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

"Mr. Lin, do you still have any concerns? I've said it before, as long as you can bring down 'He Jin,' I'll agree to any conditions!"

"I can arrange for the best doctors to treat your injuries. With me, you don't have to worry about being attacked by strange creatures, and you will never end up like this."

Zhao Zhong pointed to Lin Fan's wheelchair and said.

Lin Fan was somewhat tempted by what he heard. After all, he was marked by the mark of the Ghost King, and hiding here seemed like a good arrangement.

Moreover, this person has been collecting information about "He Jin" for nearly ten years. Is it really just to deal with the Ten Attendants? Only by staying here can we understand the truth.

"Mr. Lin?" Zhao Zhong called out again when he saw that he did not answer. His tone was still gentle, like a patient elder waiting for a junior to make a decision.

Lin Fan took a deep breath and raised his head.

"Mr. Zhao, I can stay," he said, "but I have a few requests."

Zhao Zhong gestured for him to proceed.

Lin Fan looked into Zhao Zhong's eyes and said, "First, I need enough freedom. I can leave here at any time, and you can't restrict my freedom."

"no problem!"

"Secondly, I need a separate card-making room, where no one is allowed to observe the card-making process, including you."

"no problem!"

"Thirdly, there are probably some things you haven't told me completely. If you want me to create him, you need to let me know what kind of person he is and why you want to create him!"

Zhao Zhong froze, his smile vanishing. He picked up the bronze fragment from the coffee table and slowly said:

"According to the materials I have, this man named He Jin should be a general. At that time, the court was controlled by a group called the 'Ten Attendants,' and He Jin wanted to get rid of those eunuchs and restore peace to the country."

"But it seems he failed later." He pointed to the rubbing of the mural on the coffee table and said, "The one who is tied up should be He Jin."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "But what I want is not his defeat, but his 'power,' the kind of power that can rival the Ten Attendants."

He looked at Lin Fan with an undisguised expectation in his eyes, as if he could get rid of something as long as he had He Jin.

Lin Fan met his gaze without speaking. He couldn't confirm whether Zhao Zhong had told him everything he knew, nor could he know his ultimate goal.

But one thing he was certain of was that Zhao Zhong's hostility toward the Ten Attendants was genuine; that suppressed emotion didn't seem feigned.

Zhao Zhong quickly composed himself, picked up his coffee cup, and resumed his gentle and calm demeanor.

"Mr. Lin Fan, I agree to all your conditions." He took a sip of coffee. "You also need to give me some time to make the card."

Lin Fan said, "Mr. Zhao, I can't set a timeframe for card production right now."

Zhao Zhong's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Why?"

"Insufficient information," Lin Fan said, looking at Zhao Zhong.

"The materials you gave me do indeed let me know that there is such a person as 'He Jin,' but to make a complete Summoning Card, I need to know more."

He paused, then tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair.

"What kind of person was he? How was he able to stand against the Ten Attendants? Why did he ultimately fail?"

Lin Fan posed questions one by one, "If the information is incomplete, what you make may just be an empty shell, with skills but no soul."

Zhao Zhong was silent for a few seconds, then asked, "So how did you come up with your Zhang Fei?"

Lin Fan thought to himself, "I've miscalculated. I wanted to subtly extract some information about the Ten Attendants, but now I've dug a hole for myself."

He picked up his coffee, took a sip, and as he put the cup down, he had already thought of what to say.

"It was thanks to a lot of brainstorming and a bit of good luck that I was able to successfully create the card!"

Virtual card information creation is a basic skill for card makers, and there are many examples like Lin Fan who succeeded in creating cards on their first try.

Zhao Zhong pondered for a moment, his gaze lingering on Lin Fan's face for a long time. "Based on what we know so far, how long would it take for you to build the rest?"

Lin Fan thought for a moment and gave a timeframe: "One month."

"A month?" Zhao Zhong frowned.

"Normally, card production, from conception to card issuance, takes about a week," Lin Fan paused, then continued, "but yours is pieced together from fragments; many things need to be built from scratch..."

Before Lin Fan could finish speaking, Zhao Zhong interrupted him: "Two weeks!"

"Two weeks is too tight. If it fails, you'll waste your material."

"As long as you create 'He Jin,' you can have as many resource cards as you want!"

"Three weeks!" Lin Fan said.

Zhao Zhong took out his phone, glanced at it, and looked as if he were counting down the days.

"Alright, three weeks it is. I hope you can give me the complete 'He Jin' card by then!"

Lin Fan nodded. Zhao Zhong hadn't specified what quality of "He Jin" card he wanted to produce; he could simply make a Blue Domain-level card on the last day to get it over with.

During these three weeks, he can not only avoid the strange occurrences brought about by the mark of the Ghost King, but also improve the cards in his hand.

Zhao Zhong just said that he has as many material cards as he wants!

"Three weeks... Do you need me to put in a good word for you at your company?" He put down his cup, as if he had just remembered something.

Lin Fan was taken aback. He had indeed forgotten about this; he was still the company's card maker.

"I'll go back this afternoon and ask my supervisor for a long leave," Lin Fan said.

Zhao Zhong waved his hand and picked up the landline receiver on the table: "No need for that trouble, I'll make a call and ask for you."

"Feed? I am Zhao Zhong."

The bald manager's slightly obsequious voice came from the other end of the phone. Zhao Zhong asked the bald manager to "borrow" Lin Fan for three weeks.

Lin Fan only vaguely heard "Mr. Zhao" and "Don't worry" coming from the other end of the phone.

Zhao Zhong tilted the receiver slightly towards Lin Fan: "Mr. Lin, your supervisor wants to speak with you."

Lin Fan took the receiver, but before he could speak, his supervisor's voice came through the receiver:

"Lin Fan, Mr. Zhao thinks highly of you! Just focus on making cards there. I'll approve a long leave for you at the company, and you'll still get your full salary."

Lin Fan held the receiver and simply said "Okay".

"If Mr. Zhao is satisfied, the cooperation between our company and the foundation will be secure, and you'll be a great contributor..."

"Okay, I understand." Lin Fan listened to his supervisor say a few more words, then hung up the phone.

"Please stay here for now. I'll have someone arrange a room for you. Just tell me what materials you need."

He picked up the landline on the table, dialed an internal number, and gave a few simple instructions to the person on the other end of the line, "Clean up Building C, we have guests checking in."

Zhao Zhong walked to the door, opened it, and gave a few instructions to the attendant guarding the door. The attendant bowed slightly, took the wheelchair, and pushed Lin Fan toward the elevator.