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

Lin Fan and his companion changed into the "Lord of the Underworld" masks, but the expected crowds did not appear, and few people paid attention to them as they walked down the street.

"Did the hype die down so quickly?" Qin Muyao's tone was clearly displeased.

Lin Fan breathed a sigh of relief. "This is actually better. If we were recognized, it would be more troublesome."

"I thought I'd be mobbed by fans if I showed up today!"

"What's wrong? Disappointed?" Lin Fan smiled and pointed to an electronic screen in the card trading center next to him.

"You see, it's not that our popularity has faded, it's that their counterfeit products are coming out too fast."

Qin Muyao looked in the direction Lin Fan was pointing, and saw that the screen displayed "GG" with the words:

Masks worn by the ruler of the underworld, limited-time offer, last 10 pieces, 1999 RMB including shipping.

The masks above are almost identical to the ones they wear, and even have some embellishments to make them more beautiful.

"Mommy, Mommy, look, those two people's masks are different from ours." A little girl carrying an ice cream walked by, her eyes burning with excitement as she looked at Qin Muyao and the others.

"You're telling the truth. They're all so beautiful, but they bought it. Look at what they're wearing; it's the same as what they sell."

The woman pointed to the flashing "MaskGG" on the electronic screen, then picked up a cheap plastic mask and waved it in front of Lin Fan, whispering something.

Lin Fan and Qin Muyao exchanged a glance. As card masters, their mental strength was far more acute than that of ordinary people. Although the woman spoke softly, they both heard her.

"Let's go! They should be here soon!" Lin Fan glanced at his phone and said to Qin Muyao.

Card trading center, third-floor coffee shop.

When the two arrived, there weren't many people in the coffee shop; only a few tables were scattered around the window, with people chatting quietly.

The air was filled with the aroma of coffee beans, completely different from the mixed smells in the trading hall downstairs.

"Hello, do you have a reservation?" the waiter greeted.

"Yes, the New World Foundation," Qin Muyao said.

The waiter paused for a moment upon hearing the name, then asked, "Are they the managers of the Underworld, Little Black and Little White?"

"Yes!" Qin Muyao replied in a deep voice using a voice changer.

"Could we take a moment of your time? We'd like to take a picture with you!" The people at the front desk had their eyes light up when they heard the name of the Underworld Manager.

"Okay!" Qin Muyao nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

After taking photos with each of them, I was led by a waiter to a semi-enclosed booth area, where the lighting was dimmer and the privacy was better than outside.

There was already someone sitting in the booth.

The woman's long legs, clad in black stockings, were crossed. She wore a well-tailored black blazer and light makeup beneath her long hair, making her look to be in her mid-twenties.

She looked up at the two of them, smiled slightly, stood up, and extended her hand to them: "Hello, I am Su Wanqing, the person in charge of this project from the New World Foundation."

Qin Muyao stepped forward and shook hands with her.

"Please sit down!" Su Wanqing gestured for the two to sit down, then picked up the menu from the table and handed it to them.

"What would you like to order? Their desserts are pretty good!"

"Whatever!" Lin Fan said.

"Me too!" Qin Muyao added.

Su Wanqing nodded and said to the waiter beside her, "Two hand-drip coffees, and a small cake dessert for this lady."

"Oh, and two more straws, please," Su Wanqing added to the waiter.

She put down the menu and looked at the two of them, or more precisely, at their masks.

"It's a pity we can't catch a glimpse of the 'Lord of the Underworld'! But I can understand!" Su Wanqing sighed, her eyes filled with admiration.

"Good that you understand!" Qin Muyao leaned back in her chair, the conversation not as serious as she had imagined.

"You two have already reviewed the terms we offered. I presume you've come today because you're interested in our future cooperation."

Su Wanqing took out two documents from her briefcase and pushed them in front of the two men.

"This is the contract we've prepared. You can take a look. If there are any changes needed, we can discuss them further," Su Wanqing said gently.

Then they pulled out two more brochures and pushed them over.

"Next month, our foundation will hold a charity auction. The items up for auction are things we have collected from various places, including antiques and some special card materials."

She pointed to the page with her finger, "We would like to invite you, 'Agents of the Underworld,' as our promotional guests."

"Just briefly introduce the auction during the live stream. You don't need to show your faces or endorse anything; just let your fans know that this event exists."

Lin Fan glanced at the contents of the promotional page. The list of items was very long, and most of them were things he had never heard of before.

Stone rubbings, bronze Pegasus, and some cards I've never seen before.

As he looked at it, his gaze suddenly stopped on one of the lines of text.

"Fragmentary Scroll of the Essential Techniques of Peace, Volume Three!"

Lin Fan's pupils contracted. The Essentials of Peace and Peace—wasn't this Zhang Jiao's book?

He subtly shifted his gaze, picked up the coffee the waiter had just brought, took a sip through the straw, and the bitterness of the coffee perfectly suppressed the slight turmoil in his heart.

"These things must be very expensive," Lin Fan asked casually, but he was already very excited inside.

If Zhang Jiao had the "Taiping Yaoshu" and integrated it into his mind, his strength would definitely be enhanced, and he might even be able to enter the "Purple Domain Level".

Su Wanqing smiled and said, "The main purpose of our foundation is to promote culture, and the auctions we hold are for public welfare purposes, not for profit, so the prices will not be too high."

"Take this 'Lord Without a Cover' for example. Nobody in the market recognizes it, and even after our research, we cannot determine its value."

"I might as well leave it to someone who's meant to have it. If I put it at an auction, it'd probably only start at a few thousand dollars, and there's no guarantee anyone would buy it!"

Lin Fan lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, concealing his gaze.

If it's only a few thousand yuan, then I can try to get the fragment of the "Taiping Yaoshu" myself.

Although it is unknown what is recorded in this fragment, anything related to Zhang Jiao can be used as material for Zhang Jiao's advancement.

"So, Mr. Xiao Hei, are you interested?" Su Wanqing looked at Lin Fan with a gentle expression.

"As you see in the contract, we will also provide you with an additional reward of 10 yuan, as well as long-term access to the [Misty Ruins]."

Lin Fan glanced at Qin Muyao, seemingly seeking her opinion. After reading the contract, Qin Muyao did not find any loopholes.

This contract is entirely from the perspective of the "underworld agent," and it only requires mentioning the auction. Why would anyone refuse such a good deal that's been handed to them?

"Okay, sure!" Qin Muyao said. Su Wanqing smiled, stood up, and extended her hand again: "Then it's settled."

Just as Lin Fan and Qin Muyao stood up and shook hands.

"Bang!"

The glass curtain wall of the coffee shop suddenly shattered.