Magic Card Era: Infinite Deck Enhancement — Chapter 93

Chapter 93: Good Job, Old Yu!

Are you a puppy?

Luke mused inwardly at her proximity, though his expression remained a mask of polite composure. “I am a perfectly normal man,” he murmured, his voice dropping to a low register meant only for her ears. “If I didn’t have any thoughts while holding you like this, that would be the real problem.”

“Then you are truly honest.” Shangguan Wan’er blinked, momentarily stunned by his bluntness. She missed a step, her rhythm faltering. Luke’s arm tightened around her waist, catching her weight effortlessly and pulling her back into the flow of the music before she could make a fool of herself.

Recovering her poise, she tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Hmm. I find you quite charming. I’m becoming more and more interested in you now.”

With a fluid pivot, she spun in his arms, the layered fabric of her dress fluttering outward like the wings of an elegant elf. Their seamless recovery and striking visuals once again drew the hungry gaze of the entire banquet hall.

“It seems there are quite a few girls interested in me as well,” Luke teased, glancing at the periphery. Of course, the socialites glaring daggers at them were a different breed entirely. At the very least, Wan’er didn’t look at him like a piece of meat she wanted to devour raw.

That remark earned him a spectacular eye roll.

“Speaking of which, how much longer do we have to keep this up?” Wan’er leaned heavily against his shoulder as they completed another sweeping turn. “My calves are cramping.”

They had already danced through one entire song. Instead of leaving the floor, they had immediately transitioned into a second waltz. The extended time in each other’s arms had ironed out their initial awkwardness, their steps now synchronizing with a natural, flowing chemistry.

But spinning in circles wasn’t a permanent escape plan.

“That depends entirely on when those vultures decide to leave.” Luke cast a sidelong glance toward the edge of the dance floor, where a dense cluster of eager guests still waited to pounce on them the second the music stopped.

They were trapped in the spotlight simply to avoid the exhausting networking waiting in the shadows.

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt that attending a banquet is a bad idea,” Wan’er grumbled. She puffed out her cheeks in a pout, her face taking on such a soft, round quality that Luke’s fingers actually twitched with the urge to pinch her cheek.

He forced his hand to stay on her waist. “I thought you’d be used to this kind of attention by now.”

“It’s not the attention I’m unused to. It’s the first time I’ve ever had to hide from people like this,” she explained, her voice softening. “Actually… this is the first time I’ve ever danced with a boy.”

“Then it is truly my honor.” Luke flashed a playful grin, drawing a suppressed, amused huff from her.

In the distance, the onlookers watched their whispered exchanges and intimate smiles, the gossip mill churning at full speed.

“I originally thought Shangguan Wan’er and Luke were just sticking together to avoid us. But looking at them now…”

“Could those two actually be involved?”

While the crowd speculated, Chairman Yu suddenly materialized from a blind spot near the orchestra, waving enthusiastically at the dance floor. “Luke! There you are. Come with me, President Shangguan wants to see you.”

As he stepped closer, Yu blinked in surprise at the girl in Luke’s arms. “Wan’er? You’re here too? Perfect, your grandfather is looking for you as well.”

Chairman Yu eyed their intertwined hands and close proximity with deep bewilderment. When did these two get together?

He wisely kept his mouth shut. If Luke really had managed to win over Shangguan Wan’er, it was a massive victory. With Shangguan Hong as a backer, the kid would have a direct, paved road to the absolute peak of society.

Good job, Old Yu! Luke cheered internally. He didn’t care why Shangguan Hong wanted to see him; this was the perfect getaway car.

He and Wan’er exchanged a rapid, knowing glance.

With one final graceful turn, Luke guided her straight off the edge of the dance floor. “President Yu, let’s not keep him waiting. Lead the way.”

Before Chairman Yu could even process the response, Luke was already marching toward the exit, keeping Wan’er close at his side. The older man stood frozen for a second. What is going on? Why are they in a bigger rush than I am?

Shaking off his confusion, Chairman Yu quickly fired off a text message to Shangguan Pu and hurried after them, leaving behind a horde of devastated socialites who had just been robbed of their prey.

None of them dared to complain. Chairman Yu was intimidating enough, but the fact that the summons came directly from Shangguan Hong—the President of the Cang Capital General Association—meant absolutely no one was going to interfere.

“Uncle Yu,” Wan’er asked as they handled the quiet, opulent corridors away from the banquet hall. “Do you know why Grandpa is looking for us?”

Now safely away from the crowd, she and Luke had naturally separated, dropping their physical hold on each other. Still, the shared ordeal on the dance floor had left a lingering, comfortable ease between them.

“I don’t,” Chairman Yu replied, shaking his head. “In fact, it wasn’t your grandfather who sought me out. It was your father. He just told me President Shangguan had something important to discuss with you two.”

“My father relayed the message?” Wan’er frowned, her delicate brows knitting together. She couldn’t fathom what business Shangguan Hong would have with both of them simultaneously.

Luke was equally in the dark.

“Don’t worry, Wan’er.” A new voice echoed down the hall. Shangguan Pu strode toward them, having rushed over after receiving Yu’s text. Catching the tail end of their conversation, he offered a reassuring smile. “This time, it might be a very good opportunity for you.”

Shangguan Pu clearly held more insider information than Chairman Yu, but he clamped his mouth shut after that vague hint, offering zero details.

Chairman Yu frowned, completely failing to decipher what ‘opportunity’ the man was talking about.

Wan’er looked even more lost, but she swallowed her questions. They were only a few doors down anyway; everything would be laid bare once they stepped into her grandfather’s office.

Under Shangguan Pu’s lead, the group handled the sprawling, high-security wings of the Cang Capital General Association. The few staff members they passed cast curious glances at the strange entourage, but Luke ignored the attention.

“You’re here.”

As Shangguan Pu pushed open the heavy oak doors to the office, Shangguan Hong looked up from his desk, offering a curt nod. “Take a seat. You were the last ones to arrive.”

Luke raised an eyebrow. Last ones? He hadn’t realized this was a group meeting.

Stepping into the spacious office, the full picture finally revealed itself.

They weren’t alone. Sitting on the plush leather sofas were Liu Yanran—who Wan’er had claimed left the venue ages ago—and Su Xueyi, who hadn’t shown her face at the banquet at all. Even Yue Di, the arrogant prodigy Luke had recently crushed in battle, sat rigidly in an armchair.

Flanking them were two heavyweights: Song Yongzhang, the branch president of the Cang Yue City Magic Card Association, and Mo Yingtian, the branch president of the Cangheng City Magic Card Association. Judging by their settled postures, they had been waiting for quite a while.

Chairman Yu shot a questioning look at Song Yongzhang and Mo Yingtian. Both branch presidents gave minute shakes of their heads, signaling that Shangguan Hong had kept them completely in the dark as well.

Luke and Wan’er exchanged another glance, their curiosity spiking. What kind of event required gathering the region’s top executives and its most prominent young Magic Card Masters in one room?

“Since everyone is accounted for, I won’t waste your time.” Once Luke and the newcomers took their seats, Shangguan Hong leaned forward, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

“You must be wondering why I pulled you all away from the banquet tonight,” the older man began, his voice dropping into a grave, authoritative register. “A year and a half ago, during a joint extraterritorial exploration operation conducted by the Eastern Region Three Capitals… we unexpectedly discovered a newly formed Dimensional Plane that had not yet fully stabilized.”