"Alright, Little Bingbing, the final step is up to you, okay?"
"Brilliant!"
In the studio, Nie Junfeng leaped to his feet, waving his arms and cheering wildly like a sports fan witnessing his team score the winning goal in a come-from-behind victory.
"Uh... Inspector Nie..."
Hearing Host Qiu Qiu's reminder, Nie Junfeng realized he was still on live television. He cleared his throat and quickly sat back down.
"My apologies for the outburst. Police Officer Nie Bing's strategy was simply brilliant—a calculated gambit that struck right at the heart of the matter!
"In earlier broadcasts, Cifera showcased astonishing deception skills, even fooling Old Liu himself.
"But no matter how sophisticated, deception can only fool humans. Now that Police Officer Nie Bing has stepped forward, we'll focus on the objective facts. If you can produce an invitation from the Expert Team, your identity is verified. Otherwise, you're an imposter.
"With this, Cifera has absolutely no chance of turning the tables!"
Didn't you just confidently declare Cifera was finished, only to be proven spectacularly wrong? Why are you doing this again so soon?
Host Qiu Qiu understood that the situation was now a dead end for Cifera.
Since there were only seven invitations from the Expert Team—no extras—it was impossible for Cifera to have one.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Qiu Qiu clung to the belief that Cifera could somehow overcome this adversity. She blurted out, "But Cifera is a powerful Magician! Perhaps she can conjure an invitation out of thin air?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Qiu Qiu regretted her impulsive outburst. Why am I being so stubborn, like a child refusing to admit defeat?
Nie Junfeng chuckled, his confidence radiating. "Host, it's clear you're a devoted fan of Cifera. But you must understand, trickery isn't magic. Even the most skilled Magician requires meticulous preparation to perform their tricks."
"Given that Cifera was clearly unaware of the invitation's existence beforehand, conjuring one out of nothing is simply impossible."
"..."
Qiu Qiu fell silent, unable to counter his argument. The viewers in the live stream, equally supportive of Cifera, shared her dismay.
Could this be the end of miracles? Is the legend of the Cat God about to be cut short before it's even begun?
On the screen:
Faced with Police Officer Nie Bing's question, Liu Shanhe spoke first:
"Enough! We're all on the same team. There's no need to dwell on this any further."
Liu Shanhe remained firmly convinced that his judgment was correct, and it was obvious to everyone that Cifera carried no invitation letter.
Continuing this pointless argument would only hinder their real mission. No one could predict when they might receive the order to arrest the contestants.
Approaching Nie Bing, Liu Shanhe placed his hands on her shoulders and said earnestly:
"Trust me, Master. Cifera is definitely one of us.
"Because in this world, there's no one who can deceive this old man through microexpressions!
"Haha, if Cifera could pull that off, she'd have to be an alien from another world!"
[Old Liu's assist is on point!]
[This is pure comedy gold! I bet Old Liu will want to slap himself silly when he finds out the truth later.]
[Oh no, Old Liu just exposed Cifera's alien identity!]
[It's hilarious, but I'm more worried—will they just believe Cifera like that?]
[Keep watching to find out! This show is wild—twist after twist! It's like riding a roller coaster!]
"No way! She needs to produce an invitation before I'll accept her as a teammate."
Liu Shanhe had clearly underestimated Nie Bing's stubbornness. She remained utterly unyielding.
"Sigh... you stubborn girl! Fine, this old man is done arguing. You won't learn until you stumble."
Liu Shanhe returned to his seat at the conference table and poured himself a cup of tea.
With Liu Shanhe out of the way, Nie Bing was about to press Cifera again when the latter spoke up first:
"You want to see the invitation? No problem, but I didn't bring it with me."
"Where is it? I can come with you to get it."
In Nie Bing's eyes, Cifera was grasping at straws. Her intuition wouldn't fail her—this girl was definitely hiding something.
Though Nie Bing was meticulous and detail-oriented, she had unwavering faith in her intuition, a seemingly mystical sense that had guided her to crack numerous high-profile cases throughout her career.
"Oh, no need for such trouble. I can simply conjure it with a bit of trickery!"
Despite Nie Bing's relentless pressure, Cifera remained remarkably calm and confident throughout.
"Teacher Wang Lei asked me to perform a magic trick earlier, so now's the perfect time to put it to use."
"...Alright, please proceed."
To be honest, Nie Bing admired Cifera's composure. If the girl wanted to prolong the struggle, she'd ensure her defeat left no room for argument.
In Cifera's personal live stream, the audience erupted in excitement:
[Here it comes, brothers! Cifera's trickery is finally here!]
[Is this her final dance?]
[I bet Cifera's going to use magic to pull off a vanishing act!]
[No, why does everyone assume Cifera can't produce an invitation card? Since the magic trick has already started, we should just sit back and witness the miracle!]
[Bro, you're here! You're right—we just need to keep believing in Cifera!]
[Exactly! Just keep believing. If Cifera succeeds, I'll spam ten Carnivals!]
[Bro, you're a legend!]
Just like during the last launch ceremony, when Cifera was in danger, the 'Entrepreneur Bro' reappeared in the Bullet Comments to rally support.
Everything felt so familiar, but would the outcome be the same this time?
"Then, Little Bingbing, would you be my assistant?"
"...Okay."
Seeing Cifera's beaming smile as she invited her, Nie Bing hesitated briefly before agreeing.
After all, I'm watching her closely. She won't be able to pull any tricks.
"Alright, Little Bingbing, now put your invitation back in your backpack and zip it up."
Since Nie Bing had agreed to be Cifera's assistant, she would take her duties seriously, carrying out Cifera's instructions with meticulous precision.
The other members of the Expert Team were also watching the two women intently.
Compared to Nie Bing, they clearly trusted Liu Shanhe's judgment more. Therefore, their focus wasn't on whether Cifera could produce the invitation, but on how she would do it!
For those who loved to ponder mysteries, uncovering the secrets behind a magic trick was undoubtedly a fascinating pursuit.
"Excellent. Now, can you hand me the backpack?"
"Mm-hmm."
Cifera took the backpack, examined it carefully, and then returned it to Nie Bing.
"This backpack is quite sturdy."
"..."
Nie Bing had imagined countless things Cifera might do with her backpack, but she never expected the magician to simply look at it briefly and then say nothing more.
"You... you're not just messing with me, are you?"
Although Nie Bing was just an assistant, she couldn't help but voice her doubts.
Her intuition told her that whether Cifera actually looked inside her bag or not wouldn't affect the trick's outcome.
That guy just wanted to see what my steamed buns looked like...
"Absolutely not! The trickery is progressing smoothly. We've already reached the final step!"
"Huh? This is the final step already?"
Wang Lei voiced the soul-searching question on behalf of everyone present.
"Exactly! The process doesn't matter—the result does. Now, Little Bingbing, the final step is all yours, okay?"
Cifera planted her hands on her hips, leaned forward, narrowed her eyes into slits, and smiled at Nie Bing.
So cute!
Everyone present, including Nie Bing, and all those watching remotely couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
After all, you don't have to support Cifera, but you must acknowledge her cuteness!
Shaking her head, Nie Bing quickly regained her composure and asked calmly, "Tell me, what do you need me to do?"
"Simple! Just open your backpack~"