Chapter 054: The Magic of Walking on Water

Just as Li Lekang had emphasized earlier, the entire magic show would be suffused with randomness! The audience was chosen at random, the venue was requisitioned at random, and amid everyone's eager anticipation, Li Lekang continued to employ random strategies, keeping everyone in suspense.

The lucky audience member, Jason, would also be blindfolded and hooded. Li Lekang addressed the crowd, "Before he sets off, please have him spin five times on the spot!"

Jason began to turn around, spinning in place. After five spins, he steadied himself, but his body still tended to sway unsteadily.

Li Lekang supported him, "Stand firm, Jason. Right now, you are facing the lake!"

"You're surrounded by spectators, countless eyes watching you. Later, your loved ones and friends will see you on screen!"

"I'm a little nervous," Jason admitted, uneasy. He could feel the focus of everyone's gaze, the buzzing discussions invading his ears from all directions.

Li Lekang pressed his shoulder, "No need to be nervous, trust me! Because I have blessed you, you are now me; magic will make you capable of anything!"

"Yes, I believe!" Jason declared loudly.

"Then I will let go of your hand, and you will decide your own path!"

Li Lekang released his grip and slowly stepped back.

Under the gaze of the crowd, Jason moved forward, taking his first step.

Cautiously, like a blind man, he stepped again—a second step, then a third. As his fourth step was about to land, the audience held their breath.

For ahead lay the water itself—the surface of the artificial lake, clear enough to reveal the blue tiles beneath. There was no indication of any props. Jason took another step, and his shoe touched the water's surface!

The spectators collectively held their breath, not daring to blink.

There was no clumsy splash, no imagined stumble into the water; Jason stood firmly.

He stood atop the water!

The audience's cheers made Jason aware of his extraordinary state. He felt as if something was supporting him, so he confidently stepped again—still steady and safe.

Step after step, Jason's pace shifted from tentative to slightly quicker.

The crowd was utterly mesmerized.

To walk across the ethereal surface of water before so many eyes! In another context, at a religious ceremony, people would believe he was Jesus incarnate.

Yet some magic enthusiasts speculated that a glass platform might be beneath Jason's feet.

Chris Angel and other magicians had performed similar feats, placing glass platforms in water, blending perfectly thanks to their transparency, and allowing assistants to swim underneath to enhance the illusion.

But Li Lekang would never resort to such old tricks.

His next words shattered all doubts: "Jason, you may change direction. Go wherever you wish—or wherever the crowd's cheers are loudest!"

This move stirred the crowd's emotions once more. Around the artificial lake, the audience was packed, never short of astonished cries, now rising in waves, each outdoing the last.

Standing atop the lake made Jason anxious, fearing each step might plunge him into the water, but trusting his idol absolutely, he listened for the hottest cheers and walked toward them.

His route changed—randomly!

This greatly increased the difficulty of the act, unless the entire lake was filled with props.

But that seemed unlikely, given the vast expanse. Setting up such an arrangement would take more than a day or two, and the commotion would be impossible to hide from passing guests.

Moreover, Jason was blindfolded. Even if he had an earpiece for guidance, he couldn't guarantee absolute precision in his path—what if he misstepped?

But tonight, Li Lekang was determined to drive the audience wild, to trample their logic mercilessly.

"If any doubting audience members wish, you may come out, follow Jason's path, or chart your own new route!"

A wave of hands shot up.

Li Lekang picked a few, "You, you, and you, lovely lady—your smile is charming, come! Security, please let them through!"

Five lucky audience members approached. Li Lekang instructed them, "You may remove your shoes, place your belongings on the shore, and try walking on the water as you wish."

The chosen spectators took off their shoes, rolled up their pants, and eagerly made attempts. Some stepped into the spot Jason had, but their feet did not hover over the water.

Others, refusing to believe, swept their feet through the water, but found no obstructions... No matter how they tried, none could stand on the water as Jason had.

This forcefully refuted the theory of underwater props.

The audience was bewildered—where was the mechanism?

"Maybe someone stealthily removed the apparatus while we weren't looking!"

"I suspect something overhead!"

"Oh, please, I believe it's magic!"

A joking remark from a spectator brought out laughter.

The crowd discussed heatedly; Jason's walk on water stunned everyone, while others failed in their attempts.

One stubborn person took a big step—and promptly fell into the lake with a splash!

His embarrassing tumble drew raucous laughter.

People truly cannot be judged by the same standard!

Three photographers captured the scene from multiple angles, and many in the crowd filmed with their phones, though their footage was poor due to lighting and angles.

In an unnoticed corner, a bald man in a white suit also recorded with his phone. He quietly documented the event, unlike the noisy crowd around him.

His expression, marked by a wounded eye, retained a hint of menace. Having filmed Jason walking on water, he fixed his gaze on Li Lekang, who basked in attention, memorized his face, then turned and left.

The scene was now a sea of applause!

Jason had returned to the shore. When he took off his blindfold and looked back, he realized he had crossed the entire lake!

It was an unforgettable moment for him—a lucky fan chosen by his idol to experience something straight out of religious legend!

Back with his family and friends, Jason couldn't stop shouting, "He's absolutely divine!"

Of course, he wasn't alone in thinking so.

The audience had feasted their eyes, and Li Lekang had elevated an old magic trick to new heights.

Still, some pseudo-experts put on airs, claiming props lay under the water, overhead, that Jason was a plant, or the five spectators were accomplices—suspicions abounded.

Li Lekang never shunned such voices. It was thanks to these keyboard experts that his magic seemed more like illusion!

...

While Li Lekang was accepting the audience's worship, the bald man in the white suit returned to his hotel room.

He rode the elevator up to the VIP floor reserved for their party, straightened his jacket, and requested an audience with the imposing superior who always exerted immense pressure.

An underling went to announce him, and he waited patiently outside.

After a long wait, the door finally opened. "Steward Steller, His Eminence wishes to see you."

Steller entered, passed through the lounge, and approached the colossal man who resembled a mountain of flesh. A scarf draped his chest, he clutched a pig's leg, and beautiful women attended him.

He appeared to weigh four or five hundred pounds; an ordinary person would be near death, but Steller knew that within this body surged unimaginable power.

Despite a face rounded by excessive fat, the majesty and aura in his eyes made it impossible to meet his gaze.

Steller lowered his head, avoiding eye contact, "Your Eminence, I discovered something interesting earlier—I filmed it and wish to show you."

The video showed Jason walking on water.

The super-sized man watched, crunching the pig bone loudly, mouth chewing, "Walking on water? Only the Messiah has that privilege; this is nothing but a crude trick."

His eyes rolled thoughtfully, "But... it's a trick worth using. Steller, your little cleverness has sparked my great idea. Arrange for that man to see me sometime!"

"As you command, Your Eminence!"