The theater curtain slowly opened, and warm yellow spotlights instantly focused on the stage.
Fake Brucey stiffly stepped onto the stage, a forced smile on her lips, and a hint of unease in her eyes.
Zatanna, dressed in a magician's tuxedo, steadily pushed a giant glass Water tank slowly into view. The Water in the tank was clear and transparent, gently rippling.
Giovanni, in a lavish black tailcoat and a tall top hat, strode to the center of the stage, his gaze sweeping across the audience, and announced in a loud voice: "My esteemed audience, it's getting late, and next up will be the final magic trick of the night!"
He paused slightly, creating a mysterious atmosphere, "Previously, you've always seen magicians escaping from various perilous situations. Tonight, we'll do something different—let an ordinary audience member challenge an escape magic trick!"
Upon hearing this, the audience instantly erupted, with whispers rising and falling, and everyone's face filled with surprise and doubt.
Fake Brucey stood rooted to the spot, her eyes wide, mouth agape, looking completely at a loss.
Giovanni's lips curved into a cunning smile, and he gracefully waved his magic wand in the air.
In an instant, another Water tank appeared above the first one without warning.
The bottom of the lower Water tank had a cleverly designed opening connected to the upper Water tank. By pulling a mechanism nearby, the Water from the upper tank would cascade down like a waterfall.
Even more chilling, in the upper Water tank, a school of piranhas swam freely, their sharp teeth glinting with a cold light under the illumination.
When Fake Brucey saw this, a chill shot from her feet to her head, and her blood seemed to instantly freeze.
Before she could react, Giovanni directly threw her into the lower Water tank.
Fake Brucey struggled desperately in the Water, intending to swim up, but when she tried to climb out of the Water tank, she discovered in horror that her feet had been tightly bound by several thick iron chains at some point.
Giovanni unhurriedly walked to the Water tank and introduced to the crowd below: "Miss Brucey needs to unlock these chains within two minutes, and the key is at the bottom of the Water tank. If she goes over time, these hungry piranhas will devour Miss Brucey until only bones remain!"
Fake Brucey was trapped in the Water tank, with a school of piranhas above her head, and the icy cold Water constantly pressed against her chest. She could feel the iron chains on her feet with the slightest movement.
These feelings of fear were like a surging tide, almost completely engulfing her.
However, she was, after all, an existence meticulously trained by a mysterious organization to replace Brucey Wayne.
After a brief moment of panic, she quickly forced herself to calm down.
Fake Brucey took a deep breath and plunged into the Water, beginning to grope for the key in the dim Water.
Seven thick iron chains corresponded to seven locks, and the key for each lock was different.
This meant that the beginning was the hardest, and it would become easier later!
The first time, she struggled to search at the bottom of the Water, taking a full minute to find the lock corresponding to the first key and successfully open the chain.
She surfaced for a breath and then quickly dived back into the Water.
The second lock took 40 seconds; the third lock, 30 and a half seconds.
Perhaps it was good luck this time, as the fourth lock only took two tries, opening in just 10 seconds.
The subsequent fifth and sixth locks took 15 seconds and 10 seconds respectively, and the seventh lock took only 5 seconds.
As Fake Brucey unlocked the last chain, she exerted all her strength to burst out of the Water, preparing to escape the Water tank, when an unexpected change occurred.
Yes, if only the unlocking time was counted, it was indeed less than two minutes.
But don't forget, it also took her time to swim to the surface for the last time.
The mechanism of the upper Water tank was triggered, and a surging current of Water, carrying a school of hungry piranhas, like an unstoppable flood, washed her back into the Water.
The piranhas instantly surrounded her, their sharp teeth seemingly tearing at her flesh, and a blood mist rapidly spread, dyeing the entire Water tank red.
The scene was dead silent; everyone was stunned by the bloody sight before them, only able to watch as the Water tank turned deep red.
Immediately after, the audience erupted, with women's terrified screams rising and falling.
Children cried loudly in fear, clinging tightly to the adults beside them.
The men, meanwhile, cursed loudly and tried to rush forward but were blocked by the theater's security personnel.
The entire theater was in chaos, with some audience members looking around in panic, wanting to rush out at all costs. The scene was utterly chaotic.
Just as everyone thought it was a performance accident, a clear, angry girl's voice rang out from the theater's speakers: "What kind of terrible show is this! You invite a guest up, and then the guest dies!"
The spotlights on the theater ceiling instantly lit up. Under the lights, the real Brucey Wayne, who had been sent back by Alfred, held a microphone with a smile but forced herself into a look of disdain, as if she had just watched a terrible performance: "Teacher, your performance is too bad! I demand a refund! And I want refunds for My father, mother, and sister!"
This shout was like a thunderclap, exploding in the theater.
The people who were originally scrambling to flee stopped dead in their tracks as if under a spell.
The screams abruptly ceased, the pushing and shoving stopped, and everyone's gaze simultaneously turned to Brucey.
The previous clamor in the theater instantly dissipated, leaving only the vivid red in the Water tank, yet no piranhas were to be seen. The entire theater fell into a dead silence.
Someone in the crowd was the first to react and began to applaud.
Immediately after, cheers erupted from all corners of the theater, starting with a few scattered sounds, then converging like a tide, growing louder and louder.
Audience members stood up, clapping their hands vigorously, waves of cheers applauding the perfect conclusion of the magic trick.
Giovanni on stage smiled even more brightly, bowing gracefully to the audience again in thanks.
In the theater, everyone was cheering.
Only Thomas and Martha stared blankly at their eldest daughter.
In their memory, it was the first time they had seen Gwen so excited.
Everyone else was clapping and cheering, but she alone stood up, excitedly yelling at the top of her lungs: "Refund! Refund!"
Her voice was clear, and the words "Refund" were exceptionally distinct amidst the surrounding cheers.
Many audience members, hearing this shout, paused for a moment, recalling Brucey's earlier demand for a refund. Under some psychological influence, they too began to join in, shouting for refunds.
Giovanni, initially immersed in the joy of a successful performance, with a confident smile on his face, was suddenly bewildered when the applause and cheers in his ears instantly turned into jeering demands for refunds.
Giovanni helplessly glanced in Gwen's direction and let out a heavy sigh.
The magician bowed to the audience in thanks, bringing an end to what was originally a perfect performance.
Gwen blinked her eyes, expressing her innocence regarding the teacher's blaming look just now.
"Don't blame me, teacher; blame Deyun Club."