At this point, it was clear that Night Shadow's showdown with Cifera had ended in failure.
Anyone could see whose talent demonstration carried more weight.
Host Qiu Qiu couldn't let the Bullet Comments continue their sarcastic jabs; what if the young man got angry and withdrew from the competition? He clearly valued his pride and wasn't the type of seasoned performer who could brush off a fleeting fit of anger. If his temper flared, he might actually do something foolish.
With this in mind, Host Qiu Qiu swiftly changed the subject. She rummaged through her pocket and, sure enough, pulled out a deck of playing cards.
Under the camera's gaze, she counted them—exactly 52 standard cards.
"Wow, this is truly incredible! The playing cards have actually materialized in my pocket!
"Some viewers might suspect this was a pre-arranged stunt, but I swear everything you just witnessed was real.
"Let's give a huge round of applause to Cifera for her spectacular magic performance!"
Led by Host Qiu Qiu, the production staff spontaneously burst into applause.
Knowing it wasn't a scripted act only heightened their awe at Cifera's magic.
How had she pulled it off, especially with the cameras recording her every move?
No one could explain it. All they could say was that she was incredibly, overwhelmingly skilled.
The audience erupted in applause, and the live stream's bullet comments filled the screen with "666" and a flurry of virtual gifts. The businessman brother especially went wild, spamming 100 "Carnivals," clearly ecstatic and earning the awe of other viewers.
(Spynote- Whenever a chat uses 6, it usually means like a wow! or a Nice!. Its an exclamation of hype essentially.)
Any dissenting voices dared not surface. Even the predictable "it's all scripted" naysayers had been preemptively silenced by Host Qiu Qiu's remarks, leaving them no choice but to feign dead.
The other contestants backstage felt utterly crushed. The mere existence of the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief had already dwarfed them all. Now, a Catgirl Magician even more formidable than the Phantom Thief's heir had emerged.
Truth be told, most of them hadn't come to this show to make money through theft. Their real goal was to ride the wave of the program's popularity and boost their own follower counts.
But it was clear they were destined to remain supporting characters.
After the contestants' self-introduction segment concluded, all the participants stood together on stage.
Host Qiu Qiu announced:
"Alright, next is the final segment of the launch ceremony. Live stream viewers, please cast your votes in 'Who is the Grandson of the Phantom Thief' to select one contestant for the Hell Start.
"Before we proceed, does any contestant wish to make a final appeal for votes?"
After Qiu Qiu finished speaking, an awkward silence fell over the room. The Bullet Comments erupted in laughter:
[Ha ha, does anyone still need to guess who the Little Grandchild is?]
[Yeah, he's been completely doxxed. They've even dug up his ID card and photocopies!]
[Upstairs, is this the art of language? Teach me!]
[This host is clueless. Who would want a Hell Start? Just give it to the Little Grandchild already!]
Though Night Shadow kept his head bowed, he could guess the Bullet Comments were mocking him, but he no longer cared.
Compared to being ridiculed, he was far more interested in understanding how he had lost. He had no energy left to think about the show.
Just when everyone assumed no contestants would campaign for votes, Cifera raised her hand, smiling brightly.
"Here, here! I want to campaign!"
"Oh! Then let's hear from our kitty contestant!"
Cifera's eagerness to campaign surprised some, but not many. After all, she was known for her unconventional tactics.
"This girl believes the key point of this vote isn't about the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, but about matching the strongest contestant with the greatest challenge. Clearly, you should all vote for me, right?"
[That makes perfect sense!]
[Exactly! Watching the strongest contender tackle the hardest challenge would be far more exciting.]
[I'm voting for kitty!]
Seeing the bullet comments shift their votes in her favor, Cifera nodded in satisfaction.
After her earlier talent showcase, she had successfully acquired a Lies Become Reality ability:
Lies Become Reality Acquired: 1
Magician (Trust Level: 1,000,000+):
Weaver of reality and dreams, using fingertip card tricks to sever the chains of logic. Before the eyes of all, she folds the impossible into the very contours of reality.
Empowered by the Trickery authority, you can perform magical feats within your power limit without prior preparation.
Note: The strength of your abilities is directly influenced by your Trust Level. Attempting feats beyond your power limit will invariably fail.
Possessing the [ Lies Become Reality ] "Magician" meant Cifera could now perform various magical feats at any time.
This was an incredibly powerful ability, useful for both aiding theft and simplifying daily life, with remarkably broad applications.
However, to achieve her goal of ascending to godhood, she needed even greater power. Thus, accumulating more Trust Points to enhance her abilities was crucial.
The prerequisite for gaining Trust Points, of course, was popularity. The more people who paid attention to her, the more Trust Points she would naturally generate.
For Cifera, building her popularity was paramount. The "Hell Start" gimmick was a golden opportunity she couldn't afford to miss.
"Senior... you're absolutely right. Regardless of who's the Grandson of the Phantom Thief, the Hell Start was designed for the strongest among us. Indeed, there's no one more suited for this than you."
Night Shadow suddenly looked up, his words astonishing:
"Senior, could you tell me... how exactly did you steal the cards?"
Everyone was surprised by Night Shadow's sudden show of respect toward Cifera.
[Looks like the Little Grandchild's got some backbone after all, honoring the wager.]
[Exactly! Recognizing Cifera's superiority and addressing her as 'Senior,' humbly seeking her guidance—that's real character.]
[This kid... at least he hasn't tarnished his grandfather's reputation.]
Upon hearing Night Shadow's words, Cifera shrugged and said with feigned regret, "Sorry, Little Grandchild, but telling you wouldn't help. You'd never be able to learn it."
"No, Senior, I—"
"Touch that pocket."
Cifera cut him off, pointing her golden-tipped fingernail at a pocket on his suit jacket.
"!!!"
Night Shadow immediately realized what she meant. His right hand trembled as he reached for the pocket.
From the pocket, he pulled out the deck of cards that had been taken earlier, along with a small, golden coin.
"See? I just demonstrated it again, and you still didn't notice. That proves you're simply not ready to learn this yet."
"...Junior has been enlightened. Please take this coin back. I'm not worthy of keeping it..."
"No, when you can return it to me without my knowledge, then this young lady might be interested in teaching you a few tricks~"
"!!!"
Hearing Cifera's words, Night Shadow, who had been hanging his head in dejection, suddenly sprang back to life:
"Thank you, Senior! I'll work tirelessly to catch up to you. One day, this coin will reappear in your pocket without you ever knowing how!"
"Alright. I'll look forward to that day. One more thing: calling me 'Senior' makes me sound so old! Ah, I've got it! How about you call me Big Sister? Doesn't that sound like a Kitty Phantom Thief?"
"Yes, Big Sister!"
"Good boy, Little Grandchild~"
Before the eyes of a million viewers, Cifera successfully tamed the previously rebellious Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, making him willingly call her "Big Sister."
This dramatic turn of events further cemented Cifera's image as a mysterious and formidable Catgirl expert in the public's mind.
The subsequent voting results were a foregone conclusion.
Cifera secured a landslide victory, becoming the top vote-getter.
This meant she would face a "Hell Start," but what exactly constituted a "Hell Start"?
Host Qiu Qiu announced:
"Please look at the big screen!"
Words flashed across the screen, accompanied by dramatic thunder and lightning effects:
"Upon the official start of the show, the top vote-getter must target all Pursuit Team experts. Only after successfully stealing from every Pursuit Team expert can they choose other targets.
"Failure to fulfill this condition means any other stolen items will not be eligible for cash conversion."
Gasp!
The moment the text finished scrolling, gasps erupted from the audience.
Except for Cifera, every contestant, including Night Shadow, was stunned.
No way, this is way too hard!
I thought the "Hell Start" was just a gimmick, but the showrunners are dead serious.
This is real freaking hell!
Even the host, Qiu Qiu, and the production crew on set wore looks of stunned disbelief. Clearly, they had only just learned of this rule change, or rather, the rule had been altered on the fly.
Through Qiu Qiu's earpiece came the director's excited voice:
"Don't be surprised. You understand, it's all for the show!"
...
Yes, all for the show. The director's strategy had clearly worked.
The live stream's Bullet Comments section went wild!
Various "Holy shit," "Awesome," "Thrilling," and "Interesting" comments flooded the screen.
[The strongest contestant faces the most hellish start—the real show's about to begin!]
This Bullet Comment from "Entrepreneur Bro" immediately sparked a frenzy of replies, drowning the entire chat in seconds.
Clearly, the audience hadn't even paused to worry about Cifera's predicament. Instead, they were immediately hooked by the director's move, eagerly anticipating the excitement to come.
Seeing the barrage of Bullet Comments, Cifera's face lit up with an undisguised smile, clearly thrilled with the arrangement.
"This show's director is a pro," she remarked. "Looks like they actually listened to what I said earlier."
"Indeed, the real show is about to begin~"
A mischievous plan had already begun to take shape in Cifera's mind.