Chapter 134: Three Minutes to Reveal the Truth

As the lights dimmed, the moment for Li Lekang to command the stage officially began.

Was it a case of failing to adapt to a foreign environment, or a display of overwhelming dominance?

With an audience of twenty thousand and a meticulously decorated stage—optimized based on the lessons learned from his debut performance—it was inevitable that Li Lekang would employ his dreamlike, ethereal techniques.

Within the first three minutes of the show, thunderous applause echoed through the American Airlines Arena. Li Lekang’s flawless performance, in which he transformed into smoke, was enough to make every spectator doubt the reality before their eyes.

Friends familiar with him chatted amidst the applause. Mike remarked more than once, "I've known him for so long that I've long since come to think of him as a wizard."

"Don't start!" Malone interjected, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "If he were truly that magical, he wouldn't have stiffed me on the bill last time we went out!"

Mike burst into laughter upon hearing this, patting Malone on the shoulder. "Looks like you’re not the first, buddy. He once made the money in my wallet vanish, too!"

The two shared a knowing chuckle, but perhaps their laughter was too loud; after receiving several annoyed glares from the surrounding audience, they sheepishly fell silent and returned their focus to the program.

There was very little time left for the audience to chat. The performance could be described as having absolutely no dull moments. The stage design and visual presentation were so exquisite that most people didn't even dare to blink.

Watching Li Lekang transform mud into birds and mold clay into people, the well-prepared American audience nodded in recognition. Many were already able to explain the origin, telling their friends that this was the Chinese myth of humanity's creation.

The more knowledgeable ones even cited the legend of Nüwa—a fact that filled the few Chinese attendees, international students, and expatriates in the audience with a surge of pride.

Such feelings only run deep when one is far from home, crossing oceans in a foreign land, hearing others praise one's own culture and admire one's country.

To these people, Li Lekang was a remarkable magic master; he brought not only a spectacular show but also shared the essence of a vibrant national art.

The subsequent "Flying Apsaras" sequence left the foreigners completely stunned.

Although they had heard rumors that Li Lekang’s live performances were flawless, seeing it unfold before their very eyes—watching the Pipa-playing fairies float across the ceiling on clouds while the echoes of string music vibrated in their ears—they fell into a state of profound disbelief.

The flying performance relied solely on mist and lighting for concealment. Even though these were the only two areas where one might attempt to deduce the trickery, it remained impossible to spot anything, even at close range!

Logic told them there had to be wires or some kind of transparent cable, but their eyes insisted: nothing was there, nothing could be seen, it simply did not exist!

The savvy audience had already decided to treat it as real magic.

Even the technical experts were floored.

To be honest, the magical elements of this performance were pushed to the absolute limit; a fraction more and it would truly be sorcery. Even now, some insisted it was magic.

After every one of Li Lekang’s performances, there were always those who championed the "magic theory"—though many others scoffed at it. The more the media played up his image as a sorcerer, the more some became convinced it was all just a marketing stunt.

Focusing on the celebrity guests in the audience, beyond the spectacle, they were also deeply interested in the Chinese-style music. Take Rihanna, for instance—the "Queen of Shandong" nickname wasn't just for show!

Beyond the songs she had sung, she was genuinely fond of Chinese aesthetics in real life. She had sported many Chinese-inspired looks, walked red carpets in dragon-patterned robes, and even released a song titled "Princess of China."

While most enjoyed the fantasy, the musicians were captivated by the compositions. The Pipa, Huqin, and Konghou were instruments rarely seen by Westerners, to say nothing of the ancient, sacred chime bells used in the performance!

Those who studied musical instruments felt as if they had discovered a new world. Amidst the sea of Western instruments, finding these Chinese classics was like stumbling into a dragon's treasure trove—there was simply too much to take in.

As the "Flying Apsaras" drifted across the stage, showcasing their dreamlike grace, the audience was captivated by elements they had never seen before. Some even had their imaginations ignited, as if soaring along with the fairies.

Jody was sitting in the audience for the first time, enjoying the show with her daughter.

Chloe was already mesmerized by the costumes of the fairies. The elegance from China had successfully won her over in a short time: "I really want a set of these clothes! It’s so delicate and so beautiful!"

"It is indeed very beautiful, like something out of a myth!" Jody was equally amazed.

"But no one makes them here." Chloe looked at her mother with wide, blinking eyes, her mind already set on visiting China.

"Hahaha! You’ll have to ask Lekang about that!" Jody cleverly diverted the pressure.

But the little girl's resolve was not easily shaken.

She had fallen in love with the "Flying Apsaras" attire. As for whether it would suit her Caucasian features? She would have to try it on to find out!

Japanese anime cosplay was incredibly popular in the West, and no one ever said Japanese styles weren't suitable for Europeans or Americans! It was all about promotion and dissemination.

At the very least, for those women who loved this style, a seed had been quietly planted in their hearts—the seed of a "little fairy"—destined to take root, sprout, and grow uncontrollably!

...

The exquisite performance continued.

After the "Flying Apsaras" sequence left the entire arena in a daze, everyone’s perception of Li Lekang deepened. Many felt foolish for their earlier, naive assumptions.

There were no limits to this guy. When his first videos were released, many claimed he had run out of tricks, but now it seemed they were the ones failing to keep up with the times!

His fellow magicians had already conceded defeat. There was an old saying: the larger the stage performance, the cruder the means of deception!

But that saying didn't apply to Li Lekang. His performance was precise, technical, and a fusion of high-tech marvels. He was simply too powerful.

The entire show had a firm grip on everyone’s heart!

It was like watching a high-scoring fantasy blockbuster!

The difference was that the difficulty of the live performance was far higher. Whether from an artistic, technical, musical, or architectural perspective, everyone found something to admire!

Even the friends who had been arguing before the show about whether Li Lekang or Shaquille O'Neal was better at basketball turned to ask Shaq his opinion. Shaq laughed, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a fool, man. He's a god—look at the light shining behind his head! I'm just a mortal; I'm out!"

The big man used humor to deflect the question, drawing laughter from his friends.

The "Flying Apsaras" performance finally reached its conclusion amidst such awe and wonder.

The melodious tones of the chime bells drifted into their ears, like waking from a grand dream.

As Li Lekang dissolved into smoke and vanished, the journey into Chinese mythology quietly came to an end. The audience was unwilling to wake up.

The house lights gradually brightened, level by level, and the stage—now stripped of its mist—revealed its true form. Yet, for many, the experience left them wanting more, feeling a deep sense of reluctance to leave.

The applause failed to bring Li Lekang back to the stage. He had vanished into the world like a wisp of blue smoke, perfectly embodying the image of a celestial being in the eyes of the East.

He came without a trace and left without a shadow, ethereal and unreachable.

You could only feel his presence, yet you could never grasp his trail.

The chime bells rang out one last time, waking them from this celestial dream.

But everyone remained in their seats, savoring the feeling.

While the depth of the Americans' appreciation might not match that of the local Chinese audience, the shock and surprise the show brought them was perhaps even greater!

Because many of the concepts of these celestial beings were novel to them. Chinese flying fairies were different from angels—they had no wings, no halos; they were elegant, refined, and untainted by the mundane world. This temperament was entirely different from Western mythology!

Thus, the sensory experience for the audience was incredibly rich—visual, auditory, and visceral—all profoundly satisfied, finally culminating in a standing ovation from the entire arena!