Liu Shanhe was naturally unaware that the live stream audience was already cringing on his behalf.
He signaled Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu to keep a close eye on "Lei Gang" while he personally called the Production Team to confirm the arrest, even putting the call on speakerphone.
The reply he received was unequivocal:
"Old Liu... we... we can't confirm whether the arrest was successful... because we also can't confirm whether the Lei Gang you arrested is actually Contestant Cifera..."
"What?!"
Liu Shanhe and every member of the Pursuit Team on-site paled instantly.
"How is that possible? You have the Heaven's Eye System! No matter how Cifera disguises herself, she couldn't have evaded your surveillance, right?"
Faced with Liu Shanhe's question, the Production Team staff member's voice grew even more awkward:
"To be honest... the moment Contestant Cifera vanished from the stage, all her designated Heaven's Eye System cameras lost signal... In other words, we lost track of her position long ago..."
The Production Team's response was like another bucket of ice water, dousing the Pursuit Team's newly kindled flames of victory.
Liu Shanhe, Zhang Hong, Feng Chiyu, and Wang Lei all wore expressions of stunned disbelief—
Cifera had another trick up her sleeve!
By completely evading the Heaven's Eye surveillance, she had ensured that even if they captured "Lei Gang," they couldn't verify his authenticity through the program's rules.
While surprised by Cifera's move, none of the Expert Team members believed she intended to commit any real wrongdoing. On the contrary, they saw it as perfectly aligned with her stereotypical image: a mischievous prankster who played by her own rules!
However, remembering his earlier confident pronouncements, even Liu Shanhe couldn't help but blush.
True to his reputation as a seasoned Criminal Investigator, Liu Shanhe's shock and embarrassment lasted only a moment. He quickly regained his composure and, without hesitation, issued decisive countermeasures.
"Zhang Hong, Feng Chiyu, coordinate with the Starry Security team to bring 'Lei Gang' to a Safe House for strict confinement. Our Pursuers will take shifts guarding him, completely cutting off all possible contact with the outside world for now."
"Whether he's genuine or not, we must now treat him as a high-risk target."
"Understood!" Feng Chiyu and Zhang Hong replied in unison.
The two men then turned to Lei Gang, who looked utterly miserable. They took turns taunting him:
"Heh heh, Cifera, since you refuse to admit defeat, don't blame us for getting rough. But I'd advise you to cooperate—it'll save you a lot of pain."
"Exactly. Just be honest. After all, you're a girl. We're two big men—we can't exactly get physical with you, can we?"
Hearing them call him "Cifera" and insist he was a "girl," as if they were absolutely certain he was "Cifera," Lei Gang wanted to scream, "You fucking idiots!"
How the hell could I look like a woman?! Are you guys out of your minds?!
But he knew that even if he flew into a rage, it wouldn't change anything. They simply wouldn't believe him.
His only consolation was that Cifera wasn't a real criminal but a contestant on a reality show. The truth about Lei Gang would inevitably come to light, and he would be rescued.
Still, being so thoroughly manipulated left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Cifera!
You'd better watch out!
Even if I can't get real revenge, I'll make you pay the price!
Hmm... I'll make you work for free at the Security Department, finding vulnerabilities in my Security System! ! !
Yes! That's it!
While Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu escorted Lei Gang to the "Safe House," Liu Shanhe instructed Wang Lei:
"Wang Lei, immediately contact Nie Bing and Lin Zhiyuan. Explain the situation clearly and have them use all of Starry Building's surveillance resources to rewind and search for Minister Lei's last known location and possible whereabouts today!"
Even without immediate confirmation of Lei Gang's identity, Liu Shanhe remained firmly convinced that he was Cifera in disguise.
"Understood! I'll relay your instructions to Little Nie immediately. She must find the real Minister Lei as soon as possible—dead or... ahem! A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue!"
As Wang Lei spoke, he suddenly noticed Liu Shanhe's strange gaze and realized he had gotten too caught up in the role, almost blurting out the melodramatic line "dead or alive."
After assigning tasks to the Expert Team members, Liu Shanhe approached Li Zhanting.
With Lei Gang now a suspect, Liu Shanhe had no choice but to directly seek assistance from the Starry President to coordinate matters.
He needed to formally replace Lei Gang as the overall commander of security for tonight's charity auction, requiring a thorough understanding of every detail.
Any security vulnerabilities had to be addressed immediately!
Liu Shanhe understood that regardless of whether Lei Gang was still Cifera in disguise, since her target was the Starry Light, tonight's auction would undoubtedly be the final battlefield—failure was not an option!
Moreover, the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief was still lurking in the shadows. There was no guarantee the rogue wouldn't attempt to crash the auction as well.
Liu Shanhe hadn't forgotten about the wanted "fugitive" who had stolen a child's rocking horse. In his eyes, this individual was just as unpredictable and unorthodox as Cifera.
As the Pursuit Team sprang into action, the live stream viewers erupted into fervent debate:
[What do we do when we've apprehended someone but can't confirm their identity?]
[This seems to be a first for the show. No other region has ever faced such an awkward situation.]
[Well, Cifera's too powerful. She can even evade the Heaven's Eye System.]
[No matter how strong she is, she still got caught by the Pursuit Team, didn't she?]
[If you ask me, they should take Lei Gang for a DNA test. No matter how good the disguise is, she can't change her cellular information, right?]
[That would take all the fun out of it. This is just a show, not a real investigation. Old Liu probably considered that too.]
[So where did Cifera really hide the real Lei Gang?]
[I bet he's another Cat Fan, just like that reporter Chen Luo. He's probably cooperating with Cifera and hiding obediently.]
[Either way, there's no way for Cifera to turn the tables now!]
Just then, chaos erupted in the official live stream!
A dazzling barrage of top-tier gifts, each worth a fortune, instantly flooded the screen.
The radiant light nearly drowned out the live stream.
The sender's ID blazed prominently: "Little Ya"!
Even more shocking, after the initial gift storm, "Little Ya" used the premium high-visibility voice Bullet Comment feature.
An AI-generated little girl's voice echoed in every viewer's ears, and the words she spoke instantly ignited a firestorm in the live stream!