The Card Apprentice

The man was probably about 40, with sunken eyes, a listless expression, and a stubbly beard. His clothes were worn out, and even from far away, he gave off a pungent smell. Once he’d come in, Chen Mu noted his right leg was lame. The way he looked was the living example of one down-and-out dude.

Chen Mu didn’t look down on him in the least because of his shabby appearance, having been a lot more miserable when he was small.

Looking at that middle-aged man, the fatty sighed and took Chen Mu aside. In a low voice, he said, “The two of us have known one another for a long time. He was once well-known, and I never thought he would be in such dire straits as he is now.” Glancing at his good friend from the old days, the fatty couldn’t help another sigh. “This guy is really desperate; otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such dire straits. I wanted to bail him out, but he rebuffed me. The stir recently made by the numbered series of cards was so big he didn’t even know where he got the news of me, but he wanted me to bring him to see you. He helped me a lot in the old days. If it would be convenient, I wonder if you could help him. If there is anything you need, just let me know.”

“Mmmm.” Chen Mu nodded, and the fatty pulled back to the side. Chen Mu walked over to the middle-aged man.

Noticing Chen Mu, the middle-aged man’s eyes brightened, and his bowed back straightened right up. The clothes were the same, his face was still covered in a beard, and the smell was as before. In Chen Mu’s eyes, however, that man looked as though he had just become a completely different person. Inwardly surprised, Chen Mu couldn’t help but think about what the fatty had just said. The middle-aged man had been a famous personage.

“Jody Bogner!” The middle-aged man’s expression immediately became sharp, as though he could pierce through Chen Mu.

For that guy to have such a sharp gaze meant he was no ordinary person after all. But Chen Mu wasn’t surprised. Although he hadn’t seen more awesome people than he could count, he’d seen quite a few. Of course he wasn’t going to be intimidated by him.

“What do you have in mind?” Chen Mu asked him, without even introducing himself. He didn’t know what the man needed, but since the fatty had brought it up, Chen Mu had already decided he would do his best to help as long as it wasn’t too difficult.

Bogner squinted as though he was looking right through Chen Mu. Chen Mu was already a little surprised at how weak the perceptual fluctuations from his body were. To have such a sharp, oppressive gaze was rare. Chen Mu remained calm, patiently waiting for what his counterpart would have to say.

After a full ten seconds of Bogner staring at him, the flash of admiration faded, and his sharp gaze gradually lost its edge. He once again returned to his former look of a down-and-out dude. He cautiously pulled out a card from his chest and put it in front of Chen Mu. In a trembling voice, he asked, “Grand Master, can you see if you can restore this card?”

Taking a look at Bogner, Chen Mu took the card from his hands and looked it over carefully.

From its luster, he could tell the card had gone through a number of years, but he could also see its owner had been attentive. What was most shocking about it was that its surface had five obvious scratches crisscrossing it, which had destroyed the composition beyond recognition.

“Yikes!” Chen Mu uttered a light oath since the card was rather unexpected. It was a three-star fantasy card, but it was an extremely strange one. Its use was actually no different from a one-star or two-star card, which could only emit specific images. It was his first time seeing such a three-star card, which, as he saw it, didn’t have any real use.

If it had been someone else, that card wouldn’t have been worth restoring. It was a card only a mid-grade card master would be able to restore, with its compositional structure in the range of a three-star fantasy card. Though the content involved was that of a low-grade card, the demands were more refined. The skills for such a refined low-grade fantasy card were something only a low-grade card master who made card plays or fantasy card advertisements for a living would be able to penetrate.

Few among mid-grade card masters would have such deep attainments with low-grade fantasy cards. But Chen Mu did in his capacity as the boss of Heaven’s Wings. He’d made “Chance Encounter” and “Legend of Master Shi,” so those fine skills were something he had long since become proficient with by heart.

Looking a little more closely, Chen Mu said, “I can repair it.” After saying that, he thought he would do the repair right away since it would involve little effort.

Bogner’s eyes showed a look of delight, although he suddenly stopped Chen Mu. “Would you please wait a bit?”

Chen Mu turned around and looked at him. “What’s the problem?”

“Can you really restore it?” Bogner asked cautiously.

“Yes.” Chen Mu’s response was direct, without the slightest uncertainty. He could see the card must be important to Bogner.

“Wonderful!” Bogner was overjoyed, but he restrained his expression. He suddenly straightened his body, and his gaze shone brightly at Chen Mu as he asked in a sinking voice, “What kind of price must I pay?”

Chen Mu shook his head. “It won’t take much. You don’t need to pay any compensation.” It would certainly be effortless for him, and to be able to help out the fatty made him rather happy.

He hadn’t thought Bogner would shake his head. “That won’t do. I’ve already asked on the market. You are the third card master I’ve asked who could restore it, and the lowest price among the two previous ones was 200,000 Oudi before they would do the repair.”

Chen Mu took a look at the fatty and said honestly, “You are his friend, so I can’t take any compensation.”

“No good.” Bogner shook his head, his gaze as stubborn as ever. “My friendship is with him. What I’m talking about with you is business.”

Chen Mu hadn’t thought this guy would be so tough. He took another look at him, asking calmly, “Do you have Oudi?”

Despite the beard covering Bogner’s face, Chen Mu could still see his cheeks turn red as he shook his head in some embarrassment. But his gaze was as stubborn as ever, and he wasn’t going to waver because of that.

It was the first time Chen Mu had encountered someone so stubborn, and he couldn’t help but turn his gaze toward the fatty. The reason he’d wanted to help Bogner restore the card was completely based on giving the fatty some face.

The fatty came between the two of them and helplessly said to Bogner, “After so many years, you are still so stubborn. I say, when will you change this manner? If the spirit of Celia up in heaven were to see you this way, I’m afraid she would be angry.”

Hearing that name, Bogner’s eyes turned red, though his face remained indifferent. “You don’t understand Celia, Fatty. If I weren’t like I am, she would never have married me that year.”

Hearing that, the fatty’s gaze couldn’t help but turn sad. His basic pique had become more flexible as he muttered to himself, “Since that’s the way it is, young brother Cao may have run into a little trouble recently, Bogner. He’s been wanting to recruit a few hands. You have a lot of experience in that regard, so why not help him out as compensation?”

Hearing that, Bogner’s expression looked hesitant.

The fatty said with an unhappy expression, “Do you want Celia to be watching you down in the dumps like this from the heavens, Bogner?”

Bogner was stunned to hear that, and he lowered his head in silence.

After a full five minutes, he finally raised his head. Chen Mu saw the flash of sharpness in his gaze again. Bogner had a calm expression and an aggressive gaze. “Ok, I can serve Mr. Cao, but my salary requirements are 100 million Oudi per year.” Bogner said it in a calm tone while maintaining his proud expression.

One hundred million a year? Chen Mu was speechless. Who was making a request of whom in the end? That was the first time he’d seen someone so self-important while asking for help. Although he’d just gotten quite a few hundred million, he still didn’t plan to squander it that way.

Just as he was thinking of refusing, he saw the fatty giving him a steady look.

Could the fatty have wanted to bail out Bogner that way? Chen Mu hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Ok.” Chen Mu’s thinking was pretty simple. The fatty was the most important partner he had at the time. If not for him, he would basically not be able to have earned so much money. Although 100 million was a huge amount, it was still like tossing a peach to get back a plum in returning the favor.

Following that, Chen Mu started to restore the card. After all he’d been through, the difficulty of the card wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Chen Mu completed the restoration after spending only half an hour.

Bogner’s hands were trembling with excitement when Chen Mu presented the restored card to him. His lips were pursed tight and had turned white from the excessive pressure. The simple action of inserting the card into the apparatus took him three tries.

The card activated.

* * *

“Ha ha, our Bogner is finally about to be married to the beautiful Celia. Although Bogner is a little ugly, ha ha, he’s still plenty fertile. He makes perfect cow dung to plant a flower!”

* * *

“Oh my god, we are so beautiful—like a fairy, the love in the dreams of every brother in the group. Our beloved princess Celia has appeared! I can see it all. Good lord, I am so jealous of Bogner right now. What a lucky guy!”

* * *

“Bogner has come out. That guy is the enemy of all his fellow men today! But hey, everyone has plenty of chance for revenge. No one can leave this guy alone today. Although he has silently plucked the most beautiful and charming flower from our team, we must mobilize all our fellow men not to get him drunk him tonight, which would never be enough to calm our fellow men’s wounded hearts!”

* * *

“What a beautiful night. Ha ha, Bogner has gotten drunk in front of our sea of resentment without the least scruples! Poor Bogner, to be as drunk as mud on his wedding night, ha ha. I feel for him.”

* * *

“I’m really looking forward to it! What kinds of ugly kids will that ugly donkey Bogner and Celia produce? Little princesses or little princes? I really can’t wait. No, I must remind Bogner that he must be diligent!”

Among the images was a lively wedding with everyone shaking with joy.

Tears covered Bogner’s face.