The live stream viewers were instantly bewildered when the camera abruptly cut to outside Nie Bing's door.
[What the heck, Director?! You get a few compliments and suddenly you think you're too good for us? No chicken drumsticks for you tonight! I mean it!]
[xactly! My second brother and I were hoping to learn photography from Cifera too.]
[We're the audience! Why are we stuck staring at the door like Lin Zhiyuan?]
[I just saw Cifera typing on her phone. Maybe this was her idea?]
Faced with the barrage of Bullet Comments, the Production Team quickly had Host Qiu Qiu step in to smooth things over:
"Everyone, let me explain. Contestant Cifera informed us earlier that she needed to change clothes in Officer Nie Bing's room. To protect the contestant's privacy, we had no choice but to switch the camera angle.
"We sincerely appreciate your understanding."
With that, Host Qiu Qiu swiftly steered the conversation toward the audience's favorite segment: grilling Inspector Nie Junfeng:
"Inspector Nie, the Expert Team has concluded that Contestant Cifera will only leave after the arrest warrant is issued, precisely as the netizen 'Little Ya' predicted. What are your thoughts on this?"
The moment Host Qiu Qiu spoke, Nie Junfeng had already braced himself for a grilling.
But he preferred sacrificing himself to letting the audience see Nie Bing being toyed with by Cifera in bed.
Little Bingbing, this is your old man's final hamon...
As a member of Gen Z, Nie Junfeng was well-versed in these decades-old anime memes.
Clearing his throat, he maintained his composure and spoke with earnest professionalism:
"Contestant Cifera's choice has indeed taken us all by surprise. I never imagined she would choose the most difficult path to escape, just as the netizen Little Ya predicted.
"As some Bullet Comments have pointed out, Cifera's decision demonstrates remarkable courage.
"However, I must emphasize that courage alone is insufficient. Without sound judgment, even Contestant Cifera is destined to fail.
"Her objective has already been exposed. No matter what methods she employs to escape, as long as the Pursuit Team maintains constant surveillance on her from this moment on, she will have nowhere to run."
"Therefore, I stand by my earlier prediction: if Contestant Cifera leaves only after the bounty is issued, she will be immediately captured and eliminated by the Pursuit Team.
"Absolutely no exceptions!"
Desperate to divert the audience's attention from Little Bingbing, Nie Junfeng deliberately amplified the power of his "Poison Milk" commentary.
Sure enough, the moment he declared "Absolutely no exceptions!" the Bullet Comments shifted dramatically. Seeing their Patriarch firing on all cylinders, members of the Nie Family rushed to his defense, flooding the chat with supportive messages.
Seeing the frenzy in the live stream's Bullet Comments, Nie Junfeng fell silent, concealing his achievements in obscurity.
Time ticked by relentlessly. Just before 8:45 PM, the door to Nie Bing's room finally opened.
Contestant Cifera emerged wearing a long, white sportswear-style coat. She had lowered her black hood, revealing a pair of twitching cat ears. The sight was utterly adorable.
[Wow, the kitty changed outfits! Now she really looks like a big white cat!]
[The more I look at those cat ears, the more real they seem. Where can I buy such high-end cat ear headwear?]
[This outfit seems a bit oversized—did she borrow it from Goddess Nie Bing? But Cifera still looks great in it!]
[The Production Team didn't lie to us, but did she really spend all that time just to put on a coat?]
[Typical girl stuff. Don't ask me how I know.]
[What are you guys even thinking right now? Did you forget what Lord Lin said? Everything Cifera does is preparation for escape. The outfit change is just a smokescreen—there's definitely something fishy going on.]
While the Bullet Comments swirled, Lin Zhiyuan immediately approached Cifera, greeting her:
"Cifera, you're finally out."
Cifera merely glanced at him before heading downstairs without another word, clearly uninterested in engaging.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm in a hurry. Don't bother me."
Cifera didn't turn around, but she finally responded, her voice tinged with impatience.
"Oh..."
Watching Cifera descend the stairs, a sharp glint flashed deep within Lin Zhiyuan's eyes, hidden behind his glasses.
-
When Lin Zhiyuan arrived on the second floor, Cifera was already seated at the technical console, focused intently on her computer.
Lin Zhiyuan nodded to the few members of the second-floor Expert Team before walking over to Cifera's side to observe.
True to her word, Cifera was photoshopping Nie Bing's picture into the group photo.
But as Lin Zhiyuan examined the photos Cifera had taken of Nie Bing, a peculiar expression crossed his face.
He found it difficult to understand how Nie Bing could have been so cooperative, even if she was merely simulating unconsciousness. If it were me, he thought, I would definitely have refused.
Is she just taking things too seriously, or is she actually enjoying this...?
Lin Zhiyuan didn't know the answer, nor was it something he should be dwelling on right now.
Pushing aside his gossip-fueled thoughts, he checked the time and said to Cifera:
"It's already 8:48. Are you really going to let us eliminate you like this?"
"..."
Cifera continued photoshopping, seemingly oblivious to his question.
"If we don't leave now, it'll be too late. Are you sure you're okay with this?" Lin Zhiyuan persisted.
"I'm in a hurry. Stop bothering me," Cifera snapped again, her tone equally impatient.
Despite being rebuffed once more, Lin Zhiyuan showed no displeasure. Instead, he smiled and said, "Alright then, I won't disturb you any further, Nie Bing."
Hearing Lin Zhiyuan suddenly mention Nie Bing's name, Cifera, who had been editing photos, froze momentarily before quickly resuming her work. This fleeting hesitation, meticulously observed by Lin Zhiyuan, betrayed her true identity.
Meanwhile, the Expert Team members who had been covertly monitoring Lin Zhiyuan and Cifera's conversation exchanged astonished glances.
Liu Shanhe shot to his feet, disbelief etched across his face. "Little Lin, are you suggesting that the 'Cifera' sitting at the technical desk is actually Nie Bing in disguise?"
"Exactly!" Lin Zhiyuan adjusted his glasses, a long-absent confident smile spreading across his face.
Anyone who had watched The Brain knew that whenever this characteristic smile appeared on Lin Zhiyuan's face, it meant he had cracked the code and found the correct answer!