now being less than three centimeters shorter, he was confident that by the end of summer break, he’d catch up to her in height. That way, when school started, he’d feel much more confident in his role as Alice’s older brother. “Kraft, are you ready? The exhibition is about to start, and you, as the star of the show, can’t be late.” Martin Lee’s voice drifted in from outside. Kraft tugged at his collar, which was making him uncomfortable, and replied, “Coming!” Kraft had originally planned to spend his entire vacation holed up in the lab, but Martin Lee had ruthlessly put a stop to that. Even when he used the threat of the Hulk as an excuse, Martin wouldn’t let him stay cooped up in the lab. To keep him occupied, he had Dream Toys organize a large-scale exhibition over the summer and forcibly roped Kraft into serving as the mascot. So Kraft once again slipped into that uncomfortable little tuxedo and climbed into Martin Lee’s car. “Hahahaha—Woof! Woof-woof—! Woof!” As soon as they got in the car, Quinn—who had been placed in the trunk—stuck his head through the gap between the seats and began howling nonstop. “What’s wrong with him?” Kraft turned his head to ask Alice, who was sitting next to him. “Didn’t we just feed him? Does he need to go to the bathroom?” Since they were taking Quinn and Beya to the Dream Company’s exhibition, they’d taken off their scarves early on and replaced them with regular collars, so Kraft had no idea what Quinn was howling about. “It’s probably because Quinn wants to sit up front, too.” Alice stroked the little black cat curled up on her lap and couldn’t help but chuckle. “A moment ago, Beya meowed a few times at Quinn to provoke him, and then Quinn started making a fuss.” As if to back up Alice’s explanation, Quinn let out a timely “woof” and began shaking his head up and down. “These two… can they really get into a fight even though they don’t speak the same language?” Kraft’s face darkened, and he turned to Quinn, who was still making a fuss: “Stop it! You’re so big—how am I supposed to put you up front? Stay in the back like a good boy, and when we get back tonight, Alice will make you something delicious.” Bribing this dumb dog with food had always worked like a charm, and he immediately stopped causing a fuss, lying obediently in the back of the car. Thanks to Kraft’s contributions to several Dream Products, the Dream Toys Company he co-founded with Martin had now gained some fame worldwide. Especially after mastering engineering, the various mechanical pets launched by Dream Toys had become a huge hit with children everywhere; it was safe to say that Kraft had become a shared idol among teenagers across the United States. Given Kraft’s aversion to trouble, he actually didn’t like being in the spotlight, but Martin Lee had his own reasons. Given the scale of Martin Lee’s current business empire, it’s impossible for the U. S. government not to take notice. But the reason most government agencies don’t come after him is precisely because he’s already garnered enough publicity in the media. Although there will still be some overt and covert probing, this approach helps him avoid many minor complications. So in the end, Kraft was persuaded by Martin—after all, it was just making toys, and that wasn’t particularly conspicuous. Martin Lee drove Kraft and Alice to the exhibition venue. Although the event hadn’t officially opened yet, there were already quite a few people inside—most of whom, of course, were Chinese. To drive more foot traffic to Chinatown and ensure the smooth operation of the entire event, Martin Lee naturally chose a venue within his own sphere of influence, and Chinatown residents, of course, received special treatment—they were allowed early entry. “Hey! Kraft!” In addition to the Chinatown community, others granted early access included some of Martin’s staff from the shelter, as well as Peter Parker and his group, who had tagged along. “Aunt May, Uncle Ben, welcome.” Kraft ignored Peter Parker, who was waving at him, and stepped forward to give Aunt May and Uncle Ben a hug. “Hey! Kraft! I’m talking to you!” Peter Parker, having been ignored, was quite displeased. “If you’re just trying to express your surprise and admiration for my brilliant mind, there’s really no need.” Kraft rolled his eyes and turned to look at Peter Parker. “Who would ever admire a brat like you, full of mischief!” Peter gritted his teeth in anger, and as he recalled all the times Kraft had tricked him into a world of trouble, a wave of sadness washed over him. “So? What did you want?” “Can’t I call you just because I feel like it?! I was actually going to congratulate you! But now! Forget it!” Whenever he faced Kraft, Peter shed his usual meek demeanor and instead took on the air of a hot-headed young man. But no matter what state Peter was in, Kraft wasn’t the least bit afraid. What could he do? After bullying him for so long, his psychological advantage was simply too great. So he once again ignored Peter Parker’s rant and began looking around on his own: “Where are Ned and Mary? I remember inviting them, too. Didn’t they come with you?” As he spoke, Kraft shot Peter a disdainful look: “I’ve even set you up like this, and you still can’t get a date with Mary? That’s really disappointing, Peter.” “They’re already here! They’re just touring the museum! I’m just here with Aunt May, waiting for you!” Peter adjusted his glasses, which had slipped slightly out of place due to his excitement, and continued to explain, his voice still raised. “So… you just ditched the girl you have a crush on and let her go on a date with your best friend?!” Kraft’s eyes widened, and his face betrayed utter shock. “It’s not a date! Besides, David and the others are there too! Ahem…” All that shouting had left Peter Parker feeling a bit short of breath, and his throat was parched. “All right, Kraft! Stop picking on Peter all the time!” Martin Lee, who had been chatting with the Parkers nearby, couldn’t stand it anymore and reached out to slap Kraft on the back of the head. “Pfft!” Seeing that Martin had stepped in, Kraft rubbed the back of his head, let Peter Parker off the hook, and shot him a “you’re lucky” look that made Peter Parker’s teeth itch. Since the exhibition hadn’t started yet, Kraft planned to take Alice on a quick tour inside first and look for Fat Liao and the others while he was at it. Previously, Kraft had simply handed over some mass-producible technologies to Martin Lee; he wasn’t entirely sure what specific products they’d come up with, so he figured he’d take this opportunity to see exactly what his company had produced. Thanks to [Jiang Yunxian], [Hope x2], [Li Maoran], [The Goofy Idiot], and [Qianqiu Yu 11] for their donations. Regarding the recent focus on daily life scenes: before the main plot began, things in New York were relatively calm—if I didn’t write about daily life, what else would I write about…? Besides, I’ve already written past