"Old Liu, I've inspected all the remaining jewelry and found nothing amiss... We have no idea why they floated."
As a security fanatic, Lei Gang was deeply shaken by the theft of the Starry Light. He had immediately taken his team to investigate without waiting for Liu Shanhe's orders.
"We only found this 'Coin of Whimsy' on the original tray where the Starry Light was displayed," Lei Gang said, handing the coin to Liu Shanhe.
Liu Shanhe examined it briefly. It appeared identical to the one Cifera had left in the temporary command center, with no visible mechanisms or buttons. He promptly handed it to Nie Bing for safekeeping, as technical matters were best left to her expertise.
Nie Bing took the coin, inspected it thoroughly, and declared confidently:
"This Coin of Whimsy is identical to the one Cifera left in the temporary command center. I believe both are merely ordinary metal pendants, not the projection-capable models you saw Cifera demonstrate when I was 'knocked unconscious'."
Nie Bing chose her words carefully. Since she had been "unconscious" at the time, even though she had personally witnessed Cifera, disguised as Cifera, project the Coin of Whimsy's illusion, she couldn't say so directly. Instead, she had to phrase it as what Liu Shanhe and the others had witnessed.
For Nie Bing, there was no chance she would repeat Lin Zhiyuan's mistake.
After speaking, she glanced pointedly at Lin Zhiyuan, who offered a wry smile. He knew Nie Bing, ever the stickler for detail, was once again "grilling" him about his past blunder.
Seeing Feng Chiyu and the others struggling to suppress their amusement, Lin Zhiyuan quickly changed the subject:
"If Nie Bing's assessment is correct, it proves these ordinary Coins of Whimsy were merely a diversion Cifera used to mislead us.
"She primarily used these coins to draw our attention, masking her true methods. It's a classic magician's trickery."
Turning to Liu Shanhe, Lin Zhiyuan asked:
"Old Liu, I imagine you've already pieced together Cifera's modus operandi, haven't you?"
The elderly man nodded, his eyes twinkling with interest as he asked:
"Little Lin, why don't you share your theory with everyone? Let's see if it aligns with what this old man has in mind."
Having boosted everyone's morale, it was now time to thoroughly analyze Cifera's modus operandi, giving everyone a clearer understanding. The better they understood Cifera's methods and tactics, the greater their chances of capturing her.
"Understood, Old Liu," Lin Zhiyuan said with a slight nod, then performed his signature glasses-pushing gesture before beginning his analysis.
"First, I must clarify that I'm not familiar with the specifics of Cifera's techniques. My analysis will focus on the broader strategic perspective.
"My conclusion is this: Cifera is Aya! Aya is Cifera!
"The key to Cifera's success in stealing the Starry Light tonight lies in her ability to successfully deceive everyone by exploiting Aya's identity!"
The announcement sent shockwaves through the room. Except for Liu Shanhe, who seemed to have anticipated this revelation, the other Expert Team members—Nie Bing, Zhang Hong, Feng Chiyu, Wang Lei, and even Lei Gang—all reacted with extreme disbelief.
"What?! Miss Aya is Cifera?!"
"How is that even possible?!" Zhang Hong and Feng Chiyu nearly shouted in unison.
Wang Lei stared in stunned silence, muttering, "Holy shit!"
Lei Gang's face screamed, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"
Compared to the others, Nie Bing appeared calm, but her inner reaction was the most violent of all.
Her usually cold, composed eyes widened abruptly, the depths of her pupils seeming to undergo a silent earthquake.
Unlike the others, who remained skeptical and disbelieving, her highly trusted intuition told her that Lin Zhiyuan was likely telling the truth.
Aya... is Cifera?
The master tailor, renowned for her noble and elegant demeanor, transcendent skill, and warm, approachable manner, who had earned Nie Bing's admiration and even a hint of affection...
The "Aya" she had guarded so vigilantly, who had chatted and laughed with other models, calmly completed the runway show, and passed on the Starry Light...
Was actually... Cifera in disguise the entire time?!
An overwhelming surge of complex emotions flooded Nie Bing.
There was anger at being deceived yet again, frustration at her own failure to detect the ruse, but above all, an indescribable shock that shattered her fundamental understanding of reality.
The target she had protected for so long... was the very person she was supposed to capture?!
This is... this is just so Cifera!
The live stream's Bullet Comments section exploded instantly after Lin Zhiyuan's conclusion. While the Pursuit Team remained unaware, online discussions about whether Cifera was actually Aya had already reached a fever pitch:
[Holy shit?! No way?! Sister Aya is so gentle and elegant—how could she possibly be that mischievous, troublemaking cat?!]
[I refuse to believe it! This is slander! Sister Aya is an independent personality!]
[Double fandom ecstasy!!! Cifera is Aya! Aya is Cifera! The "Weaving Thief" CP has finally merged, and I'm ascending to heaven in a spiral explosion of joy!]
[Cifera: Bet you didn't see that coming, huh? I don't just steal things—I'm also a god-tier tailor!]
[All-rounder Cifera! Is there anything you can't do?! Trickery, Hacking Skill, voice mimicry, disguise, Parkour, cutting-edge tech... and now you've even maxed out your tailoring Skill?!]
[So that breathtaking gown that stole the show was made by Cifera herself?! I kneel, I truly kneel!]
[Is this the official confirmation?]
[Semi-official, I'd say. The Pursuit Team's experts aren't always right either. We still need to hear his full analysis.]
On screen, Liu Shanhe observed the stunned expressions of the crowd and nodded slowly, confirming Lin Zhiyuan's deduction:
"What Little Lin has said aligns with my own deductions. Continue."
Encouraged by Liu Shanhe's confirmation, Lin Zhiyuan took a deep breath and resumed his reasoning, his pace quickening but his logic remaining crystal clear:
"While I can't fully grasp the exact technological principles behind Cifera's ability to make all the jewelry levitate, there's one undeniable common thread:
"Every piece of jewelry was within Aya's reach!
"First, as the wearer of the Starry Light, she had the easiest and most legitimate access to it!
"Second, and most crucially—under the guise of adjusting the models' outfits, she altered each gown.
"During this process, she inevitably had ample opportunities to observe the jewelry up close and even, through various plausible means, intentionally or unintentionally touch each model's jewelry!
"Given Cifera's skill, it would have been entirely feasible for her to covertly tamper with the jewelry during this process—for example, by installing extremely tiny devices with magnetic or anti-gravity effects—without anyone noticing!"
"It might sound absurd, but... well, aside from Nie Bing and me, you've all witnessed Cifera's 5D projection technology. Is that any less absurd?
"When analyzing any situation, we must always assume Cifera has access to technological capabilities beyond our understanding."
Lin Zhiyuan's gaze swept across the room, watching as shock gradually transformed into deep contemplation. He continued:
"Why did Cifera choose to act during the 'Universal Convergence' phase rather than during the fashion show?
"Because while she was walking the runway as 'Aya,' she was the absolute center of attention, both for the audience and our Pursuit Team.
"At that moment, she remained under our strictest surveillance, especially Nie Bing's protection. Any attempt to act would carry immense risk.
"But once she completed the runway walk and safely placed the Starry Light onto the tray, 'Aya's' role was complete!
"She would have no further contact with the Starry Light that night. Nie Bing no longer needed to protect her, allowing her to smoothly slip away from the Pursuit Team's attention.
"She could then use this opportunity—perhaps by feigning a trip to the restroom—to vanish from sight and begin her 'theft performance.'"
Lin Zhiyuan's voice carried a hint of grudging admiration.
"Next, let's deduce the sequence of her 'performance.'"