The reality show stage.
The ninth contestant's talent showcase was drawing to a close. As he sang the final line, "Baby~ oh-oh-oh~," the fresh-faced young man in overalls concluded his performance.
The live stream's Bullet Comments section had long been a cacophony of complaints.
[Speechless. What kind of talents are these later contestants showcasing? Compared to Night Shadow-sama, they're all just mediocre.]
[Who is this legendary figure? A combo of singing, dancing, rapping, and basketball is enough to kill an old man like me.]
[Damn it, you little hater upstairs! If you won't eat the pigeon's chicken feet, do you want to end up in a green corpse's coffin?]
[Just hurry up with the introductions already! I want to see God Night Shadow tackle the Hell Start challenge!]
[Almost there. The last contestant is about to appear. Brothers, go take a bathroom break or something. Voting should open when you get back.]
[Holy shit! Brothers, hold up! There's a big, big, BIG... Catgirl!!!]
At that moment, Cifera gracefully strutted onto the stage from the contestant's entrance, moving with feline grace and wearing a radiant smile.
Despite her modest height of around 1.65 meters and her predominantly black outfit,
The moment viewers laid eyes on her, their immediate reactions were unanimous: "Big, big, big!" and "White, white, white!"
The reason, of course, was obvious to anyone who understood.
In short, Cifera's entrance instantly banished the sleepiness from every live stream viewer's eyes.
[Who is this goddess-level Cosplayer? Her entire ensemble is divine, and that cat tail moves like it's real!]
[I feel like I'm witnessing a phantom cat thief flitting through the night—appearing and vanishing without a trace!]
[What are you even talking about? It's clearly a "Big White" cat!]
[Black cat or white cat, I don't care! I just need this Cosplayer's information! Who can tell me? I'd trade ten years of my roommate's life for it!]
[Damn it, I think she signed up for the wrong show! She's going to get eliminated soon, and where will I see her then?]
Seeing the flood of Bullet Comments, Host Qiu Qiu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She had been watching the viewers' growing complaints in the live stream. But no matter how hard she tried, it was no use. After Night Shadow's dazzling performance earlier, the remaining contestants' talents simply couldn't compare.
Yet this was the program's opening ceremony, and they had to continue the show.
Now that the final contestant was unexpectedly captivating, she seized the opportunity to regain control of the stream.
"Wow, it seems the final contestant is quite popular with the audience! Even I can't resist wanting to give this adorable kitty a cuddle~
"Excuse me, may I touch your tail?"
"Absolutely not! Don't you know you can't touch a cat's tail?"
"Ha ha, fair enough. Catgirls are still cats, after all. Alright, please introduce yourself. The audience must be eager to get to know you."
Cifera wasn't worried that the host would notice her changed appearance and become suspicious.
Before coming out, she had already confirmed with the System that after merging with the character, all traces of her original self in this world would be automatically altered.
In other words, to those who knew Cifera, she had always looked like this. At most, they might be surprised by her catgirl cosplay.
However, outsiders would likely dismiss her cat ears and tail as an incredibly convincing cosplay.
After all, this was modern society. Who would genuinely believe that the person standing before them was an authentic catgirl?
Hearing Host Qiu Qiu's words, Cifera nodded, then struck a pose: left hand on her hip, leaning forward, extending her right hand toward the camera with a smile.
"Greetings, everyone! The name's Cifera, and it sounds swifter than the wind, pretty daring for a phantom thief, don't you think?"
"My goal for joining this show is simple: win the championship and claim the title of the world's greatest phantom thief.
"In my eyes, whether it's the so-called Grandchild of the Phantom Thief or any other contestant, they're all the same—there's no real difference.
"My true opponents are definitely the Pursuit Team. I just hope they can make things interesting for me. If their performance is too lackluster, even earning money won't be worth it."
As she finished speaking, Cifera shrugged helplessly at the camera.
The moment her words left her lips, the live stream's Bullet Comments paused briefly before exploding into a frenzy.
[Holy moly~!]
[Wait, did I hear that right? Is this girl directly challenging all the contestants and the Pursuit Team?]
[You heard right! I can vouch for that!]
[+1]
[+1]
[+1]
[+10086]
[I'm in love! Champion and greatest phantom thief—she wants it all! No wonder she's the elusive Black Cat, flitting through the night without a trace!]
[This girl's actually pretty smart. Knowing she'll be eliminated soon, she's pulling off this stunt to rake in a massive wave of followers. Why not just start her own live stream afterward?]
[Absolutely! With her looks and talent, I'll definitely tune in to her live stream!]
[Tuning in? That's nothing! I'll be her top supporter!]
[Tch, a bunch of lusty perverts! What's so smart about her? Just playing mind games!]
[Exactly! Anyone can talk big! So manipulative! Get off the stage already and stop blocking my votes for Little Brother Night Shadow!]
The Bullet Comments flashing across the big screen were exactly what Cifera had anticipated.
To quickly gain popularity, making a bold statement was the most efficient method.
For those without real talent, such tactics might backfire, but she possessed genuine skill.
Watching the Bullet Comments alongside her was Host Qiu Qiu, who clearly hadn't expected Cifera to say such a thing.
Yet instead of criticizing her, Qiu Qiu wanted to give her a thumbs-up!
Well said!
Isn't this exactly the kind of drama we needed for the show?
Cat, thank you for saving us from this awkward silence!
Look! The viewers we lost during that awful singing, dancing, and rapping segment are flooding back into the live stream!
Just as Qiu Qiu was about to speak, a figure dressed in black suddenly leaped onto the stage, lunging straight at Cifera before the staff below could react.
It was Night Shadow, suspected to be the grandson of the Phantom Thief.
"Hmph, cats truly are the most detestable creatures. Catwoman, you've managed to anger me."
Standing before Cifera, Night Shadow glared down at her with domineering eyes.
Just as he was about to continue, the host, Qiu Qiu, stepped in front of him.
"Ah, Player Night Shadow, please step down for now. It's not your turn yet. Please adhere to the program's schedule."
Qiu Qiu was panicking. This was heading towards a live broadcast disaster. Had Night Shadow gotten too caught up in his 'domineering CEO' act? He was completely disregarding the rules!
"Relax, Lao Qiu. I anticipated this Little Grandchild's reaction and fully understand it. Just let him finish speaking."
"Lao Qiu?!"
"Little Grandchild?!"
Host Qiu Qiu and Night Shadow exclaimed in unison, clearly shocked by Cifera's familiarity.
Seeing their reactions, Cifera's face lit up with sudden realization. She stuck out her tongue and said sheepishly, "Sorry! I like giving nicknames to new friends. You don't like them?"
"Let me explain," Cifera began, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Right now, Little Grandchild is causing a ruckus. Lao Qiu, as the host, must be freaking out, right? Does it feel like you're stuck in a prison job?"
"Clearly, the nickname 'Lao Qiu' fits the situation perfectly!"
(Spynote- Its a play on words, the nickname was 牢秋 which contains the character for Prison (牢))
Ignoring Host Qiu Qiu's near-breaking composure, Cifera turned her gaze to Night Shadow, who looked deeply solemn.
"As for this gentleman here, didn't he claim to be the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief? Then wouldn't it be perfectly reasonable for me, the future world's greatest Phantom Thief, to call him Little Grandchild? What's the problem?"
Cifera directed her final question at the camera, even batting her sapphire-like eyes with feigned innocence.
The result was predictable: the bullet comments erupted once more.
A tidal wave of "No problem!" flooded the screen, completely drowning out the few dissenting comments questioning whether Cifera was causing trouble again.
Host Qiu Qiu took a deep breath, reminding herself to stay calm. It was time to end this farce.
However, the director's voice in her earpiece instantly relaxed her:
"Just let Night Shadow stay on stage. This is a great publicity stunt. Just keep the show under control. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility."
With the director's assurance, Lao Qiu—ah, no, Qiu Qiu—was ready to let loose!
Ignoring the red flush on Night Shadow's face, Qiu Qiu plastered on her professional smile and said:
"Contestant Night Shadow, let me guess—you're here because you disagree with Cifera's remarks and want to personally gauge her strength, right?"
"Hmph, exactly!"
Night Shadow knew this wasn't the time to dwell on the "Little Grandchild" nickname; dragging it out would only spread the embarrassing moniker further.
"Then it's simple enough. Contestant Cifera, facing Night Shadow's challenge, what talent will you use to prove yourself? It must be even more impressive than Night Shadow's card tricks, right?"
Host Qiu Qiu, now fully embracing her wild side, was clearly stirring the pot.
This was exactly the opening Cifera had been waiting for:
"Of course! I have so many talents. For now, how about I perform a magic trick?
"Let me share a secret—I'm actually a real magician!
"My magic skills go far beyond simply shuffling cards, you know~"