Chapter 045: An Invitation from the City of Chance

Li Lekang demonstrated through his actions that breakfast should begin with a sip of milk—health and vitality every day, imported Greek yogurt, absolutely delicious!

“I hate you!” Sandra, perhaps influenced by Daisy, had begun to learn how to act spoiled.

Lekang, grinning as he ate his bread, explained to her the Eastern proverb, “A good day starts in the morning,” and spun a web of miscellaneous philosophy. To his surprise, Sandra believed him, and declared, “Then you must do this every day from now on!”

He nearly choked. He had merely spoken offhand, not intending to turn it into a daily ritual.

Yet Sandra was earnest about learning from the wisdom of the elders. She said her family adhered closely to tradition; she was the most rebellious among them, but as she grew older, she realized her parents’ words had merit.

Lekang felt as if he’d dug himself into a pit, but it mattered little—at just over twenty, he didn’t believe in giving up so easily. This was the confidence that let him invite two fiery young women to live under the same roof.

After breakfast, it was time for work.

Even Daisy, the laziest among them, was outside in the yard practicing her vocals. She still longed to shine on stage or in a musical, despite insisting otherwise.

Sandra, practical as ever, served as his assistant. Now part of Lekang’s team, she handled the copious costumes and props needed daily. In truth, a magician’s expenditure on props is quite substantial!

Even with magic at his disposal, Lekang couldn’t conjure things out of thin air. He needed to prepare his performance props ahead of time—for instance, turning blank paper into money required first obtaining a stack of bills!

Sandra managed the custom orders and manual tasks, compiling lists, getting Judy’s signature, then collecting funds from accounting to purchase supplies.

In the afternoon, she maintained her routine of fitness training, occasionally posting glamorous photos to keep her fans excited. She still hoped to participate in fashion shows and beauty pageants, never one to idle just because she had a leg up.

The only non-human resident, Mike the dog, was content to run wild in the yard, sniffing everywhere, tussling with Lekang’s slippers, and, when exhausted, sprawling on the cool floor inside to nap in the air conditioning.

Another ordinary day slipped by.

If not for Daisy’s reminder about throwing a housewarming party, Lekang would have forgotten the idea altogether.

He’d been here long enough to gradually build his network of friends and contacts. So he dug out his phone, started calling, and sent messages.

He invited Judy, Carter—the bartender—asking him to perform some impressive tricks at the party, and to bring along a couple of girls to help out.

Of course, Mike had to be there. Old Mike was the wise mentor who had led Lekang to the red carpet, their bond deep and true. He also called Marlon, the singer from last time, who always had plenty of girls around. If Marlon came, there’d be no shortage of women.

Thinking further, he invited Johnny from NBC, who claimed to be a fan. One message after another went out, and Lekang realized that, hey, he was doing just as well as the liveliest young men—one call and he could gather a crowd of girls!

By the next evening, the living room was filled with champagne, beer, fruit, and snacks. Marlon’s latest song played, the garden lights were aglow, and the pool shimmered with multicolored lights, dreamy and enchanting.

Friends arrived one after another. Judy brought her daughter Chloe, the rebellious high school girl determined to be a star, who, after a week of waitressing as arranged by her mother, decisively decided that college seemed more interesting.

Lekang had heard of her, but this was their first meeting.

The girl’s features were exquisite, her silky golden hair gleaming, skin fair and delicate even up close, pale blue eyes brimming with youthful fervor, and her proportions were flawless.

Even though Lekang favored an Eastern aesthetic, he couldn’t deny this young lady’s extraordinary charm. No wonder she wanted to be a celebrity—with such qualities, who knows which lucky man would win her heart?

Moved, Lekang took the initiative to hug her. “Welcome, Chloe. I’m sure I’m not the first to say this, but you’re beautiful as an angel!”

Chloe, delighted by the affirmation, became lively. “Thank you!”

“I really love your magic! I never imagined my mom would know you. She truly made the right decision!”

“Well then—” Lekang smiled, gently patted her back, and produced a heart-shaped chocolate. “This is for you, sweetheart!”

“Wow—I love it!”

“If we could be contacts, that would be even better!”

“Chloe!” Judy reminded her, mindful of her daughter’s manners.

“Opportunities are for those who seek them!” Chloe replied firmly.

Seeing this, Lekang happily took out his phone. “No problem—let me learn a bit of youth culture from you!”

“Hey, now I’m your biggest fan!” Chloe wanted a selfie with him.

Judy apologized, “I hope she’s not bothering you.”

“No, not at all—I like her!”

Lekang laughed, giving her arm a friendly tap, and Chloe wore a proud, pleased expression.

Before more could be said, Mike arrived with Marlon, the latter wearing sunglasses and affecting mystery, joking that he didn’t want to steal Lekang’s spotlight. Lekang accepted the gesture with a smile, though secretly he felt no one could outshine him.

After all, his fame rested on predicting lottery numbers with magic—overnight, he became known around the globe, the absolute number one, the hottest magician with unrivaled popularity!

Of course, Marlon had done his part by bringing a group of girls. Without lively women, a party loses much of its charm; more girls meant the guys would be all the more eager.

As the guests gathered, the party grew vibrant.

During a lull, Mike, Judy, and Lekang sat down to discuss some work.

Mike couldn’t stop praising him: “Your show is phenomenal! Whether it’s reputation, tickets, or bookings, people are as crazy for your performance as they are for the release of Avengers 3!”

What could Lekang say? His charisma was such that low profile wasn’t an option!

Mike was always generous with compliments, but this time he brought up something else: “After discussion, the company feels it’s time for us to host our own shows. Las Vegas has sent many invitations. Once you finish the shows here in Los Angeles, it’s on to your next stop, superstar!”

Compared to Los Angeles, Las Vegas is truly the stage for magicians.

All the world-famous magicians hold their own shows there, and those with real talent often take up residency—like Copperfield, Penn and Teller, Angel, and so on.

These world-class magicians are deeply tied to Vegas, stationed in different top hotels with their own dedicated performances, welcoming audiences and tourists from across America and around the globe.

In short, for Lekang, launching a show in Vegas is like a stage actor appearing on Broadway in New York—a milestone in his career!

For most magicians, competing alongside industry veterans would be nerve-wracking, but Lekang remained as confident as ever: “You set the schedule, I’ll prepare the program!”

Mike’s faith in Lekang’s abilities was almost blind. He laughed, “I knew it! Nothing can stump you. Honestly, I’m already anticipating the moment the new king descends upon Vegas!”

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