[Now that's embarrassing. Old Liu really has become the "bullshit expert" he always mocked...]
[Still, no disrespect to Old Liu, but this is absolutely hilarious! Ha ha!]
[I initially thought this would be a thrilling spy thriller, then a lecture on microexpressions, but it turned out to be a full-blown comedy! What a twist!]
[The core theory behind fraud prevention is a state secret, yet he got scammed... This show is pure gold!]
[Wait, why is everyone focused on Old Liu's mistake? Aren't Cifera's deception skills terrifyingly impressive?]
[Is this what a top-tier Magician looks like? She's even better at deceiving than the best Deceivers!]
Watching the Bullet Comments, Nie Junfeng's expression darkened. He clearly couldn't accept that his esteemed mentor had been so thoroughly duped, especially in front of the entire nation—no, the entire world!
The Pursuit Team had suffered a disastrous start, facing a critical crisis right out of the gate.
He could already imagine the taunting comments from international viewers.
Damn it! Pursuit Team members, wake up! Is there anyone who can expose their scheme?!
Come to think of it, who exactly is this Cifera? She managed to deceive even Teacher Wang Lei, China's foremost expert in microexpressions!
One has to admit, she's a truly rare and exceptional talent.
Remembering his earlier bet with Host Qiu Qiu, Nie Junfeng suddenly felt conflicted.
If she's also a top-tier computer expert, even surpassing his own daughter, Little Bingbing, then...
Why does losing this bet suddenly feel more rewarding than winning?
No!
That's absurd. He should be cheering for the Pursuit Team right now!
That's right! If they lose, the China Pursuit Team will lose face big time!
Give it your all, Pursuit Team!
Little Bingbing, you're usually so meticulous—why aren't you questioning this?
Seeing Nie Junfeng's uncharacteristically solemn expression, Host Qiu Qiu, seated beside him, nearly burst out laughing internally.
Serves you right for underestimating Cifera! Getting your face slapped like that must be panicking you now, huh?
As a professional host, however, she couldn't openly mock him. Moreover, she held deep respect for law enforcement.
So she simply continued watching the live stream silently, cheering Cifera on in her mind.
You're amazing, Cifera! You'll definitely succeed! Keep fighting!~
On the screen:
With the endorsement of the legendary Liu Shanhe, the male members of the Expert Team eagerly approached Cifera to greet her.
Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu, two single, muscular men, flashed particularly enthusiastic smiles.
It couldn't be helped. There were only two women in the group. While Nie Bing was undeniably beautiful, her ice-cold demeanor lived up to her name, making her unapproachable.
Cifera, on the other hand, radiated warmth and openness. Her stunning looks, perfect figure, and captivating aura made it impossible for them to ignore her.
Ever since Cifera ascended the stairs, their eyes had been fixed on her.
The thought of collaborating with her on the upcoming show, perhaps even having opportunities to team up alone, set their gazes ablaze with anticipation.
Of course, they sensed each other's intentions, igniting a fierce rivalry between the men.
Feng, you might as well give up now!
Zhang, I'll never surrender!
Cifera was all too aware of what these muscle-bound men were thinking.
Her inner response: Guys, I'm not into muscles! If you want to wrestle, go at it yourselves!
Though she now had a female body, the thought of dating men remained utterly unacceptable.
Too lazy to deal with the two "muscleheads," Cifera introduced herself:
"Hello everyone! Hello! I'm Cifera. Old Liu calls me a Deceiver, but I'm actually a Magician!"
Just moments before, Cifera had checked her System Panel. The new Lies Become Reality skill, "Deceiver," hadn't appeared.
This was clearly because only a handful of people present believed her to be a Deceiver, while the millions of viewers in the live stream knew otherwise.
Although opening individual contestant live streams had fragmented the viewership, most viewers remained focused on Cifera, eager to see how she would execute her plans from this "Hell Start" scenario, especially since the other contestants had promised not to steal her ideas yet.
As a result, Cifera's personal live stream had the highest viewership of all channels, even surpassing the official broadcast.
With the official program launch, even more viewers flooded in, bringing her live stream's online audience to a staggering 1.5 million.
Such a massive disparity in Trust Value—single digits versus millions—naturally wasn't enough to unlock a new ability.
Not that Cifera particularly coveted the Deceiver ability anyway. After merging with Cipher, her deception skills were already maxed out.
Magician?
Liu Shanhe was slightly surprised by Cifera's words but quickly understood.
That's right, the essence of magic lies in misleading the audience on multiple levels, requiring exceptional deception skills.
In a way, magicians are indeed deceivers.
Although Cifera had publicly embarrassed him, Liu Shanhe didn't mind much.
While he personally didn't care, the others felt the atmosphere grow awkward.
This Cifera is truly audacious! Just moments ago, she agreed with Old Liu, and now she's denying being a deceiver? Isn't she clearly mocking him?
Fortunately, Wang Lei's seasoned diplomacy came to the rescue. He swiftly changed the subject, smiling at Cifera.
"Impressive, Cifera! You're a magician too?
"Perfect! The Production Team requires each of us to perform a short talent demonstration after reporting in. Why don't you show us a magic trick?"
[Haha, Teacher Wang Lei is surprisingly reliable in these situations.]
[Great! We're saved! We get to see Cifera's magic again!]
Cifera naturally agreed with Wang Lei's proposal. She had brought up the Magician in the first place to find another opportunity to increase her trust level with the Magician's abilities.
However, just as she was about to accept, Nie Bing, who had been silently focused on the technical console, suddenly raised her hand and coldly interrupted:
"Everyone, please stop for a moment. May I say a few words?"
A hush fell over the group, their hearts pounding. Is this it?
No one here was naive. Nie Bing's earlier refusal to greet Cifera had already made it clear she harbored resentment toward her. They had been mentally preparing for her challenge.
"Little Bingbing, of course you can. We're a team now. Anyone with concerns should feel free to voice them."
Liu Shanhe knew his apprentice's daughter all too well. When Nie Bing had a problem, she would pursue it relentlessly.
"...Old Liu, could you please refrain from calling me Little Bingbing in front of outsiders? It makes me sound childish."
"Ahahaha, my apologies! It's just a habit. I'll be more careful from now on!"
Everyone present had heard of the close, family-like relationship between the two, so they weren't surprised by their familiar exchange.
Standing up, Nie Bing, at 1.73 meters tall, strode expressionlessly toward Cifera, her long legs moving with purpose.
Her tight-fitting athletic pants accentuated the muscular build of her lower body, revealing a physique more robust than that of the average woman.
At a glance, it was clear she was exceptionally agile and undoubtedly a top athlete.
"I apologize for interrupting your conversation," she said, "but out of caution, I don't think we should so easily confirm that Miss Cifera is our final team member."
Liu Shanhe's face showed a "I knew it" expression, and he shook his head with a wry smile. The others, however, looked distinctly awkward.
Of all of us here, only Nie Bing would dare say something like that, they thought.
This was a public challenge to Liu Shanhe's judgment, a direct assault on his authority. Failure would be bad enough, but what if she succeeded? Liu Shanhe's revered image as a wise and respected figure would suffer a severe blow in the eyes of the audience.
Realizing this, the others grew even more reluctant to speak.
"Why is everyone so quiet? I think Little Bingbing's point is perfectly valid!"
Just as the atmosphere threatened to freeze over, Cifera, the one being challenged, remained remarkably composed. She even adopted Liu Shanhe's nickname for Nie Bing, calling her "Little Bingbing."
"Alright, Little Bingbing, how do you want me to prove it?"
Nie Bing's brow furrowed slightly at Cifera's familiar use of her nickname, but she maintained her composure and replied calmly, "It's simple. Each member of the Expert Team receives a special invitation from the Production Team, which isn't publicly available.
"If you can produce the invitation, that will naturally prove your identity."
With that, Nie Bing returned to the technical platform, retrieved an exquisite, A4-sized sheet of paper from her sports backpack, and handed it directly to Cifera.
Her phoenix-shaped eyes locked intensely on Cifera, and she asked coldly, "Miss Cifera, can you produce it?"
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted dramatically, and the live stream's Bullet Comments exploded.
After all, Cifera was originally just a contestant—how could she possibly possess an Expert Team invitation letter?
This is truly over!