The Card Apprentice

“Tang Hanpei! How dare you!” Pavchek bellowed sternly as he stood up with a rush. The murder of a director under the eyes of all present had never happened in the history of the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Moreover, the murderer was actually his favorite pupil. How could he not be shocked and angry?

“Sir!” Tang Hanpei bowed to Pavchek slightly.

The rest of the directors had faces full of rage. One director could no longer suppress himself and stood up. “Men, take Tang Hanpei away!”

Yet, outside the meeting room, there was no stirring.

Tang Hanpei took his seat in a leisurely manner without even a look at that director. A gentle, unconcerned smile hung upon his face throughout. But it was just that smile, gentle as the spring breeze, that made every director feel a sense of foreboding rise in their hearts.

Pavchek’s heart abruptly sank. He had a deep understanding of that pupil of his. Tang Hanpei, in his way of dealing with matters, always planned everything before taking any action. Since he had dared to make a move, he must have had some backing. What exactly does he want to do?

Pavchek’s doubt was also the doubt of the other directors. Having made it that far, those people were not idiots. They each sat as steadily as before, waiting for Tang Hanpei to reveal the solution to the mystery.

“Where are the men? Guards!” the director yelled angrily toward the door to the meeting room. The rest of the directors looked at him like he was an idiot. Can this guy not see what the situation is?

The smile on Tang Hanpei’s face grew wider. As if they heard the commotion in the meeting room, a few card artisans walked in.

The director was greatly pleased. He pointed at Tang Hanpei and ordered, “You, take him away! With the guts to murder a school director in public, there’s no pardon possible! Hurry! Seize him, and take him away!”

The few card artisans stood there, expressionless, as though they were blockheads.

“He’s too noisy,” Tang Hanpei said, full of smiles and unspeakably elegant.

Bang! A bloody hole appeared on the forehead of the director, who opened his eyes wide in disbelief. The one who had struck was a card artisan. The other two card artisans, without speaking one word, dragged the director, who had fallen to the ground, out of the meeting room.

The other directors were aghast and looked at one another, some of them clearly angry. The death of an ally begot grief, and the one who died a moment ago was a fellow director. Everyone wondered who would be next.

“Tang Hanpei, what do you mean by this?” The one who spoke was Dion Lott. That director, who was almost 70 years old, was the most senior director on the whole board, being even far more senior than Pavchek. He was also the representative of the neutral faction in the board.

Tang Hanpei leaned closer to that old, white-haired director and asked respectfully in reply, “Mr. Dion Lott, what is your view on the Federation Comprehensive Academy’s current situation?”

Dion Lott stopped dead for a moment. He hadn’t expected Tang Hanpei to suddenly ask such a question. He put on a thoughtful look and said, “Oh, what’s your view?”

Tang Hanpei’s features relaxed into a smile. “Obviously, we have come to the edge of a cliff.” He seemed as though narrating an incident absolutely unrelated to himself.

“You aren’t fit to butt in on this matter!” another director couldn’t help but sneer. “If I remember correctly, you are still waiting for your punishment! Hmph. Besides, isn’t it because of the trouble you caused that the Federation Comprehensive Academy has sunk to today’s state?”

The rest of the directors each showed signs of agreement. If it hadn’t been for that crazy operation of Tang Hanpei’s in Pomelo, the Federation Comprehensive Academy wouldn’t even be in such an unfortunate position!

Tang Hanpei wasn’t perturbed in the slightest and said, “It is possible that everyone still believes if we don’t contact Faya, Faya will keep the peace with us?”

Dion Lott frowned slightly and said with displeasure, “Do not speak of these useless things. We ought to be discussing what should be done at present!” Having said that, his gaze fell onto Tang Hanpei’s face. “Since you’ve come, you must have something in mind. No harm bringing it up.”

Tang Hanpei smiled a little. “Your wisdom is remarkable.” He then took out a document and handed it to Dion Lott.

Dion Lott took the document and cast a few sweeping glances over it. The darkness on his face was unparalleled, but he did not speak. Instead, he offhandedly passed it to the director beside him.

The document was passed on to Pavchek’s hand. With one look, his expression completely changed. It was a letter of appointment, and its meaning was simple. The school’s board of directors appointed Tang Hanpei the position of wartime principal to command all school affairs and to have authority over all affairs regarding the war. If it was to be according to what the document stated, all the power in the Federation Comprehensive Academy would be centralized on him alone. The board of directors would not be able to restrain him in any way.

“Ha ha! What makes you think we will pass this motion?” a director sneered.

“Because I can lead the Federation Comprehensive Academy out of this difficult situation,” Tang Hanpei replied bluntly.

“You think just because you said you can, you really can? Ha ha!” The director burst out laughing, as if he had heard some hilarious joke.

Tang Hanpei looked around slowly, and the supremely penetrating gaze was filled with a subduing force. Many directors couldn’t help but avoid his gaze!

“Because I am Tang Hanpei!”

The meeting room was absolutely silent. The sentence was spoken loud and clear, as though it carried an unrivaled power. It was also charming, as though it carried queer magic.

Tang Hanpei put away the smile on his face and said in a deep voice, “At such a critical moment, everyone still hasn’t left the capital. This is sufficient to prove everyone’s feelings toward the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Everyone must know how desperate the situation is at present. If we still don’t take strong initiatives, what awaits us will certainly be occupation and annihilation. Our beautiful academy will be leveled to the ground, and our wealth will be snatched! Not only will we have nothing left, but we will also be the sinners in the history of the academy and the losers mocked by the whole federation!”

Tang Hanpei’s voice, with a trace of anger, reverberated in the meeting room.

Silence. Silence, still. Several directors’ faces were changing color, being red one instant and white the next.

“Sorry, Tang Hanpei; though your attainments as a card artisan are outstanding, you haven’t yet proven you are capable enough in this area,” another director answered calmly.

Dion Lott did not speak out. He seemed to be pondering something.

Tang Hanpei’s expression was as per usual, except his face showed a trace of disappointment. “Everyone, in truth, I am not really here to seek your opinion. From today onward, the Federation Comprehensive Academy Board of Directors will become history. Everyone will witness the arrival of a new era.”

“What, do you want to force us?” that director asked coldly in reply.

“I think everyone will understand once you’ve seen this.” Tang Hanpei activated the apparatus on his wrist, and a screen jumped out of it. On the screen appeared a middle-aged man dressed in a military outfit.

“Wei Yueqing!”

“General!”

A few directors involuntarily cried out in alarm. On the screen was actually the general of the federation’s First Army, Wei Yueqing, who had been from the Federation Comprehensive Academy.

“Hello, directors. I am Wei Yueqing. I shan’t waste words. I speak on behalf of the First Army in supporting Tang Hanpei’s appointment as the wartime principal.” Wei Yueqing’s tone was crisp, and not half a sign of fluctuation could be seen on his face, which seemed to have been carved from rocks.

The directors’ faces were ashen. At that moment, they suddenly realized why Wei Yueqing hadn’t stirred all that time earlier.

Pavchek’s face was pale. In an instant, he figured it out. Why did Tang Hanpei do something so extreme in Pomelo? Exactly because he wanted the Federation Comprehensive Academy to be in danger! Song Chengyan had refused to take up the post of frontline commander and had soon been brought into the First Army. Perhaps Tang Hanpei had already reached an agreement with Wei Yueqing back then.

Since then, he had been setting the scene! No, maybe at an even earlier time, he had already started plotting. However, what gave him the confidence that he could save the Federation Comprehensive Academy from danger?

That was the point Pavchek still hadn’t puzzled out, but he well knew his disciple definitely had some backing. He merely hadn’t thought of it. Looking at the gentle, harmless smile on Tang Hanpei’s face, Pavchek suddenly felt old and that he knew so little of his disciple. He didn’t understand. What exactly did Tang Hanpei want? If it had been the position of the principal of the Federation Comprehensive Academy, it would definitely have been his ten years down the road, assuming no accident.

Wei Yueqing’s abduction order was understood by all the directors. The matter of Tang Hanpei’s becoming the Federation Comprehensive Academy’s principal was pretty much set. Having Wei Yueqing’s support was enough to pass the motion. No one would still refuse to grasp the present situation at that moment; that was akin to joking with one’s own life.

If it hadn’t been in wartime, if it hadn’t been that only one-third of the members of the board of directors were left, and if it hadn’t been for such desperate circumstances, the board of directors would still have had enough power to contend against him, even with Wei Yueqing’s support.

Yet, in that world, there was no “if.”

Dion Lott was the first to sign on the motion. After signing it, he raised his head and said to Tang Hanpei, “Hope you can make good on your promise.”

Tang Hanpei kept his smile away and answered solemnly and respectfully, “Please, rest assured. The Federation Comprehensive Academy will certainly be even more glorious!”

All of the directors signed their names on the letter of appointment.

Taking the letter, Tang Hanpei’s face showed no signs of joy. Such great shrewdness made all the directors feel a chill in their hearts.

“Thank you for all of your support. Perhaps everyone will soon realize how wise your decision is.” Tang Hanpei continued expressionlessly, “Well then, I shall issue a few commands. First, as to all of today’s absent members of the board of directors: Their behavior constitutes a betrayal to the Federation Comprehensive Academy. Revoke their appointments as directors, and seize all of their wealth and estates.”

Pavchek’s heart skipped a beat. He sure is ruthless enough! Tang Hanpei was nipping his own troubles in the bud. Once those directors were stripped of their position, the remaining third of the directors could not possibly contend against Tang Hanpei, even if the situation settled later.

Seeing that most directors weren’t much concerned about that command, Pavchek couldn’t help but sigh to himself. This bunch of short-sighted fellows!

“Second, appoint Song Chengyan as the frontline general commander. Due to the severe lack of battle forces at the frontline, hopefully everyone can contribute their own family’s battle forces. As for the quantity, that depends on everyone’s own willingness. However, I will be explicit upon one point. All fixed assets of the families with a director stripped of his position, apart from wealth, will be provided by the academy for allocation. The size of the allocated amount will be based on the amount of contribution and accordingly distributed.”

Boom!

The meeting room was bubbling immediately! The directors stripped of their position made up two-thirds of the board of directors. That was an unsurpassably coveted opportunity! Many were counting in their heads how many card artisans they had on hand.

Looking around at the extremely fired-up directors, Tang Hanpei smiled as gently as before.