The two walked over to the sandbox, and Aventurine exclaimed, "Oh, what a big sandbox… Once I save enough money, I also want to build a building this tall for myself."
[Sushang: Wow, buying a building, Mr. Aventurine's dream sounds very interesting!]
[Guinaifen: Family, when you have time, will you come watch my live stream?]
[Dr. Ratio: He's spouting nonsense. With his status and wealth, let alone buying a building, he could buy a planet.]
[Aventurine: Hahaha, just chatting, isn't it good to find a topic?]
[Dr. Ratio: Idiot.]
After circling the sandbox, Aventurine noticed something and said, "Look over here, there's a very obvious gap in the model. I boldly guess you were right."
"There wasn't this gap when I came last time. It's clear that man intentionally arranged it."
Aventurine put on an exaggeratedly complimentary expression: "With your genius and exceptionally intelligent mind, you must clearly remember what was originally placed here, esteemed Professor?"
Professor Ratio nodded slightly in agreement: "Naturally so. If I see it, I will recognize it."
With that, the two began searching all over the hall. They touched here and there, rummaged everywhere. After some effort, they finally made a new discovery—a strangely shaped toy door was placed on a stand.
The door was painted with colorful patterns, and a blue light curtain shimmered within the door, swaying like waves, looking very eye-catching. Even more striking was that the words 'Gulliver's Archway' were clearly written on the door.
Aventurine picked up the archway, walked to the sandbox, and inserted it: "It's just like building blocks. I've never built blocks before, I wonder if it's more interesting than stacking chips…"
"Look, it fits perfectly, simply flawless—" After speaking, Aventurine hesitated, "Uh, what now?"
As he spoke, Aventurine hesitated whether to reach out and touch the door emitting a mysterious blue light. After a moment of thought, he cautiously extended his finger and gently touched the light door.
In that instant, something unexpected happened—Aventurine's body was instantly enveloped by a powerful force, then transformed into a dazzling light at an astonishing speed, twisting like a shooting star and drilling into the light door.
As Aventurine's figure disappeared into the light door, the perspective also twisted, following him.
When the perspective became clear again, what appeared before them was a bustling and magnificent city. However, unlike before, Professor Ratio, standing at the edge of the city, was like a towering giant, silently observing Aventurine, who had just passed through.
"…Oh my god! I've shrunk!" Aventurine's eyes widened, his face filled with an expression of disbelief. He couldn't help but murmur in a trembling voice, "Am I dreaming?" Faced with this sudden change, Aventurine's heart was filled with excitement, but even more so with uncontrollable thrill.
[March 7th: Haha, this guy can't even tell if he's in a dream anymore.]
[Bailu: It does seem like a lot of fun… I want to go play too.]
"You are indeed," Professor Ratio replied in his usual calm and steady tone. Hearing the Professor's words, Aventurine calmed down slightly and began to observe his surroundings carefully.
Aventurine was surprised to find himself truly in a giant sandbox, and his body had become so tiny. This wonderful experience left him both excited and at a loss. He couldn't help but say to Professor Ratio: "Professor, you've become so tall! I actually came here and turned out like this…"
"How about we just leave like this? You find another chance to stuff me into Sunday's collar, and we infiltrate the Family that way…"
Seeing Professor Ratio click his tongue, Aventurine said sheepishly:
"Alright, I was just kidding. Let's find a way to open the door."
Ahead, a puzzle stand was boldly placed by the roadside, with a key-like puzzle missing two pieces.
As Aventurine approached, these puzzle pieces flew up, one flying towards a tall building, and one flying towards a pinball machine.
This sandbox city was a scaled-down version of the Golden Hour. Aventurine excitedly walked around, looking everywhere, until he found a doll in front of a pinball machine.
The doll spoke: "Hello, welcome to the Golden Hour, Base Model. I am Oak Soldier, responsible for guiding your tour of the Base Model—happy to serve you."
"Then tell me about the guidance," Aventurine replied with a happy expression.
The words began to stutter, repeating again:
"Hel-hel-hel-hel-hello, welcome to the Gold-gold-gold-gold-Golden Hour Base-base-base-base-base Model."
"I am Oak-oak-oak-oak-oak Soldier, responsible for guiding your tour-tour-tour-tour-tour of the Base Model—"
Hearing the stuttering sound, Aventurine was somewhat puzzled. Was it broken? So he extended his foot and kicked it.
"Happy to serve you, generating-generating-generating-generating guidance for you, please wait-wait-wait-wait patiently… Please look… behind you… gashapon machine… model-model-model-model-model…"
"Ah!" Accompanied by a scream, it fell to the ground, completely frozen.
"What's going on? Do the Family's toys all try to trick people? I didn't do anything, Professor, you have to testify for me."
"I didn't see anything."
Not bothering with the puppet lying on the ground, Aventurine looked up at the giant gashapon machine, which stood majestically like a skyscraper. Clearly, the bottom of this massive machine had no control panel or buttons. The only way to control it was to twist the winding key located at the very top.
"Professor, a small favor!" Before Aventurine's words finished, Professor Ratio's giant, strong hand, like a giant's, firmly grasped the winding key at the top of the gashapon machine and began to turn it with force.
As the winding key was gradually twisted into place, a low, faint mechanical sound echoed, and the gashapon capsules, each larger than Aventurine, began to spin wildly inside the machine, quickly spitting out one capsule.
It really was like this. These models, even their internal structures, were identical to real buildings, the only difference being that no one lived in them. Sunday placed such a miniature model where he could see it every day when he woke up. Did he really see himself as a giant of Penacony?
Aventurine cast aside his previous thoughts, walked to the gashapon machine, and opened the capsule. A key fragment appeared inside.
Just one more. Speaking of which, the other one seemed to have flown upstairs earlier. He could use the pinball machine to bounce up there. But it probably wouldn't be that easy.
Aventurine ran to the pinball machine he remembered from the Golden Hour. And sure enough—there was only an empty base there.