The news that Kaitō Kid was targeting Eagle Nation stunned the world—but no one was more shocked than the high-level officials of Eagle Nation and Bruce himself.
They had known Kaitō Kid might still make another move within Eagle Nation, but none of them expected that his next target would actually be the White House.
"Bruce, this time Kaitō Kid's target is the White House. You must succeed—failure is absolutely not an option!"
"If he escapes again, both you and the entire Eagle Nation will become a global laughingstock. Do you understand?"
Bruce nodded grimly. The pressure on him wasn't just heavy—it was suffocating.
The buzz from the CIA break-in still hadn't died down, and now with the White House news going public, the entire world had its eyes locked on this operation.
If Kaitō Kid pulled it off again, the loss wouldn't just be Bruce's reputation—it would shatter Eagle Nation's international image.
"When will he arrive?"
By "he," Bruce meant Harrison.
After a long night of persuasion from his old MI5 superior, Harrison had finally agreed to join the operation.
But he wouldn't appear using his real identity. Instead, he would show up as a masked mystery man.
He was still afraid of failure—afraid of being dragged back into public scrutiny if things went south again.
"I've already sent someone to the airport to pick him up. Bruce, I hope he's really as good as you say he is. We need him to anticipate Kaitō Kid's next move."
"Headquarters has already selected a team of elite agents for this mission. Take them to the White House immediately and prepare thoroughly!"
When Bruce arrived with his team at the White House, the front entrance was already packed with people.
There were tons of media reporters too, and dozens of cameras were lined up in the first row.
"Shit! These media crews really move fast!"
Right now, Bruce had no good feelings toward the press.
Inside the White House, aside from the original security personnel, more than twenty additional agents had been deployed to create a dense patrol network.
As for Eagle Nation's top leader, they had already been evacuated from the premises.
Now, the entire White House was either armed guards with rifles or elite agents on full alert.
"Look! Bruce is here with his team!"
"Poor Bruce. If he lets Kaitō Kid get away again, he's definitely losing his title as Eagle Nation's number one agent!"
"He's probably kicking himself right now. He never should've provoked Kaitō Kid in the first place!"
"This time the White House is packed with security. Bruce is clearly taking it seriously. It's still anyone's game!"
Outside the White House, onlookers murmured and debated.
The moment the reporters spotted Bruce, they all swarmed in to interview him.
"Director Bruce, is the heist letter real? Is Kaitō Kid really planning to rob the White House?"
"Last night's CIA operation ended in failure, and now Kaitō Kid is targeting the White House. Are you confident you can catch him this time?"
"Director Bruce, there's a rumor that you didn't even see Kaitō Kid during the CIA heist, and he still got away with the Qing Nang Shu. Is that true?"
Bruce's expression turned darker with every question thrown at him.
They just had to hit where it hurt, didn't they? Every question was a reminder of his worst embarrassment.
"These matters are classified and can't be publicly disclosed. But if Kaitō Kid dares show up at the White House, I'll make sure he pays the price for his arrogance!"
"This operation is fully prepared. I just hope Kaitō Kid doesn't chicken out at the last minute!"
After delivering that threat in front of the cameras, Bruce led his team into the White House without looking back.
The more he answered, the heavier the pressure on him grew.
[Kaitō Kid won't come? What kind of joke is Bruce making? Did he not sleep well or something?]
[Has Bruce still not figured out that once a notice letter is sent, Kaitō Kid always shows up!]
[Bruce is totally bluffing—he's already scared stiff!]
[Oh my god! This is the White House we're talking about. Will Kaitō Kid really come? What kind of preparations are going on inside?]
Just as everyone was wondering, a black business vehicle slowly pulled into the White House.
This was probably the highest honor Harrison had ever received in Eagle Nation. Usually, this very vehicle was used exclusively to transport top-level leaders.
Harrison sat inside the car, watching the crowd and media gathered outside. His heartbeat quickened.
He'd experienced this kind of scene many times before—and had faced plenty of mockery and defeat.
That's exactly why he'd resisted joining this mission in the first place.
"Shit! I'm still nervous!"
"Kaitō Kid, this time, I won't let you escape again!"
When the car stopped, Harrison put on the black mask he'd prepared and stepped out.
Bruce walked over alone to meet him.
"Welcome, Polar Bear."
Harrison shook hands with Bruce. Once masked, Harrison's codename was Polar Bear.
Someone outside caught sight of Bruce shaking hands with a man in a black mask and gasped in shock.
"Oh my god, who's that masked guy?"
"Holy crap! No wonder Bruce said he was fully prepared. He brought in outside help!"
"Where's this mysterious man from? Could there be someone even more capable than Bruce in Eagle Nation?"
"That mysterious guy must be the reason Bruce is acting so confident. Kaitō Kid better watch out!"
With the media livestreaming the entire scene, viewers around the world now knew that a mysterious man had arrived at the White House to meet Bruce.
Everyone was curious about this man's identity.
[Who is this guy? Where'd he come from? What's his background?]
[Where's my internet assistant? I want this mysterious man's full bio in five minutes!]
[Tonight, Kaitō Kid isn't just facing Bruce. There's also this guy in the black mask—this is getting intense!]
[Who the hell did Bruce bring in? If they actually catch Kaitō Kid, I'll riot!]
Everyone was shocked by the appearance of Harrison in his masked identity. At the same time, concern grew over whether Kaitō Kid would actually fail and get caught this time.
Bruce had originally planned to show Harrison around the White House to help him get familiar with the layout.
But Harrison waved it off, saying he had already reviewed the relevant information on the plane.
"Director Bruce, all we need to do now is wait for Kaitō Kid to show up."
Harrison trusted that, as Eagle Nation's top agent, Bruce wouldn't have left any major flaws in the White House's setup.
So at this point, all they had to do was wait—wait for sunset, for nightfall, for Kaitō Kid to make his move.
After Harrison arrived, he didn't make any public statements, and nothing happened inside the White House either.
This only made the people outside even more curious.
"Shit! What exactly is that mysterious man here to do?"
"He just came to the White House and didn't do anything? Just sitting around waiting?"
"Where did Bruce find this guy? Is he even reliable?"
"Could he be some kind of hired assassin from Eagle Nation? Planning to ambush Kaitō Kid from the shadows?"
The identity of the masked man became the new center of speculation.