Chapter 030: Targeted!

Mike now had enough leverage to negotiate, and at the same time, Li Lekang’s latest magic trick had just been uploaded to his YouTube channel. Thanks to the lingering buzz and the fact that Li Lekang’s magic was perfectly suited for video—with the immersive close-up shots delivering an experience even more intense than some live spectators—the video quickly gained traction.

The crystal-clear 4K resolution and the steady, minimally edited footage let the miracle unfold right before the viewers’ eyes, and the audience was once again awestruck by the magician’s wonders.

The comment section reflected this amazement:

“I’m starting to doubt my own understanding of reality after watching this.”
“Take my money! Just hurry up and do a live show, man!”
“As a kid, I thought Criss Angel was a god, but now I’ve got a new favorite.”

A flood of comments and likes poured in, and the video’s view count soared past ten million in no time. His channel’s subscribers increased by four to five hundred thousand. The comment section wasn’t just in English anymore—Spanish, French, and even some Chinese comments were popping up nonstop, undeniable proof that the hype was going global.

Reading through the endless praise and admiration, Li Lekang felt himself floating a little. Fans truly were the best—smart, charming, and eloquent! Of course, there were also some nitpickers: “This is just a recycled trick that was played to death twenty years ago. I don’t see anything fresh or surprising here.”

Aside from these sour notes of jealousy, professionals had also started to take notice! Ever since he amazed audiences with his levitation act on “America’s Got Talent,” clips of his performances had been circulating online, baffling curious onlookers who began relentlessly tagging the “Reveal Squad.”

This team, active online with over six million YouTube fans, was notorious in the magic community for exposing the secrets behind trending magic tricks. For a magician, nothing is more infuriating than having a trick you’ve labored over for months exposed to the public after just a few performances—a direct threat to their livelihood.

But the Reveal Squad justified their actions by claiming they were “pushing the evolution of magic by eliminating outdated tricks,” a righteous stance that had garnered them quite a bit of audience support. In an age when traffic means money and there’s no law explicitly forbidding the revelation of magic, the Reveal Squad thrived, targeting only the hottest tricks—each of their videos racking up millions, sometimes tens of millions, of views.

Magic shows have always enjoyed a lively audience in America, with as many people eager to know the secrets as there are fans who simply enjoy the spectacle. So after Li Lekang’s astonishing levitation act went viral, people flooded Twitter, tagging the Reveal Squad, urging them to explain the trick.

With fame comes controversy, and soon the Reveal Squad’s attention was squarely on him. They even launched a poll for which trick to reveal next, and Li Lekang’s magic shot straight to the top.

Once the news broke, the crowd eager for drama swelled. Even those who had never heard of Li Lekang searched for him, watched his videos, and, in doing so, inadvertently fueled his popularity. Viewers returned, curiosity piqued, anxiously awaiting the Reveal Squad’s decryption video.

LAA caught wind of this as well. Mike, furious, wanted to file a cease-and-desist and teach them a lesson, but Li Lekang remained calm. “I’m not worried. I don’t think they can figure out the secret.”

Mike asked, “Are you that confident?”

Li Lekang thought to himself, if they could reveal the secret, that would be the real miracle! But he couldn’t exactly tell his friend it was actual magic, so he simply said, “I’m very confident! Actually, you were right before—why not use the hype to our advantage?”

“You want to challenge them?” Mike, always quick on the uptake, grinned. “We can call them out on social media for a head-to-head showdown. Hmm… a million dollars, like you suggested before!”

Li Lekang liked the idea but wondered aloud, “Will they accept?”

Mike scoffed. “They dragged us into the ring with dirty tricks; now we’re fighting fire with fire. They don’t get to choose!”

“And whether they accept or not doesn’t matter,” Mike continued. “All we need is to put out the statement, let everyone see our attitude, our position. The rest is up to them.”

Li Lekang followed the logic: “They could try to dodge, but that would make them look weak and disappoint their fans, harming their reputation. So, for the sake of pride, they’ll probably accept.”

“Exactly!”

“And even if they manage to crack the secret in a month, by then, we’ll have gained all the buzz and popularity, maybe even launched your solo magic show. It’s basically a million-dollar publicity campaign!”

Both agreed it was worth a shot. If the Reveal Squad accepted, it would only add fuel to the fire, like the Kardashians never missing a chance to stir up drama. If they ignored the challenge, they could still ride the wave of popularity and make the Reveal Squad look cowardly, afraid to take on a truly ingenious trick.

It was a perfect opportunity to stand out. Since the Reveal Squad liked to play dirty, it was only fair to strike back with the same tactics.

With Li Lekang’s unwavering confidence, Mike set the plan in motion. Li Lekang didn’t have a dedicated manager yet, so Mike took on the role for now. It was a bit of a step down for a partner at LAA to be guiding a newcomer, but Mike didn’t see it as a chore—after all, what could be more exciting than fostering a future superstar?

Working late into the night, Mike and his team mapped out their strategy.

The next day, Li Lekang’s official account issued a response:

“We condemn @RevealSquad for their blatant disrespect toward the traditions of magic and their reckless boasting. We have decided to fight back! We challenge you to a showdown with a one-million-dollar wager: if you can decipher and fully reproduce my trick within a month, I will admit defeat and pin your video for a month. If you fail, you must pin your own failure and honor the bet! @RevealSquad, do you dare to play?”

The response was bold and unyielding, brimming with bravado. No matter how the Reveal Squad replied, Li Lekang was guaranteed to reap the publicity.

Soon after the post went live, Li Lekang received unexpected support—from fellow magicians! Clearly, they, too, were fed up with the Reveal Squad’s antics. A newly-created trick, painstakingly developed, would be ruthlessly exposed before its freshness even faded, threatening their livelihoods.

Worse still, the Reveal Squad never dared target long-established magicians, knowing those artists had powerful lawyers and strong financial backing. Instead, they preyed on rising talents like Li Lekang—newcomers who posed little legal threat and offered an easy route to fame and clicks. It was a tried-and-true formula for them.

No magician had ever struck back before, since in professional circles, it was assumed that any trick could be reverse-engineered, and no one could guarantee their secrets wouldn’t be cracked.

But Li Lekang was different—a newcomer brimming with unshakable confidence. He acted as if he genuinely possessed magical powers.

To outsiders, he seemed audacious, but undeniably brave. For fellow magicians not to support him now would be unthinkable. They quickly reposted and commented, denouncing the Reveal Squad’s harm to the industry and rallying to defend Li Lekang’s interests.

This overwhelming support was a surprise to Li Lekang. It felt as if he had the moral high ground, as if he was a champion of justice.

Fans of other magicians and enthusiastic viewers joined in, too. The hype skyrocketed.

That very evening, the Reveal Squad responded on their account. They accepted the wager!

Perhaps their own reputation had become a shackle. In the past, when magicians learned they were about to be exposed, they either lashed out in anger or tried to quietly pay the group off. No magician had ever been so brazen as to say, “Go ahead, reveal it. If you can solve it, I’ll give you a million bucks.” It was so audacious that the Reveal Squad had no choice but to accept. To back down now would destroy their image. Their only option was to crack the secret and win the bet.

And so, the online battle was well and truly on.