Chapter 089: Stirring Things Up in New York

Women like them, with looks, substance, and unwavering loyalty, were indeed rare creatures. Only heads of state or presidents were likely to enjoy such protection, so by the end of a full day of touring, Leokan was thoroughly pleased.

Though he did not truly need guarding, it was rather like the horsepower of a Rolls-Royce: you may never use it, but you must have it.

And women had another advantage as bodyguards: surprise. People were usually more wary of bald brutes and therefore overlooked these seemingly delicate and beautiful ladies, never guessing that they were the venomous serpents most likely to strike for the kill.

Leokan decided to move into the estate, because his two former playmates were now both pursuing their own paths, and there was less and less time to gather and play cards. Naturally, he did not think that was a bad thing.

For a handsome, carefree fellow like himself, how could he ever give up the whole forest for the sake of a few trees?

When a man had the power to possess a forest, so-called fidelity was nothing but nonsense.

Leokan took it all in stride. He spent his days playing beach volleyball with his nuns, soaking in the heated pool, enjoying sunbathing and massages, and watching bikini shows every day. How could that life not be delightful?

The Father had already decided to settle in.

Everything here had been prepared with exquisite care for him. To leave it unused would be far too wasteful.

As a rather worldly modern man, Leokan was more than willing to explore new things. Now that he had both money and time, his standards for life had naturally risen.

First came the basics: clothing, food, housing, and transportation. His clothes were all custom-made. In truth, the white suits of the saints had always been produced in cooperation with family tailoring houses in Italy; the higher ranks wore garments cut and sewn by hand to their measurements.

Even his everyday fashion was chosen from the finest boutiques. Especially his nuns, all in the bloom of youth, could not be dressed in a random mishmash of luxury labels, but at the very least they deserved Louis Vuitton with Dior.

As the Father, he spoiled them lavishly. The company would pay anyway.

Then there was food. Leokan had a Chinese soul; even Western cuisine grew tiresome after too much of it. When the Mother Superior, Olivia, heard this, she went so far as to send to China for a chef, and because of the language barrier, she even arranged for a translator who spoke fluent English.

In view of how thoughtful Olivia had been, Leokan gave up the idea of educating her about the long and rich history of China’s eight great regional cuisines. He truly feared the girl might immediately go and find eight chefs.

So the cook they brought in, Master Liu, specialized in Cantonese cuisine. His dim sum was simply divine, and even if Leokan occasionally wanted something spicy, the master could still handle the basics of other regional styles.

As for “housing,” with a house this vast, and two or three dozen people waiting on him, plus a sacred religious status that even a feudal lord would have envied, the reverence needed no further explanation.

Last came transportation. Though Leokan already had a Ferrari, a man’s car was like a woman’s handbag: how could he ever think he had too many?

On a whim, he ordered four Rolls-Royces.

It all began with the idea that he wanted to drift a Rolls-Royce across the lawn.

First he took a liking to the Wraith. The Black Badge version, with its darkened finish, looked young and sporty, and as a two-door coupe with rear-wheel drive and plenty of power, it was perfect for drifting.

But after placing the order, he realized that in California, if he wanted to drive a Rolls with two or three beauties in tow, and feel the ocean breeze on the way to the beach, not having a convertible would rob him of half the pleasure. So he ordered a Dawn as well.

Then it struck him that both the Rolls-Royces he had bought were coupes meant for driving himself, and he still had not experienced the pleasure of sitting in the back like a big shot, so he casually ordered the eighth-generation Phantom too.

Since there was already a grand Phantom, the SUV known as the Cullinan should hardly be left out, so in the end Leokan ordered a Black Badge Cullinan as well.

He even requested special customization from Rolls-Royce. He did not want the Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament, because the car was being bought with public funds. As a holy fraud, he insisted the Spirit of Ecstasy be replaced by the saintly six-pointed star.

As for the interior and everything else, he had it all finished in white, added a six-pointed formation to the starlit headliner, and repainted the Rolls in the white favored by the saints. With that, buying cars on the company tab became entirely justified.

After arranging all this in grand style, Leokan’s life began to turn pleasantly smooth.

He played games with the girls of the group in his daily leisure, while also designing several new magic acts.

The paperwork for a performance in the Middle Kingdom was also being handled by the team, because since it involved a cultural event, it could not be dealt with as simply as a tourist visa; there were quite a few procedures to go through.

Meanwhile, the New York stop on the tour would arrive first.

The East Coast tour had been in preparation for a long time.

Leokan was putting together a program that, if all went well, would elevate him to legendary status. In terms of both audience size and technical difficulty, it would have no equal.

Only then would he have the confidence to go on a world tour.

Judy did not disappoint during this period; she did an excellent job of turning Leokan’s requirements into concrete projects.

Huge advertisements for “Leokan’s New York Night of Magic” had already been plastered across the giant screens in Times Square.

Countless people passing through could look up and see them.

The internet was also abuzz with promotion for Leokan’s major magic show, which would be held at the largest stadium in the United States, and the online ticketing system had already opened.

Publicity and marketing of every kind had been rolled out in full force, and the enthusiasm of New Yorkers was equally on display: all eighty thousand tickets sold out in just two days.

It was because Leokan had not done a solo performance in far too long. His fans snatched up the tickets as though celebrating a holiday, eager to witness his brand-new magic live.

Even before Leokan arrived, he could already feel the fervor of New York. It also prompted him to set out at once and begin the journey eastward.

The Los Angeles team had already packed their bags. They would travel in two waves: Leokan himself would take a private jet with his manager, female assistant, and other key people.

The rest would fly commercial, carrying the props and stage equipment he needed, and arrive at the hotel ahead of time to provide him with more attentive star treatment.

Inside the private jet bound for New York, Leokan lounged with one leg crossed over the other, reading the news on his iPad. Reports about his major magic show were everywhere, and “sold out” had become the keyword.

Since becoming financially independent and no longer having to chase money, Leokan’s magic performances had declined sharply.

He basically no longer performed for the sake of money.

While other magicians were racing to cash in, unwilling to stop until they had done a hundred or eighty shows, his much-hyped New York stop had been planned as only two performances so far.

The first would be held at the Metropolis Stadium, the largest venue in the country, able to seat more than eighty thousand people. Even global superstars giving concerts might not need a place that big.

Of course, as a grand master of magic who refused to follow ordinary rules, and with no desire to stage too many shows, the more people he could fit into a single performance, the better.

He also had to leave a chance for the fans who could not get tickets. Yet he still underestimated the audience’s enthusiasm; now it was said that even the more front-row seats were already being resold at double the price.

Although the starting price did not reach the sky-high level of the Super Bowl, the average cost of the VIP section had already climbed into the thousands of dollars. For a magic performance, that was more than enough to confer prestige.

Perhaps that was the power of scarcity marketing. Still, Leokan believed that after seeing the show, those eighty thousand spectators would not regret spending the money.

He had prepared the program with great care, and it remained strictly confidential.

The outside world only knew that Leokan was about to do something big, and that the place was Metropolis Stadium, with a limited number of tickets—no, they had already been snapped up. What a pity. The next performance might be who knew when.

The fans were certainly anxious, but Leokan relished that feeling of being eagerly awaited. His team tightly sealed off all information about the program, pushing anticipation to the limit.

After several hours in the air, the private jet landed at JFK Airport. From there, he took the airport’s VIP transfer vehicle and departed. Outside the airport, the escort convoy sent by the saints had been waiting for a long time.

Though the eastern region was not under Sterl’s jurisdiction, Leokan was, after all, a special adviser, and as the second-in-command beneath the bishop, he enjoyed a lofty position within the organization.

Leokan did not need to lift a finger the entire way. He simply got off the plane, got into the car, and comfortably crossed his legs, gazing out at the scenery, at the city he was about to conquer.

PS: Looking for tickets.