This also meant that Chen Mu had to put his Illusion Card work on hold. Right now, earning money mattered most. There would be plenty of time for those Illusion Cards later.
Zuo Tingyi ran into Wang Ze at school, along with several other exchange students from Star Academy. They all knew Zuo Tingyi well and came over to greet him.
Wang Ze lit up when he saw Zuo Tingyi. "I was just worrying about not being able to find anyone, and here you are, Tingyi, delivered right to my doorstep."
Seeing how Wang Ze and the others were dressed, Zuo Tingyi was rather surprised. "Where are you planning to go?"
Wang Ze gave a hearty laugh. "We're bored out of our minds at school, so a few of us thought we'd take a look around out in the wild. But we haven't been able to find anyone we know to guide us. Hong Tao apparently has a date with some girl today. He slipped away so fast I couldn't even catch him." A few chuckles rose from the others.
Had his father not said those things to him, Zuo Tingyi would never have suspected anything. This time, however, Wang Ze's words made him pay a little more attention.
His face, however, showed a hint of hesitation. "The wild is dangerous, and I don't even have the strength to truss a chicken. Should I bring a few Card Adepts along?"
One of the students beside Wang Ze cut in. "There's no need to worry, Tingyi. We may not be experts, but we're certainly no worse than ordinary Card Adepts. You can leave your safety to us." His tone was mild, but the confidence and boldness in his words commanded attention. Zuo Tingyi knew this student. His name was Ou Jiang.
"In that case, I'll leave my safety in your hands." Zuo Tingyi readily agreed.
They flew using Airflow Cards the whole way. Wang Ze held Zuo Tingyi with one arm, looking perfectly at ease despite carrying another person, without the slightest sign of strain. Zuo Tingyi was quietly startled. Students from Star Academy truly were exceptional; there wasn't a single mediocrity among this group.
As they moved, they covered one another, their formation always just right. There was not a trace of the inexperience or recklessness typical of students. Every one of them looked composed and acted with practiced skill. Any one of them would have ranked among the very best at East Guard Academy.
Yin Jiuchen led the way. He looked extremely scholarly, wore glasses, and seemed every inch a well-behaved student. Yet his combat ability was formidable. When Hong Tao had mentioned it last time, Zuo Tingyi had been somewhat skeptical. Seeing it firsthand now left him deeply shaken.
With a calm expression, Yin Jiuchen flew at the very front of the group, continually releasing moon-white wave blades from his upturned right hand. Every blade was exceedingly thin and swift as lightning, and the shrill whistles as they sliced through the air could be heard near and far.
So far, they had not encountered the slightest serious resistance. By a rough estimate, they were already about three hundred kilometers from Dongshang Guard City.
Zuo Tingyi noticed one student continually recording information on a Terrain Card. Apparently noticing his puzzlement, Wang Ze explained with a smile, "In our first year at the academy, our teachers required us to record the local terrain wherever we went."
Understanding dawned on Zuo Tingyi's face, and he praised them. "That certainly is a good habit!" Inwardly, however, he sneered. Now every move these Star Academy exchange students made seemed deeply suspicious to him.
After surveying the surrounding terrain, Zuo Tingyi suggested, "Let's take a break. There are more powerful wild beasts farther ahead. We'd better be careful."
Wang Ze nodded readily. "You know this area better, Tingyi. We'll do whatever you suggest."
After resting for a while, they continued deeper into the wild. Before long, however, Wang Ze suggested heading back, much to Zuo Tingyi's surprise.
Could my suspicions have been wrong?
"Lei Zi, are you sure these big iron men will be popular?" Chen Mu pointed skeptically at the so-called Light Armor in the Card Film The Legend of the Mecha Master. To him, these clumsy iron giants had not the slightest aesthetic appeal.
Lei Zi's expression brimmed with yearning as he said in a dreamy voice, "You don't understand. Every boy carries a dream of flying out among the stars..."
The hairs on Chen Mu's arms stood on end. He hurriedly interrupted Lei Zi. "Well, if you think it'll work, that's good enough. I trust you." Then he asked, "The hundred sets are finished. Are you going to the main city this afternoon?"
Coming back to his senses, Lei Zi nodded. "Yes. The sooner we sell them, the sooner we get the money. Are you coming with me?"
"I need to buy some materials. We've nearly used up what we have at home."
Polinton Town was quite a distance from the main city, but fortunately, they could take a scheduled shuttle. It cost thirty Odi per person and took about two hours to reach the main city.
Once they arrived, the two split up. Lei Zi went to sell the Card Films, while Chen Mu went to buy raw materials.
Some raw materials for cardmaking could already be cultivated artificially, but the vast majority still had to be gathered from the wild. Ever since cards were invented, most of their raw materials had come from plants, animals, and minerals. Even now, artificial cultivation of cardmaking materials remained one of the most cutting-edge and difficult fields of research. Another difficult question was what artificial materials could replace these natural raw materials.
If industrial production was the greatest hurdle to making cards widely available, then raw materials were the bottleneck restricting industrial production. Until that problem was solved, industrial card production would remain nothing more than a fool's dream. One-Star Energy Cards made this clear: only after several of their required raw materials began to be cultivated artificially on a large scale did their production become fully industrialized.
This also sent the price of One-Star Energy Cards plummeting. In the past, even One-Star Energy Cards had been beyond the means of ordinary people.
Dongshang Guard City had quite a few material shops. Chen Mu knew his way around and soon bought everything he needed.
He had intended to head back as soon as he finished shopping, but suddenly he thought of Uncle Hua's little shop. The thought that sprang into his mind seemed to possess some sort of power, and his feet carried him involuntarily toward the shop.
The closer he came to Uncle Hua's shop, the more nervous he became. Uncle Hua was already gone. What am I nervous about? Chen Mu mocked himself inwardly, but it seemed to do no good.
His heart pounded faster and faster, as though it were about to leap out of his throat.
The last corner lay just ahead. Once he rounded it, Uncle Hua's shop would come into view.
He walked on instinctively, his mind utterly blank. Chen Mu had no idea what he was doing.
When he saw the shop, still shuttered, he abruptly came back to his senses. A wistful sigh stirred in his heart, and bitterness filled his mouth.
What wire got crossed in my head today? With an inward, rueful smile, Chen Mu was about to turn and leave when he happened to catch sight of a particularly conspicuous sign outside the little shop next to Uncle Hua's.
"Episode one of Mu Lei's new work, The Legend of the Mecha Master, is now available. Get yours before it's gone."
(End of chapter)