Broadcast Studio
Nie Junfeng had also witnessed Cifera's sinister smile just moments ago.
That woman is definitely plotting something against Little Bingbing!
But what exactly is it?!
Like the audience—no, even more invested than they were—Nie Junfeng's fists were clenched tightly.
"Inspector Nie, the Bullet Comments are convinced that Contestant Cifera is planning something harmful to Officer Nie Bing. What are your thoughts on this?"
"Heh, this is just a variety show, after all. Everyone's being a bit too worried. All the contestants' actions are within the rules, and the Production Team will immediately intervene if any rule-breaking behavior occurs."
You're the one who's most worried, aren't you? Yet you can still say others are being overly concerned with such a straight face. No wonder you're an elite member of the Police Force—your composure is truly remarkable.
After silently rolling her eyes at Nie Junfeng's response, Host Qiu Qiu continued:
"Indeed. It seems our viewers are deeply invested, truly seeing Contestant Cifera as a genuine criminal."
"One more question, Inspector Nie. What do you think Contestant Cifera is really up to?"
"Hmm, I can't predict her exact moves. Logically, if she intended to continue deceiving us, she wouldn't have voluntarily requested Police Officer Nie Bing's supervision.
"The only explanation is that she's confident she can secretly transmit information to her teammates even under Officer Nie Bing's watchful eye. But I find that highly unlikely.
"Therefore, I believe her plan isn't to maintain the deception. Rather, she realizes her true identity can't remain hidden much longer and has decided to reveal herself outright.
"As a contestant specializing in disguising herself as an expert from the Pursuit Team, her style is undoubtedly bold and confident. She needs a witness for this staged reveal.
"And Officer Nie Bing was chosen precisely because, given the current circumstances, only a fellow computer expert like her is best suited to return to the base."
Seeing Nie Junfeng once again doubting Cifera, the bullet comments immediately flooded the screen: "Face-slap alert!" and "Cifera's got this!"
There was no way around it. Every time Nie Junfeng confidently declared that Cifera couldn't do something, he ended up being proven wrong.
Now, viewers eagerly awaited his next prediction, eager to see if the "Poison Milk" curse would strike again.
Some netizens had even started calling him the "Poison Milk Inspector."
Before the show began, no one could have imagined that a commentary guest would become more popular than most contestants and members of the Expert Team combined.
Nie Junfeng could see the Bullet Comments mocking him in the live stream. To be honest, he was quite frustrated. His analyses were always based on logic and evidence, but Cifera stubbornly refused to play by the rules!
Yet he couldn't possibly abandon logical reasoning in his predictions.
If his analysis was correct, viewers would simply say, "Well, duh."
If he was wrong, they'd erupt in laughter: "The Poison Milk Inspector strikes again! Hahaha!"
This put him in an incredibly frustrating position!
Just then, the live stream showed Cifera making a new move.
She began wandering around the base, searching high and low, and soon gathered several items:
Rope, scissors, tape, scraps of fabric, and a large watermelon from the refrigerator!
The bullet comments erupted with existential questions:
[What exactly is Cifera up to? I have a bad feeling she's about to do something terrible to Goddess Nie Bing!]
[I recognize the first few items—they're all for tying someone up. But what's with the giant watermelon?]
[Hey, Mr. Know-It-All upstairs, how do you know so much? You seem pretty sus yourself...]
[Watch enough action movies, and you'll figure it out too.]
[Shouldn't it be cop shows instead?]
[Because cop shows don't have romance.]
[But cop shows have gunfights!]
[Hold on, what are you guys even talking about anymore?]
Ignoring the increasingly abstract bullet comments, Cifera's "treasure hunt" continued. She reached the third floor, where the Expert Team members were housed.
Using the nameplates, Cifera located Wang Lei and Liu Shanhe's dormitory.
She tried the doorknob, but it wouldn't turn—the door was locked.
Without hesitation, Cifera pulled a slender metal rod from a small pouch at her waist. She inserted it into the lock, and with a click after only a few seconds, the door swung open.
"That's a lock pick. Its curved or hooked tip is used to manipulate the pins or tumblers inside the lock core. It's one of the most common tools used by thieves, especially effective against ordinary door locks and padlocks."
Nie Junfeng watched as Cifera finally revealed her true "criminal" nature and began her theft. He straightened up in his seat and began explaining:
"Contestant Cifera is clearly about to reveal her hand, just as I predicted. She's preparing to steal items from the Expert Team members before she leaves to earn points.
"As for the earlier rope and other materials, she intends to use them to deal with Police Officer Nie Bing.
"Although contestants can't actually commit acts of violence on the show, if Contestant Cifera can convincingly simulate having Nie Bing under control, the rules dictate that Nie Bing must cooperate with the act.
"Controlling her opponent and then using them as a Witness for her showdown ceremony perfectly aligns with my earlier predictions about Cifera's plan!"
There was one more thing Nie Junfeng didn't say: This time, I absolutely won't be proven wrong again.
I didn't say it outright, just wanted to save face for the online skeptics.
"Indeed, it seems Inspector Nie has truly seen through Contestant Cifera's plan. However, one question remains: many Bullet Comments are asking, why did Contestant Cifera specifically choose a watermelon?
"Is there any logical connection between a watermelon and controlling Police Officer Nie Bing?"
Hearing Host Qiu Qiu's words, Nie Junfeng's expression darkened as a possibility struck him:
"If I'm correct, Contestant Cifera intended to simulate knocking Police Officer Nie Bing unconscious with the watermelon. Given its size, a single blow would have been enough to incapacitate her.
"Since Police Officer Nie Bing is exceptionally skilled and has greater resilience to physical trauma than the average person, Contestant Cifera would have found it nearly impossible to ambush her using ordinary punches or kicks alone."
"Whoa, that's brutal! The criminal Contestant Cifera is portraying is truly ruthless!"
Host Qiu Qiu imagined the scene:
Nie Bing arrives on the second floor, finding no sign of Cifera. Suddenly, a whistling sound pierces the air behind her!
A massive watermelon smashes into Officer Nie Bing's head with a resounding "splat!" Red and white... watermelon pulp splatters across the floor.
Caught completely off guard, Officer Nie Bing collapses instantly, unconscious.
Then Cifera emerges from the shadows with a sinister grin, a length of hemp rope in her hand. She cackles, "Welcome back, Officer Nie Bing. Heh heh heh~"
Thinking this, Host Qiu Qiu hastily shook her head, trying to banish the terrifying image from her mind.
It's all fake. Cifera is so adorable! How could she ever be so frightening?!
Just then, Cifera emerged from the dormitory, locked the door behind her, and headed straight downstairs, showing no intention of entering any other rooms.
"She came out so quickly? Did she steal anything while she was inside?" Host Qiu Qiu had been distracted earlier and missed what Cifera had been doing, so she turned to Nie Junfeng for answers.
"She only opened a luggage bag and searched through it, but I didn't see her take anything."
To be honest, Nie Junfeng was equally puzzled.
Cifera had sneaked into Wang Lei and Liu Shanhe's dormitory with a clear purpose, yet she left empty-handed, looking utterly satisfied.
There must be something fishy going on!
At that moment, the live stream screen split into two.
One side showed Cifera returning to the second floor, while the other showed Nie Bing arriving back at the base, standing at the entrance.
Finally, the screen merged into a single frame:
Cifera's silhouette stood in the shadows of the balcony, waving down to Nie Bing, who stood below in the sunlight, gazing up at her.
Dark and light, yin and yang, the contrasting shadows and sunlight instantly created a palpable tension.
The scene felt incredibly cinematic, as if signaling to the audience that a showdown between good and evil was about to begin.