Zhang Zhihe couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing so hard he almost fell over. He pointed at the red cloth and mocked the bewildered Sheng Xu.
"Hahaha! See that, Captain Sheng! I told you he was all show and no substance! Utterly stupid! He couldn't even move it with the lights off! And he called us up here to make a fool of us! With this little skill, he dared to come up on stage and embarrass himself? What a disgrace!"
Sheng Xu's face also darkened completely, and his eyes were filled with undisguised disappointment and anger as he looked at Xu Kuo.
It seems that the floating newspaper he saw earlier might have been some kind of ingenious mechanism he had never seen before, or it might have just been good luck.
As for the "great transformation of the living stone," it was a complete disaster!
He sighed inwardly, already preparing to formally inform Xu Kuo later that the matter concerning the warehouse and antiques must be thoroughly investigated! There would be no leniency!
Just then, Xu Kuo, who had been silent all along, smiled slightly at Zhang Zhihe, who was still in a daze, and Sheng Xu, whose face was pale, amidst the laughter of the crowd: "Gentlemen, you can lift the red cloth now."
"Lift it?" The two were taken aback again.
Zhang Zhihe waved his hand impatiently, his words full of contempt: "Alright, alright, Comrade Xu Kuo, stop struggling! Magic tricks often fail, so get down here and stop embarrassing yourself! I was standing right here, holding onto the corner of the cloth. Do you think I couldn't feel anything happening on the stage? I could even detect a mouse running past, let alone a cart being pushed! That stone didn't move at all!"
"That's right! Let's get down!"
"Stop pretending! Just admit defeat!"
A chorus of agreement rose from the audience, and mocking gazes fell upon Xu Kuo.
As Xu Kuo stood on the stage, being ridiculed by the crowd, the spotlight shone on his face, making him appear genuinely embarrassed and awkward.
Zhou Changke, who had been sitting in the front row and watching the situation closely, frowned slightly and sighed softly.
This kid is still too young; he's gone too far.
He was just about to get up, intending to go on stage to smooth things over for Xu Kuo, to say a few words of encouragement, and to defuse the awkward situation so that the young man wouldn't be embarrassed...
However, just as Zhou Changke made a slight movement, Xu Kuo, who had been silent all along, moved.
He didn't turn around, but simply turned slightly to the side and raised his hand, blocking Zhou Changke's path just in time to get up.
Zhou Changke was taken aback and stopped in his tracks.
Xu Kuo's gaze remained fixed on Zhang Zhihe, whose eyes were filled with disdain, his expression cold and indifferent.
"Teacher Zhang, haven't you always been curious about how this stone disappeared? Why don't you... take matters into your own hands and reveal the answer to everyone?"
Where was there even a hint of pleading or embarrassment in that tone?
This is clearly a blatant provocation!
"You!" Zhang Zhihe was so angry that his beard almost stood on end, and his face turned pale and then red.
He looked at Xu Kuo in disbelief, then glanced at Zhou Changke, who had stopped moving, and his anger intensified.
That kid is utterly ungrateful! Leader Zhou was trying to give him a way out, and he's not even appreciating it? Why does he have to humiliate himself like that?!
"Fine! Fine! Fine!" Zhang Zhihe laughed angrily, gritting his teeth. "Since you insist on making a fool of yourself, then I'll grant your wish! Let everyone see just how clumsy your attention-seeking act really is!"
He had already made up his mind that when he pulled back the red cloth and saw the unmoving blue stone, he would definitely ridicule Xu Kuo severely, making him lose face and never be able to hold his head up again!
The audience held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on Zhang Zhihe's hand reaching for the red cloth.
Despite the mockery, at this moment, who wouldn't be curious about what's going on under that red cloth?
Zhang Zhihe, holding back his strength, suddenly pulled!
"Splash—!"
The red silk cloth slid down limply.
The next moment, time seemed to stand still.
The huge bluestone that I had expected was nowhere to be found!
All that remained was an empty frame, barely maintaining the outline of the stone, nailed together with a few simple wooden strips!
The shelf was crooked and crooked; it was clearly a makeshift, temporary arrangement.
Immediately following was a chorus of gasps for air.
"The stone...where's the stone?!"
"My God! It's really gone?!"
"How is that possible?! It was just here a moment ago!"
"That wooden frame is..."
The audience erupted in chaos!
Standing beside the red cloth, Sheng Xu's pupils suddenly contracted, his mouth slightly open, and he was completely stunned.
He was clearly holding onto the corner of the cloth just now, and it felt heavy. How... how did it become an empty shell?
He even subconsciously looked down at his hands, trying to confirm whether the sensation he had just felt was an illusion.
Zhang Zhihe, who was the first to be hit, had the most interesting expression on his face.
The sneer and smugness were still frozen on his lips, but his eyes instantly changed from extreme confidence to complete bewilderment, then shock, and finally, disbelief and blank stare.
He stood there dumbfounded, his fingers still gripping the red cloth, his eyes fixed on the empty wooden frame, not knowing what had happened.
Under the stage spotlight, Xu Kuo slowly withdrew his gaze, faced the audience, and bowed deeply.
"Thank you for your appreciation." His voice was calm, but carried a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm, his gaze sweeping over the petrified Zhang Zhihe.
"Some people, lacking the ability themselves and with their limited vision confined to their own meager skills, assume that others cannot do it either. Little do they know, there are always higher levels to reach and more capable people to surpass."
Zhang Zhihe's face flushed a deep purplish-red, a mixture of shame, anger, and resentment making him wish he could disappear into the ground.
He opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't utter a single word.
The facts are clear, and any explanation seems weak and powerless.
Sheng Xu also came to his senses at this moment, and looked at Xu Kuo with a very complicated expression.
He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to Xu Kuo: "Comrade Xu Kuo, I'm sorry. I... I misunderstood you before. Your performance was brilliant!"
He knew in his heart that he had almost wronged a truly capable person because of Zhang Zhihe's few words and his own subjective assumptions, which made him feel ashamed.
Xu Kuo simply waved his hand dismissively at Sheng Xu's apology.
He didn't look at Zhang Zhihe again, turned around, and walked off the stage with a calm demeanor.
The audience was left in an uproar, while the "magic master" on stage seemed to wish he could disappear on the spot.
Xu Kuo stepped down from the stage, the applause and exclamations still seeming to echo in his ears, but he did not linger and walked straight to an inconspicuous corner at the back of the hall.
Jiang Xiuying sat anxiously at the table in the corner.
Sitting opposite her was a sleazy-looking young man, none other than Liu Erleng, a notorious hoodlum in the area.
Jiang Xiuying lowered her head, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding, hoping that Xu Kuo would finish his performance and return soon.
Liu Erleng stared at Jiang Xiuying's frightened appearance, a lewd glint in his eyes.
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