I Think That's Pretty Scientific

Chapter 31: 030: The Dream Toys Expo (Part 2)

Directly opposite the venue’s main entrance was a massive mechanical lock exhibition hall. As the company’s debut product—and one that had been praised by Tony Stark, the “Prince of Trending Topics”—Dream Toys naturally gave it the highest priority. In fact, mechanical locks have evolved to the point where Kraft no longer needs to develop new mechanisms. The company has recruited numerous talented individuals in this field, and new mechanisms are released from time to time. Furthermore, the company has been savvy in its marketing by linking these products to the Mo School’s mechanical arts, which has attracted many Westerners who appreciate Eastern culture. The section occupying the most space at the exhibition, however, was the solar-powered skateboard series—not because sales of these products were particularly strong… though they are indeed quite good—but mainly because the products in this series require a large open area for visitors to try them out. The liveliest area, of course, was the mechanical pet exhibit, where a bunch of rowdy kids were shouting and screaming, mixed in with quite a few adults who hadn’t lost their childlike wonder. In addition, there were the pet toys Kraft had invented to keep Beya and Quinn entertained—the Quidditch series, featuring all sorts of automatic cat and dog toys modeled after Quidditch equipment, such as the Bludger, the Snitch, and the Golden Snitch. As for why they’re called these names… Don’t ask—just go with the visual association. These were all products Kraft recognized, but he also spotted something he hadn’t expected—a portable ball series developed based on Dr. Agasa’s soccer belt. Although the mass-produced balls couldn’t expand infinitely like they did in his dream, the company’s designers had solved the problem of the balls deflating after 10 seconds and developed a recovery function. While they weren’t as high-quality as professional-grade balls, these portable balls were more convenient for kids just looking to have some fun. Though they weren’t exactly a flagship product, sales were reportedly quite good. There were also some products that were likely developed independently by the company’s in-house designers; in any case, Kraft couldn’t see any connection between them and his dream. Then there were the other toy vendors filling out the exhibition space, along with some traditional stalls commonly found in Chinatown—selling sugar figurines, sugar paintings, kites, and paper cutouts. Then Kraft found Mary Jane in a section selling fairy wands and all sorts of flowy clothing; she was holding up a pink princess dress in front of herself, trying it on. Kraft: “……” “Sis, how old are you, anyway?” “Um… I was just curious…” Noticing Kraft quietly appear behind her, Mary Jane tried to squirm a bit, but she quickly gave up. “That’s right! I just love pretty little dresses like this! Is that a problem?! What’s wrong with a girl liking these things?!” Alice, standing nearby, nodded vigorously in agreement and cast a covetous glance at the little dress next to her. “I didn’t say anything…” Kraft spread his hands in amusement, then waved at Alice: “If you like it, go try it on. It’s all ours anyway—just take whatever catches your eye.” “Is that really okay?” Alice gave Kraft a “sparkly-sparkly” look. After getting his confirmation, she excitedly hugged him. “You’re so kind, big brother!” Then she scampered off into the pile of clothes. “Aren’t you going to pick something out? I can pick out a set for you.” Seeing Mary Jane’s hesitant expression, Kraft gave her a gentle nudge: “Once the expo officially starts, someone might snap them up before you get a chance. There are expo-exclusive items in here—if you don’t buy them now, they’ll be hard to come by later.” Selling limited-edition products at trade shows has become standard practice for major manufacturers, but it still works like a charm. A pretty little dress combined with the “limited edition” label was simply too much for Mary Jane to resist, so she let go of her reserve and began browsing the booth with Alice. By the time the two girls had finished picking out clothes, nearly an hour had passed. The fair had long since officially begun, and attendees of other ethnicities were gradually filling the space. After leaving the clothes they’d picked out at the store for safekeeping, Kraft asked Mary Jane, “Where are David and the others? I need to talk to him about something.” “He and Ned were walking around, and halfway through, he said he was hungry, so they went off to find something to eat.” Mary Jane, in high spirits after buying new clothes, twirled a strand of her red hair between her fingers and replied with a smile. “…That fatso said losing weight is just another scam after all.” Kraft rolled his eyes. He’d thought that after the shooting incident, Liao the Fat Guy would finally get serious about his weight-loss mission, but it turned out he’d overestimated his good friend once again. Eventually, Kraft found the two fat guys at a pancake stand, tucking in heartily (that’s not a typo). “Didn’t you say you were going to lose weight?” Kraft walked over in a huff and kicked Liao the Fat Guy. “…You need to eat your fill to have the energy to lose weight!” Liao the Fat Guy fell silent for a moment, shoved the last bit of pancake into his mouth, and declared with righteous indignation. “Don’t use my own words to brush me off!” After kicking Liao the Fat Guy again, Kraft finally got down to business. “I’m going on stage in a bit to launch a new product. I’ll need someone to assist me, so you’ll come up with me.” “No problem! Leave it to me!” Of course, Liao Fat wouldn’t turn down such a great opportunity. Just as Kraft was going over the specifics with him, a young white man walked over. “Long time no see, Kraft. How have you been?” Kraft turned around, looked at the blond man standing before him, and fell into deep thought: “Who… are you?” The elegant expression on the visitor’s face faltered slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. Still smiling, he said to Kraft, “You really are a busy man, Kraft. Let me introduce myself again: my name is Felim Jones. We met before at the All-New York High School Joint Exchange Dance.” Is that so? And what the hell is this “All-New York High School Joint Exchange Dance”? When did I ever go to some boring dance like that? Kraft tilted his head in confusion, mentally firing off three baffled questions, but found no answers. It wasn’t until Fat Liao whispered a reminder that he finally managed to vaguely recall this guy standing before him, who looked as if he’d been filtered with an “elegance” effect. “Oh, it’s you. Welcome.” He didn’t have any particularly pleasant memories of that dance, so Kraft didn’t give Felim a warm welcome. Still, since he was a guest, Kraft didn’t let his distaste show; he merely gave a faint nod. “I just came by to say hello; I won’t bother you any further.” Felim could tell he wasn’t welcome, but he maintained his composure, gave a slight bow, and then left. Deep down, however, he was quite frustrated—he hadn’t expected Kraft’s silly inventions to have advanced to this extent, and it now seemed unlikely he’d be able to mend their relationship. After sending that nonsensical fellow on his way, Kraft led Liao the Fat and the others to the stage at the very back of the exhibition hall. A song-and-dance performance was currently underway in the center of the stage, and a sparse crowd of guests—some who had already finished touring the venue, others who had little interest in the toys but were simply there to show their support—had gathered in front of the stage to watch the show. As the performance on stage came to an end, the emcee stepped onto the stage. His voice, amplified by speakers placed throughout the venue, carried to every corner of the hall. “And now! Please welcome the chief designer of Dream Toys! The media-acclaimed child prodigy, the renowned Dr. Craft—Craft Leeeeeeee—!!! Take the stage!!!”