The show's director, ever perceptive, immediately zoomed in for a close-up when he saw Night Shadow pull out a deck of cards.
Now, everyone in the live stream could witness this disastrous turn of events.
[This is a total flop.]
[Huh? So it really was just a cheap gimmick? I even bet my roommate that Cifera would succeed! Now I'm going to lose my dinner money.]
[Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Cifera would never lose!]
[Give it up. The facts are clear: this catgirl is a fraud. If you want real skill, Little Brother Night Shadow is the one to trust.]
[Wait a minute! Cifera said the cards had already been transferred, but what he's holding is just the box. Maybe it's empty!]
[Genius move, bro! That's gotta be it!]
Seeing the Bullet Comments rallying to Cifera's defense, Night Shadow's lips curled into a playful smirk as he addressed the camera:
"Some of you in the comments need to stop deluding yourselves. I pulled this box out myself. Its weight hasn't changed, and the box is still structurally sound. Tell me, how could there be no cards inside?"
[Bro, could we have been wrong about the Cat all along?]
[Bro, say something! You must still have evidence to refute him, right?!]
[Ha ha, Little Brother Night Shadow is awesome! One sentence shut down all these brainless fans.]
[Sigh, let it go, guys. That bro probably rage-quit the live stream already.]
[No! Cat will never lose!]
-
At that moment, on the top floor of a luxurious office building in China, in the CEO's office, a middle-aged man in his forties was watching the live stream. He was the "old bro" who had defended Cifera earlier—a devoted "Catgirl" fan.
His hands hovered over the keyboard, but he couldn't bring himself to type a single word.
Staring at Night Shadow's infuriatingly smug expression and the Bullet Comment calling him a "brainless fan," the old bro grabbed a priceless ceramic water cup from his desk and hurled it to the ground.
Crash! It shattered into pieces.
"Damn it! I couldn't have misjudged her! The Catgirl's confidence isn't an act! What went wrong?!"
As an entrepreneur worth tens of billions, his judgment of people was razor-sharp, a skill honed through countless successful ventures.
Could this really be a catastrophic failure?
Just then, the live stream zoomed in on Cifera's expression.
The girl still looked completely relaxed, even playfully rolling her eyes at the camera, as if dismissing Night Shadow's claims as utter nonsense.
The old man didn't know what others were thinking, but he immediately grasped Cifera's message: Don't worry, I've got this~
Right! The Kitty mentioned her magic techniques weren't simple, clearly not some common trick you could see through at a glance.
And the essence of magic lies in misdirection, creating unexpected effects...
So this is intentional! She wants us to think she's failing, setting the stage for an epic reversal that will blow everyone's minds! Holy crap, this is brilliant!
Realizing this, the old man frantically grabbed his keyboard.
Back in the studio, his bullet comment finally appeared on the big screen:
[Brothers, have no doubt! Trust the Catgirl! We're about to witness a miracle!]
[Bro, you're finally back! I believe in you, and even more in the Catgirl. Let's witness a miracle together!]
[Madness! These brainwashed fans! Little Brother Night Shadow, shatter their illusions!]
[Where did this lunatic upstairs come from? I've been tolerating you for too long! You're the real brainwashed one, always stirring up conflict. Mods, ban this troll!]
[Ignore them. Supporting the Catgirl is all that matters!]
[Exactly! I believe the Catgirl will definitely turn things around. That's the magic of magic!]
[Agreed!]
[+1]
[+1]
[+...]
[...]
Clearly, even at this critical moment, the majority of viewers in the live stream still believed in Cifera's success.
Perhaps Night Shadow's fans had been too aggressive, finally prompting the silent majority to flood the chat with Bullet Comments in support.
The group on stage noticed the surge in comments. Night Shadow shook his head first, then subtly glanced at Cifera.
Seeing she still refused to concede, he scoffed and prepared to pull out the playing cards, ending this farce once and for all.
If you insist on following this dark path to the end, don't blame me for what happens next. Let's see what excuse you come up with after betraying the trust of all these viewers. Doesn't your conscience sting at all?
Thinking this, Night Shadow raised the deck of cards. The director, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately zoomed in for a close-up shot.
Everyone present in the venue, along with the millions of viewers in the live stream, now focused their attention on the card box, the final outcome about to be revealed.
Just as Night Shadow was about to open the box, something bizarre occurred!
The live stream screen instantly flooded with question marks.
Qiu Qiu, the host who had been too nervous to watch earlier, heard gasps from the staff below the stage. Sensing something was amiss, she glanced over and couldn't help but exclaim in shock:
"Oh my god, how is that even possible?!"
Before Qiu Qiu's eyes, the seemingly full deck of cards in Night Shadow's hand suddenly deflated, as if the cards had vanished in an instant.
But how could that be?!
As the person directly involved, Night Shadow felt the greatest shock.
He had never imagined such a thing could happen. Stunned, his face was filled with disbelief.
As far as he knew, no one had approached him earlier, ruling out the possibility of someone stealing the cards.
In that split second, even if someone had tried to steal the cards, they wouldn't have had time to take them, let alone evade Night Shadow's sharp eyes.
Therefore, only one possibility remained: the cards had simply vanished. But how could that be?
It defied all scientific principles!
As the audience fell silent in stunned disbelief, Cifera, who had been quiet for a long time, finally spoke up:
"Little Grandchild, what are you standing there for? If you can't figure it out, just open the box and take a look! All the viewers are waiting!"
Cifera's words jolted everyone awake.
[Right! Little Grandchild, what are you doing? Don't freeze up at this crucial moment!]
[Little Grandchild, are you a man or not? Learn to lose with grace! Stop acting dumb and stalling!]
[Little Grandchild, hurry up! Don't keep us from witnessing the miracle!]
A barrage of bullet comments urged him on. The director also pressured Host Qiu Qiu to "remind" Night Shadow.
"Um, contestant Night Shadow—"
Qiu Qiu began, but Night Shadow immediately cut her off:
"I understand. I don't need reminders from a woman like you!"
Taking a deep breath, Night Shadow slowly opened the box. His hands trembled visibly, betraying his inner turmoil.
"What?!"
Night Shadow couldn't help but exclaim in shock at what he saw inside.
His face cycled through shock, dawning realization, confusion, and finally, a blush crept across his cheeks.
Night Shadow's expression shifted dramatically, but he refused to reveal the contents of the box. Everyone couldn't help but curse under their breath.
Goddamn it, stop being so shocked yourself! We want to know what's inside too!
"Jeez, I can't stand it anymore! Hand it over!"
Before Night Shadow could react, Cifera had already sidled up to him and snatched the box from his hand. Night Shadow didn't even have time to register what was happening.
Cifera then turned to the camera, tilted the box, and shook it. Three items tumbled out: two playing cards and a small, golden coin.
The cards were the King and Queen of Spades.
The coin was engraved with the image of a snarling, one-eyed cat.
Zooming in on the coin through the camera, many viewers immediately recognized the design as identical to the cat pendant hanging around Cifera's neck.
Clearly, the coin belonged to Cifera... but didn't that mean...?
It means the cat put the coin inside!
The entrepreneur brother, always sharp-minded, instantly grasped the principle behind the poker box's sudden deflation and began explaining it in the Bullet Comments:
[Though I don't know how the cat did it, it's clear that after Little Grandchild's performance, the cat took all his cards except the King and Queen of Spades.]
[The secret to how the box could still appear full even after most of the cards were removed lies in that kitty coin.]
[If I'm not mistaken, the diameter of the coin, plus the thickness of the two Jokers, would be slightly larger than the width of the box. By wedging the coin horizontally between the box's sides, it could stay in place without falling out.]
[As long as Little Grandchild didn't make any sudden movements or squeeze the box too hard, the coin wouldn't fall, making the box appear full from the outside.]
[Moreover, everyone seems to have overlooked a crucial point: Little Grandchild mentioned earlier that the box weighed the same as when it was full of cards. This proves the coin wasn't something Kitty Phantom Thief just grabbed and tossed in at the last minute.]
[She had long prepared a suitable coin prop for this card trick, which allowed us to witness such a spectacular illusion. Thank you, Kitty!]
[I'm making a bold guess—or rather, it's not just a guess, it's a certainty—the remaining cards must be in the Host's pocket.]
[Finally, if you don't understand, just ask: why did Kitty specifically leave the two Jokers? Ugh, it's too hard to figure out! If any of you brothers know the answer, please share it in the public chat!]
After the entrepreneur's explanation, even if they couldn't grasp the full picture, everyone had sensed the brilliance of Cifera's magic, feeling like they were witnessing a miracle unfold.
But the final question completely shattered their composure.
It would have been better left unasked. Once it was raised, the answer dawned on nearly everyone.
The director swiftly cut to a close-up of Night Shadow's face.
Sure enough, his face had turned even redder than before, practically radiating heat.
Clearly, he understood too.
The Kings and Queens? Weren't they just the Jokers?
What could it mean to deliberately leave you with two Jokers?
Easy to guess, too easy.
This was probably why he had hesitated so long to reveal the contents of the box earlier.
After all, he was a scion of the Phantom Thief Family, he had his pride!
-
Spy-The chat just started calling her kitty as a nickname. Which kinda fits since she is the"Kitty Phantom Thief"