Nie Junfeng's composure nearly cracked again.
[Hahaha! The Patriarch just unleashed a preemptive Poison Milk!]
[Liu Shanhe: I never imagined our Pursuit Team's greatest enemy wouldn't be Cifera, but my own wretched disciple!]
[It's hilarious, but you can't blame the Patriarch for this. Old Liu was just gambling. Everyone knows that if Cifera could be stopped so easily, she wouldn't be Cifera.]
On the screen, Liu Shanhe issued further instructions with an impassive expression, clearly having anticipated this outcome:
"The plan has failed. Team members on stage, please move to your new defensive positions as indicated on your phones. Raise the alert level to maximum.
"Next, I'll deploy a fleet of professional drones to conduct an aerial retrieval of the jewels. Until they arrive, maintain strict surveillance over all the jewels—they must not leave our sight!
"If you observe any attempts to move them toward windows or any other exits, immediately intervene!"
"As expected of Master! He's handling this with remarkable composure!" Nie Junfeng nodded excitedly.
"Once the drones arrive, we can begin retrieving the jewels! Until then, all we need to do is keep a close eye on them."
Host Qiu Qiu couldn't resist asking:
"But Contestant Cifera certainly won't sit idly by. Perhaps she'll appear in the next moment to take the Starry Light away?"
"That's possible, but how could she take it? Would she pass through the glass ceiling like the mist, grab the Starry Light, and then pass through the ceiling again to escape?"
Nie Junfeng shook his head, his face conveying disbelief.
"Clearly, that's impossible."
However, the moment he finished speaking, a new development unfolded in the venue.
From within the Moonlight Mist suspended beneath the dome, an exquisitely graceful figure slowly materialized and descended!
Appearing before everyone's eyes in a manner defying all logic.
The crowd recognized the figure instantly, but it wasn't Cifera. Instead, it was—
"Aya!"
Like a lunar goddess, she hovered within the ethereal mist high above, her gown swaying without wind and golden hair flowing like liquid light. Her expression was both compassionate and divine as she gazed down upon the assembled crowd below.
The audience in the venue and the viewers in the live stream were stunned!
Aya?!
How could she be there?
Shouldn't she be seated in the models' section?
Many in the venue, including Liu Shanhe and the Pursuit Team members, instinctively glanced toward Aya's original seat—
Empty!
So the figure in the sky... was truly Aya herself?!
But how could this be possible?!
Putting aside the question of why she appeared there in the first place, the way she materialized defied all scientific explanation!
Could she not be from Earth, but a true goddess from the starry cosmos?
Of course, not everyone succumbed to such irrationality. In the minds of Liu Shanhe and the Pursuit Team members, the first possibility that sprang to mind was:
Cifera's 5D holographic projection technology!
This wasn't the real Aya at all!
Nie Bing immediately rushed to the models' seating area, urgently shouting:
"Where's Aya?"
A model pointed vaguely upward.
"Isn't she right there...?"
"Stop joking around! Does anyone know where Aya went?" Nie Bing's voice dripped with exasperation.
"I know! She said she was going to the restroom," Xiao Wen, another model, raised her hand.
Hearing this, Nie Bing didn't hesitate. She bolted toward the restroom.
Finding "Aya" would prove that the figure in the sky was merely a projection orchestrated by Cifera.
However, before Nie Bing could take more than a few steps, the audience erupted into renewed commotion!
High above, the "Aya" in the sky's face, that divine expression, melted away like ice and snow, morphing into something else.
The corners of her mouth slowly curled into a familiar, mischievous, and slightly cynical smile...
This smile was instantly recognizable to anyone who had watched the show!
"Little Bingbing, what are you looking for? Sister Aya is right here, isn't she?"
The "Aya" in the sky gazed down at Nie Bing below and spoke, her voice resonating through the venue's sound system.
Nie Bing immediately froze, looking up with an expression that seemed to say, "Just as I suspected."
Without a doubt, this airborne "Aya" was not the real Aya, but a 5D holographic projection created by Cifera!
Apart from the voice, her expressions and tone were unmistakably Cifera herself.
In the next instant, as if by magic, a deep, seemingly tangible "night sky" descended from the Moonlight Mist above the projected "Aya," instantly enveloping her entirely!
The "night sky" vanished in a flash!
Where "Aya" had stood moments before, her figure was gone.
In her place stood a figure all too familiar—and infuriating—to the Pursuit Team:
Dressed in a sleek, sexy black cat-themed stealth suit, her movements agile and graceful, a mischievous grin playing on her lips—
The Kitty Phantom Thief, Cifera!
"Meow~!"
Cifera's true voice echoed across the arena:
"For this Starlight Rendezvous, the Kitty Phantom Thief has arrived as promised~!"
Boom!
The arena erupted into pandemonium once more!
The Cat Fans, in particular, were delirious with excitement, shouting wildly:
"Aaaah! Cifera! You're finally here!!!"
"Cifera! I love you!!!"
"It's magic time! Hurry up and make the Starry Light disappear!!!"
"Cifera, you little rascal! You didn't even say hello to Aya before using her model for your grand entrance!"
"This ticket was worth it! Finally, I get to witness Cifera's miraculous moment live!"
Seeing the Cat Fans on-site popping champagne as if Cifera had already successfully stolen the Starry Light, the Pursuit Team and Security Personnel felt both amused and exasperated.
Liu Shanhe spoke sternly over the comms channel:
"Everyone, remain calm. It's clear that the shimmering mist above and this 'Cifera' are both created using 5D holographic projection technology.
"Cifera intends to use these projections to divert our attention. She has undoubtedly already infiltrated the crowd, possibly even disguised as one of us.
"From now on, we must be even more vigilant! Report any unfamiliar faces or unusual movements immediately, no matter how improbable they seem!"
Having learned from past mistakes, Liu Shanhe had prepared countermeasures for this very scenario.
Before the operation began, every Pursuer and Security Personnel member on the top floor had been thoroughly briefed, ensuring everyone was familiar with each other's faces and names.
Their assigned positions and missions were also documented and shared across the System, allowing instant updates on any personnel shifts.
This was a calculated strategy, and Liu Shanhe wasn't worried about Cifera eavesdropping.
However, just as he finished speaking, the holographic projection of Cifera above him turned to face him and smiled.
"Old Liu, are you worried I'm playing double agent again?" Cifera chuckled. "Relax, I'm here openly and legitimately this time. What you're seeing isn't a projection; it's the real deal—the genuine article, Cifera herself~"
I wouldn't believe a single word from you, you little snake! Liu Shanhe thought darkly, deciding to ignore her and instead call to expedite the drone's arrival.
"It seems you don't trust me, Old Liu. Very well, I'll prove it to you myself."
With a snap of her fingers, the Moonlight Mist suddenly surged forward as if following a command, coalescing beneath Cifera's feet into a tangible staircase of moonlight.
The staircase extended downward, step by step, until it reached the foot of the most brilliant "Starry Light" in the sky.
It appeared that Cifera could simply descend the staircase and claim the Starry Light effortlessly.
"A truly spectacular display of holographic projection technology, but you can't fool me. Save your energy," Liu Shanhe scoffed, shaking his head. He refused to believe Cifera could simply walk down and take the Starry Light.
Yet what followed completely shattered Liu Shanhe's composure, leaving him utterly speechless.