novelden Chapter 611: Magicians
Chapter 611: Magicians
This small move went unnoticed by anyone.After Xiao He personally shuffled the cards, that card had "disappeared" without a trace.
Ge Fu, completely unaware, began using his "superpower" on the pile of cards in front of him, just like before.
He raised his finger, held it in front of his face, muttered some incantations, then started saying auspicious New Year's greetings. Finally, he snapped his eyes open, flipped his palm, and a playing card instantly appeared-
The Nine of Diamonds!
Xiao He's eyes widened in shock.
Why? Because the card he had hidden was the Nine of Diamonds!
"You-"
Xiao He was momentarily speechless. He quickly raised his hand to check the playing card hidden in his sleeve, only to find that it had somehow turned into a red envelope.
"Hehe, Teacher Xiao, you're a bit naughty, you almost made me mess up!"
Ge Fu laughed heartily, as if he had anticipated this all along. He gestured for Xiao He to open the red envelope and take a look.
Xiao He really had no idea how this guy had pulled it off or when he had swapped the card in his sleeve. He was both surprised and impressed. Following Ge Fu's cue, he opened the red envelope-
[Happy New Year! Wishing Teacher Xiao a wonderful year ahead, may all your wishes come true and wealth pour in! - From Ge Fu]
This was a handwritten note of good wishes. And judging by the accurate form of address, Xiao He knew that this magician had really prepared in advance.
It was as if he had guessed that Xiao He would secretly hide a card.
In the end, he left behind such a bold, impactful message.
"When... when exactly did you..."
Xiao He was a bit at a loss for words. His mind quickly replayed the recent events, then his eyes narrowed as he tentatively asked, "Was it when you returned my watch-"
That was when he had secretly stuffed something into his sleeve! He had just been distracted by his lost watch, so he hadn't noticed the small move hidden beneath that big move!
And the playing card he had hidden hadn't actually disappeared either. It was probably tucked inside the red envelope...
Xiao He wanted to solve the mystery, but Ge Fu just smiled and took back the secret-filled red envelope. He pressed his palms together, bowed to Xiao He, and begged for mercy, "Teacher Xiao, I can only perform this trick on you once. Your vigilance is just too high. Please, let me keep a shred of dignity and don't tear it all apart."
Xiao He felt a little embarrassed too: "Sorry, I didn't mean to. Don't worry, I definitely won't intentionally sabotage you during the actual performance."
Because this didn't even count as a rehearsal yet. Not everyone had arrived, so they were just playing around. Xiao He had deliberately pulled that little stunt to get back at the other man for swiping his watch the moment they met. But he never expected to get outplayed instead.
He really was a formidable magician. His psychological composure and study of human nature rivaled Xiao He's own "Professional Crime" skills.
And here Xiao He had been thinking he was clever, assuming his vigilance was high enough to catch the guy red-handed. But in reality, he had been set up from the very first meeting.
Xiao He shook his head helplessly and gave a wry smile.
But Ge Fu was overjoyed. "I think that series of performances just now was absolutely brilliant! Teacher Xiao, your card-hiding technique is truly exquisite. This twist is many times better than the routine I originally designed. Look, how about we just perform it like this? I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve, Teacher Xiao. You can really be my plant! The two of us can work together!"
The main point was that during the actual performance, everyone would only think that Ge Fu was the sole magician among them. So they'd naturally be on guard against all of Ge Fu's little moves. But Xiao He, who was both an actor and an audience member, wouldn't be as easy to suspect. Pulling off small tricks would be a piece of cake for him, and it would have a surprising effect at the critical moment.
As for Xie Jingshi, the genuine audience member, he was already completely dumbfounded.
"Huh? What just happened?"
Had these two just been "dueling" right in front of him?
Xie Jingshi rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his head.
Xiao He just sighed helplessly, patted Xie Jingshi on the shoulder, and said self-deprecatingly, "I was too clever for my own good."
No wonder they all said you shouldn't try to play mind games with a magician.
It was layer upon layer, just like an onion.
"It seems a very interesting performance just took place."
Just then, Chen You also walked over from behind.
The final performance guest had finally arrived.
Xiao He and the others all stood up to greet him. "Hello, Teacher Chen."
Chen You was one of the protagonists of The Phantom Thief Alliance 2, playing Shi Ji, Lu Xiaokong's unreliable uncle.
In real life, he was a solemn, rather melancholic middle-aged man.
When he saw Xiao He and the others, he only gave a restrained, shallow smile. Then, following convention, he shook hands with the magician, Ge Fu.
It was at this moment that Xiao He observed Ge Fu's small moves from a third-party perspective.
The other man's fingers were incredibly agile. The moment their hands clasped, his pinky finger hooked, and Chen You's watch strap-which he hadn't even noticed-*swished* open, incredibly smooth.
And there was another detail here: Ge Fu would first place his other hand on the back of Chen You's hand and wrist, applying an external force from the outside. This masked the sensation of the watch leaving the wrist, making it impossible for anyone to immediately realize that their watch had already been carried away along with the other man's hand.
This was what magicians called "misdirection," wasn't it?
Using a big move to conceal a small one.
And in just a few short sentences, Xiao He watched helplessly as Ge Fu successfully nabbed the small notebook from Chen You's other pocket, along with a fountain pen.
Perhaps out of respect for Chen You's higher status and status as a senior colleague, Ge Fu didn't directly swipe Chen You's belt. But he still managed to pat down just about everything he could.
It wasn't until he guided Chen You to leave his autograph on a playing card that Chen You finally realized he had been completely "frisked" by the man in front of him.
He patted his own clothing pockets, looked at the fountain pen in Ge Fu's hand, and finally couldn't hold it in anymore. With a mix of amusement and exasperation, he said, "So my vigilance is really this low?"
Ge Fu also breathed a long sigh of relief and joked, "I'm really grateful for your cooperation, Teacher Chen. If I had failed with you too, the pressure would have been enormous."
"Oh? It seems I arrived too late and missed a lot."
Chen You exclaimed in amazement.
So everyone sat down and began to explain the situation for this program from the beginning.
At first, Ge Fu was only amazed by Xiao He's card-hiding speed. But when he started to reveal the secrets of his magic tricks for this Spring Festival Gala to everyone, Ge Fu was extremely frustrated to discover that Xiao He's imitation ability was incredibly strong. Almost just by glancing at Ge Fu's magic technique, he could replicate it one-to-one without any flaws.
By the end, Ge Fu was almost having a crisis of faith.
"Teacher Xiao, you've really never studied these things?"
"Really, I haven't."
Xiao He couldn't exactly say that he had a "Magic Hands" skill, giving him the dexterity of a lockpick, a gambler, and a thief. He could only look at Ge Fu with an innocent expression. "Isn't it just about having a little more hand speed, and then you're good to go?"
Ge Fu, who had practiced in front of the mirror for years without a moment's slack: ... *Ptui!*
He nearly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Listen to him! What kind of talk was that!
In the end, Ge Fu decisively changed the content of the magic show he was about to perform, deciding to switch to something more special, more eye-catching.
As for Xiao He?
You're coming with me!
Be my plant!