Rebirth 08: Equipment God

Chapter 381 The First Believers

After three hours of training, at 2 p.m., the temporary magicians finally went out in full force and went to Lujiazui to randomly grab passersby to perform.

The entire filming process went exceptionally smoothly. The reality show format that Zhai Da brought out made both the guests and the production team feel the difference, and the quality of this program will probably exceed everyone's expectations.

After seeing his apprentice off, Zhai Da finally breathed a sigh of relief. One can only imagine how uncomfortable it must have been to wear such a magician's costume in the sweltering heat.
It wasn't that he was intentionally showing off, but the production team had prepared a similar set, but it looked sloppy and cheap in every way.

It felt like Kaito Kid was robbed bankrupt by Lupin III, then Conan shot him with thirteen needles, and finally Kyogoku Makoto beat him with a series of wild punches for twenty minutes.

Finally, I simply wore my own clothes.
Only after stepping out of the camera's view did Zhai Da relax a bit, and Li Tiantian immediately came up to him with a glass of chilled mineral water: "Teacher Zhai, you've worked hard. The filming went very smoothly."

Zhai Da took the bottle and took a swig: "The only one in China, I hope the third one overseas will go just as smoothly."

Taking off his coat and cape, Zhai Da revealed a black shirt underneath, which clung to his once again clearly defined muscles due to sweat and moisture.
Although it's not transparent, the most irresistible temptation for people is their own imagination.

Li Tiantian felt a wild energy emanating from her, and her movements became slightly awkward. She subconsciously tried to start a conversation: "Do you like black?"

Zhai Da glanced at Li Tiantian's black stockings with a puzzled look, thinking to himself, "Why is she so tough starting from zero frames?"

Li Tiantian quickly explained, "I meant that you seem to wear black clothes quite often."

Black shirts are still quite flamboyant and unique in this era.

Zhai Da nodded and said, "Magic is about visual deception, and black can be a great help, especially when some of the props are also black."

Li Tiantian suddenly realized, "So that's the reason!"
I learned something new!

"How are you feeling? This must be the first time you've seriously filmed a program, right?"

Zhai Da thought for a moment and said, "I can roughly sense that the edited result will be good, but the filming process itself was quite bland."

The edited version includes close-ups and sound effects, but the actual scene wasn't that lively.

"Have you considered turning it into a series? I talked to the production team, and we all felt that this format was very novel and had great potential. Four episodes are still too few."

If everything were done in the country, this budget could easily cover ten episodes.

At the very least, a second season would be fine!

Zhai Da laughed and said, "If it weren't for the fact that Hongtu OS needs overseas influence, I wouldn't have taken the time to travel around like this."

Of course, the most important thing is that "miracle believers" need overseas influence, and this number will continue to increase, creating a huge gap.

"If you are interested, you can continue to invest. I just offered a small suggestion. As for turning 'Magic Talent Show' into a series, we don't have the energy for that right now."

His backpack was still full of materials science books; he wasn't planning to completely give up on the journey.

Otherwise, it's very likely that after being away for more than ten days, by the time you return, you'll have already been left far behind by the geniuses of "π".
The speed at which Sun Ting and her team are progressing is quite terrifying.

Li Tiantian nodded, realizing she had indeed overthought things. She still found it strange that Zhai Da had actually agreed to the program, even though he had become a tech tycoon.
"It seems you really enjoy magic."

"I gradually came to like it."

As he spoke, Zhai Da forcefully flung the [Cloak of Faith] that he had been holding in his hand.

There was a "pop" sound.

The cloak disappeared completely, leaving Li Tiantian stunned.

With the identity of "Great Magician," he can now legitimately use the equipment slots, as long as it's not too outrageous.
Regardless of what kind of performance took place in Lujiazui for the entire cast of Legend of Sword and Fairy 3, judging from the production team's feedback, the footage they captured was probably quite excellent.

By the time this part of the content ended in the afternoon, the sky began to darken with clouds, as if a rain was brewing. There was no wind, and the muggy, humid weather was particularly unbearable.

Filming an outdoor program in the rain is naturally a terrible situation, but for some reason the production crew was quite excited.

"The weather forecast was accurate for once."

"That saves me the trouble."

Amidst the bewildered discussion, the five returned to the place where the daytime event had begun, though it was already night.

The place has changed dramatically. Numerous lights stand on both sides, illuminating a long "corridor." The already large raindrops become even more noticeable under the light, making it seem as if the rain is much heavier.

Of the three groups, Hu Ge's swallowing of a giant sword and the "Huo Tang" team's magic wand both successfully completed their tasks and gained enough recognition from passersby, while the "Yang Liu" team's "poker prediction" failed miserably.

Even if they poured all their skills and knowledge into the magic tricks, the two girls still encountered numerous problems; they had indeed chosen the most difficult magic trick.

And they're not very good at math either.
The last segment of the day is Zhai Da's final magic show. The guests don't know how it will be presented; the production team simply had them walk along the "path of light."

As I walked along the "Path of Light," the series of lights on both sides were very uncomfortable for my eyes. After only a few seconds, I felt as tired as if I had been staring at a screen for hours. After walking for about several dozen meters, I finally saw the "magic master" Zhai Da.

Zhai Da changed back into his complete outfit, with a giant crow perched on his shoulder, holding an umbrella and standing still, the large lights behind him outlining a dreamlike silhouette.

Congratulations on completing the day's challenge!

Zhai Da recounted his story, following the script designed for the program. He roughly said that he had been watching them (which he hadn't actually done), acknowledged their efforts (which he also hadn't done), and that he would, at his discretion, take one of them as his magic apprentice (pure nonsense).
Finally, there are rewards and punishments.
The two teams that completed the mission each received a specially made pocket watch. It was not the same equipment that Zhai Da had, but it was actually more ornate, with the words "Magic Prodigy" engraved on the back.

Ultimately, based on the number of people who received recognition, Zhai Da accepted Hu Ge as his "disciple," although it was just a joke made up on the show.
Yang Mi and Liu Shishi, who failed to complete the task, had to accept punishment.

The message is: Stand in the rain for an hour as punishment, and don't use an umbrella.

The two were completely dumbfounded, and watched helplessly as the staff took away their umbrellas.

Only then did they understand why the production team had told them to wear thicker clothes, especially not see-through ones, and had even asked if their makeup was waterproof.
for real?
Then all the other guests were taken away, and even Zhai Da disappeared into the darkness, leaving only the two of them in the same spot, with an electronic countdown sign in front of them.

Although it is summer, getting caught in the rain is still not a pleasant experience, especially since the rain was quite heavy today. The two of them were soaked to the bone in just a few minutes, and the countdown seemed to have no end in sight.

The camera hadn't left, but because of the bright spotlight, they couldn't see the many people still in the darkness. No matter what they said, no one paid any attention, and a sense of loneliness welled up within them. At that moment, they were just little girls, afraid to resist or throw a tantrum, only feeling increasingly wronged.

Strands of hair clung to the two women's cheeks, and Liu Shishi's eyes were red; they were truly a pitiful sight.
Just then, their savior finally appeared.
At some point, the sound of leather shoes clicking could be heard, along with the occasional metallic sound of metal striking the ground.
Zhai Da, leaning on a pure gold cane, slowly emerged from the darkness and came to the two women's side.

His expression was calm and stern as he looked down at the two women who were huddled slightly, and said in a leisurely tone, "Do you think the punishment is a bit too harsh?"

Yang Mi and Liu Shishi looked up, looking embarrassed, and said, "Teacher, do we really have to stand for a full hour?"

Zhai Da shook his head: "The timing was set by the production team, and I can't change their decision."

Yang Mi looked at the large black umbrella in Zhai Da's hand and thought to herself, "Why don't you take a step forward?"

Liu Shishi realized that this was part of a magic trick. But what was Teacher Zhai going to perform?
Zhai Da slowly paced around the two of them: "The most unpredictable thing in this world is the human heart, and the hardest thing to change is also the human heart. Even I am powerless to change it."

The dialogue was a little awkward, but it was enhanced by the [Cape of Faith].
I'm super handsome, okay!

Zhai Da's voice grew lower and lower, as if possessing a demonic quality: "However, I can try to change some other things."

As she spoke, she gently brushed a strand of hair from Liu Shishi's cheek, her fingertips wiping away any water droplets or tear stains from the corners of her eyes: "So that my lovely apprentice won't be so disheveled anymore."

Currently, under the influence of the cloak, he is largely unaware of how socially awkward his actions will become when watching the show later.
Especially when Wu Yue was nearby.
Suddenly, Zhai Da tossed the large black umbrella in his hand high into the air. When the umbrella reached its highest point, it did not fall, but slowly spun and drifted, coming to a meter above the two women's heads.

Finally, it sheltered them from the endless raindrops.

The black umbrella rotated so steadily, just like in a science fiction movie.

But if it only stays at this level, then this so-called "grand magic show" that happens once a week is too ordinary.

Zhai Da's expression remained unchanged as he calmly stood in the rain.

He slightly raised his pure gold cane.

Then, a heavy thud.

A crisp "thud" sounded, as if issuing a command to the world!

Then, time stopped.

It doesn't just remain in people's minds, but truly remains in the physical world.

The black umbrella stopped spinning.
The countdown display stopped.
The little black cat on my shoulder remained motionless, tilting its head and pecking at its feathers.
The most terrifying thing was that all the rainwater around them was suspended in the air!

Yes, the rain stopped in the air.
This scene left the two women completely stunned, their eyes wide open.

The raindrops, numbering in the millions, all remained suspended in mid-air.
The dreamlike scene made the two of them feel breathless. Looking at the surrounding darkness, an outrageous idea popped into their minds.

Did Teacher Zhai really pause time? The entire city of Shanghai?

Globally?

Zhai Da turned to the two of them and smiled, "Then, let's make this time end quickly."

With that, he snapped his fingers again.

Instead of falling, the suspended raindrops gradually floated upwards, as if they were returning to the sky.

The countdown display changed rapidly, reaching "0" in the blink of an eye.

Finally, Zhai Da elegantly beckoned with his finger, and the umbrella floating in the sky landed in his palm. Zhai Da placed it in Liu Shishi's hand and patted her shoulder: "Punishment is over. Go take a shower now."

Then, it retreated backwards into the darkness, but at the boundary between darkness and light, it suddenly exploded into a ball of black feathers.

When the first feather landed, the raindrops seemed to finally gain their freedom and resume their free-falling form.

"Cut! Filming wrapped! Thank you both for your hard work!"

Staff rushed over and draped blankets over the two women, but Yang Mi and Liu Shishi didn't react immediately, their eyes still blankly searching for Zhai Da's figure.

At this moment, they felt that Zhai Da was like a god.
In the corner, Zhai Da patted the raindrops off his sleeves and said to the production team, "Turn off the strobe lights. They're bad for your eyes; it'll hurt if you look at them for too long."

He patted Xiao Hei's head and said, "You can move now. You've worked hard too."

Xiao Hei, who had been in a stiff position, twisted his neck, seemingly suffering from a stiff neck.
The production crew felt their adrenaline surge; they had completed a perfect shoot!

The other guests who witnessed the whole process were also trembling with excitement.

That was amazing. Even though from their perspective, the raindrops only stopped in the area of ​​the "path of light," it was still like a miracle.

The magic assistant, who had harbored some resentment during the day and had swallowed a large sword whole, now had his eyes shining.

Perhaps the miraculous magic trick isn't real.

But the person who created the miracle is real!
It seemed that Zhai Da had already received his first batch of followers.
"Time stop" also became an option for his later "miracle believer - stage magic," and he found a very good way to perform it.
Zhai Da clapped his hands: "Everyone, hurry up! We're leaving for Beijing tomorrow, and then flying to Japan."

There would be a few hours' gap in between, during which Zhai Da planned to visit his teacher.

While we're at it, let's take a look at the teacher's hair.
　A strobe light is a light whose flashing frequency can be adjusted. The light is very strong, and when the frequency exceeds a certain limit, it appears as a continuous and stable light source to the human eye, but it can cause eye strain.

　　The effect of raindrops standing still/flowing backwards is achieved by adjusting the frequency of the strobe light; those interested can search for it online.

　　All the magic tricks featured in this book so far are products that take into account expressiveness and the laws of physics, and are theoretically replicable in reality.

　　Also, I'll most likely be taking the day off tomorrow as I'm moving. Thank you all for your understanding!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)