Ten minutes earlier.
One of the ten contestants, the popular young idol "Zhiyin" known for his love of overalls, was sitting in a café enjoying soft music and aromatic coffee.
Relying on Cifera's promise, he hadn't immediately sought out a target for theft. Instead, he waited for instructions while scrolling through the bullet comments in his live stream on his phone.
Compared to Cipher's live stream, which boasted millions of viewers, Zhiyin's stream looked paltry with fewer than 100,000 viewers.
Though these celebrity influencers often boasted tens of millions of followers on Weibo, their actual active fanbase rarely exceeded tens of thousands.
Due to the live stream's restrictions, Zhiyin couldn't gather any information about Cifera or the Pursuit Team from his fans.
[Brother Zhiyin, stop waiting. Who knows if that woman is just playing us? Maybe she's just trying to disrupt her competitors' plans.]
[Exactly! Stealing intel from the Pursuit Team can't be that easy. Instead of wasting time waiting, you should seize this opportunity to take the top spot!]
[That's right! You can do it, Brother Zhiyin! We'll rely on ourselves!]
[Brother, you're such a coward! Your fans are cheering you on—what are you waiting for? Just go for it!]
[Is Brother Zhiyin even a man? Are you really a man?!]
[Genuine question: Is it customary for Brother Zhiyin to act like a chicken during his first live stream?]
[LOL! Brother Zhiyin's live stream is hilarious as expected! It's a completely different vibe compared to other streams.]
To be honest, Zhiyin was completely unfazed by the bullet comments from haters and sarcastic trolls.
He'd been in the industry for years and had long grown accustomed to being a meme. After all, being "blacklisted-famous" still counts as being famous, right?
Zhiyin shot to internet stardom with his song "Zhiyin, You're Too Beautiful," becoming a regular in the Remix Zone of various video platforms.
Even years later, the song remained a timeless classic, constantly being remixed and reimagined by creators.
Yet Zhiyin still harbored ambition. He genuinely wanted to create the music he loved, even if most people didn't understand it. He firmly believed his music was the coolest out there!
It was the same reason he thought he was a decent basketball player, yet netizens relentlessly criticized him for it.
Zhiyin could ignore the opinions of his haters, but he couldn't afford to disregard his genuine fans.
Without their support, his music career would truly collapse.
As more and more fans urged him to take initiative, the scales in his heart began to sway back and forth.
On one hand, he had joined the show to ride its popularity and attract new fans.
But he couldn't afford to put the cart before the horse, picking up sesame seeds while losing watermelons—his old fans' opinions mattered deeply.
On the other hand, this was the world's most popular program. A strong performance here could genuinely draw in a massive influx of new fans.
And Cifera clearly possessed genuine talent; following her lead should yield impressive results.
Just as Zhiyin was agonizing over his decision, a single Carnival gift from a mysterious top supporter shattered the scales in his heart!
A bullet comment from a mysterious Top Supporter Sister flashed across his screen:
[Little Zhiyin, this Carnival is just a welcome gift. As long as you ignore that Cifera woman's instructions and strike out on your own, I'll definitely send you nine more Carnivals after you successfully steal the treasure. My word is my bond!]
"Thank you, Top Supporter Sister, for your generous support! Little Zhiyin has received everyone's kind intentions!
"To meet your expectations, let's officially get started now!"
Although ten Carnivals only amounted to less than 30,000 yuan in his pocket—not a huge sum for Zhiyin—he couldn't afford to disappoint his loyal fans at this crucial moment. He had no choice but to act.
Then again, did he really need Cifera's intel to succeed?
Hadn't he ever seen a pig run even if he hadn't tasted pork?
Places with strong security like banks and jewelry stores were obviously impossible targets. But by targeting easier marks—petty thieves, random acts of opportunity—the odds of success remained high.
With that thought, Zhiyin left the café and began searching for a suitable target.
Meanwhile, in a bustling shopping district, a middle-aged woman dressed head-to-toe in designer brands sat at an outdoor tea shop table, watching live streams on her phone and tablet.
She was none other than Liu Ruyan, the Top Supporter Sister who had gifted Zhiyin a Carnival earlier.
This was also the woman who had blindly supported Night Shadow in the official live stream, constantly disparaging Cifera and earning herself the "madwoman" label in the Bullet Comments.
Just as men of all ages are drawn to 18-year-old girls, Liu Ruyan, though in her forties, harbored a heart yearning for the warmth of a young, fresh-faced boy.
As a wealthy patron, she loved showering gifts on handsome young streamer boys who caught her eye, making them obey her every whim and reveling in the thrill of being called "Big Sister."
Today, however, she was deeply frustrated. Night Shadow, the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, the latest young man to catch her eye, had completely ignored her gifts and messages.
But that wasn't even the worst part. The real blow came when Night Shadow actually capitulated to Cifera, even calling her "Big Sister" with genuine admiration!
I'm the one who should be your "Big Sister"!
Enraged, she immediately abandoned Night Shadow and switched her support to another young man, Zhiyin.
Then, when she discovered that Zhiyin had also taken Cifera's advice and was planning to follow her strategy, it struck her like a thunderbolt.
In her eyes, Cifera was not only young and beautiful but also incredibly talented, with a bright future stretching before her...
If it hadn't been for that terrifying incident in her childhood, I should have been just like Cifera!
But now, though she possessed inexhaustible wealth, she was past middle age, her beauty faded, her figure gone to ruin, childless, and her elderly millionaire husband long deceased.
Every day she returned to a home filled only with emptiness, loneliness, and cold.
This is so unfair!
She didn't harbor much hatred for Cifera, but driven by a complex mix of resentment, envy, and pain, she couldn't bear to see Cifera's plans succeed.
Thus, she had used the gift to manipulate Zhiyin into breaking his promise to Cifera, and now she had succeeded.
Watching Zhiyin leave to search for his target on the tablet screen, and Cifera successfully deceiving all the members of the Expert Team on her phone screen, Liu Ruyan smirked triumphantly.
Hmph, laugh now, Cifera. Next, you'll have to wrest control of the tech console from Nie Bing. And before that even happens, Zhiyin will likely trigger the report.
Even if you manage to stay in the office, Nie Bing, as the technician, will definitely be there, watching your every move and scrutinizing how you plan to execute your scheme!
As Liu Ruyan eagerly anticipated Cifera's impending humiliation, she remained blissfully unaware that two pairs of cold, calculating eyes were already fixed on her from behind.
On Liu Ruyan's tablet screen:
Zhiyin had arrived near a public basketball court, where several seven- or eight-year-old boys were playing.
One boy's basketball immediately caught Zhiyin's attention.
The reason was simple: the ball featured a glowing cartoon chicken with a distinctive middle-parted hairstyle.
With each bounce, it emitted a peculiar "Zhiyin... Zhiyin..." sound.
This was one of the meme-inspired basketball brands that had surged in popularity after Zhiyin's internet fame exploded.
The price was steep, at least a thousand yuan. Yet surprisingly, quite a few people had actually bought one...
"Damn my dark history, I've finally caught you...
"Your basketball... I'm taking it!"
A cold glint flashed in Zhiyin's eyes. He donned his sunglasses, a wide grin spreading across his face, and strode confidently onto the basketball court.