Chapter 90: A Star-Studded Cast

The motorcade escorting Li Lekang crossed through Queens and headed for Manhattan. Along the way, the forests of skyscrapers and the ceaseless traffic at last swept away the impression he had carried for years from Los Angeles, that great rural sprawl. The sensation of a modern metropolis was overwhelming.

The team stayed at the Ritz-Carlton on the south side of Central Park. Of course a top-tier hotel would occupy a top-tier location, and from the window one could gaze directly upon the great green expanse of Central Park, hemmed in on all sides by towers.

Americans really were amusing. In Manhattan, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold, they had forcibly carved out this vast, lush round green oasis amid a steel forest, a completely different temperament from Los Angeles.

People on the West Coast, perhaps because of the abundance of sun and scenery, seemed more relaxed, dressed casually in shirts, shorts, and sandals, with fat people everywhere one looked.

New Yorkers were colder by comparison. Everyone dressed more neatly, busy with work and ambition, with no time to languidly bask in the sun. The fast pace of the great city showed itself in every street and alley.

Li Lekang took a brief stroll around the neighborhood. This place was truly unlike the easygoing atmosphere of Los Angeles, and with so many tall buildings it was easier to feel oppressed. At night there was nowhere much to go except to plunge into a nightclub and drown oneself in wine and desire.

But he was not yet familiar with the area, and he had little interest in nightclubs. That evening he merely went to a bar, drank a small glass at random, then returned to sleep. The next day he rested and gathered his strength, beginning preparations for the performance.

Sandra and Daisy had not come this time. They had each gone their separate ways: one to shoot a television drama, the other to become an internet celebrity and model. The last time they had stood on the same stage had already been during the talent show.

Still, there was no real regret after all. Father still had five young, beautiful, and absolutely loyal sister nuns at his side.

When Olivia learned that Li Lekang needed stage assistants, she specifically chose Bianca and Elena, the two most eager to show off. From their names, one could tell that one was Hispanic and the other Slavic.

Bianca did not have the appearance of a Mexican of mixed indigenous blood. She looked more like someone from Western Europe, with wavy brown hair and a constant smile, her every gesture carrying a touch of Latin allure.

Elena was the classic Russian girl: a small, sharp-featured face with a cool, stern beauty, and at one hundred seventy centimeters she could easily have been a model. At first glance she seemed aloof, but in truth she was the team’s lovable fool.

"In truth, there isn’t much I need you to do. Just be pretty and seductive. Yes, the audience needs a warm smile like yours!"

Li Lekang praised Bianca with a smile.

"And you need that model figure of yours too, to walk the stage. Yes, perfect! You were born for the stage, do you know that?"

As Father, he naturally had to share his favor evenly.

Praise one, and the other must also be praised, or she would be crying when she got back tonight.

Though the sister nuns were cold, even fierce, to outsiders, they were inwardly sensitive and deeply concerned when it came to Li Lekang, whom they regarded as the manifestation of a sacred miracle.

And with the eldest sister insisting that they do the task well, the burden of duty weighed all the more heavily upon them.

Li Lekang took them through several indoor rehearsals. He could display magic without restraint, without worrying that being seen would cause trouble; after all, they had long since witnessed his power. The more they saw, the more reverent they became toward him.

Li Lekang reviewed the footage and was very pleased with the result. "That rehearsal was already very good, but maybe one more pass would be even better."

"This time you can improvise more freely and follow your instincts, because you know those ordinary spectators are going to be utterly stunned! Come on!"

While Li Lekang guided the sisters through the dress rehearsal, discussion online about his large magic show on Saturday was also raging.

Judy, as manager of Li Lekang’s studio, in fact bore responsibility for nearly all of the company’s operations. Keen-minded and perceptive, she had always focused on publicity and marketing.

After seeing the content of Li Lekang’s rehearsal, Judy began sending invitations, asking friendly artists under LAA to attend, and even to join the stage as guest performers.

She meant to make it as lively as the Super Bowl, inviting stars and celebrities of all kinds to attend, cameo, and perform, fully amplifying the atmosphere of the entire event.

Although Li Lekang’s magic show was still nowhere near the scale of the Super Bowl, the star-studded tickets would certainly be worth the price.

Li Lekang’s standing in social circles was also high. As an independent director of LAA, backed by capital from a financial consortium, he had the status that naturally drew many people eager to flatter him.

So on site they would be inviting the bald Uncle Pitbull, Yankee Daddy, and Nicki Minaj, who said she liked him and was really not joking, as well as Ariana Grande... many of them Li Lekang was meeting for the first time.

But that was how the entertainment industry worked. Some celebrities who seemed to have nothing to do with one another were actually quite close in private. This time LAA and NBC had both spent heavily, intending to create a "Magic Super Bowl."

The star power alone was enough to carry the event. For example, Nicki Minaj was the queen of American hip-hop and rap, while Uncle Pitbull was world-famous for singing provocative little songs. For Americans, that was exactly the sort of thing that made headlines.

And then, naturally, came the old tactic brimming with confidence: invite the mortal enemy.

Who is a magician’s greatest foe? It must be that crowd that delights in exposing tricks.

Back then, Li Lekang had already gone toe-to-toe with the exposure team, and in the end he had won handsomely.

But the grudge remained. Daniel Cooper of the exposure team had been studying Li Lekang’s magic all this time, and there were even rumors that he had already mastered the method for reproducing one of the effects.

Li Lekang, however, welcomed that sort of thing. So Judy used his account to tag the other side loudly on social media and invited them to attend in person.

And not just Cooper. Many well-known debunkers, including the famous "Masked Magician" from years past, also received invitations from him.

For by the time things had come this far, a mortal enemy was not necessarily an absolute enemy.

The significance of someone like Cooper showing up was not merely to spoil the show; it also demonstrated the magician’s absolute confidence in his own effects and his utter disdain for post-production tricks.

Those video magic acts, with camera cuts or visual misdirection... Li Lekang did not need any of them.

Daring to invite mortal enemies to the venue was confidence at the peak of the pyramid.

After this publicity angle went out, Judy also reserved a thousand front-row tickets, giving them free to the most loyal fans and to supporters who had failed to get tickets.

This move won the cheers and support of the fan base as well. After all, for Li Lekang’s New York debut, even the cheapest ticket cost one hundred dollars, while front-row seats were at least in the thousands, and some would run to more than ten thousand dollars.

His generosity toward fans also bought Li Lekang a wave of goodwill, making those who already liked him like him even more, while also helping more fortunate fans realize their dreams.

As for the money lost on those tickets?

Judy, with her business acumen, truly did not care.

Nothing could be better advertising than this, especially since she had already lined up advertising sponsors.

The stadium was so vast there were countless places to display ads.

Moreover, she had reached a cooperation agreement with NBC. The performance would be recorded and used as a preview episode for the series The Magical Journey of Li Lekang.

A rough framework for Li Lekang’s magic reality show had already taken shape. NBC, this old friend, was willing to spend heavily to buy out the program, because they sensed it would become just as sensational as America’s Got Talent.

Still, Judy had not yet fully settled on a partner. Friendship was friendship; profit was profit. If Netflix or another network offered a higher price, she would consider that as well.

When it came to the purse strings and the matter of popularity, Li Lekang left everything to Judy. Since he had chosen to rely on her, he would trust her professionalism.

And he? He only had to dazzle the world.