The brief exchange between Zhang Hong and the other man didn't faze Lei Gang.
"I..."
Lei Gang visibly flinched, his face flushing crimson. The phrase "cross-dressing pervert" struck him like a dagger to his iron-willed heart.
Clearly, he and Liu Shanhe were cut from the same cloth, both misunderstanding the term "cross-dressing pervert." Yet this misunderstanding didn't diminish the impact of Liu Shanhe's message.
"Think about it, Minister Lei!"
Seeing Lei Gang's reaction, Liu Shanhe pressed his advantage, his voice taking on a hypnotic, persuasive quality:
"If your momentary 'indisposition' allows Contestant Cifera to seize the opportunity, to actually replace you and unlock Starry Light's vault... what will the consequences be?
"The security standards of Starry Headquarters will plummet to rock bottom! And you, Lei Gang, will forever be nailed to the pillar of shame in China's security history, remembered as the one who couldn't even guard his own post... a joke!"
Liu Shanhe bit out the final word with vicious emphasis, like a hammer blow striking Lei Gang's nerves.
Pillar of shame...
A joke...
Lei Gang's mind flashed with images:
Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu eyeing him like a "girl." The barrage of mocking Bullet Comments from countless viewers in the live stream. Li Zhanting's disappointed, even furious gaze. Most devastatingly, the image of himself, a laughingstock in the Security Industry, a desolate figure...
A bone-chilling coldness surged from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head, colder and swifter than when he'd been publicly mistaken for Cifera earlier. It surged with such force that he felt his skull might crack open...
Liu Shanhe softened his tone, adopting a grave, almost paternal air, as if speaking for Lei Gang's own good:
"Temporary inconvenience ensures permanent security!
"This is to safeguard your honor as a security expert!
"And, more importantly, to protect the dignity of Starry Jewels Company!
"Endure this moment, and calm waters will follow. Take a step back... and the Starry Light auction will succeed!
"Minister Lei, surely you can discern what truly matters?"
Liu Shanhe fell silent, his piercing gaze, as if capable of seeing through the depths of Lei Gang's soul, remained fixed on him.
A deathly silence descended upon the room.
Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu held their breaths, struggling to maintain serious expressions, but the slight twitching at the corners of their mouths betrayed their inner mirth.
Nie Bing stopped examining the unresponsive Coin of Whimsy, lost in thought.
Lin Zhiyuan adjusted his glasses and exchanged a glance with Wang Lei beside him. Their eyes filled with admiration for Liu Shanhe's masterful manipulation.
Lei Gang's face cycled through a storm of emotions: from fury to humiliation, from resentment to fear, finally settling into a twisted expression that mixed despair, resignation, and a trace of being coerced by the weight of "righteousness."
His massive chest heaved. Finally, as if all his strength had been drained away, his shoulders slumped. From deep within his throat came a muffled groan, heavy with boundless grief and surrender:
"...Fine... fine! For... for the Starry Light... for the company... I... I'll cooperate!"
The words seemed to drain the last shred of dignity from Lei Gang.
"Good! Good! Good! Absolutely excellent!"
Liu Shanhe immediately plastered on an approving smile and clapped Lei Gang heartily on the shoulder.
"Minister Lei, your profound sense of duty and selfless sacrifice are truly admirable!
"Attention, everyone! Salute Minister Lei!"
Swish!
In an instant, the entire Pursuit Team in the room snapped to attention, rendering a crisp, standard police salute to Lei Gang.
Even Nie Bing complied, though she couldn't resist rolling her eyes surreptitiously before executing the gesture. Clearly, she disapproved of Liu Shanhe's grandstanding and perceived "bullying of an honest man."
Still, she understood the necessity. Lei Gang indeed required strict surveillance, but confining him to a small, dark room with limited movement was no longer feasible. This extreme measure was the only viable alternative.
Seeing the Pursuit Team's show of respect, Lei Gang's eyes welled with tears.
At least it seems my sacrifice was worthwhile...
Old Liu's voice cut through the air: "Zhang Hong! Feng Chiyu!"
"Sir!" The two officers snapped to attention, chests puffed and voices resonant.
"Execute your orders! From this moment forward, preventing Contestant Cifera from contacting Minister Lei is your paramount mission! His every move will be your operational coordinate!
"Remember—stay within an inch of him!"
"Understood! We guarantee mission success!"
Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu spoke in unison, their voices brimming with a sense of "duty." But the way they looked at Lei Gang was like staring at a lamb being led to the slaughterhouse—no, wait, to the toilet.
Lei Gang closed his eyes in anguish, already envisioning the next few hours: his utterly privacy-less, epicly embarrassing toilet journey accompanied by two "male moms."
Meanwhile, viewers watching the live stream of Liu Shanhe "persuading" Lei Gang were losing it.
[HAHAHAHA! ! ! Save me! This is the second time I've laughed so hard my neighbors called the cops! ! !]
[Look at Big Pecs' expression! His soul has already fled to a distant land where toilets don't exist! ! !]
[Blinded by a sense of honor! Wasn't the women's toilet fiasco lesson enough, Big Pecs?!]
[The Pursuit Team should award Big Pecs the "Best Human Key" award. The prize? A lifetime VIP Toilet Guardian Package!]
[Old Liu—CPU Master! Top-tier persuasion! He made house arrest sound like a medal ceremony! Big Pecs' CPU is about to fry!]
["On How to Package House Arrest as a VIP Supreme Guardian Service"—Liu Shanhe, Author]
[Cifera, stop hiding! Look! Old Liu has picked up your toy again and is playing with it!]
[Perhaps this was all part of Cifera's plan. She just wanted to mess with Lei Gang, and Old Liu was merely a tool acting on her behalf.]
Seeing that the plan to protect Lei Gang's CPU—no, to protect Lei Gang himself—was finally in place, Feng Chiyu, who had already guessed that Lin Zhiyuan and Nie Bing had once been controlled by Cifera, couldn't resist asking about another suspicion he harbored:
"Brother Zhiyuan, that... that security guard... could he have been Cifera in disguise?"
Lin Zhiyuan wore a wry smile, admiration mixed with resignation. He was about to recount his experiences with Old Liu and the others when Nie Bing cut him off sharply:
"Enough! You've already broken the rules once—do you want to do it again?"
Under Nie Bing's reproachful gaze, Lin Zhiyuan's CPU nearly short-circuited.
Wait, what rule did I suddenly break? I don't even know!
All I wanted to do was tell Brother Feng about our experience being controlled!
I know you're easily embarrassed, but we were all taking turns telling the story anyway!
Not only Lin Zhiyuan, but Liu Shanhe, the live stream viewers, and even the studio audience and production team backstage were utterly baffled.
Had Nie Bing noticed something crucial that everyone else had overlooked?
Seeing everyone's bewildered expressions, Nie Bing sighed in exasperation.
"At first, I thought you were deliberately feigning ignorance, just pretending to be confused.
"But now it seems you've truly been bamboozled by Cifera's tactics, so disoriented that you've forgotten the most basic rules of the competition!
"We were all 'knocked out' by Cifera earlier, and Lin Zhiyuan was even ambushed and knocked unconscious. Even if you've 'woken up,' how could you possibly tell Old Liu and the others about what you saw or heard while you were unconscious?
"According to the program's 'simulated reality' rules, those events were 'unknown' to you. By revealing them now, aren't you breaking the rules?
"You all say I'm too strict, but if I didn't insist on following the rules, would you rather we all continue to blunder on?"
Boom!
Nie Bing's words instantly brought everyone to their senses!
That's right!
How could Lin Zhiyuan, who had been knocked out, possibly explain to Liu Shanhe and the others the series of actions Cifera took after subduing him?
This was a clear violation of the rules!
Cifera had been at a disadvantage!
According to the normal rules, even if Old Liu had guessed the truth, Lin Zhiyuan couldn't have confirmed it definitively.
Moreover, although Nie Bing knew that "Cifer" had ambushed Lin Zhiyuan, she couldn't reveal what she had heard or seen while unconscious either.
At least Liu Shanhe and the others would still have to guess whether the Coin of Whimsy Cifera left behind was truly a projector.
But now, Lin Zhiyuan had cheated by revealing the truth.
This could significantly impact the upcoming pursuit of Cifera.
Backstage, Chief Director Guo Tao watched the awkward expressions on the staff's faces, but he couldn't bring himself to get angry.
After all, he himself had forgotten about this detail...
Just as Nie Bing had said, Cifera's series of magnificent maneuvers had left everyone completely disoriented!
After a moment's thought, Guo Tao issued his instructions:
"Tell the Pursuit Team they won't be penalized this time. After all, our own Production Team didn't immediately remind them or intervene.
"To compensate Contestant Cifera for her disadvantage, the Production Team will grant her an additional 100,000 Wealth Value points!
"After all, no one can say for sure whether this leaked information will affect Contestant Cifera's theft of the Starry Light, which is priceless.
"Issue an apology statement and broadcast all this information in the live stream so the audience is informed."
Soon after, when everyone learned of the Production Team's decision, their first reaction was—
After the show ends, Cifera is definitely treating Nie Bing to a massive feast!
A wave of discussion erupted in the live stream: "Cifera is definitely Little Bingbing's true love!"