Folk Card Maker: Starting from Painted Skin

"Why are you giving me this?"

In a corner of a coffee shop near the Public Security Bureau, Tang Youai sat with his fully sweetened coffee, looking speechlessly at Zhang Jingtian, who had come to find him.

Although Tang Youai thought highly of Zhang Jingtian, investigating unusual events was different from sparring or running dungeons.

For those two, as long as you had enough strength, you didn't need to use your brain at all.

But investigating events was different; it truly required you to think and observe.

Tang Youai knew Zhang Jingtian was clever, but this kind of thing needed experience.

So, upon hearing that Zhang Jingtian wanted to participate, Tang Youai quickly agreed, mainly because he felt that Zhang Jingtian most likely wouldn't find any results.

However, when Tang Youai saw Zhang Jingtian pull out a somewhat worn-out phone data cable from his pocket, his expression became very strange:

"I don't need to charge my phone. Just get to the point. What did you find?"

Zhang Jingtian smiled mysteriously, a smile that reminded Tang Youai of an old acquaintance.

No, it should be said, Zhang Jingtian's senior.

That little guy, like Zhang Jingtian, was a genius and liked to act like he was very clever.

"Director Tang, this is what I found. Don't you see anything wrong with it?"

Tang Youai suddenly felt a little embarrassed.

Because Zhang Jingtian's expression was very certain, as if he was sure there was something wrong with this data cable.

And when Tang Youai first looked at it, he really didn't find anything wrong with the data cable.

That's why Tang Youai had such a puzzled expression.

"Isn't it just a data cable?"

At first, Zhang Jingtian himself hadn't noticed it.

After wandering around the security guard's bedroom, Zhang Jingtian was about to confirm that the Heavenly Disaster Legion's ghosts were quite cunning and had completely erased any traces.

But Huapi suddenly squatted down and pulled out this data cable from the crack in the mattress.

The moment Zhang Jingtian touched the data cable, he felt a sense of familiarity.

It was the aura of the Ghost Clan, the same as Huapi and the Human Skin Drum.

And besides the eeriness, there was also a moment of resentment.

This data cable definitely has a problem!

Tang Youai examined the data cable, then snapped his fingers, and the expensive vase appeared on his table.

Soon, the Vase Woman crawled out of it.

When she saw Zhang Jingtian, she happily waved at him before looking at the data cable.

At that moment, the Vase Woman's expression became much more serious:

"It does have a problem."

Hearing this, Tang Youai admired Zhang Jingtian even more.

He didn't know how this kid knew there was something wrong with it.

"Your perception is so sharp?"

Zhang Jingtian laughed immediately upon hearing this:

"Yeah, maybe I'm closer to ghosts!"

Tang Youai thought of Zhang Jingtian's Human Skin Drum and felt that he wasn't lying.

Although this person looked quite sunny, the cards he used were all very dark.

Maybe that's why he was so good at making these kinds of cards.

"But this data cable can't possibly kill someone, right? He didn't hang himself with a data cable."

Tang Youai frowned.

Data cables were definitely rare items in abnormal events.

Usually, it was things like diaries and photo frames that carried the memories of the deceased.

But Zhang Jingtian, holding his cup, blew on it:

"In this kind of abnormal event, are there many cases involving items?"

"Of course, otherwise, where would you get the materials for making cards?

But this is the first time I've seen a data cable. Usually, it's items closely related to the deceased, carrying a memory or emotion of theirs.

But there wasn't even a diary in the security guard's house."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingtian said: "Memories? Emotions? Then the answer is obvious, isn't it?"

"What?" Tang Youai hadn't reacted yet.

"What era is it? Who still writes diaries! Nowadays, everyone puts their emotions in their phones! When they're sad late at night, they post a WeChat moment visible only to themselves.

Or they use an alt account to vent wildly online, or even find a group chat with strangers to complain about their lives.

When we investigate events, we have to keep up with the times! It's impossible to just look at diaries!"

Tang Youai suddenly felt like he was really old. He only used his phone for work because the Card Maker Association and the Public Security Bureau's apps were very convenient.

As for WeChat, it was just a place to chat with leaders and subordinates. The WeChat moments were all about sharing tasks issued by superiors.

As for late-night emo? What was that?

And he had just learned that WeChat moments could be visible only to himself.

But a data cable and a phone did make sense.

"When the security guard died, did you find his phone?"

"Yes, and it was taken away."

Tang Youai immediately stood up and waved to Zhang Jingtian.

"Let's go. If this succeeds, you'll be the biggest contributor."

At this time, the Vase Woman jumped onto Tang Youai's shoulder, tugged at his ear, and said, "This kid is very smart and much easier to get along with than Wei Yalin."

"Wei Yalin? Who's that?"

Zhang Jingtian was very puzzled when he heard a strange name.

Tang Youai ahead of him said softly, "Your senior, also from your Experimental Middle School.

But she was unremarkable in high school. Her college entrance exam was an overachievement, which allowed her to go to Fengdu Card Academy in the capital of District Nine."

That's right, Fengdu was the capital of their District Nine. Their District Nine was truly a place with heavy Yin energy.

And Fengdu Card Academy was the best card-making academy in District Nine.

However, Fengdu Card Academy wasn't even in the top ten nationally.

That was because the education in District Nine as a whole wasn't very good.

"So, did this senior bloom late after going to college?" Zhang Jingtian was familiar with this trope; Wei Yalin must have gotten some opportunity.

"Yeah, she seemed to have changed after entering. She suddenly got the hang of it.

Now she's already a Gold-level card maker, and she's only a sophomore."

A sophomore Gold-level card maker. This speed was indeed very fast and could be called a genius.

But only she herself probably knew what happened in between.

"If I have the opportunity, I must meet this senior. Is she pretty?"

Tang Youai chuckled, with an expression of watching a good show: "Pretty, really beautiful. It's just that you might not be able to handle her."