The Card Apprentice

Chapter 197: Prologue

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Kai was flying at high speed, and Machida and Lu Xiaoru were calmly flying behind him. There were also 40 card artisans flying along with them. This was basically the main strength of the Central Island Firm. It was clear how great the boss’s resolve was from the mobilization. They were going all-in, and Kai was quite curious about what was worth the boss doing such a thing.

Kai had the blood of a Paminian with his prominent brow ridge and deep eyes. His eye lines were some kind of natural blue, which was characteristic of Paminians. It would commonly make them look rather seductive, but on Kai’s face, they looked unusually cold.

The operation was the biggest since he’d entered the firm. As the hidden force, they had very few ordinary responsibilities; the previous job was half a year prior. That was the first time the three of them had worked together.

Although the boss hadn’t said anything, that operation had already demonstrated his attitude, making Kai become more serious than he’d ever been. He was concerned about the two others—Machida and Lu Xiaoru—whom he had never partnered with before. Although he was the one in charge of that operation, he couldn’t tell if his counterparts were a match or not.

Machida was tall and thin with a pale face and had a somewhat weak aspect. But, if you were to underestimate him for that, you’d be dead. Kai couldn’t easily put his finger on what was frightening about him. He wasn’t even wearing card artisan battle clothes but was rather wrapped in a tight black windbreaker. He had a piece of candy pinched in his hand, which he was slowly eating piece by piece with a strangely demonic look in his eyes.

Lu Xiaoru wasn’t wearing battle clothes either, seeming to be off to a party with her deep red, low-cut dress that was like a flower blooming. Her ample, snow-white bosom was nearly popping out of the dress, forming a deep cleavage. Kai could even see the card artisans around her secretly swallowing. Her posture was enchanting, and her body was full and soft. Her two eyes were glistening. Her tender, red lips would slightly part from time to time, letting out light white puffs, which were softly provoking the hearts of the other male card artisans.

Kai’s gaze had just touched her when she discovered it. The look in her eyes toward Kai turned hot enough to nearly melt him.

Lu Xiaoru’s gaze was full of passion, and Kai frowned unhappily. He gave out a cold groan as he slightly narrowed his eyes, allowing a knife-like murderous aura to arise gradually. Lu Xiaoru’s face changed slightly as her gaze went clear, and she chuckled sweetly. “If you look at people that way, they will naturally respond.”

Machida kept eating the sweets as though there was nothing going on, seeming never to finish that piece of candy, with his black windbreaker rustling in the wind.

Just then, the apparatus on Kai’s wrist sounded, and he opened his communications card. A glowing screen popped up in front of him, on which appeared Qian Mingyi’s image. Kai got rid of the murderous aura, and Lu Xiaoru fixed her expression while Machida stopped eating the candy and turned his gaze in that direction. As the real power in the firm, Qian Mingyi wasn’t someone they could ignore.

Qian Mingyi looked a little wiped out on the screen, though his face was flushed, which gave the impression of repressed excitement. Looking at the three of them, Qian Mingyi was no-nonsense and said directly, “What’s your current position?”

A building with a spire was sweeping under their feet, and Kai quickly said, “We’ve just passed the twin towers building.”

Qian Mingyi closed his eyes, finally sweeping away the previous few days’ degeneration. He nodded steadily with an astonishingly imposing manner as the powerful man he was. “Mmm, then we still have time.”

Kai didn’t say anything, knowing the true goal of the operation was about to be announced. They had rushed to the firm’s building as soon as they had gotten their orders, though they still hadn’t been given their responsibilities. Each of them was given a small ball followed by an order to fly toward the northwest corner of Pomelo.

Machida and Lu Xiaoru flew up beside Kai, being just as concerned about what the job was.

After pulling himself together a little, Qian Mingyi slowly spoke. “Your job this time is very simple. I believe you’ve each received a ball-shaped apparatus.”

Kai pulled out the small ball. “This?”

“Right.” Qian Mingyi continued, “This is the latest product of the lab, a signal ball. Your job is to go into the northwest district of the city, and if the red light on the signal ball in your hand lights up, that means someone within 50 meters of you is using special communication devices. Your job is to grab the person and all of his possessions. That’s how simple it is.”

None of them spoke out. If the job were really so simple, then the three of them wouldn’t have been needed to do it. There must be something special there.

Qian Mingyi continued, “But, you have to pay attention to the very real possibility that other powers will intervene. None of them are weak, but they’ll let you strike first this time!” Qian Mingyi’s face had become abruptly fierce, causing the three of them to tremble in their hearts as they increasingly determined their job wouldn’t be easy. None of them was ordinary; if the job had been easy, then why would they be needed? Their value was in resolving the responsibilities that weren’t so simple.

“You don’t need to have any scruples. If you have any trouble, the firm will take care of it for you. But, there is one thing; no matter how, you must get the person and all of the equipment!” Qian Mingyi’s tone was decisive, not allowing for questioning as he looked them over, asking coldly, “Any questions?”

Machida suddenly opened his mouth and said in a feminine tone, “Does it make any difference to kill?”

“Yes. We want him alive. You can break his arm, you can break his leg, you can break anything, but he must be alive!” Qian Mingyi emphasized that with a loud voice.

“Oh. I get it.” Machida swallowed his smile with some nervousness, turning his pallid face still more startled. The expressions on the card artisans to their sides changed as they unconsciously distanced themselves from him. Only Kai and Lu Xiaoru acted as though nothing had happened.

Kai took on a serious expression. “The radius of the signal ball is 50 meters, in which scope there could be a lot of people. How do we tell who it is?”

“Grab them if they feel suspicious,” Qian Mingyi continued straight on, and Kai nodded to show he understood.

Lu Xiaoru chuckled sweetly. “Leader Qian, if I grab that person, will you let Kai stay with me for three nights? He’s really strong.” Once she’d said it, Kai’s face abruptly sank, and the card artisans to the side were jealous as they looked at Kai.

“Sure.” There wasn’t a hint of a smile on Qian Mingyi’s face. “If you do it, I’ll let him go to your place.” Once he said it, Kai’s face became still more tortured. Machida gave another nervous giggle to his side.

* * *

Chen Mu ran to the store with great dispatch to buy a set of what was claimed to be the most complete Encyclopedia of Materials. That set of fantasy cards cost 200,000 Oudi, being composed of 1,750 two-star fantasy cards and containing about a billion kinds of materials. Of course, although that Materials Encyclopedia was said to be the most complete, there were still quite a few oddball materials that hadn’t been recorded. Fortunately, it was sufficient as far as Chen Mu was concerned.

The card salesgirl at the store sized up Chen Mu in some surprise. No matter how she looked at him, he didn’t seem like a fanatical card master! Most ordinary card masters would choose to go to the library to inquire about such a Materials Encyclopedia. It was very seldom that anyone would buy a set; its price wasn’t low.

Apart from that, Chen Mu also bought one of the cheapest apparatuses.

Chen Mu hurried back once he’d bought the Materials Encyclopedia and opened the communications array while activating his thousand-kilometer card. Chen Mu said to Alfonso, “Help me connect to the system.”

The connection was quickly completed.

Chen Mu said, “Do I have sufficient permissions to set up a new database? And to transmit the data?”

The system was silent for a bit and then answered, “You have sufficient permissions and should be able to do the operation.”

Chen Mu was immediately thrilled and said right away, “Please help me to set up a dataset called ‘materials.\'”

After a few seconds, the system responded, “The operation is complete.”

Chen Mu took out the set of the Materials Encyclopedia and pulled out the first fantasy card, putting it into the separate apparatus where a screen immediately popped out. The very detailed characteristics of those kinds of materials could be seen on the screen, and there was a lot of textual information below the images. Those images could be transmitted over the thousand-kilometer card to the underground city base.

Taking a look at the rest of the pile of fantasy cards on the ground, Chen Mu inwardly clenched his teeth. While it would be tough that time, he wouldn’t have so much trouble later on.

Once they had the data, the adult soldiers would be able to slowly gather all kinds of materials. They were positioned deep in the jungle where there were all kinds of precious and rare materials. If he didn’t take advantage of such singular conditions, it would be a waste. Although Chen Mu didn’t think he would ever return to the underground city, to be prepared wouldn’t cost him too much energy. Moreover, those fantasy cards would be rather useful to those children who had studied with him for several days.

Chen Mu didn’t really have strong feelings toward the Moqi line, but he did have rather strong feelings for those children who had accompanied him to the underground city.

Chen Mu wasn’t aware of the danger quietly approaching him as he patiently transmitted the data.

* * *

Butchie’s aspect while sleeping was a far shot from the way she was during the day, with her grinning face buried under the covers. Saliva was oozing out of the corner of her mouth, and the sheets were already soaked. The strap on her see-through nightgown had slipped below her shoulder, springing her alluring breasts. The rest of the covers had been squished under her, leaving her legs crossed on top of them.

Di, di, di.

The sound of the apparatus on her wrist was strangely ear-piercing in the bedroom. Butchie wasn’t disturbed by it and kept drooling.

Di, di, di; di, di di . . .

The alarm seemed to know Butchie’s nature and just kept sounding. The veins on Butchie’s forehead under the covers pulsed a little as the hand grabbing the covers nearly ripped them apart.

Di, di, di . . .

“F**k, what jerk is bugging this babe so early?” Butchie couldn’t help her outburst as she sat up in a fury, growling while she opened her communications card. “If you let this old babe know who you are, I’ll bust you…”

A face appeared on the screen.

Butchie’s voice screeched to a stop, and the fury on her face disappeared without a trace as she said with a sweet smile, “Good morning, Brother Hugo!”

It was a peculiar face, with half of it covered by a silver mask. The mast went from the forehead over the nose and lips and all the way to the chin, covering the length of his profile, dividing the face into two parts. If one were to see only the other half, it would be enough to make any woman scream. The perfect and rigid profile was full of masculinity. The deep eyes were as dark as night. The aquiline nose made the face still more firm and full of strength. The wide, thick lips were masculine and sexy.

Still, the other side destroyed any sense of its beauty.

The shining, silvery mask evoked a soft feeling, while the black eyes were like black gems inlaid on it. To see only that side was like seeing a work of art.

But, whenever the half mask showed up in front of anyone, the appearance was quite monstrous and terrifying.

Hugo said smilingly, “You’ve exposed yourself, Butchie.” His voice was as screechy as a knife on glass. His smiling face was just as ugly under the silvery mask.

Butchie’s face had flushed, and she sighed in exclamation as she put the covers in front of her body in a flurry.

“It’s time to get up. We’ve already arrived in Pomelo, though I haven’t gone over to where ‘the beard’ is. I might need you to come with us.” Hugo had lightened his voice, although it was still quite piercing.

“Ah, so you’ve arrived!” Butchie was a little surprised as her brain cleared up, and she jumped right out of bed. “Where are you? I’ll be there right away!”

“You’ve exposed yourself again!” said that glass-scratching, piercing voice. “We’re in the vicinity of the Karl Hospital.”

Butchie’s legs nearly went soft under her. “I’ll sign off and be there right away.” She didn’t wait for Hugo’s response after she spoke, and she shut off the communications card. She leaned against the wall after turning it off with her face red to the point of oozing blood, pursing her lips as she shook her head hard. She quickly rummaged in her suitcase for clothes.

* * *

Howie was wandering along the street. What the chief uncle said was right; he was afraid Ren Wenzhou wouldn’t last long. To be able to compel Ren Wenzhou to yield and to agree to be acquired by them had required immense human and material resources from above.

What counted was power those days. Howie couldn’t stand feeling the power above him while at the same time feeling how hard Ren Wenzhou was. If he’d been ordinary, he would have yielded a lot sooner. For Ren Wenzhou to have been able to hold out until then meant he was not a simple player!

Still, even if he were tougher, what could he have done? When facing an overwhelming force, everyone’s will would become as fragile as paper.

As he thought about it and felt it through, he admired Ren Wenzhou, though Howie didn’t have the least bit of sympathy. For Ren Wenzhou to have gotten to where he was, he would have had to apply a lot of pressure. Howie wasn’t going to do any more than to express his sentiments.

He suddenly stopped as his gaze fell on something in the distance.