The bullet comments erupted into a frenzy:
[Holy shit, Old Liu is incredible! He got everything right except guessing the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief!]
[Look at Old Liu's expression-he's got Cifera cornered! One slip-up and she's done for!]
[This is intense! I feel like I'm watching a spy thriller!]
In the official live stream, guest Nie Junfeng declared confidently:
"It's over. Master's words hit the nail on the head. Caught off guard, Cifera will inevitably reveal a flaw."
Hearing Nie Junfeng's prediction again, Qiu Qiu, the host who had become a Cifera fan, swallowed nervously. Her voice trembled slightly as she asked:
"Is it really over?"
On screen, Cifera appeared remarkably composed despite Liu Shanhe's accusations. She even smiled playfully:
"Old Liu, your conjectures are certainly bold. But if I were the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, I wouldn't dare steal anything from the Pursuit Team. Wouldn't that be just asking for trouble?
"However, you did get one thing right: I came here to say hello~"
At that moment, Lin Zhiyuan, who had been silently observing Cifera, refrained from interrupting but made a mental assessment. He was waiting for Liu Shanhe's response to confirm his own conclusion.
However, after hearing Cifera's reply, Liu Shanhe didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned to Lin Zhiyuan and asked:
"Xiao Lin, let me test you. Was this young lady telling the truth just now, or a lie?"
"Hmm... Having been deceived by her once already, I can't be 100% certain. But I'm more inclined to believe she's lying."
Though suddenly called upon, Lin Zhiyuan didn't falter. He adjusted his black-rimmed glasses and immediately began explaining:
"Clearly, this young lady is a master liar. Her answer sounded perfectly natural on the surface, but we need to analyze her microexpressions to uncover her true thoughts.
"When she said, 'If I were the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief,' her right shoulder dipped slightly, and her fingers unconsciously curled inward—a classic 'defensive freeze response,' indicating a strong internal resistance to being associated with the 'Grandchild of the Phantom Thief' identity.
"It's clear she doesn't want us to connect her with that title."
Lin Zhiyuan then approached Cifera and looked directly into her eyes.
"And earlier, when Old Liu mentioned she was here to 'borrow' something, her pupils dilated suddenly for about 0.2 seconds. When people fabricate lies, their brains need to access memory banks more intensely, and pupil dilation is a physiological sign of cognitive overload.
"Clearly, she was strategizing her next move at that moment."
Suddenly, Lin Zhiyuan pinched the corners of his mouth upward, revealing an exaggerated, fake smile.
"Also, her response showed 'facial expression lag.' A genuine surprise reaction should complete within 0.4 seconds, but the corners of her mouth lifted a half-beat later than her eyebrows rose. This is characteristic of a 'social smile'—a practiced smile used to appear natural, aided by her skillful use of eye contact.
"This indicates she's specifically practiced this smile to project composure and make her words more convincing."
Finally, Lin Zhiyuan turned back to Liu Shanhe and said humbly,
"In conclusion, I believe she's more likely lying. Even the most skilled liars struggle to completely conceal their microexpressions in sudden, high-pressure situations."
"Of course, these are just my personal observations. Old Liu, please correct me if I'm wrong," Lin Zhiyuan concluded.
Immediately, the bullet comments surged with renewed fervor:
[Lord Lin's observational skills are insane! He even noticed the changes in her pupils?]
[Wait! He mentioned "delayed expression" earlier. Now that I think about it, Cifera's smile did seem a bit stiff...]
[I'm blown away. This isn't just a variety show; it's a live masterclass in microexpressions!]
Viewers marveled at Lin Zhiyuan's analysis, but Liu Shanhe's next words delivered a crushing blow:
"Ha ha, Little Lin, your observations of microexpressions are remarkably accurate. You've clearly put in considerable effort. But unfortunately, you're completely wrong."
After a pause, Liu Shanhe turned to Cifera with even greater admiration:
"Every detail you pointed out earlier was deliberately feigned by this young lady to deceive you."
"What?!" Lin Zhiyuan hadn't ruled out the possibility of being wrong, but he never imagined he could be completely wrong.
Shaking his head, Liu Shanhe turned back to Lin Zhiyuan:
"Little Lin, one thing you said earlier wasn't quite right. While it's true that even the most skilled liars struggle to completely conceal their microexpressions in sudden situations, they can recover and regain control after a brief moment of reaction."
"The more skilled a liar is, the shorter their reaction time becomes. They can easily deceive ordinary people, and even experts like you who are trained to observe microexpressions.
"This means that as long as your skill level is lower than theirs, they can guarantee you'll never uncover their true intentions.
"This young woman is precisely such a skilled liar. In our circles, we call them 'Deceivers'.
"Our Microexpression Labs once recruited a group of top-tier Deceivers for experiments. The vast majority of them could achieve the same reaction time as this young woman just demonstrated.
"Thanks to the cooperation of these Deceivers, our Microexpression Research Team successfully identified a breakthrough, formulating a core theory for unmasking their deceptions. Of course, this is a state secret, so I can't divulge the specific details."
"...I see. I've learned much today."
Ignoring Lin Zhiyuan, who was deep in thought, Liu Shanhe turned to Cifera with a smile.
"Young lady, you're indeed a skilled deceiver. But alas, this old man and your predecessors have sparred countless times.
"Your reaction time falls well within my observation range!
"At first, when I claimed you were the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, your true reaction showed no panic whatsoever. In fact, you almost smirked, didn't you?"
"Next, when I suggested you came to greet us, your genuine reaction was agreement, proving you indeed intended to greet us.
"Finally, when I accused you of trying to steal something, your true reaction was silence. Were you already mentally cursing me as a dogshit expert?
"In conclusion, I'm now certain you're neither the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief nor a thief.
"Actually, Little Lin was right from the start—you must be our final team member, right?
"Heh, the Production Team really knows how to play games! Bringing in a Deceiver as a Pursuit Team expert, then deliberately misleading us about your arrival to set up this guessing game, right?
"Still, with you joining our Pursuit Team, we've truly gained a tiger with wings!"
Liu Shanhe, utterly confident in his judgment, spoke without pause, leaving Cifera stunned. She finally clapped her hands, a genuine smile spreading across her face:
"As expected of Old Liu, you're spot-on!"
Cifera was genuinely overjoyed. She hadn't expected her plan to unfold so smoothly.
The quickest way to convince the entire Expert Team was to get their most respected member to acknowledge her identity.
Under her deliberate guidance, Liu Shanhe had clearly succeeded in doing just that.
In Liu Shanhe's mind, Lin Zhiyuan was on the second layer, Cifera on the third, and he himself stood on the fourth.
But in reality, Cifera was on the fifth layer!
Having merged with Cipher's template, Cifera's deception skills had long surpassed this world's standards.
The theories Liu Shanhe had developed by studying this world's top Deceivers were simply no match for Cifera's level of sophistication.
Thus, just as Liu Shanhe had told Lin Zhiyuan, "If your skills aren't sharp enough, you'll never see through the other person's true intentions."
Toying with Liu Shanhe was as effortless for Cifera as toying with Lin Zhiyuan.
This time, Liu Shanhe had completely crashed and burned on national television!
Fortunately, he couldn't see the Bullet Comments in the live stream; otherwise, the old man would likely have been devastated.
Because the viewers who knew the truth had already erupted in a frenzy.