Having successfully deceived all members of the Expert Team and infiltrated the enemy camp, Cifera was in excellent spirits.
Though she hadn't checked her live stream, she could easily imagine the current situation.
Her viewership must be exploding.
After all, audiences loved seeing both unconventional and thrilling narratives, and she had not only delivered but also succeeded brilliantly.
The Magician's Trust level had undoubtedly surged even higher, and there might even be pleasant surprises in store.
With a thought, Cifera opened her System Panel:
[Host: Cifera]
[Fusion Template: The Fleet-Footed-Cipher (Cifera)]
[Gender: Female]
[Age: 24]
[Race: Golden-Blooded Catgirl]
[Talents: Kitty Phantom Thief Compendium, Cat Sniffer Nose]
[Abilities: Authority of Trickery—"Lies Become Reality"]
[Lies Become Reality Acquired: 2]
[1. Magician (Trust Level: 2,000,000+)]
[2. Hacker (Newly Acquired) (Trust Level: 1,000,000+)]
[[The firebringers of the Digital World, wielding the razor-sharp blade of code, carve through the azure sky of rules. In the silent rebellion of bits and bytes, they forge "vulnerabilities" into the flames of "freedom."]
[Empowered by the Authority of Trickery, you can instantly detect all vulnerabilities in a target's network system while completely concealing your own digital footprint, rendering all attempts at tracking and tracing utterly futile.]
[Caution: The potency of this Ability is directly proportional to your Trust Level. Infiltration attempts against network systems exceeding your current Ability strength will inevitably fail.]
Hmm,
The "Magician's" Trust Level has already surpassed two million. As expected, more and more viewers are truly believing I'm a magician.
And a genuine surprise has emerged—
A newly acquired Lies Become Reality: Hacker, already boasting over a million Trust.
How is it possible that over a million people believe I'm a hacker when I've never even mentioned having hacking skills?
Simple.
In the minds of ordinary people, no matter how miraculous a magic trick appears, it must be fake, with a hidden principle behind it.
Since I could fabricate an invitation letter, it must mean I had somehow obtained the necessary information in advance.
This world is not lacking in intelligent people. By following this line of reasoning, it's not difficult to conclude that I am a hacker.
Clearly,
Some influential figure with credibility must have spoken out on the live stream or online, speculating that I had used hacking technology to obtain information about the Expert Team's invitation letters.
As a result, the vast majority of viewers in the live stream, eager to uncover the truth, would naturally choose to trust this authority.
The remaining skeptics, meanwhile, would likely withhold judgment.
This explains why, despite the same group of people following me, my "Hacker" Trust Level was lower than my "Magician" Trust Level.
However, those who believe will inevitably outnumber those who doubt. Therefore, through the Authority of Trickery, I will naturally acquire the "Hacker" Ability.
In truth, even before Cifera checked her Panel, she wasn't entirely certain she would acquire the Hacker Ability. Otherwise, she wouldn't have considered it an unexpected bonus.
After all, in her plan, even if she didn't gain it, it wouldn't derail her strategy. She would simply need to put more effort into manipulating others' beliefs.
Now, it seems the people of this world still have their wits about them.
Just as the "Magician" ability revealed the power of Lies Become Reality, the "Hacker" ability, enhanced by the Authority of Trickery, grants Cifera a surreal advantage in applying her skills.
Just as the "Magician" required no prior preparation before performing tricks, the "Hacker" ability offered an equally absurd advantage.
Not only could Cifera instantly access information about all vulnerabilities in a target system, but as long as she wished, her intrusion into the target network would be completely undetectable, leaving no trace behind.
This was every hacker's dream skill!
With such formidable hacking capabilities, Cifera felt supremely confident in her plan to take control of the Pursuit Team's technical command center.
"Miss Cifera, where did you hide my invitation letter?"
Nie Bing's words cut through Cifera's thoughts, the detective clearly realizing her invitation was missing.
"Little Bingbing, 'Miss Cifera' is far too formal. Just call me Cifera, and I'll tell you where it is~"
Cifera couldn't resist teasing Nie Bing, a high-strung, aloof beauty who took everything so seriously.
"...Ci...fera..."
"Hmm? Your voice is too soft, I can't hear you~ Come closer and speak up!"
"..."
Seeing the sly smile on Cifera's face, Nie Bing took a deep breath and restrained herself.
I need to get on her good side and uncover the secrets of her magic, she thought.
But when Nie Bing approached Cifera and saw the pair of fluffy cat ears perched atop her head, she was instantly captivated.
Up close, they looked just like real cat ears—utterly adorable! I really want to give them a little pinch~!
"Um, Cifera, could I touch your cat ear decoration?"
"(⊙o⊙)... Huh?!"
Cifera hadn't expected such a sudden request from Nie Bing, but touching them was definitely off-limits.
Earlier, in the contestants' room, she'd accidentally touched them herself, and it felt like someone tickling the soles of her feet—incredibly ticklish and... well, extremely sensitive.
"w(゚Д゚)w Oh! Your invitation letter is right here!"
Cifera hastily "escaped" to Nie Bing's technical console, randomly opened a drawer, and pulled out an invitation letter.
Seeing her invitation letter had been transferred from her backpack to the drawer, Nie Bing's attention immediately shifted away from the cat ears.
What incredible magic! How did she do that?
Picking up her invitation letter, Nie Bing once again felt Cifera's immense power, further fueling her determination to uncover the magician's tricks.
Seeing that Nie Bing had stopped paying attention to her ears, Cifera secretly breathed a sigh of relief and formally began the next phase of her plan.
"Hmm? Little Bingbing, did you build this entire system for the technical platform?"
"That's right. I'm responsible for technical support during the capture operation. My computer is the best in the team."
"It's decent, but it could be even better~"
Without waiting for Nie Bing's reaction, Cifera grabbed the keyboard and launched into a flurry of rapid keystrokes.
Her speed was as exaggerated as a mischievous child seizing the chance to wreak havoc while their parent is in the bathroom, rolling their face across the keyboard!
"Ah?! Wait, don't mess around!"
Cifera's sudden actions stunned Nie Bing, who rushed over to stop her.
I've been working on this for hours, and it's almost finished! If she messes it up with her wild typing, it'll take another half a day to fix!
But when she reached Cifera's side, she froze, her face etched with disbelief. She couldn't help but exclaim:
"I-it's incredible!"
Though Cifera's typing speed was blindingly fast, every operation on the screen was precise and orderly, with not a single keystroke wasted.
As a computer expert herself, Nie Bing needed only a glance to realize Cifera wasn't bluffing. She was genuinely helping her refine the system!
Many areas she hadn't even considered had been perfected through Cifera's adjustments and modifications. It was clear that once the entire system was rebuilt, its performance would far surpass her original expectations.
In truth, since Cifera joined the team, everyone had been consciously or unconsciously observing her interactions with Nie Bing.
Earlier, when they saw Cifera playfully teasing Nie Bing, several single men felt their hearts itch, longing to join in the fun.
Naturally, the commotion at the technical station immediately drew everyone's attention.
They rushed behind the console, forming a crowd around it.
"What's happening to Little Bingbing? What's Cifera doing?" Liu Shanhe asked, unable to understand the complex computer operations.
But Nie Bing seemed oblivious to Liu Shanhe's words, her phoenix-shaped eyes fixed intently on the screen, her face alight with amazement and excitement.
While Nie Bing remained silent, Lin Zhiyuan blurted out a curse:
"Holy shit! Cifera... she's a computer expert too! And her skills clearly surpass Nie Bing's—no, they're far superior!"
"What?!" The others were stunned.
"Wait... if I remember correctly, isn't Cifera a genius magician? A computer expert? What the hell?!"
"And she's even better than Nie Bing? The gap between people is just too damn big! If she's not nerfed, can we even play?"
"Nerf her? She's our teammate!"
"Oh, right. Never mind then. Cifera's awesome!"