Chapter 040: Should Legislation Forbid Li Lekang from Buying Lottery Tickets?

This was a scene that shook the world and brought immense joy to his agency, LAA. They hadn’t expected Li Lekang’s talent to erupt so spectacularly! Rumor had it the marketing plans were rewritten twice overnight, constantly scrapping earlier versions for being too modest, unworthy of the global frenzy surrounding him.

While Li Lekang was soundly asleep, clutching Double D, the marketing strategies for him were being quietly finalized. LAA, from top to bottom, was now fully committed to Li Lekang, convinced he was destined to be a superstar.

No one was happier than the stage show’s contractors. Take Li Lekang’s solo performance this Saturday: reports said VIP tickets in the front rows had soared from $249 to $1,500—and the price was still climbing! Tickets for next week, and even the week after, were already sold out.

The contractors even complained that LAA hadn’t scheduled enough shows. Li Lekang should be performing twenty times a week, but LAA was helpless—he didn’t like performing that frequently.

He’d said five times a week was his limit, needing two days off for leisure and romance. He was savoring the process of fame and didn't want to exhaust himself with constant work.

His contract with LAA was fairly relaxed, so they couldn’t demand more from him—even more so now that he was blazing hot; they were eager to pamper him as much as possible!

Meanwhile, the man himself was still fast asleep.

He sensed the woman beside him had gotten up, washed up, returned to kiss him, then departed—possibly taking the dog along. Li Lekang rolled over and continued sleeping.

Suddenly, hurried footsteps approached, the door was flung open, and a warm body pressed down on him with an exclamation: “Oh my god! Darling! You won’t believe what I just saw outside!”

“What is it?” Li Lekang lazily muttered, unwilling to move. “Did you see Godzilla?”

“No, no!” Sandra shook her head vigorously. “I was about to walk the dog and saw an SUV parked across the street. Through the window, I saw nothing but long camera lenses—I realized it was the paparazzi! They must be here to photograph you!”

“Huh?” Li Lekang was now more awake. “To photograph me?”

“Don’t you know you’re famous?” Sandra pulled her phone from her sports bra and showed him. “Your video’s gone viral worldwide—it’s scary!”

Li Lekang was more interested in how she managed to hide her phone like that... but being pinned down was uncomfortable. “Let me breathe and take a look!”

He glanced at her phone, handed it back. “Oh.”

“That’s all you’ve got—‘oh’?” Sandra was incredulous.

“If it were me, I’d go crazy. I’d run a marathon in the room, grab a man and squeeze him dry!”

Li Lekang instinctively tightened the blanket around him. Sandra laughed at his reaction: “I wouldn’t do that to you. You’re my superstar now—I’m just eager to spoil you! Come here, give me a kiss, mmwah!”

Li Lekang knew sleep was out of the question at this point. He had expected fame, but not paparazzi at his door so soon.

What was there to photograph about an ordinary man? He wasn’t a Kardashian, with a crowd of paparazzi forever circling that table-sized backside.

“Weren’t you going to walk the dog? Where’s the dog?”

“I gave the dog to Daisy—oh, damn!”

Suddenly, Sandra remembered something and rushed out.

“That bitch Daisy must’ve rushed ahead to hog the cameras—I knew she’d do something like that!”

Her voice echoed from the stairwell.

Li Lekang smacked his forehead—fame really did make women go wild!

Later, the two women returned, chatting and laughing as they walked the dog, Mike. Apparently, they’d been approached by the paparazzi, had a bunch of photos taken, and the two had shamelessly flaunted themselves for the cameras.

Thankfully, Americans respected privacy—no wild rumors about them sleeping with Li Lekang, just reports that they were his close friends, the kind who’d share a pair of pants.

Li Lekang ate his oatmeal, glanced at the dispirited dog, Mike, who’d been used as a prop for photos—clearly, both humans and dogs struggled to withstand women’s sudden enthusiasm.

“Lekang, are you sure your team doesn’t need more members? I could be your gorgeous assistant, drawing the paparazzi’s fire and keeping your romantic scandals in the headlines!”

Sandra, though previously told by Li Lekang she wasn’t suited for the magic stage, was now volunteering herself again.

Li Lekang thought for a moment, bowl in hand, and asked, “Are you sure? Being my assistant is mostly errands and following me around. But you could double as my fitness coach—the agency would pay, and your rates could be high.”

“I can do it all! Just give me a chance!” Sandra was adamant, knowing that plenty of Hollywood stars started out doing odd jobs before being discovered.

Now, standing beside a magic superstar, her exposure was way higher than others!

Li Lekang didn’t object.

Mike had already complained last time—he needed to form a small team, get some assistants or agents, instead of making old Mike handle everything!

So, a stage assistant, another for daily and fitness duties, and now that he was famous, maybe the agency could provide a nanny van, a driver, and three to five bodyguards—now that would be real star power.

He’d also need a manager for the team; he didn’t want to handle people or affairs, only to live the glamorous life of a star.

He should have a proper talk with Mike!

…

Two more days passed, and Li Lekang’s prediction magic was still trending.

Another event fueled the public’s interest: somehow LAA managed to have a Los Angeles city councilman propose a bill at the weekly meeting—to prohibit Li Lekang from buying lottery tickets in LA!

The reason, of course, was his public lottery predictions.

The councilman was serious; the matter had swept the nation!

Everyone knew about Li Lekang’s abilities—if he really could predict the numbers, the lottery companies would surely cower in fear!

Even many council members had seen the news: an Asian man publicly predicted the winning numbers, and hit them precisely—it was a sensation.

As a representative of capital, the councilman, with LAA’s backing, presented the bill in city hall, in front of the media, as a response to real public concerns!

Whether the law would pass was another matter, but once it was proposed, it immediately gained traction, riding Li Lekang’s wave of popularity.

The public was in stitches, and full of admiration!

Li Lekang had become so formidable he needed legislation to regulate his actions?

Now the debate online about whether he was a magician or a sorcerer would not subside any time soon—either way, it only increased his fame.

From now on, whenever people mentioned Lekang, they’d associate him with his astonishing magic, and note that he was banned from buying lottery tickets in Los Angeles by law—if that wasn’t legendary, what was?