My name is Ryan, a mage from another world, and also a "good-for-nothing" who only knows three spells.
After transmigrating to Shanghai, I became an undocumented migrant. To survive, and, more importantly, to get an ID card, I was forced to form a "strategic alliance" with Xiao Hu, a Shanghai girl. She came up with the plans, and I supplied the magic.
So I put my three spells to work and started a no-nonsense business in the Magic City:
· [Short-Range Levitation], which became an academic tool for dodging pyramid schemes and researching "seeking a wealthy man to father a child" ads.
· [Cleansing Spell], which started out helping me deal with a mischievous kid's graffiti and ended with me barely passing an intangible cultural heritage assessment.
· [Little Flame], which I used to expose fraud at a pyramid scheme's hideout, nearly turning myself into an arsonist.
The road to getting my papers was one ridiculous mess after another. I went from a "doofus" who'd spend ages studying ads on telephone poles to a "special talent" with a police record and official recognition from the neighborhood office.
And Xiao Hu and I went from partners using each other to the most indispensable support in each other's lives.
I thought getting my hands on an ID card would be the end of the story.
Only later did I learn it was just the beginning of an even more unbelievable adventure...
(Magical survival × ID application guide × Shanghai-style warmth × career growth)
"I Do Magic in the Magic City, But I Have to Apply for an ID Card First" uses wonderful creativity to bring fantasy to reality: a magician from another world becomes a gangster in Shanghai in order to apply for an ID card. He uses cleaning spells to open a dry cleaning shop and levitation skills to make instant deliveries. The collision between alley fireworks and administrative procedures creates a lot of laughter. The work uses "certification" as a needle to connect the colorful threads of intangible heritage, Shanghai-style culture, and urban survival. The conflict between magic and regulations flows with the warmth of the city. The emotional evolution of Ryan and Xiao Hu from mutual use to mutual support is delicate and natural, and the supporting characters such as Lao Chen are as vivid as the scenery in the alley. The writing is humorous and sharp, with profound thoughts on identity and cultural integration wrapped in magical sugar coating. It can be called a refreshing work of urban fantasy comedy.