Chapter 022: An Opportunity That Came on Its Own

After letting Mike, the husky, run wild for a while, the dog finally returned, tongue lolling and panting, and flopped down at his feet. Clearly, he’d had enough fun and was out of energy to make any more trouble.

“Still feel like running?” he teased.

“We could always try the treadmill; it’s even more fun, you know!”

“If you’re tired, don’t go tearing up the house when we get back!”

Li Lekang grinned as he chatted with the dog. The little rascal wagged its tail weakly, signaling it was played out. Without further ado, Li Lekang scooped the husky into his arms, tucked it at his side, and carried it upstairs.

His two neighbors happened to be heading out at that moment. Daisy, dressed in an elegant gown, was on her way to a stage rehearsal. Sandra, in a strappy top that accentuated her curves, said she was meeting friends to shoot some outdoor influencer photos to fill her Instagram wall.

That left Li Lekang free to focus on his magic tricks.

You might wonder, if he already knew real magic, what challenge could stage magic possibly present? But there was still a difference. Using actual magic on stage would be too easy, but performing illusions demanded a certain logic—after all, you couldn’t just make a person vanish into thin air with no props at all!

He was aware there were television tricks where people seemed to vanish, but those were TV magic—widely regarded as the lowest rung of the magician’s craft. There was too much room for deception in TV magic: post-production editing, camera angles, cut scenes, and audiences full of paid actors.

The Masked Magician had already exposed such tricks years ago. For the stage magic Li Lekang intended to perform, he needed to leave a trail, something for the audience to follow, and let them puzzle out the rest themselves.

All in all, it was a joyful, carefree job. After all, who wouldn’t enjoy fooling an audience and getting paid for it?

Another couple of days slipped by. Li Lekang’s magic video finally dropped from the trending list, but it had made a remarkable impact. His most-watched clip on YouTube had reached twenty million views, and the audience was far from limited to the United States.

Such was the magic of the internet: global reach. His devoted fanbase soared from ten thousand, to fifteen, and then all the way to eighteen thousand. On social media, his following was rising fast. Thanks to the viral magic videos he’d posted on TikTok, he’d already passed half a million followers.

LAA was managing the account. As long as Li Lekang kept up the quality and quantity, a million or even ten million followers was well within reach. Wasting no time, the company began arranging for him to attend events.

Mike invited him to a party hosted by an LAA artist, telling him, “We’ll set up some interactions for you, and you can perform a few magic tricks at the party—perfect material for short videos.”

“No problem. I’ve got plenty of close-up tricks in my repertoire. I promise the audience won’t be able to pick their jaws up off the floor,” Li Lekang replied with absolute confidence.

Mike added, “You can bring a date if you want. Magic and beautiful women make a great pairing, don’t you think? If not, we can find you one at the party—there’ll be plenty of girls there!”

“I know. I’ll be there on time,” Li Lekang replied, hanging up. The magic didn’t worry him at all; he could perform anywhere, anytime.

But as for finding a date to appear on camera? He didn’t want a stranger. For the sake of chemistry and cooperative timing, some tricks required a bit of advance notice and coordination—not quite acting, but at least a quick rehearsal. That, too, was standard practice in magic shows.

So where to find a date? The answer was obvious. He tossed a chew toy into the corner, and Mike lunged after it, shaking his head and playing with wild abandon.

Li Lekang stood up and left, heading next door to knock on his neighbor’s door.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal Daisy in a silk nightgown, her face covered in a white mask. The delicate fabric clung to her, but she seemed utterly unconcerned. She smiled as soon as she saw him. “Come in!”

He stepped inside, glanced around the living room. Sandra was nowhere to be seen. Daisy, noticing his searching gaze, put on a wounded look as if he’d slighted her. “Is there something you can’t say to me?”

“It’s like this,” Li Lekang said, turning to her. “Tomorrow, my agency is hosting a party—a singer and a few people from the industry will be there. I’m supposed to socialize, interact, and perform a few magic tricks for some videos. So I need a date.”

“Hey! You have excellent taste. I was born to be a beautiful, elegant trophy date. I’m obedient, considerate, and I can act, too!” Daisy exclaimed, flinging herself at him in excitement, her not-insubstantial chest pressing eagerly against him.

Daisy’s figure was more runway model than bombshell—tall and slender. At one-seventy centimeters, she’d look radiant and graceful in an evening gown with her back and collarbones bared.

A perfectly fine trophy date.

Just as Li Lekang was about to nod his agreement, there was a sudden thump from deeper in the apartment, as if something had fallen. Sandra rushed out in her underwear, flustered. “What party did you say?”

“Are you sure you don’t want a date who’ll absolutely steal the spotlight? Lekang, I can wear a plunging neckline and make every man’s eyes stay glued to me! My figure is made for the camera, and I promise not to cause you any trouble. I’ll do exactly as you say!”

Sandra’s figure was faultless—full curves, firm and toned. The way her chest heaved as she spoke was mesmerizing.

The sudden competition made Daisy protest loudly. “Hey, how shameless can you be? Can’t you just go film your yoga videos? I got the date invitation first! Lekang, I know all the tricks of the trade—I can help you!”

Sandra tossed her wavy hair and shot a flirtatious glance at Li Lekang, then retorted to Daisy, “You’re the one who taught me to seize the moment, or let opportunities slip through your fingers. Besides, Lekang hasn’t promised anyone yet, has he?”

“Bitch!” they said in unison.

Li Lekang couldn’t tell if it was the star-studded party or the chance to meet a famous singer that had them so worked up. Regardless, his current status made them throw all restraint to the wind, becoming bold and passionate.

However, the hopeful glances from the two women on either side put him in a difficult spot.

He knew that choosing one would deeply hurt the other.

So, meeting their expectant eyes, he shrugged. “Well, I don’t remember anyone saying I could only bring one date. If you both want to go, then let’s all go together!”

“Oh, I love you!”

“You’re the best!”

Sandra hugged him and kissed his cheek. Daisy, not to be outdone, kissed the other side. With his arms around both their waists, Li Lekang burst out laughing, giving each a playful smack.

“All right, enough. Save your efforts for picking out your outfits—I know that’ll take you quite a while.”

They couldn’t agree more. For women who spent so much time perfecting their everyday look, the chance to appear on camera meant they’d be up all night fussing over every detail.