Chapter 039: Perhaps He Truly Is a Sorcerer

The enormous shock within the audience’s hearts transformed into thunderous applause, and with this fundamentally unexplainable performance, Li Lekang conquered everyone present! Even those watching the live broadcast on television found their hearts unable to settle for a long time—some skeptics even went online to check the lottery numbers, only to find they matched perfectly.

As the crowd roared with excitement, NBC’s star reporter Victoria, guided by her instinct for hot topics rather than any prompting from her superiors, strode swiftly in her high heels to secure an interview spot right next to Li Lekang. Out of gratitude for Johnny Gaines’s media connections, Li Lekang was amicable toward NBC’s interview; he greeted the camera, then stayed to answer questions.

Victoria composed herself, smoothed her elegant hair, and flashed her brightest smile at him. “I know many have probably asked this before, but I must repeat it: Is this magic?”

Li Lekang smiled. “That depends on how you define magic.”

He didn’t offer a clear definition, but the reporter was sharp. “Then let me reason this out: If you really can foresee the future, why perform instead of buying a lottery ticket and enjoying instant wealth?”

“How do you know I didn’t buy one?”

Li Lekang’s retort left Victoria momentarily stunned.

He shrugged at the camera with a grin.

“Oh my God! Are you serious?”

At that moment, Victoria appeared on camera as if she truly believed in his magic—a devoted follower. Though she would later find her own reaction embarrassing, the truth was, it was the closest she had ever come to the reality: Li Lekang hadn’t uttered a single lie!

He did buy a ticket—he just didn’t win. Nor did he claim this was a sleight of hand, for he had indeed used magic—simply rewriting the winning numbers onto the slips of paper.

Victoria’s occasional charming bewilderment resonated with viewers at home; after all, everyone shared the same sense of disbelief!

The brief interview ended.

He hadn’t taken a fee for this performance, but NBC had graciously broadcast the entire show live. It was a tacit cooperation, laying the groundwork for future collaborations.

Now, Li Lekang was seated in the nanny van, pouring champagne, clinking glasses with the friends from LAA, drinking heartily to celebrate their victory.

Mike was utterly convinced by tonight’s spectacle. “I used to think magic was always just magic, and it was normal to remain skeptical, but you’ve changed my mind. Reason tells me this must be an illusion, yet everything I saw—my logic tells me it’s real!”

“I think you should focus on how to leverage this surge of popularity,” Li Lekang said with a smile.

“Exactly!” Mike agreed enthusiastically. “You’ve rekindled the passion I had on my very first day in the business, when I was brimming with ambition to create a superstar!”

“If we capitalize on this momentum, your reputation will be solidified! LAA must ensure that whenever people talk about you, this lottery prediction becomes your signature work!”

“It’s unbelievable—after this, you might be qualified to stand alongside legendary magicians. Give it a few more years, and you’ll be at the very top of the industry!”

Li Lekang accepted Mike’s praise with a smile. Truthfully, he didn’t think he needed years—after all, magic is a dimensional leap above traditional tricks!

…

Afterward, LAA’s promotional efforts were as effective as ever.

That very night, Li Lekang’s channel on YouTube was updated with the future prediction video—a performance so iconic, so reality-defying, that by the next morning it dominated the trending charts!

If previous performances by Li Lekang had traces that could be followed, some causal link to reality, this future-predicting act utterly shattered logic!

From every angle, it dismantled skepticism—even Daniel Cooper, professional as he was, watched it dozens of times, yet could not find a single convincing flaw.

Had he not witnessed it himself, he would have been certain: this was a doctored video trick.

But the issue was, it wasn’t a video magic trick that could be edited—it was performed live before everyone’s eyes, and he himself participated!

After the result was revealed, Cooper even rechecked his own signature on the slip—it was identical, undeniably his signed paper!

He regretted not opening the paper to check the numbers in advance; had he done so, he might have unraveled the secret!

Alas, the chance was gone forever.

The only plausible explanation left was that, aside from himself and the other magicians, everyone else in the audience were confederates, ensuring that Li Lekang’s tossed ball always landed with them.

But even then, how could the winning numbers be altered on a slip bearing his own signature, in plain sight?

Cooper’s head throbbed, his mind near bursting.

Perhaps… he really was a wizard?

He felt like he might lose his mind!

…

While Cooper questioned reality—and himself—Li Lekang’s video soared ever higher!

Its view count surpassed his wildest expectations; in less than two days, it reached fifty million! Likes breached the astonishing one-million mark!

Its viral speed eclipsed the ceiling for performance videos, rivaled only by globally explosive music videos.

Even Li Lekang hadn’t anticipated such a terrifying level of popularity, though he knew it would be impressive. He felt he hadn’t even used his strongest move, leaving a hint of imperfection.

Yet the audience saw it differently.

This future-predicting performance ignited a frenzy, and countless viewers watched it over and over.

The video was full of dramatic twists: warming up, calling his old rival to the stage, breaking convention by randomly selecting audience members, then making no contact yet hitting the numbers perfectly.

There was never a dull moment—the audience was captivated throughout, and with NBC broadcasting live and promoting it in the news the next day, the buzz only grew.

With YouTube as the world’s foremost video platform, Li Lekang crossed national boundaries; he wasn’t just popular in North America, but also in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and even Africa, thanks to official algorithm recommendations.

Moreover, YouTube’s outstanding translation capabilities made it easier for people in different languages to understand the content.

LAA had prepared common subtitles in multiple languages—English, French, Chinese, and more—which further propelled Li Lekang’s magic video to widespread circulation.

Now, in the comments below the video, countless people questioned whether he was a wizard.

Some joked that this was a visual feast for the “Muggles.”

Others claimed he colluded with the lottery company—

The reason: lottery sales were sluggish, so help the capitalists out!

On Wikipedia, Li Lekang’s entry was already established, and its creator mischievously added a disputed note at the end: “He is widely suspected of possessing witchcraft.”

On Google’s search bar, suggested queries quietly appeared, such as “Is Li Lekang really a wizard?” and “Where did Li Lekang learn magic?”—information that was both hilarious and bewildering.

ps: Asking for votes