Cifera's confident declaration ignited a fresh frenzy of discussion in the Bullet Comments.
[Wow, I can smell the gunpowder!]
[Fight! Fight! Fight!]
[Do you guys think Cifera might actually be a magician?]
[I don't know, but she seems genuinely confident. It doesn't look like she's faking it.]
[Upstairs, is your little head controlling your big one? Magician? Hah! I bet she's just a master of deception!]
[Exactly! Little Brother Night Shadow is invincible! He's crushing this green tea b*tch!]
[Heh heh, whether she has real talent or not, the show's getting interesting! Did you see Night Shadow's face darken? Ha ha, this is too entertaining!]
At this point, most viewers were simply enjoying the spectacle. Few genuinely believed Cifera was a true magician.
Most assumed she could only perform simple tricks, and her over-the-top behavior was merely for showmanship, meant to grab attention.
Glancing at the Bullet Comments, Host Qiu Qiu smiled at Cifera and said:
"It seems many viewers are skeptical of your abilities, but appearances can be deceiving. I have complete faith in you, Kitty! Please begin your talent demonstration."
"Alright, Lao Qiu, you have a good eye for talent. This young lady will show you something truly remarkable!"
Cifera cheerfully wagged her tail, playfully patting Host Qiu Qiu on the shoulder with familiar ease. Her mischievous, cat-like eyes sparkled with delight.
This adorable feline act triggered another massive wave of "Shes so cute!" bullet comments from the audience.
Cifera had already devised her strategy for her first "Lies Become Reality" attempt while in the contestants' room.
Why magic?
Because it was currently the most suitable "lie" and the one she felt most confident in pulling off.
Cifera knew that most of the viewers in the live stream still saw her as a mere pretty face, a token contestant. Their initial admiration stemmed primarily from her striking appearance. Convincing them of her genuine skill through a few words alone was unrealistic.
After all, in variety shows, viewers are accustomed to contestants' attention-grabbing stunts and showboating. No matter how impressive the hype, nothing beats seeing it with your own eyes.
Therefore, even if Cifera's lies deceived those who interacted with her directly, most viewers in the live stream would likely remain skeptical. Her fabrications would fail to create a convincing illusion of "reality."
For the disbelievers far outnumbered the believers!
But magic was the art least vulnerable to skepticism!
Ordinary lies could be questioned, exposed, and lose credibility. Yet the artistic deception of magic remained impervious to doubt.
In essence, magic was a universally acknowledged "truthful lie."
Everyone understood that magic was an illusion, yet most still embraced it as a genuine art form, marveling at its wonders rather than questioning its underlying logic.
Even when killjoys expose the secrets behind a trick, people still eagerly anticipate new magic shows. And even those debunked illusions remain captivating, retaining their allure despite viewers knowing the mechanics.
This made magic the perfect disguise for Cifera to conceal her true abilities.
If enough people believed she was a powerful magician capable of performing real magic, their first reaction to her later pulling off incredible feats wouldn't be disbelief, but awe, wondering how she managed it.
Of course, she couldn't attempt advanced tricks until enough people believed in her. Figuring out that threshold would be up to Cifera herself.
However, with over a million viewers in her live stream, Cifera felt confident about her next move.
A successful magic trick would instantly earn her over a million followers' trust, making it much easier to convince them of future lies.
Quickly organizing her thoughts, Cifera smiled at the host, Qiu Qiu, and asked:
"Hey Lao Qiu, do you have a deck of cards on you?"
"Whoa?! Are you going to perform a card trick too?" Host Qiu Qiu deliberately glanced at Night Shadow beside her. "But why ask me? Doesn't Little Brother Night Shadow have one?"
At that moment, the sullen Night Shadow's eyes suddenly lit up with a spark of cunning. He sensed his chance to strike back had finally arrived.
Before Cifera could reply, Night Shadow quickly interjected:
"Hmph, Catwoman, if you sincerely apologize to me and address me as Lord Night Shadow from now on, I might consider lending you my cards."
In Night Shadow's eyes, the fact that she wanted to perform a card trick without even preparing the props clearly showed that this was a spur-of-the-moment stunt.
Such unprofessionalism clearly showed that she lacked genuine talent and was merely trying to ride his coattails for fame.
Hmph, just another shallow woman obsessed with fame.
You want fame, do you? Then pay the price.
Cifera likely guessed Night Shadow's thoughts, but she held the script in her hands. You're just a temporary actor here; just play along.
And to her surprise, he was playing along quite well.
"Aww? Little Grandchild won't lend me his cards? Then I'll just take them!"
With that, Cifera extended her right hand and made a grasping motion in the air towards Night Shadow.
She then clenched her fist, brought it to her eye, opened it, and nodded in satisfaction.
Her expression made it seem as if she had genuinely snatched something from him.
Finally, she made a throwing motion, as if she were tossing something in her hand at Host Qiu Qiu.
"Lao Qiu, catch!"
"Uh... okay!" Qiu Qiu looked utterly bewildered but still gamely extended her hand to make a catching motion in the air.
Truly a professional host, one had to admit.
At that moment, both the live audience and the viewers in the live stream froze in stunned silence.
Night Shadow, in particular, had seen Cifera's initial gesture and, thinking she was about to snatch something by force, had hastily retreated a step. But it turned out it was just for a gag?
His face now wore the expression of someone staring at an idiot.
Viewers in the live stream flooded the chat with question marks.
Without giving anyone time to react, Cifera turned to the camera and declared:
"Alright! The playing cards that were on Little Grandchild have now been transferred to Lao Qiu! The first step of the magic trick is complete!"
Judging by her confident demeanor, she seemed utterly serious.
[...]
[If you don't understand, ask! Did anyone get it?]
[Huh? What's not to understand? She just used magic to transfer the cards.]
[Yeah, that's exactly what happened, no flaws in the logic... Pfft! Sorry, I couldn't hold it in anymore! Hahaha!]
[This is definitely a staged act for the show's entertainment value. The execution is a bit rough, but I have to admit, Kitty's acting is adorable! I don't even dislike it.]
[Exactly! I think the cat's acting is fantastic! She'd be a huge star if she became an actress!]
[Wait, the magic show isn't even over yet! Why are you guys jumping to conclusions so quickly? I have a good eye for talent, and it's clear Kitty isn't lying. This magic show is going to be amazing!]
[The comment above is spot-on! With magic, anything is possible. Until we see the results, I'm choosing to believe in the cat.]
Although the audience was initially skeptical, as Cifera's magic show began, many instinctively reverted to treating it as a genuine performance, simply eager to witness those magical moments.
Rather than believing it was a farce, most viewers hoped Cifera would deliver a spectacular show.
Magic, after all, is known to be fake. But who watches it with a critical eye? As long as the performance delivers, it's worth the price of admission.
Despite the Bullet Comments overwhelmingly supporting Cifera, Host Qiu Qiu wasn't particularly pleased. Truth be told, she was now more worried about Cifera's potential to crash and burn.
It wasn't that she was worried about the show's success; in her view, whether Cifera succeeded or failed, the production team would profit either way.
What truly frightened her was that Cifera—a girl so articulate, mentally resilient, and strikingly attractive—might gain fame through such a controversial and infamous path.
She was acutely aware of the venomous power of online trolls. Even the slightest flaw could be amplified into an unforgivable stain. Once prejudice takes root in people's minds, the truth no longer mattered.
Isn't this just wasting a promising talent?
As a veteran in the industry, Qiu Qiu had witnessed countless tragedies like this and couldn't bear to see it happen again.
As if sensing Qiu Qiu's concern, Cifera affectionately draped an arm around her shoulder, laughing.
"Hey, Lao Qiu's back in prison again? Don't worry, I won't crash and burn."
Seeing Cifera's confident smile, Qiu Qiu's anxiety briefly lifted, only to plummet again when she noticed Night Shadow... Night Shadow was pulling out a deck of cards from his chest pocket—the very same deck he had used for his earlier performance!
Oh no! This is a disaster!