Chapter 104: A Chance to Free-Ride on the Fans

After years in management, Judy certainly knew how to seize the moment to win people’s hearts. She gathered everyone on the team, announced that each person would receive an extra two to three months’ salary, and then set this year’s Christmas gifts in motion—cars, Rolex watches, jewelry, and the rest.

With both concrete rewards and future promise, it was like feeding a horse before it ran: the team naturally sprang into life. Their grumbling about overtime and fatigue from the past few days vanished at once, and everyone began joyfully preparing for tonight’s celebration party.

Because a business partner was attending, Li Le Kang dressed up formally as well. He checked himself in the mirror; the tailored suit emphasized his figure, and a watch on his wrist added a mature elegance. He was satisfied.

He went to the next room. Judy was still choosing her dress for the evening, and when she saw him she tossed the question over to him. “Which one looks good?”

“I think you look good in all of them,” he replied.

Li Le Kang declined the familiar trap of being forced to choose.

“Little trickster,” Judy said.

Li Le Kang sat on a sofa chair with a crooked smile, watching the dazzling array of dresses. For a graceful woman, dressmaking is the essence of style, yet even she could fall into indecision like any other woman.

Not wanting to intrude on her beauty routine, he pulled out his phone and made a video call to Chloe, turning the camera toward Judy so his treasured daughter could give an opinion.

Li Le Kang kept filming while listening to Chloe’s chatty comments, and she even regretted that she had to stay in school instead of coming in person.

“How are things at your father’s place?” Li Le Kang asked casually.

Because Judy had to travel for work and Chloe couldn’t leave school to run around with her, she had been staying with her dad during these times. But the little girl clearly preferred her mother.

On screen, Chloe pursed her lips. “I’ve been going to school every day in this giant pickup, and he even had every gun he owns painted on it. It’s obvious no boy wants to play with me now.”

In Chloe’s eyes, her biological father was a Californian old ranch lord whose taste had never caught up with his wealth. She even thought it made sense that mom and he split ways, because they were from entirely different worlds and being together only brought conflict.

“Well, maybe it isn’t that bad,” Li Le Kang said, thinking of his own missed birthday. “He was delayed, they say, because he was vacationing in Europe.”

Chloe shot back, “You’ll know when you meet him. And he’s already been saying that now that he knows you exist, you should come hunting with him sometime, and he says today’s young people are no good.”

Judy, who was still trying on dresses, turned around, visibly annoyed. “He has no right to talk to my darling that way!”

“Don’t stay angry about the past,” Li Le Kang laughed. “Why not try the Chanel suit? It’s a classic for an elegant woman.”

“Let me see too!” Chloe complained, redirecting her father’s attention. “Mom in it gives off pure successful-lady energy.”

“Exactly right.”

After back-and-forth banter, they finally got Judy sorted out.

The Chanel suit—what people jokingly call the “little Chanel” style—has conquered countless women for more than a century and remains a favorite of graceful women.

Judy wore it with equal mastery, her wavy hair tossing and turning as she walked with effortless poise. Li Le Kang respected Judy, so he never used vulgar labels for her, but to outsiders she was undeniably magnetic.

Then came the party in full splendor. Even the staff below him got a rare chance to relax. Although Li had been slacking off recently, the team had been relentlessly busy.

He had built his impressive marketing and this internet-wide recognition with their behind-the-scenes support, so in between chats with his partner, he made sure to thank them all.

The scene at the event was loud and lively. Everyone carried high expectations for the future, drank champagne freely, and spoke of what was to come. A team Li had once scarcely valued had somehow flourished so vividly, and even he was impressed.

In that cheerful atmosphere, Li’s phone in his pocket rang.

He checked the screen: Frank Steele.

He moved aside to answer. “Hello, Frank.”

In a good mood, his voice rose naturally. Steele chuckled, “I heard you’ve had great success lately, so I came to congratulate you.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Li said lightly, “but you can’t be calling just for that. Come on—say something that catches my interest.”

So Steele didn’t dodge the point. “The Messiah plan can enter the rehearsal phase.”

Li had promised earlier to help him stage grand illusions, and he had been waiting a long time for this. His curiosity was instantly stirred. “How do you plan to play it? Tell me in detail.”

Steele said, “The Saints are holding a major gathering in the New York district. I intend to make Messiah appear there, and naturally that depends on your full support.”

“Which means I need you to plan the content and rehearse in advance. Also, I have a few rough ideas of my own—I want to record the event on video for circulation.”

The thought of recording probably came from Li. Every time his performances were filmed, they all went viral. The quality of his performance and his rhythm were undeniable. Steele’s plan drew its power from Li’s magic, so he felt this was something the rightful star should direct himself.

Steele had no plan to promote the video to the whole world, but inside the Saints, showing it to hundreds of thousands and using it as instructional material for holy swindlers was perfectly possible.

“Our organization promotes the Saints’ image every year, from the team level all the way to corporate branding,” Steele explained. “Inside, we push it through everything from education systems to news resources. There is a very substantial budget for it.”

At the first part, Li thought, let them do whatever they want—I only cast the spell. But hearing about the ample funds, he suddenly thought taking on a side role as director might not be bad.

It wasn’t a matter of money. The main issue was he had never directed before.

And when he thought about it, this was full-channel promotion across the whole organization.
The Saints were not huge in number, but they were still in the hundreds of thousands, and they were an easily swayed, superstitious group. If Li Le Kang could spread the Messiah ruse among them, wouldn’t that be like free-riding on hundreds of thousands of followers?

Right now he had five hundred thousand faith followers—still far from a million—and though he spent lots of time on entertainment, the daily points still seemed insufficient. Even when he wanted to buy props, he had to count and count again.

The problem was, weren’t they believing in themselves?

But what if Messiah used his own power, and Messiah also signed a contract with him?

Even with a middleman in between, the effect would weaken—but free gain of half is still half, even half of half.

After discussing it with Quanling, it agreed it was fine, though it said that in the Age of Gods this kind of siphoning of believers’ faith would have had him hung up for public display in seconds.

It wasn’t a question of whether it could be done; it was that this undercutting, leeching act was simply too shameless.

But with Earth’s replica now empty, Li Le Kang suddenly felt like a genius. “I’m in New York right now,” he said. “We can plan how to do it immediately.”

P.S. Two updates. See you tomorrow.