Chapter 11: The Sweet Taste of a Life on the Fast Track

Li Lekang returned to the backstage lounge amid thunderous applause from the audience.

McCoy, who had secretly watched the performance earlier, realized he had lost, yet he felt as though he had seen through the trick’s mechanism. Unwilling to accept his defeat, he rushed over and pressed Lekang, “There’s a gimmick in your coat, right? You used fake skin on your arm! But how did you bribe the production team to let you tamper with the floor?”

Lekang was sitting on the sofa, sipping water, watching McCoy’s frantic expression and thinking, “What business is it of yours how I did it?” He had no intention of responding, but after some thought, he set down his cup, raised a fist with one hand, and mimed pulling a tractor with the other.

“Do I look like the kind of ‘Oh, I’ll tell you all my secrets unconditionally, little fool’? Why don’t you guess what this magic means?”

As his left hand moved, a middle finger slowly rose from his right fist.

“Screw you!”

McCoy was so angry he looked about to spit blood. He promptly returned the gesture.

“Same to you!”

Lekang was equally unrestrained in his reply. He didn’t give a damn about McCoy, the blond gorilla. Although the man was taller and stronger, Lekang could curse him into vomiting and diarrhea, make him fever for days—unless he knelt in apology on the spot, he’d lose outright.

“Hey! Hey! Gentlemen!”

Just as the two were about to come to blows, several people entered from outside. The leader’s gaze settled on Lekang. “Mr. Li? Lekang Li?”

“That’s me.”

Lekang turned and saw the newcomers, among them a familiar face—Mike Doyle.

“Hey, Mike! Buddy! We meet again!”

Mike and the man in the suit entered, the latter smiling as he came forward to shake Lekang’s hand. “I loved your brilliant performance just now. I’m Jason Love, the show’s producer. I’m here to inform you that you’ve advanced, and because of your outstanding act, we’ll tailor the most perfect edit for your episode. Let’s discuss the details.”

“Of course, it’s my honor!”

Lekang deliberately glanced at McCoy as he spoke; the man’s face alternated green and pale. Clearly, someone as insignificant as him—unnoticed and unremarked—wouldn’t last three chapters in a novel. He’d soon be gone, and no one would care.

The truly talented contestants had already been invited by the production team. In another, more comfortable office, a female secretary brought in coffee and pastries, while Jason Love chatted about past magic shows. Mike, assuming the role of Lekang’s patron who had discovered him among thousands, sang his praises to the skies—declaring his genius creativity, the best magic act of any season.

He even offered a suggestion: “Let Lekang’s act open the first episode. I guarantee he’ll boost expectations for this year’s talent show and make your ratings explode!”

Mike’s exuberant praise was met by Jason without a single rebuttal.

Lekang wisely listened quietly. After all, boasting about yourself is never as effective as someone else doing it on your behalf.

Mike was indeed reliable, and Jason Love gave his promise on the spot: “I’ll arrange for your act to be in this season’s premiere. You truly have the spark to ignite the audience’s anticipation.”

“A genius like him, of course!” Mike crossed his legs, pride saturating his words.

Lekang remained composed. “Thank you for your favor, sir. I believe my next performance will astonish both the audience and yourself once again.”

“I like you! You’ll be a star in the future!” Love laughed, patting Lekang’s shoulder. Before leaving, he handed him a business card. Mike, who stayed behind, congratulated him: “Congrats, buddy! You made it!”

“And thank you for your recommendation!”

Lekang was a man who remembered kindness. In Hollywood, dreamers abound, but few gain a crucial opportunity from the right person. He’d been lucky.

Of course, relying on his own strength, fame was only a matter of time. But who wouldn’t want to succeed sooner rather than later? In that respect, he owed Mike a favor.

Now Mike wanted him to reciprocate. “As I mentioned before, I have a talent agency with ample resources to promote you, giving you a bigger stage—Las Vegas, New York, Miami… You just perform, and we’ll make you a star!”

Having a talent agency supporting him was undeniably a fast track to fame.

But promises are one thing; signed contracts are another. Lekang thanked him profusely, but wanted to see the actual terms before making a decision. He owed Mike a favor, but not enough to sign blindly—and Mike understood, offering time: “Let’s set a time tomorrow to sit down and talk, alright, buddy?”

“I will!”

There was much handshaking and hugging. In the end, Lekang secured a spot for the Las Vegas preliminaries, the business cards of Jason and Mike, and left the theater with a rich harvest.

Back on the bustling street outside, Lekang felt as if he’d been transported to another world.

In his previous life, just an ordinary man, he’d never imagined fame—especially not in America.

But now, his extraordinary abilities had given him the ambition of a superstar.

He used to think it was hubris, but after today’s effortless triumph, after seeing the audience’s stunned expressions—their collective standing ovation!—Lekang realized he loved this feeling. He liked being the center of attention, relished the joy of fame! Though not fond of ostentation, it filled him with pride.

And the rewards from his performance went far beyond that.

As a member of the infernal forces, harvesting fans and accumulating transaction points was the core of his power-up. Making money was merely a basic necessity.

Just now, he had performed in a theater with over three thousand people—a scale unmatched by any previous act. The audience’s collective ovation was a huge affirmation.

His spirit, Juelling, had compiled the results: this time he gained 327 new fans, bringing his total to 400, which meant 400 points per day.

By conversion, he could win over about 10% of the audience!

On a social level, everyone liked him, but liking and loyalty are two different things.

However, Lekang wasn’t worried—this was only the beginning. The talent show hadn’t even aired yet!

It was a popular show watched by nearly ten million people. Modern broadcast technology ignores physical distance, letting households everywhere watch simultaneously. When the time comes, he’ll surely explode in popularity!

According to Juelling, if he accumulated ten thousand points, he could buy a first-level spellbook, graduate from intern to official, and unlock even richer content in the future.

Jason Love had just promised to feature his act in the season premiere, and with the show’s schedule, that meant less than ten days!

One good thing followed another.

He was beginning to taste the sweet rewards of a life with cheats.

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