An Epic Decryption Operation (1)

Chris nodded in understanding; Ray had wanted this since childhood, and no one knew him better. 

"How about we go together?" Ray suggested tentatively. 

Chris shook his head. "I'd rather stay home. There are still many issues I need to figure out."

Ray, knowing well how obsessed Chris was, could only dismiss him with a scoff. "You have no sense of adventure, Chris!" 

With that, Ray set off for his glamorous trip, while Chris focused intently on studying the mysterious card and its contents.

...

During this period, the popularity of Encounter among the female students at East Guard Academy skyrocketed. Anyone who had a copy of the card play would immediately find themselves inundated with requests to borrow it. Before they could even return it, it would be borrowed by another friend. The repeated encounters between the male and female leads touched the hearts of many, with countless girls shedding tears over the intricate and tangled storyline.

As Encounter became the most sought-after item at East Guard Academy, female students were stunned to find that it was no longer available for purchase. The shops that sold the card play were frantic, watching a great business opportunity slip away as the boy with the large metal earrings, Ray, was nowhere to be found. The shop owners were beside themselves with worry but felt helpless.

Seeing no other option, the female students were forced to seek alternative ways to get their hands on the card play.

At East Guard Academy, there are many skilled card makers who received numerous requests from female students to replicate Encounter. In a place brimming with youthful energy and enthusiasm, the demands of beautiful students carry more weight than even the teachers'. These card makers, who often felt disconnected from society, were thrilled beyond measure, feeling as though their time had finally come.

Some of the female students generously provided their original copies of the card play. In this era, producing counterfeit items is a highly technical job, requiring intricate skill. The card makers could only make guesses based on the patterns on the cards. These East Guard Academy card makers were soon baffled. From the patterns on the cards, they could tell that these were only one-star illusion cards. Normally, such low-level cards would be easy for them to replicate, especially since some of them could even make three-star illusion cards. 

Strangely, despite the apparent simplicity of the patterns, they consistently failed to replicate the cards. It wasn't just a one-time or two-time failure; they encountered failure repeatedly, reaching up to seventy or eighty attempts.

This was indeed puzzling.

The young card makers exchanged confused glances, wondering if their first attempt to assist the female students would end in failure.

The leading card-making student gritted his teeth and declared, "Brothers, we're going all out on this! We can't let this defeat us; otherwise, we'll never be able to hold our heads up again!" In front of him, a sea of determined eyes glowed with resolve.

The students, unable to contain their fervor, began shouting passionately. All eyes on campus were fixed on this endeavor—they couldn't afford to lose face.

Top students from every grade and class in the card-making department were gathered, ready to launch the most formidable offensive ever organized by East Guard Academy students.

The wind was at their backs, and the battle drums were beating. They vowed to decode Encounter and prove themselves to the female students.

Following a standard research model with the strongest student lineup, they planned to use East Guard Academy's most advanced equipment to conduct the most comprehensive decryption of Encounter.

Chris naturally had no idea that his card play was causing such a huge stir at East Guard Academy. In his mind, he never imagined anyone would invest such precious time and energy into something so trivial. During these days, he had been completely absorbed in learning. With his ample resources, he had the opportunity to practice card making. He was currently learning to create two-star energy cards. These cards could provide one thousand Oudi of energy, with a cost of approximately eight hundred Oudi, but they were sold for one thousand two hundred Oudi. Chris had just realized that the higher the level of the card, the greater the profit margin!

The knowledge about compute cards from the mysterious card was not very extensive or complex, but Chris's intense passion for learning made it seem inadequate. Due to the frequent practice, Chris had made significant progress in card creation. He was like a different person compared to a few months ago. Besides his advancements in card making, his physical condition had also improved dramatically. Persistent practice of body exercises had yielded remarkable results. His physique had transformed from the frail teenager he once was to someone with a well-defined and toned body. His hands could now easily handle three times the weight he used to struggle with. What amazed him most was the incredible flexibility his body had achieved.

Chris thought he should be past the age of improving flexibility, which puzzled him greatly. Among the eighteen exercises in the entire bodyweight routine, he especially liked the ones that worked on his hands. In particular, finger dexterity was crucial for card creation.

Chris was extremely satisfied with his current life. He didn't have to worry about money in the short term, had knowledge to learn, materials to practice card creation, and his body was improving. What could he be dissatisfied with? The production of two-star energy cards was completely problem-free; he had originally thought he would need more practice, but he was very successful on the first try.

...

Hunter encountered Zoe and Wade on campus. He greeted Wade with a nod, then his gaze returned to Zoe, and he couldn't help but laugh, "You didn't join the decryption operation?"

The decryption operation was being carried out with great fanfare at East Guard Academy and had become the hottest topic on campus recently. Since Zoe was studying card-making, Hunter asked this question, though with a more teasing tone.

Zoe remained expressionless, "I'm very busy."

He was indeed busy; his main task recently had been coordinating with students from Star Academy, which meant he had been spending most of his time with Wade. Of course, his fearsome reputation meant that no one dared to approach him.

Wade, standing by, chuckled and said, "I've heard about the decryption operation too. I wonder how it's going." Unfortunately, this time, the exchange students were all card cultivators. Otherwise, he would have made sure that the card-making students participated in the event. What better way to bridge the gap between them and East Guard Academy students than with such an activity?