The Card Apprentice

The Snowflake Card Artisan Team was famous all over the world. It was one of the three big card artisan teams in the Heavenly Drum Village District, founded more than 50 years prior, and it was a truly well-established card artisan team. Everyone who had served as its captain was a very influential person. The captain at that time, Mobley, was a well-known ace throughout the federation.

The Snowflake Card Artisan Team had been staying low-key those last few years and didn’t have a brilliant or prominent fighting record. But they had completed 95 percent of their commissions successfully, which put them at the head of the card artisan teams in the Heavenly Drum Village District.

The Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm was like a child standing in front of some great man. They were nothing more than a local power that had just emerged as a small upstart, with no way to compare to an established powerhouse like the Snowflake Card Artisan Team. It was sensational news for the Snowflake Card Artisan Team, not to mention their captain, Mobley, to show up in such an obscure place.

The card artisan service center burst out in pandemonium, with countless people pulling out their communications cards. The person in charge of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team was a heavyweight in the capital, not to mention in such an out-of-the-way place as the Pascal District. In the eyes of the crowd, such a high-class person as Mobley was as remote as the stars in the sky.

The benefits of being able to have even the slightest relations with such a great power were self-evident. Still, most of the card artisans were staring intently at Mobley and his team along with Jiang Liang.

Could the two be old acquaintances? In the eyes of those in the know, for Jiang Liang to be able to call out Mobley’s identity must have meant the background of the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm was extraordinary. Otherwise, how could they recognize the captain of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team? They doubted even Wen Zuofu would know such an important person if he were still alive.

The scene in front of them had attracted everyone’s attention. They all stopped their discussions, looking closely to see how things might develop.

“Do you know me?” Mobley asked in a deep voice as his gaze hardened.

An oppressive feeling swept through the great hall like a hurricane, and everyone felt horrified. It was said that Mobley’s power had achieved that of a first-class ace, which was not an empty rumor, after all! The card artisans fell silent under the powerful sense of oppression.

Jiang Liang’s expression didn’t change in the least. He responded in a manner neither servile nor haughty. “Captain Mobley might not remember. We ran into one another because of a flock of dingbirds a few months ago.”

Mobley looked deep in thought when a flash of light suddenly shone through his eyes, showing a lot of surprise and realization. He laughed heartily and said, “Ha ha, no wonder you looked a little familiar. Your fine troops were so orderly and disciplined, with such outstanding power. That really opened my eyes. I was just discussing with Ah Zhe how godlike that Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm seemed when it made such a scene. And, you turned out to be someone I knew!”

Jiang Liang’s face then bloomed into a smile, and he held out his hand in an expression of invitation. “If the boss were to know Captain Mobley has arrived, he would certainly be happy!”

“Ha ha. I’ve come bearing no gifts—so very rude of me.” Mobley laughed, though he wasn’t showing the least bit of embarrassment on his face. Ah Zhe followed Mobley, snickering to himself.

Jiang Liang was also laughing as he said, “Captain Mobley must be joking. We are honored by your presence!”

The party entered the room all smiles. The card artisan service center then turned noisy with excitement.

“My goodness, that Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm’s origins are not so simple! Even the great captain of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team is so polite to them. Who knows how the big boss of the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm really is to overturn all our expectations?”

“Who knows? He’s no ordinary person in any case. It’s a good thing we came today. Heh heh, if Captain Mobley praises the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm’s power, tsk tsk, that’s not so easy to get!”

“Theirs is no ordinary relationship, the one being the Snowflake Card Artisan Team and the other being the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm. Even their names are close, so they must have some sort of secret connection.”

“Knock it off! If there aren’t 100,000, there are at least 80,000 card artisan firms in our Heavenly Drum Village District with the word “snow” in them. Do you think they’re all a single organization?”

* * *

People were fiercely discussing the matter, all very excited. To be able to witness such a huge piece of news with one’s own eyes would give a person lots of bragging rights!

Mobley’s sudden visit really surprised Chen Mu. But he did have a deep impression of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team. When he encountered the battle card artisans during that last battle, the most awesome among them wouldn’t be more than equal to the most ordinary member of the Snowflake Card Artisan Team.

That was a truly elite card artisan team. They were who knew how many times more capable than his own Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm. But what was Mobley’s goal in coming there that day? Chen Mu couldn’t figure it out.

Everyone sat together chatting and drinking tea, and the atmosphere was perfectly cordial. Mobley was actually a charming person. He was a wonderful conversationalist with clear thinking, and he often got to the core of a matter in a single phrase. Ah Zhe beside him was endlessly witty. He was so funny he would often make everyone laugh out loud.

In the eyes of Mobley and Ah Zhe, however, the Snow Silkworm Card Artisan Firm had once again startled them. The depth of their young boss was hard to discern, and none among his few subalterns was anything ordinary. Xi Ping was quite worldly, with a deep understanding of the skills involved in making deals. His thinking was shrewd and meticulous like an old fox. And, although Jiang Liang was young and seldom opened his mouth, once he did, he made everyone feel how sharp he was.

When that incredible person who was accompanying Miss Wei Wei was added, even Mobley’s eyes turned red with envy. To be able to guide and mold talent had always been something one might come across, but it could never just be sought out. He would never have thought such a small card artisan firm would get two such people. Xi Ping was flawless in his work, good with the numbers, and doubtlessly a classically good logistical ace!

One might say the team’s greatest weakness should be its fighting strength. But his gaze then fell onto that seldom-speaking boss. He felt he couldn’t quite get him. What was most awe-inspiring, however, was the man over in the corner who looked like he was made of stone. That was certainly a super-ace!

Ah Zhe suddenly said, smiling, “I’ve just heard an interesting rumor. I’ve heard your honorable team can produce the liquid extracts from purple fluorescent ore. I wonder if that bit of information is actually true or false.”

Chen Mu and Xi Ping looked at one another, knowing the main scene was about to be played out. For the Snowflake Card Artisan Team to show up for no reason in such an obscure place as the Pascal District had sown some doubts in everyone’s minds. For them to take the initiative to seek them out, Chen Mu couldn’t believe it didn’t mean something.

Cherishing words as though they were gold, Chen Mu finally opened his mouth. “Captain Mobley is certainly well-informed.”

That amounted to answering Ah Zhe’s question, affirming that they could produce the liquid extracts from the purple fluorescent ore. Mobley’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t hide the joy he felt as he said, “So, all the purple fluorescent ore in Thousand Lakes is from the hands of Mr. Chen and so easy for us to find now.”

Once the two of them were talking, the rest of the people discreetly refrained from interrupting. The two of them were each the highest leaders of their own teams, and the talks between them would determine the relations between the two teams going forward. Everyone immediately held their breath, carefully listening to the dialogue.

“Oh, so is Captain Mobley interested in the purple fluorescent ore?” Chen Mu asked. He found it strange to hear what Mobley seemed to be saying. It seemed like they had specifically come for the extracts.

Mobley sat up straight, and his expression turned serious. “To be quite honest, we have come precisely for the liquid extracts of the purple fluorescent ore. I wonder which types of the extract your honorable team can produce.”

“The highest we can produce is the red extract,” Chen Mu said calmly, not feeling the need to hide anything about the matter.

Hearing that, it was suddenly hard for Ah Zhe to hide his joy.

Looking ever-sincere, Mobley said, “May I take the liberty of offering my proposal? I hope Mr. Chen won’t be too surprised.”

Chen Mu had already vaguely guessed, and he gestured as he said, “Captain Mobley may say what’s on his mind.”

Mobley sincerely made his suggestion. “I’m suggesting our two teams establish a trading relationship. I’m hoping we can have the rights to purchase the extracts directly from your esteemed firm over the long term. Correspondingly, if your esteemed firm needs anything, you can buy it through our channels. Or, if you have any commissions, we would give them priority. We could also provide your esteemed firm with intelligence services and could even cultivate card artisans on your behalf. We could also lease you our reserve team members to guarantee your firm’s safety.”

The meeting room became a little too silent. Chen Mu fell helplessly into thought. Mobley’s hope to be able to buy the extract was completely unexpected, and his wanting to pay such a price wasn’t something he had even thought about.

Everyone’s gaze was on Chen Mu, who was deep in thought. After thinking it through carefully for a while, Chen Mu felt the suggestion had nothing bad in it for him. On the contrary, it had a lot of good points. At the very least, once they established a collaboration with the Snowflake Card Artisan Team, none of the powers in the Pascal District would dare have any idea of attacking him. No one would want to offend such giant in the Heavenly Federation.

Moreover, what Chen Mu and his group most needed then was time. They only needed a little bit of time before they could gradually strengthen themselves. The other thing that made Chen Mu’s heart pound was the intelligence services Mobley had spoken of. That was their weakest link.

After thinking it through, Chen Mu didn’t hesitate any longer and nodded his response. “Ok!”

Mobley resumed his smile and put out his right hand to Chen Mu. Chen Mu put out his right hand, and the two shook hands, meaning the collaboration had been declared.

The originally cordial atmosphere became still more intimate.

But what the two of them had then confirmed was nothing more than basic intentions. Anything involving more detail would require further repeated negotiations with those under them. On Chen Mu’s side, the one responsible would be Xi Ping. It would be the responsive Ah Zhe for the Snowflake Card Artisan Team.

There was a sudden knocking on the door, and Jiang Liang got up to open it. A card artisan said something in his ear in a low voice.

A moment later, Jiang Liang returned with a paper card in his hand, which he read. “The head of the House of Qiao, Qiao Fei; the manager of the Pascal District First-Rate Business Association, Mr. Stinger; the head of the Yuliang household, Yuliang Xing; the head of the House of Leng, Leng Men; the chair of the Ha Clan Association, Yu Tianxing…” He reported a string of names before finally summing it up to say, “Basically, everyone in the Pascal District with a little prestige is here.”