Fang Xiang

This is both a work of science fiction and an exploration of the meaning of life, love, literature and art. Brainpower is no longer the main ingredient for being human in this far distant future world.  Spirituality, physical balance, and diligence all come together as integrity for Chen Mu, the Card Apprentice.  The cards which Chen Mu masters in his own scrappy way, distill all the powers of the cosmos –  human and nonhuman –  into something that is not a book, not technology, and neither art nor magic, but is these and more.  Learn about these strange cards, which can embody everything you might imagine for the future of technology, but also a future beyond technology which promotes the best, and sometimes the worst, from mankind’s past.

The Card Apprentice

It was the fatty, which rather surprised Chen Mu. He didn't look so good. "Have you heard the news of the blockade?"

The fatty's face looked as though it could squeeze out bitter water. "Things are miserable for me right now. There are still a lot of valuable things in the auction house; if they really do fight, my losses would kill me!"

"What can we do?" Chen Mu also knitted his brow, unable to think of a good approach.

The fatty sighed. "How about I move everything over to where you are? The defenses on my warehouse are far from yours. I would feel a lot better if they were with you there."

"Ok." Chen Mu readily agreed, although the fatty's confidence in him surprised him.

The Fatty’s Concerns