The Card Apprentice

The Southern Star Trading Company was an important branch of the Southern Star Firm. It was also Zargan’s biggest trading house. Since it relied on the Southern Star Firm’s powerful channels, the types of materials it carried were the most complete in the city.

The Southern Star Trading Company was located in the city center in a 56-story building. Every floor of the building had different types of goods, and there were specialized workers to provide specialized services.

Chen Mu and Ah Sang walked into the Southern Star Trading Company. When the staff’s gazes touched the exquisitely gorgeous and utterly flawless face of Ah Sang’s, they stood transfixed where they were.

Ah Sang was clearly quite used to that and said with a giggle as she covered her mouth, “Greetings. We need to buy a few things, and I wonder if you might help us out.”

Her whisper-soft voice nearly soaked into one’s bone marrow. The staff at the Southern Star Firm then resumed their professional demeanor, with faces flushed red, and stammered, “Greetings… Greetings… We would be very pleased to… pleased… Oh, right. What service might the two of you require?”

Pretty women are always deadly, Chen Mu thought to himself. Even he himself couldn’t produce any bad feelings toward Ah Sang, despite some behaviors of hers that he didn’t really appreciate.

“We would like to purchase some mo-ah stone and some speckled grass shellac. I wonder if your honorable shop might have them.” Ah Sang glimpsed Chen Mu out of the corner of her eyes as she asked.

“Mo-ah stone and speckled grass shellac…”

They suddenly heard a clear voice say, “Is that Ah Sang? What? Is young Ah Sang interested in our trading house?”

Miao Xuan! Ah Sang’s heart was filled with disgust. Without even turning around, she knew who was talking. She had never detested a man so much, and she felt a bout of irritation out of nowhere. But when her gaze touched Chen Mu beside her, her mind immediately calmed.

“Lord Miao is here.” Ah Sang turned around. Her exquisite face had a faint smile like a flower blossoming, which firmly drew the gazes of everyone nearby. Judging from her tone and expression, no one would ever have known how much she detested the person in front of her.

After Ah Sang turned around, and that charming jade face was reflected in his eyes, he was transfixed. His gaze oozed his powerful infatuation and lust.

“Miss Ah Sang’s beauty leaves me without words to describe it! When I encountered it so briefly before, it was impossible for your servant to forget. But, after today, I’m afraid that dwelling in Ah Sang’s transformative smile will ruin any further prospects in this life!” Miao Xuan couldn’t help but exclaim.

Ah Sang had no feelings about Miao Xuan’s flattery, taking a glimpse at the expressionless Qiao Yuan while saying lightly, “Ah Sang is accompanying Mr. Qiao this time. He requires mo-ah stone and some speckled grass shellac. Those are the types of goods the Southern Star Trading Company is tops with in Zargan. I’m sure you won’t want to disappoint Mr. Qiao.”

Hearing the words “Mr. Qiao” immediately cleared Miao Xuan’s mind. He only just then noticed Chen Mu, who was positioned behind Ah Sang, and he couldn’t hide a shift in his expression. Damn! What’s that guy doing here? It suddenly dawned on him that no wonder she would come to the Southern Star Trading Company without any kind intentions!

If he were to anger Qiao Yuan by his deadly look, he was afraid there wouldn’t be a single brick left in the entire Southern Star Trading Company. Even as Miao Xuan was lamenting to himself, he still had to come forward and say respectfully, “We are honored by your presence, Mr. Qiao. You light up our humble establishment! How may Miao Xuan be of service to you?”

Having the lesson from last time, Miao Xuan kept a low profile. Although he could do as he pleased in Zargan, in front of that Qiao Yuan, he was as small as an ant; his counterpart would be able to pinch him to a pulp with any old finger.

“I’ve come to buy some mo-ah stone and speckled grass shellac.” Chen Mu’s expression was indifferent, and he was casually looking at Ah Sang as he spoke.

Ah Sang’s expression shifted under Chen Mu’s glance. It was like she had been drenched by a bucket of cold water from head to toe, which chilled her to the heart. The look of warning in Chen Mu’s eyes plunged her into an ice house as she abruptly understood that Qiao Yuan saw through all the niceties she was playing out like a candle in a cave.

At the same time, Miao Xuan detected the meaning in Chen Mu’s gaze, which relaxed him. Inwardly happy, his face turned still more respectful as he responded, “No problem. I’ll have someone look for it right away. As long as my humble establishment has it, Mr. Qiao may simply take it.”

As he spoke, he was carefully observing Chen Mu’s face. He was still expressionless and remained indifferent to what he’d just said. Miao Xuan didn’t think much more about it and hurried to tell a subordinate to look for those two kinds of materials.

After giving the instructions, he said with a smile, “We should have some news after a couple of minutes, so why don’t we sit for a moment and drink a little tea? Although my humble establishment doesn’t have any Lanqing tea, the golden lily snowbrush produced in the polar regions is just as tasty.

Seeing that Chen Mu didn’t say anything to stop him, he settled a little. He was remembering the scene of his previous dealings with Qiao Yuan, when he’d also seemed to not have rejected his good will. He’d later detected very clearly that Qiao Yuan had an employment relationship with the Chichi Trading Firm, the two parties having no further connection than that.

If that was really the case, since Qiao Yuan had been willing to accept employment from the Chichi Trading Firm, then why not the Southern Star Trading Company? He had an absolutely firm belief that his opening conditions would certainly be superior to those of the Chichi Trading Firm.

Thinking of that, his heartbeat sped up! If he were able to attract such an ace, it would usher in a new era for the Southern Star Firm, and he would come out the winner among all his brothers! When it came to Ah Sang, how could she escape from his grasp again? He restrained his excitement and glanced at Ah Sang, unable to see any inkling on her face.

The three were sitting still. As he served the tea, Miao Xuan was considering what to say when he saw his father walking over with someone in tow.

Why was his father there? Miao Xuan’s heart skipped a beat as he rushed to stand. “Father!” He was surprised; the standing of the Southern Star Trading Company wasn’t that high in the Southern Star Firm, and his father would seldom go there. Could his appearance at that time really be a coincidence? And, who was the one beside his father?

Miao Xuan’s father was Miao Hongbo, the president of the Southern Star Firm. He had a steady demeanor and fair skin, and he looked rather rich. He gave a slight nod toward Miao Xuan and immediately bowed toward the person beside him to say, “This is the Mr. Qiao Yuan you just saw, Mr. Sang.”

The middle-aged man beside him nodded with an arrogant expression. “Mmmm. Okay. So, why don’t you both leave?” Mr. Sang was about 40 or so. He was skinny, and there was a sudden radiance when his triangular eyes opened and shut.

Miao Xuan looked at his father, stunned, being utterly dumbstruck by the scene in front of him.

Who is this person? What is my father doing?

Before he could open his mouth, his father pulled him off with a look and got ready to drag him out.

The middle-aged man called Mr. Sang saw Ah Sang sitting beside Chen Mu, and his eyes flashed a look of greed. He quickly restrained himself and said with a frown, “You go as well.”

“What’s going on?” Looking on coolly all along, Chen Mu finally opened his mouth. Sitting there properly, his face remained as expressionless as ever, but his eyes were slightly squinting. That was naturally associated with the change in the eyes of those fierce wild beasts when they had just discovered some prey. His placid voice didn’t quaver, but a bout of glum chill suddenly couldn’t be restrained from his heart.

Mr. Sang’s eyes jumped, and his expression shifted. Everyone stopped what they were doing. The sweat was pouring from Miao Hongbo’s forehead as his face turned from blue to white. Frozen where he was, Miao Hongbo looked imploringly toward Mr. Sang.

Mr. Sang smiled dryly. “Sang Hanshui, at your service. I have some things I’d like to talk over with brother Qiao.”

Chen Mu simply shook his head. “Not interested.” After saying that, his gaze turned toward the father, Miao Hongbo, and he said expressionlessly, “Isn’t your honorable establishment interested in doing business?”

The faces of Miao Hongbo and his son went white. Miao Xuan was getting really worried, not having thought things would take such a turn. He had just been about to open his mouth when his father pinched his hand.

“I must ask Mr. Qiao to please excuse me. I’ve decided to turn all of the affairs of this humble establishment over to Mr. Sang!” Miao Hongbo said through gritted teeth. Once he said it, his entire body’s strength seemed to have been sucked out in an instant, and he nearly crumpled to the floor. Luckily, Miao Xuan held him up. As for Miao Xuan, apart from unconsciously catching his father, his brain was spinning apart.

Had his father gone mad? Was Qiao Yuan causing it all? He was an ace among the top 100 on the Black-Line Star Listing! That one man could be enough to flatten the entire Southern Star Firm.

Ah Sang flashed a look of joy through her eyes, though she kept sitting nicely and quietly watching.

A look of satisfaction floated onto Sang Hanshui’s face as he looked appreciatively toward Miao Hongbo.

Chen Mu’s mood was as messed up as it could be. Having just gone through a big battle, his strength hadn’t yet been restored. To encounter such a situation at that time was just what he least wanted to see.

When he saw the obvious look of satisfaction on Sang Hanshui’s face and the craftiness in his gaze, his face turned gloomy. Who was Sang Hanshui? He had never heard of him. But for him to have dared to come looking for him, he must have felt pretty sure of himself.

Slowly standing and activating his apparatus, a bout of pressure inexplicably filled the entire room.

Sang Hanshui’s face shifted as he shouted, “Don’t you wish to live, Qiao Yuan?” There was a confident sneer coming from the corner of his mouth, as though he were mocking Chen Mu’s overstepping himself. But his gaze had mostly fallen onto Chen Mu’s apparatus, and he couldn’t help but exude greed and fervor.

Ah Sang’s expression changed greatly! She had originally assumed that with Qiao Yuan having demonstrated his power, no one would be likely to choose to challenge him to his face. How could she have known the adversary had planned to make his move while Qiao Yuan’s strength hadn’t yet been restored after the last battle?

Qiao Yuan had been his objective from the start! For him to have so deliberately sought out his opportunity, it had certainly been a plot! She seemed to have heard the name Sang Hanshui from somewhere, and she was wracking her brain desperately in her nervousness. If Qiao Yuan were finished then, her own fate would be plunged into the most miserable circumstances.

Chen Mu watched his adversary coldly. He would be an idiot if he hadn’t been able to guess his adversary’s objective by then.

The most hopeless thing was that his perception had only been restored to half its normal level.