The Mysterious Card Maker: Starting with Zhang Jiao's Deification

In that old villa on the northern outskirts of Jiang City, the ever-burning light is still on.

The lamplight flickered slightly, casting long shadows on the wall. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air, as if something was lurking there, making it hard to breathe.

The person sitting in the chair tapped on the table, coughed occasionally, and his breathing became more rapid.

"click"

The door wasn't knocked on; it was simply pushed open from the outside.

The newcomer lowered the brim of his hat. This time, his steps were not as leisurely as before; in fact, they were somewhat hurried. He strode in, glanced at the person sitting in the chair, remained silent for a few seconds, and then spoke.

"Is the bonesmith dead?"

He handed over his phone, which displayed a video clip from Qin Muyao's live stream.

The person in the shadows didn't speak, but picked up their phone and read a short clip.

"Cough cough cough"

The flame of the eternal lamp contracted sharply, but quickly returned to normal.

"What's going on? Why not just go to his house? Didn't we find his address?"

"The bone smith went," the man paused, "but he can't get in!"

"Can't get in?"

"There's something blocking the doorway."

The person in the shadows stopped tapping on the table, and the only sound in the study was their breathing.

"What is it?"

"I don't know." The man shook his head. "The bone craftsman only said there was a threshold, but we just can't get past it. It's like there's something guarding the door."

"So you sent the bonesmith out, and he never even saw the target?"

"The bone craftsman went on his own." The man's voice lowered slightly. "He said, 'How skilled can an intern card maker be? I didn't expect this...'"

"I never expected to be defeated by such a strange person." The person in the shadows chimed in, their tone laced with sarcasm.

He didn't press Lin Fan for details, but instead picked up his phone again and watched the video once more. This time, his gaze fell on the person wearing a white peach wood mask in the video.

He completely ignored the voluptuous Qin Muyao and pointed directly at Lin Fan, who was wearing a white peach wood mask.

"This person..." He pointed to Lin Fan on the screen, "is he the same person as that trainee card maker Lin Fan?"

The newcomer paused for a moment, leaned closer to take a look, and then shook his head: "I'm not sure. He's wearing a mask, so I can't see his face, and the cards he's using are completely different from the ones Lin Fan showed before."

The visitor paused, then added, "But the bone craftsman must have had his reasons for seeking him out! Perhaps it's because their builds are similar!"

"There are plenty of people who look similar." The person in the shadows tossed the phone back onto the table. "Besides, Lin Fan lives alone. When did he get a partner? What about the woman in the video? Have you checked her out?"

The person was silent for a few seconds, then shook their head.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

The person in the shadows leaned back, their entire face disappearing into the darkness, leaving only the hand adorned with the jade thumb ring in the light.

"Find out the identity of that streamer. Regardless of whether he is Lin Fan or not, I need to know who he is."

The person in the shadows spoke slowly, their fingers beginning to tap the table again, one tap at a time, the rhythm slow and dull.

"Okay," the person replied.

"Has the New World Foundation matter been settled?" the person in the shadows asked.

"That guy! Zhao Zhong probably knows about Zhang Li's death too. He's been behaving much better lately, bringing back a lot more money than before, as if he's trying to show his loyalty."

"Hmph," the person in the shadows sneered. "What's the value of loyalty to someone like him? He's just a coward!"

"Then I'll send someone to take care of him right now!" the man said.

"No need, we can use him to deal with Lin Fan." The person in the shadows curled up slightly, revealing a smile that was hard to read.

"Anyway, it doesn't matter to us which side the person dies on."

The visitor paused for a moment, then understood what he meant, nodded, and said, "I understand."

The door closed, and the study returned to silence.

The flame of the eternal lamp flickered, then stabilized again. The candlelight illuminated the jade thumb ring, casting a bewitching face with red lips and white teeth, making it difficult to discern whether it was male or female.

......

It was another early morning workday. The alarm clock rang three times before Lin Fan finally got out of bed.

He reached for his phone, squinted at it, and saw it was already 8:30.

I was organizing the cards until 2 a.m. yesterday, and then I tossed and turned in bed for a while before finally falling asleep. I don't even know how long I slept.

My head is unusually foggy right now.

He rubbed his temples, then rolled over and got out of bed.

Qin Muyao next door seemed to have woken up as well, as there were rustling sounds coming from her.

After washing up, Lin Fan grabbed the card and headed to the company.

As Lin Fan walked out of the residential area, he overheard people talking about the mysterious potholes that had appeared there, and he quickened his pace without realizing it.

Arrived at the company.

Zhou Chen arrived a little earlier than him and was currently hunched over the table, munching on a steamed bun.

Upon seeing Lin Fan enter, her eyes lit up, and ignoring the steamed bun in her mouth, she mumbled, "Brother Fan, you're not late today!"

Lin Fan tossed his bag onto the table. "The way you're saying that, anyone who didn't know better would think I'm late every day!"

Zhou Chen chuckled sheepishly, took out a pink bento box, opened the lid to reveal the steamed buns inside, and handed it to Lin Fan.

"Brother Fan, would you like to try one?"

Lin Fan glanced at the lunchbox: "Did your wife make it, or did you buy it?"

"Try it!" Zhou Chen pushed the lunchbox forward again.

Lin Fan looked at him suspiciously, picked up a steamed bun, and took a small bite.

"Hey, you bought this? And the packaging is so nice!"

"Haha, my wife made this. Isn't it pretty good?" Zhou Chen's face was beaming with happiness.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off. When did you get this skill? It's comparable to the steamed bun shop downstairs. If your sister-in-law opened a shop downstairs, it would definitely be a huge hit."

Lin Fan gave a slightly exaggerated compliment, saying that although it wasn't wildly popular, it was still passable.

"My wife signed up for a class because she said the food outside is all gutter oil, zombie meat, and so on..." Zhou Chen went on and on about his wife.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off. We all know you have a great wife, so don't make us single people envious."

Lin Fan quickly interrupted him. He wondered if it was because they were getting married soon, but Zhou Chen just wouldn't stop talking about his wife.

"Hey, Fan, don't say I didn't give you a chance. My wife has so many girlfriends who aren't married yet, and they'll all be bridesmaids. Why don't you be a groomsman? Maybe..."

"No, men should prioritize their careers. Romantic relationships will only hold me back."

Lin Fan quickly refused. It wasn't that he didn't want to, but he had the good fortune to meet several of Zhou Chen's "best friends" in her circle of friends. Well... there was a reason why others didn't take the flowers.

Just as the two were chatting, a commotion broke out in a corner of the internship area.

"Holy crap, this mask looks familiar!"

"Isn't this the same model as the one worn by the ruler of the underworld?!"

"Holy crap, you wouldn't happen to be 'Little Black,' would you?"