The Card Apprentice

Fortunately, Chen Mu was no longer the poor little guy he had been. While his own establishment was far from comparable to some large firms, it was a lot stronger than most ordinary companies. In Xi Ping’s report, sales of the purple fluorescent extract still couldn’t meet the demand. During that period, although the demand from the Snowflake Card Artisan Team had decreased, there had been a significant upward trend in other buyers.

Rare materials like the purple fluorescent extract were rather important for large businesses and firms. While they might not need them immediately, they would still stockpile them. So, for Chen Mu and his group, so long as they produced at full throttle, they would have a continuous influx of money.

Only a few large companies apart from the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm had the advanced technology for extracting the purple fluorescent ore. When their firm, which could produce such high-grade extract, had popped up on the market, it had immediately drawn the attention of large firms outside the Pascal District. Even though they had such a powerful ally in the Snowflake Card Artisan Team, however, a few firms still couldn’t resist the temptation, and that led to endless small actions.

According to what Bogner had said, small groups of card artisans of unknown origin would often appear in the vicinity. At the same time, Chilei’s policing had been deteriorating. Still, the situation didn’t strike Bogner as bad. He had always been worried about the card artisans under him not having an opportunity for actual battle, so he would simply let Jiang Liang lead troops out to destroy the small card artisan teams that kept stalking the area.

With Bogner and Jiang Liang there, Chen Mu wasn’t concerned about issues of safety. When it came to commanding operations, he couldn’t say enough good things about them. With power came wealth.

Chen Mu said to the young woman, “I require a five-star card making studio. In addition, I need these materials.” He took out a one-star fantasy card and gave it to the young woman.

It was hard for her to hide her joy. The one in front of her was a big customer, after all! For him to be able to rent a five-star-level card making studio made it clear that the card master had money or that his requirements for card making were meticulous. Such card masters were often at a certain level that would make them the most welcome customers at her business.

She inserted the one-star fantasy card into her card-playing apparatus and quickly scanned the bill of materials on it. There were no weird materials, which calmed her down a little, but it also discouraged her. She had been in that line of work for a long time already, and of course they were well-stocked with the things on his list. What calmed her was that the shop had all the materials on the list, and they wouldn’t need to subcontract any. What discouraged her was that there were no rare materials on the list, which meant the card the card master was making wouldn’t be anything high-grade.

“Please come with me.” She showed no expression on her face, always maintaining her warm smile. Although Dongrui wasn’t quite such a top-level city as the capital, it was still a rather advanced economic center. As a professional sales attendant with rich experience, she knew better than to look down on anyone.

Chen Mu followed her inside, right up to the tenth floor.

“This is the floor where we have our five-star card making studios. We have the most state-of-the-art system to maintain confidentiality in the city, and we have the most complete and advanced equipment. You also needn’t be concerned about safety. This floor has 3,500 square meters, with three independent suites of card making studios altogether. Each five-star studio suite includes seven dedicated studios with 242 kinds of equipment. It will basically satisfy any of your requirements. Of course, if there is still something else you need, please bring it to our attention in any case. We would like to provide the best possible service.”

The counter girl made all the introductions with a slight smile as she lightly swiped her identity card by the side of the studio door, which caused the energy cloak to be lifted and the metallic door to silently slide open.

Chen Mu was a little dazed by the huge card making studio. The dazzling equipment was shining under the lights with a beguiling luster, and quite a few of the instruments were things Chen Mu had never seen. They were quietly lying in that card making studio, neat and orderly, like soldiers waiting to be reviewed.

Compared to Chen Mu’s own card making studio, the one in front of him was a lot more advanced and luxurious. Even Chen Mu had to admit that such a five-star-level card making studio wasn’t really all that expensive for him to rent! Any piece of equipment there came at a shocking price.

The counter girl was naturally good at reading looks. Although she didn’t see any expression on Chen Mu’s face, she could still sense how satisfied he was with that card making studio. When she heard Chen Mu’s voice drop slightly, he seemed more like a middle-aged man. “Mmmm. Not bad.” Chen Mu had stood there for quite a while before finally opening his mouth. “Might I trouble you to rush the materials in?”

“Fine. Just a moment.”

After the counter girl left, Chen Mu couldn’t help but touch everything. Having built up his urge to make cards for such a long time, it was as though he was going to burst.

He made up his mind that after he resolved the matter in front of him and returned to the snow silkworm ravine, he would certainly set up a card studio with the same capability as that one. The one Chen Mu had expended so much energy to set up was really too rudimentary compared to that card studio.

He would then be able to live the life he wanted to. He could study the cards he was interested in every day and could watch Wei-ah instructing little Bu Mo how to feed the fleshy dog. He could watch Bogner and Jiang Liang torment that gang of card artisans, and he could then watch Xi Ping leading along little Yang Bo in his constant frenzied business affairs. He could also watch Xiaobo crowing about how handsome he was every day, and he could watch Sue Lochiro and Ru Qiu gossiping and making girl talk… There would be nothing to annoy him and nothing to be afraid of—safe and sound!

Chen Mu was lost in his thoughts for a while.

“Your materials have all been prepared, sir,” the counter girl said respectfully, bringing Chen Mu back to life at the same time.

Having returned to his senses, Chen Mu hurried to respond, “Mmmm. Fine.”

The counter girl was extremely discreet. She saluted and then left the card making studio. Watching the metallic door silently close, Chen Mu then turned his attention to the materials. Now that he had imagined such a life, he would have to get through that impasse no matter how!

Settling his spirits, he started to meticulously think it through. That card would be for Sang Hanshui. Chen Mu had already seen the analytical testing of his perception and understood its particular qualities rather well. Although there was nothing really outstanding about Sang Hanshui’s perceptual control, he had achieved shocking values for his perceptual strength because of his diligent practice across so many years!

Only after he finished reading the report of the analytical testing of his perception did he understand that what Shang Hanshui had said wasn’t just empty talk; if he could have had a suitable card, he could have entered the top 100 on the Black-Line Star Listing.

Still, Chen Mu wasn’t planning to make a card for him that would rock the world. He could use some ordinary materials to make a pretty good card. If he were to want to make a really top-notch card, though, he would have to use precious materials. He reasoned it would then be too easy to attract people’s attention. But, again, Chen Mu believed he could absolutely make a card that was a lot better than the mainstream goods Sang Hanshui had on hand, even with those ordinary materials.

Thinking of that, he suddenly thought of the Child, the card that had made him feel so helpless. The Child had been carefully crafted, and he had used up lots of precious materials to make it. Up until then, though, he still hadn’t grasped how to use it.

Hesitating for a moment, he pulled out the Child and inserted it into his apparatus. That field as vast as the starry sky once again appeared, ever esoteric and hard to understand. Chen Mu couldn’t help but frown repeatedly. He still didn’t know whether the Child was a success or a failure. Since he hadn’t been able figure out how to use it, he hadn’t been able to determine that. Well, he would just have to think about it more carefully later. If he didn’t make good use of such an expensive card making studio, he would really be sorry about so many lost Oudi. He would just have to put all of his thoughts into how to design a card for Sang Hanshui.

Chen Mu already had the broad outlines of that card’s composition in his head. But that was only the general composition, and he still had to calculate quite a few details before it would finally be set.

Calculate… He had a sudden realization. Hadn’t his most basic objective in making the Child been calculation?

What he needed in his current situation was calculation! Having the general composition, he still needed to do a lot of calculation regarding each of the details before he could achieve his goal of optimization and an increase to the efficiency of energy utilization!

Right! That’s it! He felt he had found the key!

Standing there in a daze, his brain was spinning so fast that he forgot himself. If that really was the key, the lock would have to be right in front of him, and what he had to do was to put the key into the lock. He was shaking his head to himself that it would be rather difficult. Well, what if I were to take a step back? A step back…

He got it! Stepping back was so that the key could contact the lock. Then, he wouldn’t be so far from finding the keyhole! Making contact was just to connect the two together. Right! The real crux was that the Child and the compositions that required calculation needed to be linked. Only then might there be the possibility to finally trigger the Child!

Chen Mu’s eyes got brighter and brighter as he powerfully restrained his joy. He knew he had gotten close to actually solving the issue! He slightly relaxed his brain and concentrated his spirits.

How could he finally connect them? Chen Mu kept going over that phase in his mind. Of course, what could be connected to a card was perception. But how could he make perception and the required composition for calculation connect?

The first idea that popped into Chen Mu’s mind was to allow perception to simulate the energy composition of the required calculation! Almost unconsciously, his perception started to change and to simulate the main composition he had thought through earlier.

Just then, the starry sky that had been slowly turning suddenly paused and became entirely static! All of the silver dots, lines, and compositions of all shapes paused without exception. It seemed as though time had stopped in that moment.

If anyone had been in the card making studio at that time, they would certainly have been frightened by that weirdly breathing picture. Too bad there was no one to see it.

Chen Mu didn’t open his eyes; the Child’s transformations were clearly transmitted into his brain, and he knew he had hit it right that time!

The static state was only maintained for about ten seconds. The starry sky then started to slowly turn without warning! But the turning that time was completely different from before!