Cifera gracefully descended the "Moonlight Steps," her movements light and agile. Step by step, she glided downward.
Those who remembered the content of Cifera's announcement letter couldn't help but recall its haunting lines:
"When the eighth chime echoes through the night sky,
"Eternal beauty shall break free from its contractual bonds.
"The cat's footsteps are lighter than moonlight,
"Will you join this starlit rendezvous?
Wasn't the current situation a perfect match for the letter's prophecy?
Cifera's announcement wasn't merely a declaration of her crime; she had revealed her entire method in advance!
Heavens, she's too confident, too cool!
After the initial awe, as Cifera drew closer to the Starry Light, everyone's hearts raced with rising tension.
For Cifera's supporters, this tension was laced with excitement and anticipation. They yearned to witness her once again claim the Starry Light in a dazzling manner beyond their comprehension.
Not like the Pursuit Team claims—just a diversionary projection.
For the Pursuit Team, Security Personnel, and the portion of the audience eager to see Cifera fail, the tension was a complex mix of skepticism about her theatrics and an underlying worry that she might actually succeed.
High above, Cifera seemed utterly unconcerned with what others thought. She glided down the steps with effortless grace and obvious enjoyment.
As she descended, all eyes followed her until she stopped beside the most dazzling "star"—the Starry Light. Every heart in the audience hung in suspense, and the venue fell into an unnerving silence.
Everyone understood:
Truth or lie—the moment of truth was at hand!
Cifera reached out, her fingertip drawing ever closer to the Starry Light...
Logically, the Starry Light floating in mid-air had to be real. Everyone had witnessed it break free from Earth's gravity and soar skyward.
Therefore, if Cifera were merely a projection, her fingertips could never touch the Starry Light.
But!
The reality was exactly the opposite!
With a gentle touch, Cifera's fingertip visibly pushed the hovering Starry Light back a fraction of an inch!
!!!
In an instant, everyone realized: this Cifera might not be fake after all!
Gazing down at the stunned faces below, especially those of Old Liu and the Pursuit Team members, a mischievous glint sparkled in Cifera's eyes, as if she reveled in the success of her prank.
No longer content with mere touches, she escalated the drama, as if to further taunt everyone's nerves. With a dramatic flourish, she seized the most brilliantly glowing Starry Light in her palm.
Her movements were crisp and fluid, like flowing clouds and running water!
"Everyone," Cifera declared, "this beautiful little star is mine now~ Bye-bye!"
With a playful wink and a wave to the countless stunned faces below, she turned and ascended the Moonlight Steps, her steps as light as a cat who had just snatched a treat.
Reaching the dome of the venue, she vanished without hesitation into the hazy light, disappearing completely!
"..."
A deathly silence fell over the crowd, the pent-up emotions threatening to erupt like a volcano.
Just as the anticipated roar was about to explode, a loud thump echoed through the venue's sound system, followed by Cifera's exasperated cry:
"Ouch~ I bumped my head! That really hurts, meow!"
"..."
Instantly, a mental image flashed through everyone's minds: Cifera, walking confidently through the misty light, then smacking her head against the glass dome above.
Is... is this cat trying to be funny?
Before anyone could fully react, a slender, jade-like hand suddenly emerged from the luminous mist:
"Ahahaha... My bad, my bad! I completely forgot the most crucial step~"
Cifera's voice once again resounded in everyone's ears.
As her words faded, the hand that had extended from the mist curled its fingers inward and then released them, dropping a small object before disappearing back into the luminous fog.
The object fell slower than expected, allowing Liu Shanhe and the others, equipped with night-vision goggles, to easily identify it as a "Coin of Whimsy"!
With a Newton-defying slowness, the Coin of Whimsy landed with a soft clink on the crystal tray originally occupied by the "Starry Light."
In the next instant, the other jewels that had been floating in mid-air seemed to lose their magic. They began descending slowly, at a pace similar to the Coin of Whimsy.
Their glow gradually dimmed.
As each jewel fell onto its corresponding crystal tray, its glow completely vanished.
One by one, the hall's lights flickered on, swiftly restoring the room to bright illumination.
As the lights came on, the mist hanging above the dome vanished completely.
Where Cifera had disappeared, the glass facade remained perfectly intact, but the figure of the woman and the gemstone had vanished without a trace!
Boom—!
Everyone present, both in the hall and watching the live stream, felt their scalps tingle, utterly stunned by what they had witnessed.
Was this science? Was this even logical?!
If Cifera was a projection, she couldn't have taken the Starry Light with her, nor could a Coin of Whimsy have fallen to the ground.
But if she wasn't a projection, how could she have walked on air? And how could she have vanished into thin air, through the sealed glass barrier?
It defied all explanation!
This is freaking miraculous magic!
A massive wave of noise instantly swept through the venue—cheers, gasps of awe, frantic discussions—every corner of the venue reverberating with the cacophony.
But the shock wasn't over yet!
Someone shrieked:
"Everyone, look! Cifera, she's... she's outside the dome!!!"
At the scream, everyone craned their necks to look up again—
There, outside the glass dome atop the hundreds-of-meters-tall Starry Headquarters Building, stood Cifera!
Perched near the dome's edge, she held the Starry Light up to her eyes, admiring it closely. Behind her, two pink and blue ribbons and her tricolor cat tail fluttered in the wind.
Realizing she'd been spotted, Cifera quickly tucked the Starry Light into a small pouch at her waist, then smiled and waved down at the crowd below.
BOOM—!!!
The entire venue erupted into chaos!
Even louder and more exaggerated than before, gasps, screams, and incredulous shouts nearly lifted the roof off the building!