I Become The Richest Man With A monthly Salary of Twenty Thousand Yuan-Chapter 726 - 499 Play Big_2

"So that's the difficult story behind it all. It really wasn't easy, God Xia. You've earned your incredible abilities, because when it comes to magic, you've worked harder than anyone."

Xia Liang nodded and then continued, "Actually, it's not just because I love magic that I want to bring back the lost art of Ancient Colored Tricks. I'm also determined to promote our traditional culture, which is why I've been so persistent.

"Our Dragon Country has a five-thousand-year history, with a brilliant culture in every respect. Magic is part of that heritage, the culmination of ancient wisdom. If we let it fade into obscurity, aren't we burying a piece of our civilization? I sincerely hope the wisdom of our ancestors can be passed down.

"I want all our descendants, and people all over the world, to know just how spectacular and splendid the culture of our Flame Imperial Empire is. That's why I have always worked, and will continue to work, to inherit and restore Ancient Colored Tricks for everyone to see."

"God Xia, I believe you can do it. As a fellow descendant of Yan and Huang, I feel the same way." Teacher He was genuinely moved, his voice choked with emotion. Du Guigui once again dropped to one knee and declared loudly, "God Xia, I support you! I believe you can do it and bring glory to us, the descendants of Yan and Huang!"

Wu Xin quietly wiped away a tear. "God Xia, after hearing you say that, we're even more eager to see your magic. The Four Linked Rings trick is so marvelous; the wisdom of our ancestors is truly something to be proud of. Besides the Four Linked Rings, have you prepared any other Ancient Colored Tricks for today?"

"Of course, I have," Xia Liang nodded. "The next magic trick is called Fairy Picking Beans. It was also a very popular trick during the Song Dynasty."

The recording of "Happy Camp" went very smoothly and was a great success. Judging from the live audience's feedback, this episode wasn't just a rarity in recent years; it could be considered one of the best in the show's entire history.

Of course, the final verdict would have to wait until the episode aired, but the audience's reaction was a clear indicator. Director Liu Wei's ecstatic behavior said it all; he wouldn't be so thrilled if victory wasn't already in the bag. In fact, Liu Wei felt an unexpected surge of delight even before the recording began. He had originally invited Xia Liang just to ride on his popularity. But as soon as Xia Liang arrived, he pulled off his Ice Condensation trick, pushing his public attention to new heights. For the show, there could be no better news.

In that sense, it seemed like "Happy Camp" got the better end of the deal, but Xia Liang also gained a great deal from the platform. It was a truly mutually beneficial arrangement. For this recording, he had gone to great lengths to carefully consider his performance.

The decision to lean on traditional culture was made after careful deliberation. When the idea came to him, he mentioned it casually and received Tian Yuanyuan's unwavering support. Since this path was open to him, there was no need to consider anything else—it was the perfect fit. In this world, there was no World Magic Association, and nearly all Ancient Colored Tricks had been lost to time. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Since there were so many spectacular Ancient Colored Tricks worth performing, why not showcase them and promote traditional culture at the same time?

Xia Liang was very satisfied with the final result. After he and Tian Yuanyuan flew back to the Magic Capital, Fruit Satellite TV had already cut together a promotional trailer. That was when the public learned that Xia Liang had recorded an episode of "Happy Camp." Xia Liang's fans, along with newcomers to magic, were all eagerly awaiting the episode, practically bursting with impatience.

After the recording finished, Xia Liang and Tian Yuanyuan stayed and toured the area for a few more days before leaving.

「Back in Qingyun City.」

Xia Liang fell back into his simple routine of performing on the commercial street. He also did occasional live streams. Xia Liang found this simple life quite relaxing and comfortable.

However, it was clear that some people weren't satisfied. Especially the audience in his live stream chat, who were always hoping he would make big news. To satisfy this crowd, Xia Liang began planning his next performance.

「January 1st, New Year's Day in the Dragon Country.」

The entire Dragon Country was immersed in the joy of the festival. The commercial street in Qingyun City was packed with people. Even several Protectors had been dispatched to maintain order. The reason for all this was that Xia Liang had announced he would be performing magic on New Year's Day.

BANG!

With a burst of white smoke, Xia Liang appeared out of thin air in the center of the stage. The entire crowd erupted in screams, as did the viewers in the live stream.

[Husband! Husband, you're so handsome!]

[Yeah! Husband, I love you!]

[To the person above, I checked your profile. You seem to be a guy.]

[Get lost! So what if I'm a guy? I know he's a man and I'm still going for it!]

...

Seeing the excited crowd below, Xia Liang gave a gentlemanly bow. Then, he said calmly, "Happy New Year, everyone."

It was just one sentence, but delivered with such an aura of calm composure, it instantly commanded the entire stage.

"No more words are necessary. Next, I will recreate a classic magic trick for all of you. I'm sure you've all heard of David Copperfield. That great Magician once made the Statue of Liberty disappear before an audience of fifty million people. Today, in front of everyone on this commercial street, I will make the shopping mall behind me vanish."

As Xia Liang's voice faded, the entire venue boiled over once again.

"Holy crap! For real?"

"God Xia is making a move! Truly extraordinary!"

"This is awesome! I saw in the live stream yesterday that God Xia was going to perform, so I booked a flight that same night."

"Hahahaha! Me too!"

"I can't wait!"

Of course, not everyone was so blindly faithful to Xia Liang. Some even shouted out challenges:

"Are you messing with us? Don't think you can do whatever you want just because the rules have gotten a little looser. Believe it or not, I'll smash this whole shoddy setup of yours to pieces right now."

"Make a shopping mall disappear? Why not make a bigger boast and say you'll make the entire Blue Star vanish? If you can make this mall disappear from right under my nose, I'll twist off my own head and let you use it as a chamber pot!"

"Exactly. You had a little success with some small-time tricks, and now you think you can challenge a world-class magician? If you can make this entire mall disappear on the spot, I'll damn well give you that Benz over there."

...

Of course, Xia Liang didn't bother to defend himself against these boisterous rebukes. So, ignoring all the voices of doubt, he simply continued, "Although this is just magic, to ensure no accidents happen to the people inside, I will only make the mall disappear for ten seconds. During those ten seconds, you are all free to take photos and record videos. After ten seconds pass, I will restore the mall to its original state. I believe ten seconds will be more than enough time for you to witness everything. Now! I solemnly announce to you all that the magic will officially begin after a thirty-second countdown."

After saying this, Xia Liang kept the microphone and, watching the timer, began to count down.

"30, 29, 28…"

"This is hilarious. He's acting like it's real."

"You've only done a few small tricks. We don't call you out on them, alright? Do you really have to make such a big scene that you can't back down from?"

At first, a number of skeptical voices could still be heard, but as they watched the time, many of those who believed in Xia Liang actually began to count along with him.

Slowly...

"20..."

"19..."

By the time the count reached the teens, the entire live audience had started chanting along with him. Even the comments in the live stream's chat scrolled by in a neat, synchronized countdown.

It was a perfect demonstration of mob mentality. Once a few people start something, others will follow, regardless of whether it's right or wrong. Most of them might not even know why they are doing it, but they will still join in with the loudest, most unified voice. This is the psychology of the crowd at work.

"11, 10, 9..."

As the count reached the single digits, Xia Liang lowered the microphone.