Bruce and Harrison were still waiting for Zhang Yang to take the bait, unaware that he had already succeeded and quietly left the villa.
Zhang Yang was curious just how patient the two of them could be.
At the same time, he felt lucky about the unexpected change of plans. If things had gone as originally planned, he might've actually fallen into their trap.
If he had opened the decoy safe loaded with knockout packs, who knows what could've happened?
"A twist of fate. Sucks to be you guys."
Zhang Yang started his car and drove off, planning to deliver the Heshibi to the Dragon Nation Embassy first, then come back to watch the fun unfold.
An hour later, Bruce and Harrison looked up at the starry sky, their faces full of confusion.
Based on past experience, Kaitō Kid should have shown up by now. At the very least, there should've been some kind of movement.
But so far, the villa was completely quiet. Not a single stir.
"Harrison, could it be that our plan got exposed?"
"Kaitō Kid found out we swapped the safe?"
Harrison pulled out his phone and refreshed both the news and Kaitō Kid's fan page, frowning as he shook his head.
"Shouldn't be."
"There's no related news, and Kaitō Kid hasn't posted anything new either."
The two exchanged a glance, both filled with uncertainty.
Meanwhile, the public was just as puzzled about what was going on at the villa.
[Oh shit! Has Kaitō Kid still not shown up? Why is it so quiet?]
[Pritt's already been arrested. Isn't this the perfect chance for the media to grab headlines?]
[Why is tonight so calm? What are Bruce and Harrison doing in there?]
[There's no way Kaitō Kid didn't show. Maybe they've already met inside the villa!]
[Oh my god! This kind of silence doesn't suit Kaitō Kid at all!]
No updates from Pritt's villa. No news reports. It had fans across the globe on edge, all itching to know what was going on.
No one knew what had happened inside the villa.
Even fewer knew that Kaitō Kid had already completed the heist and delivered the Heshibi to the Dragon Nation Embassy.
[Fuck! What kind of shady stuff are Bruce and Harrison pulling now?]
[Maybe Kaitō Kid really hasn't arrived yet!]
[Some reporters are already on their way to the villa. We should have answers soon!]
[Oh god, could it be that Kaitō Kid's already been caught? That's why there's no noise at all?]
[No way Kaitō Kid got caught. Shut up, fake fan!]
After delivering the Heshibi to the embassy and claiming his mission reward, Zhang Yang immediately turned back toward Pritt's villa.
Bruce and Harrison were probably still on high alert, waiting for him to appear. Zhang Yang couldn't help but want to see what their next move would be.
When he got close to the villa again, media vans were already parked at the entrance.
At first, reporters were too scared to show up, afraid of Pritt's gang and potential retaliation.
But that was no longer the case. Pritt's men were all gone. Only Bruce and Harrison remained inside.
Still, the media could only crowd around the gate and try to peek in. They weren't allowed to enter or conduct interviews on-site.
"This is a live update from the front lines. As you can see, the villa once owned by Pritt is currently swarming with FBI agents, all standing by in full readiness."
"Speculation is that Kaitō Kid hasn't appeared yet. Both Director Bruce and Director Harrison are posted at the villa entrance."
Even though the livestream was limited to the gate, it still managed to attract a flood of online viewers.
[Kaitō Kid still hasn't shown up? What's going on?]
[This isn't like him at all. Doesn't he usually act as soon as night falls?]
[Bruce and Harrison are both still there. That must mean Kaitō Kid hasn't shown yet. Is he really going to bail this time?]
[Good thing there's a livestream now. We just need to wait for Kaitō Kid to show up!]
Fans all around the world were hyped, eagerly waiting for that familiar figure in white to appear at the villa.
Meanwhile, Harrison was starting to have doubts.
"Director Bruce, Kaitō Kid has never missed an appointment. Could it be he's really not coming tonight?"
Bruce glanced at his watch, then swept his eyes across the villa with a tense expression.
He wasn't too worried just yet. Upstairs, the safe had already been swapped for the one loaded with knockout packs.
As long as Kaitō Kid opened that safe, he'd walk right into the trap.
"Director Harrison, it's still early. Maybe our security's just too tight?"
"How about I pull back some agents to give him a little breathing room?"
Hearing that, Harrison looked like Bruce had just told a joke. He scoffed coldly and dismissively.
"You seriously think our security is too tight for Kaitō Kid to make a move?"
"With this small number of people, if he wanted to get in, he'd have a dozen ways to do it!"
"Don't be naive. Instead of pulling agents back, we should be doubling our vigilance. Kaitō Kid won't stand us up. He's definitely coming!"
Harrison's eyes were sharp. This was the closest he'd ever come to catching Kaitō Kid.
If he missed this chance, who knew when the next one would come?
Just then, Bruce's radio crackled to life.
"Director Bruce, there are reporters outside the villa. Should we send them away?"
Hearing that, Bruce looked toward the villa gate, hesitating.
Chasing the media away could easily lead to bad press.
"Director Harrison, should we clear out those media people?"
"If we let them stay at the gate, could that give Kaitō Kid an opening to sneak in?"
Harrison chuckled lightly.
"Isn't that exactly what you wanted?"
Bruce froze for a second, then responded through the radio.
"No need. Just make sure they don't get inside."
"And tell everyone to stay sharp. Kaitō Kid could show up at any moment."
More and more reporters and media vans arrived, quickly clogging the entrance and fighting for the latest scoop inside the villa.
[Damn, what's going on? What's Kaitō Kid up to now?]
[Is he actually scared? Why hasn't he shown up yet?]
[Oh my god! With so many agents, how could Kaitō Kid even get in?]
[Are Bruce and Harrison actually going to win this time?]
[As long as Kaitō Kid doesn't get caught, he can always strike again. Live to steal another day!]
As more press swarmed the area, Zhang Yang could no longer see what was happening inside the villa.
"So boring."
"Did they really take the safe away without even opening it?"
Zhang Yang was genuinely confused. Two hours had passed, and Bruce and Harrison hadn't shown the slightest reaction?
"Not playing with you guys anymore."
He pulled a box of fireworks out from his magical space, planning to leave them a little sign and then dip.
At this point, it was obvious—they still had no idea the Heshibi was already gone.