A perfect hand, played to complete trash. There was no way this would end gracefully.
In reports and public opinion all over the world, there was a clear undercurrent of mockery and scorn directed at France.
[How can a single Kaitō Kid cause such chaos in France? What do the Enforcement Bureau agents even do all day?]
[Did Victor save France in a past life or something? How did he end up as a department head?!]
[Those were British Museum artifacts! Did Harrison seriously not react at all?!]
[Oh my god! There's zero sign the Enforcement Bureau has done anything useful in the Kaitō Kid case!]
[Hahaha, the locals are scrambling, and everyone else is enjoying the show!]
After returning to the hotel, Zhang Yang didn't keep pressing Victor.
This one incident was already enough for him to deal with for a while.
"The system's next task is in Country D. But before that, I want Victor to admit he was wrong."
Zhang Yang gave him time to sort out the vault and check the artifacts.
But if Victor didn't issue a clarification by tomorrow morning, Zhang Yang was ready to drop the final bomb.
Once the plane landed, Harrison immediately mobilized personnel and vehicles to head to Victor's marked location.
Only after loading the vault into a shipping container did the two of them finally feel somewhat relieved.
The vault hadn't been stolen by Kaitō Kid, sure—but the condition of the artifacts inside was still unknown.
If a large number of pieces were damaged, the result would be just as bad as a successful heist.
"Victor, this is Kaitō Kid starting his retaliation."
"You'd better come clean about the interrogation last night and tell the public what really happened."
Harrison held a bit of respect for Kaitō Kid. Victor had gone too far, slandering him with baseless claims. If it had actually worked, fine. But now that Kaitō Kid had retaliated, it was obvious how furious he really was.
This made Harrison even less inclined to support Victor's plan.
But Zhang Yang wasn't the only one pissed. Victor was fuming too.
"Captain Harrison, this proves Kaitō Kid took the bait!"
"He's losing his cool. We need to seize this opportunity, not back off!"
Just as Harrison was about to say something, Victor's phone rang.
On the other end, he was told the Enforcement Bureau headquarters was swamped with people. Protests were already starting in the crowd.
This put the higher-ups on edge, worried the situation would spiral out of control. Victor instantly felt the pressure mounting.
He didn't want to back down, but he also couldn't think of any good excuse to shut down public backlash.
The vault was brought back under Bureau watch. As soon as Victor got out of the car, the crowd grew rowdy. Shouts rang out nonstop.
[Shit! Victor, have you even considered resigning?]
[He got robbed mid-air! How does that even happen? Incredible!]
[You lost all those British Museum artifacts, and you've still got the guts to come back?!]
[Captain Harrison, you really need a new partner. Victor's just dead weight at this point!]
The crowd was chaotic, and voices came from all directions.
But the nastiest jabs still reached Victor loud and clear.
"Damned Kaitō Kid… one day I'll return all this humiliation tenfold!"
Victor clenched his fists so tight they cracked, storming into Bureau HQ without saying a word.
If it weren't for Enforcement Bureau agents and reinforcements forming a human wall around him, the mob would've swallowed him whole.
This incident had gotten unprecedented attention from France's top brass.
The moment he stepped inside, Victor was dragged straight into his superior's office—for a brutal, no-holds-barred scolding.
"Victor, I've already put enough trust in you!"
"You idiot! You actually let Kaitō Kid follow the plane and steal the vault!"
"Now the public needs an explanation. What do you want me to do?"
Last night, the superior had only intended to scare Victor a little—apply some pressure.
But this time, he really wanted to replace Victor. It was the only way to calm the public and move on from the mess.
"Sir, Kaitō Kid took the bait. He's starting to act recklessly!"
"This is our chance. I slipped up this time. I thought he wouldn't show, but he released the announcement only after takeoff!"
"Please believe me. I swear I'll catch him next time. If not, I'll resign on my own!"
Victor had served as a department head in the Enforcement Bureau for years. Even if he had no major achievements, he had still worked hard.
But this wasn't about whether Victor was trustworthy anymore. The situation was spiraling out of control. If the public didn't get a proper response, it would only get worse.
"Victor, I hope you understand. It's not that I don't trust you—it's that no one outside believes in you or the Enforcement Bureau anymore."
"If you can stop things from getting worse, I'll give you one last chance."
Victor's expression turned serious, his eyes firm.
Without a word, he turned and walked out, ignoring Harrison waiting by the door, and stepped into the elevator.
Outside headquarters, Victor grabbed a loudspeaker from the Bureau vehicle.
"This is Victor. I guarantee you—the artifacts from the museum are perfectly safe!"
"Please believe me. I will catch Kaitō Kid and his accomplices!"
"The video Kaitō Kid posted was completely fabricated. Tomorrow morning, I'll coordinate with the museum to resume displaying the British Museum's collection!"
His words sent shockwaves through the crowd. The scene broke out in chaos, and the live chat across global streams blew up instantly.
[What the hell? The video was fake? Is Victor telling the truth? This doesn't feel like something Kaitō Kid would fake!]
[Oh my god! If the British Museum artifacts weren't stolen, then what really happened?]
[It's hard to tell what's real and what's not. Who's telling the truth here?]
[Shit! If the artifacts really show up tomorrow, then Victor was right all along!]
[This is wild. There's gotta be some twist we don't know yet. I'm looking forward to how this ends!]
After hearing Victor's public address, Harrison shook his head in frustration, his face heavy with concern.
"That fool Victor… Kaitō Kid is going to come at him harder than ever now."
Victor had successfully redirected the spotlight. He was even feeling proud of his own cleverness.
When he returned to headquarters, Harrison was standing at the door, coldly warning him.
"Director Victor, I hope you're ready for Kaitō Kid's wrath."
"Otherwise, you're going to lose everything."
Victor snorted and said nothing.
At this point, he knew very well he was out of chances.
His only shot now was to go all in.
Doing this didn't just shift the focus of public opinion—it also pushed Kaitō Kid further.
To Victor, this was a two-for-one move. He couldn't have planned it better.
But Harrison was deeply worried about what might happen next. Just the thought of facing an angry Kaitō Kid was terrifying.