Chapter 176: Liao Zhai Zhi Yi_1
#Founding Emperor Card Set Breaks Yunxia Sales Record#
When many associations saw this trending topic, they were not surprised.
Whether in quality or novelty, the Founding Emperor Card Set instantly dominated the current R-Rank market. It was commonly understood that historical figures couldn’t be turned into cards, yet Mount Flower shattered this convention.
Recently, there was also a surge in producing cards depicting historical figures. Alas, while making ordinary paper cards was easy, not a single Card Spirit of a historical figure was created.
This left the other associations deeply worried.
Historical figures were clearly becoming the current trend. If they couldn’t seize this opportunity, they could only watch helplessly as Mount Flower devoured this "big crab"—this major prize—completely.
How can one fight against an opponent who cannot be beaten in either quality or quantity?
Wen Jiang was still relieved that her competitors were still naive this year. Although some were trying to sway public opinion by claiming blind boxes were detrimental to the market, no statements were made to belittle or disparage the Founding Emperor Card Set.
In the Xie Family residence, seeing Mount Flower’s climbing sales, Xie Lingyan’s face was so gloomy it looked as if water could drip from it.
He had just been kicked out of a core position, and now Mount Flower had achieved such sales figures. A well-assembled card set could sustain them for years. By the looks of it, Mount Flower was producing cards as easily as drinking water.
Old Lady Xie had also complained several times, both openly and secretly, "She really is ruthless. We are her only family in this world."
"Mom," Xie Lingyan said, his smile not reaching his eyes, "it’s pointless to talk about these things now. Instead of harping on this every day, you might as well focus on your daughter’s whereabouts."
Xie Lingyu had vanished since she was taken away. Lady Hua had clearly told him that Fiend’s people had taken her.
This matter was Xie Lingyu’s own fault for not listening to advice; no one else was to blame.
The Jimo Family certainly wouldn’t send people to search for her.
Old Lady Xie’s body stiffened, and tears welled up again. "My poor daughter! How can we not bring her back? That woman, Hua, clearly knows where my daughter is. Why won’t she send people to rescue her?"
"Isn’t this because your daughter herself isn’t right in the head? How can you blame others?"
Lately, due to Mount Flower’s success, Xie Lingyan had been unusually angry and no longer showed the filial obedience he previously had for his mother.
Old Lady Xie knew that nothing she said would be of use now and would only increase her son’s irritation. Biting her lip, she suddenly asked, "Has there been any movement from the Qiao Family?"
A dark gleam flashed in Xie Lingyan’s eyes.
Indeed, they had offended the Qiao Family. However, Mount Flower had risen on its own merits, so the Qiao Family truly had no recourse, even though they had paid a huge price to make the Qiao Family withdraw from the factory. Who could have known that Mount Flower could make such an unbelievable comeback? Moreover, based solely on its quality, this comeback seemed far too easy. Although the Qiao Family was envious, they were temporarily powerless. Ultimately, the matter hadn’t affected any of the Qiao Family’s business. At most, it had created overt discord between the two families, potentially leading to them tripping each other up in the future. Expecting the Qiao Family to make a move against Wen Jiang in the short term is unrealistic.
What could he do?
What could he possibly do?!
Human greed is nourished step by step. Having spent so many years in the Jimo Family, he had skimmed considerable profits. Now that Wen Jiang had returned, he was expected to give everything up. On what grounds?
But to act against Wen Jiang, with his current strength, was still highly unlikely.
Moreover, his niece’s attitude was visibly confrontational. Several interactions had almost led to an outright fallout. Trying to curry favor had proven futile; she was impervious to both soft and hard approaches.
Xie Lingyan looked out the window, an idea he’d had before gradually resurfacing.
Inside the Mount Flower Card Factory, Jiao Zhongwei was doodling in her bedroom.
Every Card Maker possesses distinct talents. For instance, when a Card Maker forges a Card Spirit, a talent for drawing can positively influence the cards they create.
Take her cards, for example: they could be customized with different paper designs according to her own style. These were essentially the "skins" of the cards.
There were no clear instructions yet regarding the Founding Emperor Card Set. Noticing the factory bustling day and night, Jiao Zhongwei, finding herself with some free time, was sketching out concepts for new cards.
She just lacked inspiration.
At this moment, she received a call from the manager, asking her to come to his office.
The manager was an old-timer at Mount Flower who had stayed through tough times. After the turmoil, almost everyone who remained was promoted—a measure to ensure loyalty among the veterans, who felt their perseverance had been justified.
For Card Makers like Jiao Zhongwei, the situation was tricky. Since they had stayed, they expected to reap benefits, believing they deserved improved treatment and compensation in their card-making roles.
Jiao Zhongwei also thought the meeting might be about such matters. Although she felt it would be an act of kindness from Mount Flower to improve her compensation, she still harbored some expectations.
However, upon arriving at the manager’s office, he cut to the chase. "Jiao Zhongwei, although you haven’t been at Mount Flower for long, your qualities are evident to everyone. There’s a secret project related to new cards. I originally approached Teacher Shao Lanxiang, but Teacher Shao is getting on in years and no longer wishes to work on new R-Rank Cards. She recommended you to me. I wonder, would you be willing?"
"Of course, I am willing," Jiao Zhongwei replied. Knowing it was a request from the association, she naturally wouldn’t refuse, though she felt somewhat troubled and hesitant. "We’ve just released a new batch of the Founding Emperor Card Set. Are we already planning for new cards? To be honest, I don’t think the quality of my cards can surpass that of the Card Maker who created them, and I’ve been lacking inspiration lately."
She was quite honest.
The manager chuckled. "The Founding Emperor Card Set is doing well, so naturally, there’s no rush to release new cards. However, our association’s follow-up plans are already set. Each Card Factory now has additional assessment tasks, and this task is related to new cards."
As he spoke, the manager pulled out a thick book.
The book seemed freshly printed, still carrying the faint scent of new ink and paper. Its cover featured an ink-wash painting: a beautiful woman in ancient attire stared directly out, as if at a camera. Behind her, ribbons fluttered around a wide screen, suggesting a bedroom setting. Though it appeared to be an ordinary painting, it exuded a subtly unsettling aura.
If one looked at the woman’s eyes for too long, they seemed to carry a chilling quality, despite her enchanting smile.
Beside the woman, the brush-script characters for "Strange Tales from Liaozhai" were particularly striking. Below them were three characters: Pu Songling, presumably the author’s name.
Jiao Zhongwei’s attention was instantly captivated by the book. "Manager, what is this?"
The manager smiled. "This book contains many lost folk tales. Don’t worry about its origin. The directive from above is that if you Card Makers can thoroughly master the stories in this book and create several R-Rank Card Spirits, it will be considered a success. Of course, to receive this book, you’ll need to sign a confidentiality agreement. Jiao Zhongwei, do you agree?"