Chapter 70
Three same-aged children were playing near a construction site .
It was almost evening time and the kids were tired . Just as they were getting ready to go home for dinner, a person slowly descended from the sky .
The person landed before the three of them and introduced himself, "I"m your tooth fairy and I"m omnipotent . I"ve received your prayers and I will ask each of you a question before blessing you with an ability . "
The children exchanged glances before one of them took a step forward . "Are you really the tooth fairy?"
The tooth fairy smiled . With a wave of his hand, the kid in doubt floated into the air .
The fairy gestured with his finger and the child made two turns before landing safely on the ground .
This, however, wasn"t enough to clear the children"s doubts .
The tooth fairy pointed to one of them, asking, "What"s your name?"
"I"m Xiaohong," he answered with a smile .
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" the tooth fairy continued .
"I want to be a magician . I visited a circus last week and the magicians were simply amazing!" he answered as his smile widened .
The tooth fairy laughed and whispered something in his ear before adding, "This is the power I"m blessing you with . "
Xiaohong nodded and walked over to a side .
The fairy then pointed at another child . "And what"s yours?" he asked .
"I"m Xiaohuang," he answered excitedly .
"And what would you like to be when you grow up?"
"I haven"t thought of that, but I might want to become a scientist or a doctor . How about the president?"
Again, with a smile, the fairy whispered something in his ears . "This is the power I"m blessing you with . "
Xiaohuang smiled and joined Xiaohong at the side .
"And you, lastly, what"s your name?"
"I"m Xiaolan . I want to be a policeman . I want to protect my mommy . Daddy is a cop too and he . . . tooth fairy, can you bring a person back to life? I want my daddy back . . . " Xiaolan spoke up, tears welling up in his eyes before generously flowing down .
The tooth fairy whispered in his ears, "Only G.o.d can do something like that . I"m going to give you the power to make liquids disappear . Remember not to tell the adults . "
With a wave of the tooth fairy"s hand, Xiaolan"s tears stopped falling .
The fairy stood up . "I"ve given you your powers so the rest is up to you, little ones . "
Before they could react, he rose into the air slowly .
Floating above, he took out a memo and wrote: I don"t want mommy to know about my bed-wetting incident .
Below these words, he added the children"s names .
He then crossed them out with a pen before flipping over to the next page .
On it was the same sentence and a few names . He sighed before disappearing into the air .
Looking at the other two children, Xiaohong started, "What powers did he give you two?"
"We"re not supposed to tell," Xiaohuang replied .
"He only said not to tell the adults," Xiaolan corrected, scratching his head .
Xiaohong smiled . "I guess it"s okay for us to share . I"m able to make liquids disappear . "
"Aye? I have the same power," Xiaohuang added .
"He gave us the same power?" Xiaolan asked, baffled .
"But we have different dreams . You want to be a cop and have a bigger wish but why were we given the same ability?" Xiaohong questioned .
"I think we"re going to miss dinner if we continue talking . We might even get a beating . It"s already night time," Xiaohuang reminded .
The three of them parted .
That night, Xiaohong"s house .
"How"s the preparation work coming along, husband? We"re moving tomorrow . The school"s going to close down soon so let"s just transfer him to another school," Xiaohong"s mother said .
"Aye? Why?" Xiaohong asked in confusion .
"Why are you interrupting, kiddo? Have you calculated how much we can get from this demolition, wife?" Xiaohong"s father responded .
"What about Xiaohuang and Xiaolan? Will I see them again?" Xiaohong chimed in again .
"Everyone"s going to move . Eat your dinner and don"t talk . The compensation is decent since they"re going to be building a large-scale sports stadium . Let"s move further away and get a tutor for her . He"s been playing too much recently and his grades are slipping," Xiaohong"s mother added .
After dinner, in the loft .
Xiaohong finished up his a.s.signments and looked over at a gla.s.s of water on the table . It was half full .
He wondered if he really had the ability to make the water disappear .
He stared at the gla.s.s and willed the liquid within to vanish .
Indeed, in the next instant, it disappeared .
He continued staring at the empty gla.s.s in disbelief .
20 years later, behind the curtains of a big opera house .
A man in a suit said to Xiaohong, "It"s been over a year, my great magician . Don"t you have something new to offer other than the same few tricks?"
"Yes, I"m trying hard to come up with something," he replied .
"You"ve been saying this for almost half a year now . You know that I"m not the only one rushing you, right? The audiences are sick of your shows . 18-year-old gifted magician, five years of world touring and earth-shaking performances . Why, then, have your performances remain stagnant the moment I signed you on?"
"I will come up with a new program . Today, in fact . It has all been taken care of . Please do not worry," Xiaohong rea.s.sured .
"No, please don"t feel pressured . Your few tricks are really amazing, but sooner or later, people are going to get bored of them . When you first came in, the seats are always fully booked, but what about now? I"m sure you"re aware of the current situation," the man in suit continued .
"I"ve thought it out . I"ll be performing a sealed room escape . Fill a metal pot with water, dump me inside and . . . " Xiaohong relayed nervously .
"Water, water, water . Can"t you do something without water? Something more interesting perhaps? Close-up magic, maybe? You"re a world-cla.s.s magician so you should know these, right?"
"Ye . . . yes, I do, but can I perform that tomorrow instead? Just . . . just let me do my thing today and . . . and I"ll change it up tomorrow . . . " he stuttered .
The man in the suit walked over to a side, took out a suitcase and tossed it on the floor . "This is what the previous magician left behind after getting fired . See if there"s anything you can make use of . You"re going on stage in half an hour . "
Xiaohong shook his head vigorously . "No, no . Please just let me perform the water trick once more . Last time, I promise . Tomorrow I"ll . . . "
The man interrupted, "Yes, as for the water bucket, come with me, the few of you . Let"s move it out . Listen up, my great magician . Give us something different today . Protect your reputation . "
Xiaohong stared blankly at the man and the three burly fellows moving his water bucket away .
He knelt on the floor and remained silent for a brief moment .
He looked at his watch before opening up the suitcase .
Rummaging through it he spotted a hat, a rod, a colored ribbon, and a red ball .
He also found a water gun and opened it up happily, only to realize that it was empty .
Hhe sprawled across the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks .
It"s over, he thought .
It was something he hadn"t expected at all .
Just then, a bunny girl entered the waiting room . "You have 10 more minutes, Madam . Boss had me come over to check on you . Are you ready?"
Xiaohong raised his head, his tears vanishing instantly .
With a soft, trembling voice, he replied, "Got it . Leave for now . "
The bunny girl nodded before pointing at Xiaohong"s face . "Your makeup is running, Madam . "
Xiaohong waved his hand . "I"ll get it fixed, no worries . "
The bunny left the room and closed the door .
10 minutes later .
The red curtain opened up .
There was nothing on stage except for a suitcase .
All kinds of tools were spread across the floor .
One minute, two minutes .
The audience looked attentively at the stage, antic.i.p.ating a surprise .
This famous magician was the only one whose tricks haven"t been exposed .
Yet, nothing happened even after a long time of waiting .
Doubtful whispers started off stage and never stopped until the man in the suit ran out with a microphone .
"I"m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, the performance is over . Our magician isn"t feeling well today . Please stay tuned for the circus" performance . "
Silence took over the theatre for a few seconds before bottles and all other kinds of trash were thrown onto the stage .
A few kilometers away, as he drove on in his own sports car, Xiaohong mumbled, "How are you guys doing, Xiaohuang and Xiaolan?"
Three same aged children were playing near a construction site . It was almost evening time and the kids were tired . Just as they were getting ready to go home for dinner, a person slowly descended from the sky . The person landed before the three of them and introduced himself, I 39 m your tooth fairy and I 39 m omnipotent . I 39 ve received your prayers and I will ask each of you a question before blessing you with an ability . The children exchanged glances before one of them took a step forward . Are you really the tooth fairy The tooth fairy smiled . With a wave of his hand, the kid in doubt floated into the air . The fairy gestured with his finger and the child made two turns before landing safely on the ground . This, however, wasn 39 t enough to clear the children 39 s doubts . The tooth fairy pointed to one of them, asking, What 39 s your name I 39 m Xiaohong, he answered with a smile . What do you want to be when you grow up the tooth fairy continued . I want to be a magician . I visited a circus last week and the magicians were simply amazing he answered as his smile widened . The tooth fairy laughed and whispered something in his ear before adding, This is the power I 39 m blessing you with . Xiaohong nodded and walked over to a side . The fairy then pointed at another child . And what 39 s yours he asked . I 39 m Xiaohuang, he answered excitedly . And what would you like to be when you grow up I haven 39 t thought of that, but I might want to become a scientist or a doctor . How about the president Again, with a smile, the fairy whispered something in his ears . This is the power I 39 m blessing you with . Xiaohuang smiled and joined Xiaohong at the side . And you, lastly, what 39 s your name I 39 m Xiaolan . I want to be a policeman . I want to protect my mommy . Daddy is a cop too and he . . . tooth fairy, can you bring a person back to life I want my daddy back . . . Xiaolan spoke up, tears welling up in his eyes before generously flowing down . The tooth fairy whispered in his ears, Only G.o.d can do something like that . I 39 m going to give you the power to make liquids disappear . Remember not to tell the adults . With a wave of the tooth fairy 39 s hand, Xiaolan 39 s tears stopped falling . The fairy stood up . I 39 ve given you your powers so the rest is up to you, little ones . Before they could react, he rose into the air slowly . Floating above, he took out a memo and wrote I don 39 t want mommy to know about my bed wetting incident . Below these words, he added the children 39 s names . He then crossed them out with a pen before flipping over to the next page . On it was the same sentence and a few names . He sighed before disappearing into the air . . . . Looking at the other two children, Xiaohong started, What powers did he give you two We 39 re not supposed to tell, Xiaohuang replied . He only said not to tell the adults, Xiaolan corrected, scratching his head . Xiaohong smiled . I guess it 39 s okay for us to share . I 39 m able to make liquids disappear . Aye I have the same power, Xiaohuang added . He gave us the same power Xiaolan asked, baffled . But we have different dreams . You want to be a cop and have a bigger wish but why were we given the same ability Xiaohong questioned . I think we 39 re going to miss dinner if we continue talking . We might even get a beating . It 39 s already night time, Xiaohuang reminded . The three of them parted . . . . That night, Xiaohong 39 s house . How 39 s the preparation work coming along, husband We 39 re moving tomorrow . The school 39 s going to close down soon so let 39 s just transfer him to another school, Xiaohong 39 s mother said . Aye Why Xiaohong asked in confusion . Why are you interrupting, kiddo Have you calculated how much we can get from this demolition, wife Xiaohong 39 s father responded . What about Xiaohuang and Xiaolan Will I see them again Xiaohong chimed in again . Everyone 39 s going to move . Eat your dinner and don 39 t talk . The compensation is decent since they 39 re going to be building a large scale sports stadium . Let 39 s move further away and get a tutor for her . He 39 s been playing too much recently and his grades are slipping, Xiaohong 39 s mother added . After dinner, in the loft . Xiaohong finished up his a.s.signments and looked over at a gla.s.s of water on the table . It was half full . He wondered if he really had the ability to make the water disappear . He stared at the gla.s.s and willed the liquid within to vanish . Indeed, in the next instant, it disappeared . He continued staring at the empty gla.s.s in disbelief . . . . 20 years later, behind the curtains of a big opera house . A man in a suit said to Xiaohong, It 39 s been over a year, my great magician . Don 39 t you have something new to offer other than the same few tricks Yes, I 39 m trying hard to come up with something, he replied . You 39 ve been saying this for almost half a year now . You know that I 39 m not the only one rushing you, right The audiences are sick of your shows . 18 year old gifted magician, five years of world touring and earth shaking performances . Why, then, have your performances remain stagnant the moment I signed you on I will come up with a new program . Today, in fact . It has all been taken care of . Please do not worry, Xiaohong rea.s.sured . No, please don 39 t feel pressured . Your few tricks are really amazing, but sooner or later, people are going to get bored of them . When you first came in, the seats are always fully booked, but what about now I 39 m sure you 39 re aware of the current situation, the man in suit continued . I 39 ve thought it out . I 39 ll be performing a sealed room escape . Fill a metal pot with water, dump me inside and . . . Xiaohong relayed nervously . Water, water, water . Can 39 t you do something without water Something more interesting perhaps Close up magic, maybe You 39 re a world cla.s.s magician so you should know these, right Ye . . . yes, I do, but can I perform that tomorrow instead Just . . . just let me do my thing today and . . . and I 39 ll change it up tomorrow . . . he stuttered . The man in the suit walked over to a side, took out a suitcase and tossed it on the floor . This is what the previous magician left behind after getting fired . See if there 39 s anything you can make use of . You 39 re going on stage in half an hour . Xiaohong shook his head vigorously . No, no . Please just let me perform the water trick once more . Last time, I promise . Tomorrow I 39 ll . . . The man interrupted, Yes, as for the water bucket, come with me, the few of you . Let 39 s move it out . Listen up, my great magician . Give us something different today . Protect your reputation . . . . Xiaohong stared blankly at the man and the three burly fellows moving his water bucket away . He knelt on the floor and remained silent for a brief moment . He looked at his watch before opening up the suitcase . Rummaging through it he spotted a hat, a rod, a colored ribbon, and a red ball . He also found a water gun and opened it up happily, only to realize that it was empty . Hhe sprawled across the floor, tears streaming down his cheeks . It 39 s over, he thought . It was something he hadn 39 t expected at all . Just then, a bunny girl entered the waiting room . You have 10 more minutes, Madam . Boss had me come over to check on you . Are you ready Xiaohong raised his head, his tears vanishing instantly . With a soft, trembling voice, he replied, Got it . Leave for now . The bunny girl nodded before pointing at Xiaohong 39 s face . Your makeup is running, Madam . Xiaohong waved his hand . I 39 ll get it fixed, no worries . The bunny left the room and closed the door . 10 minutes later . The red curtain opened up . There was nothing on stage except for a suitcase . All kinds of tools were spread across the floor . One minute, two minutes . The audience looked attentively at the stage, antic.i.p.ating a surprise . This famous magician was the only one whose tricks haven 39 t been exposed . Yet, nothing happened even after a long time of waiting . Doubtful whispers started off stage and never stopped until the man in the suit ran out with a microphone . I 39 m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, the performance is over . Our magician isn 39 t feeling well today . Please stay tuned for the circus 39 performance . Silence took over the theatre for a few seconds before bottles and all other kinds of trash were thrown onto the stage . . . . A few kilometers away, as he drove on in his own sports car, Xiaohong mumbled, How are you guys doing, Xiaohuang and Xiaolan