While everyone was puzzled by Cifera's unexpected move, the fact that Nie Bing and the others didn't intervene suggested there must be a reason behind it.
Thus, everyone continued to watch intently.
The One-Eyed Cat Coin soared through the air, reaching its apex before plummeting back down.
Cifer timed his move perfectly, reaching out to catch it. But whether due to nerves or lack of skill, she nearly missed the catch.
The near miss startled the entire crowd, who feared this unreliable figure might botch the whole operation.
However, when he finally secured the coin, a suppressed ripple of amusement swept through the Press Conference. Many were clearly entertained by Cifer's clumsy performance.
The live stream erupted with "Starry Mole" Bullet Comments, mocking Cifer suggesting he was secretly protecting Lei Gang—even if this Lei Gang might be a fake.
Lei Gang, already in a foul mood, now turned even paler, his face ashen with anger.
Seeing his subordinate's utter incompetence, especially in front of President Li Zhanting, made the head of the Security Department want to sink through the floor in shame. He gnashed his teeth in fury at whoever had shoved "Cifer" into the department.
Li Zhanting's brow furrowed deeply, clearly displeased with "Cifer's" performance. Liu Ruyan had rarely visited the company lately, and witnessing such a low-quality security employee under his management couldn't help but leave a negative impression.
"It seems I've been too lenient with Lei Gang..." Li Zhanting mused internally, already resolving to thoroughly overhaul the Security Department's personnel management in the near future.
Having narrowly avoided a mistake, "Cifer" seemed even more tense. Taking a deep breath, he carefully placed the One-Eyed Cat Coin on the ground.
He retreated a few steps, and then an astonishing sight unfolded!
The blue-black single eye on the coin suddenly lit up with a soft yet distinct glow!
The light rapidly expanded, intertwined, and solidified into a shape... In the blink of an eye, a clear, vivid, and lifelike holographic projection of "Cifera" materialized above the coin—indistinguishable from the real woman.
She wore her signature black hooded bodysuit, topped with a pair of fluffy cat ears. Behind her, a tricolor cat tail swayed gently, and a mischievous, cat-like smile played on her lips, as if she were about to speak.
Whoosh—!!!
The press conference hall and the live stream exploded with the reality-defying black technology. Gasps of astonishment nearly lifted the roof.
[Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit! This is true black tech!]
[The hologram is too realistic! This projection tech is god-tier!]
[Brothers, I have a bold idea!]
[Upstairs, say no more. My second brother supports your idea!]
[This is solid proof now, right? What else can Big Pecs Cifera say?]
At that moment, "Cifer" turned his back to the camera again, and Police Officer Nie Bing's voice-over chimed in, tinged with regret:
"As you can see, we've discovered the activation method for the projector and successfully projected Cifera's image.
"However, this is as far as we can go for now. We're unable to control the projection's movements or voice. It's likely the control device remains in Cifera's possession."
At this point, "Nie Bing" shifted her tone:
"But this is already enough to prove that what Minister Lei found was indeed a 5D holographic projector, and the Cifera who appeared on stage earlier was just a false image. The stage surveillance footage I've been playing is the real one!"
"Minister Lei, what do you think?"
Faced with Nie Bing's irrefutable evidence, Lei Gang's face turned ashen, his lips trembling. Yet he refused to give up:
"No... I am the real Lei Gang, so this must be fake!
"That's it! This isn't a projection at all! It's the real Cifera herself! You're all conspiring to trick me, deliberately making me look foolish..."
Before he could finish, "Nie Bing" cut him off:
"It seems Minister Lei still refuses to believe. Then let's complete the final step of this demonstration."
On the screen, "Cifer" glanced at the camera with a look of reckless determination. He took a deep breath, then charged straight toward the seemingly lifelike "Cifera"!
Under the breathless gaze of the audience, "Cifer's" body passed completely through "Cifera" without resistance!
The latter flickered like a ripple in water before returning to its original form, while "Cifer," having exerted too much force, staggered several steps before regaining his balance.
Live broadcast!
Physical penetration!
Ironclad evidence!
This could not possibly be a real person!
Hiss—!
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the press conference venue as all lingering doubts shattered.
At that very moment, a female Pursuer entered the hall, escorting a young woman dressed as a reporter.
Those who had seen the surveillance footage immediately recognized the journalist as Chen Luo, whom they suspected had been disguised as Cifera.
Despite the intense scrutiny, Chen Luo showed no signs of stage fright. Instead, she looked around excitedly, her face beaming.
The Pursuer led Chen Luo to Liu Shanhe's side and announced clearly for all to hear:
"Reporting, Old Liu!
"We found this reporter, Chen Luo, inside a stall in the women's restroom on the first floor."
"After questioning, she admitted that Cifera had used a simulated stunning technique to subdue her in the women's restroom. She remained trapped in a stall until we found her.
"Cifera stole her Reporter ID and equipment bag, and personally told her that she intended to impersonate her to infiltrate the Press Conference."
This revelation, like the final hammer blow, completely validated the authenticity of the videos "Nie Bing" had presented earlier.
Liu Shanhe's gaze burned like twin torches as he stared at Lei Gang, whose face had turned ashen and body stiffened. A complex smile played across Liu Shanhe's face, one that mixed the satisfaction of uncovering the truth with pity and triumph.
"Nie Bing's deduction was spot-on, Cifera. You really did disguise yourself as reporter Chen Luo to infiltrate the Press Conference.
"Following this logic, when the time was right, you, still disguised as 'Reporter Chen Luo,' re-entered the women's restroom and emerged in the darkness as 'Minister Lei.'
"Then, leveraging your Minister Lei identity, you secretly positioned the '5D holographic projector' onstage. Combined with the spotlight's dramatic effect, this allowed the fake 'Cifera' to make her grand entrance.
"Finally, posing as Minister Lei, you performed a dazzling, ambidextrous spectacle, manipulating both your real self and the black technology projection of 'Cifera' in a synchronized performance."
"At this point, no one could possibly suspect that Minister Lei, who had just been thoroughly outplayed by 'Cifera,' was actually you, Cifera, in disguise.
"Though I'm not sure how you prevented the real Minister Lei from appearing...
"But I imagine your plan was to continue posing as him until the Starry Auction began tonight, then steal the Starry Light as an inside agent, without anyone noticing?"
Watching "Lei Gang"'s increasingly strained expression, Liu Shanhe shook his head and spoke with the patient tone of an elder advising a younger person:
"This time, your meticulously crafted scheme fell apart because of one oversight. You didn't anticipate Police Officer Nie Bing's astonishingly rapid progress in hacking skills, allowing her to crack your carefully constructed deception so quickly, did you?
"I know you're feeling deeply frustrated and find it hard to accept this failure.
"But Cifera... no one's life is ever a smooth, uninterrupted success. Even the most brilliant geniuses face setbacks.
"You're still young and impetuous. A single defeat isn't necessarily a bad thing—consider it a hard-earned lesson."
Concluding his remarks, Liu Shanhe stepped forward, his voice ringing with undeniable authority:
"Now, do you have anything else to say? Admit defeat, Contestant Cifera."