The pursuit operation resumed.
Using the intelligence provided by Cifera, the Pursuit Team quickly pinpointed the contestants' location again.
The contestants hadn't moved far from their last known position, proving they hadn't been fleeing at all during the Pursuit Team's rest period—
They were resting too!
After drawing this conclusion, the Pursuit Team members were now 100% certain that their intelligence had been leaked.
Clearly, unless they could find the source of the leak, they would be locked in a protracted tug-of-war with the contestants, each side waiting for the other's stamina to give out.
Though they had the advantage in numbers and strength, this method of capture was deeply frustrating.
The optimal solution remained: to unmask the mastermind pulling the strings!
Before that, however, they needed to completely clear Cifera of suspicion. Otherwise, their team would never truly unite.
It wasn't that they distrusted Cifera, but rather that Cifera herself might be emotionally compromised.
However, her innocence would soon be proven.
Shortly afterward.
Feng Chiyu, Zhang Hong, and Lin Zhiyuan once again arrived at an empty location. Clearly, the contestants had received advance warning and fled again.
Lin Zhiyuan joined Zhang Hong's team after Nie Bing left their group.
After all, he wasn't a professional criminal investigator and wasn't suited for solo operations.
The trio wasn't surprised by the players' escape; instead, their faces lit up with triumphant joy.
According to their agreement, Nie Bing would notify them if she detected any leaks from Cifera. The players had fled early, but they hadn't received any word from her.
This was enough to prove Cifera's innocence.
However, Lin Zhiyuan remained cautious and decided to proactively confirm with Nie Bing via voice channel.
"Officer Nie, the players have escaped us again. What's your status over there...?"
Before he could finish, "Nie Bing" interrupted him abruptly:
"I can confirm unequivocally that Cifera could never be the mole! It's that simple!
"Unless it's urgent, don't bother me again. I need to focus on admiring Cifera's flawless gameplay."
Hearing the fervor in "Nie Bing's" voice, the three men instantly recalled the scene at the base where she had slammed her fist against the wall, vowing to kill Contestant Zhiyin.
Interrupting her in this frenzied state would likely earn them a beating when they met again.
Though they didn't realize it was Cifera speaking earlier, they weren't wrong: Nie Bing was indeed riding a wave of intense excitement.
Watching Cifera simultaneously execute a dizzying array of complex operations on the technical console, Nie Bing marveled at her effortless grace and composure, despite the immense workload. In the realm of technology, Nie Bing genuinely admired her.
Before meeting Cifera today, Nie Bing had always believed that while she might not be the absolute pinnacle of computer technology, she was certainly among the elite. But after witnessing Cifera's skills firsthand, she became utterly convinced that no one in the world could match Cifera's level of expertise.
In the field of computer technology, Cifera reigned as the sole true deity, surpassing all other masters.
To be able to learn from such a divine being—a privilege countless others would envy beyond measure.
This realization deepened Nie Bing's gratitude to Cifera for allowing her to open her eyes while still in a semiconscious state.
"Cifera is truly too kind," she murmured. "If only she were an official member of the Expert Team... what a waste..."
Clearly, Nie Bing believed that this fleeting moment, where she could observe Cifera's operations up close, might be her only chance.
Once Cifera's true identity was exposed, she would no longer be able to effortlessly manipulate the public security system to gather intelligence. Facing relentless pursuit, she would inevitably be captured and eliminated.
One could imagine the other Pursuers, upon learning Cifera's true identity, would redouble their efforts to bring her to justice. After all, their pride was at stake—these proud men would never tolerate being outwitted.
Initially, Nie Bing herself had been furious upon discovering the truth. But after witnessing Cifera's skills firsthand, she had become completely enamored with her. Once the "fan filter" kicks in, everything your idol does seems brilliant, and Cifera's technical prowess was truly extraordinary!
The Director precisely captured Nie Bing's fangirl expression, prompting a flood of Bullet Comments in the live stream:
[Holy crap, is that really our ice-cold police beauty? Her pupils are practically sparkling!]
[I think Goddess Nie Bing has completely forgotten that Cifera is the contestant she's supposed to be arresting.]
["About That Time My Idol Turned Out to Be the Person I'm Supposed to Arrest"]
[She's finally achieved her dream of "star chasing"... literally!]
[To be fair, that typing speed is worth admiring. I can barely keep up with my keyboard!]
[Multi-screen operation + blind coding + precise identification of minute details in surveillance footage—this level of skill could win a grand slam in the esports world!]
[That's why I totally get Goddess Nie Bing. Who wouldn't be awestruck by Cifera's skills? I'm practically kneeling as I watch!]
[You're all talking about her tech, but all I can say is... I'm shipping it!]
[Me too! Director, please don't cut the camera! I could watch them interact like this for a hundred years!]
[What should we call this ship?]
[How dare you ship them with Eldest Daughter Nie before asking the Nie Family Patriarch!]
[Patriarch: My face hurts, please don't @ me...]
Meanwhile, Liu Shanhe's team had also come up empty. He had overheard Lin Zhiyuan's conversation with "Nie Bing" earlier, but forbidding them from speaking in the voice channel was impossible.
To avoid disrupting Little Bingbing's technical studies, he simply kicked her out of the voice channel and said:
"Cifera, please put on your headphones. Little Bingbing gets so temperamental when she's focused. It's best to let her watch quietly for now."
Cifera glanced playfully at Nie Bing and smiled. "No problem. I've been wearing my headphones the whole time. I won't disturb Little Bingbing."
"Thank you, Cifera. You're such an understanding girl."
After a pause, Liu Shanhe turned serious:
"Now that Cifera's suspicions have been completely cleared, we can almost confirm the true mastermind: the hidden Grandchild of the Phantom Thief.
"From now on, we'll continue our strategy as before, just wearing these contestants down."
"At the same time, remain vigilant for suspicious individuals monitoring or tailing us. If detected, we are authorized to apprehend them under the show's rules.
"Anyone assisting the contestants will be considered a participant in the show and treated as accomplices to the criminals!
"Cifera, your upcoming tasks will be more demanding. As you control the surveillance systems, you'll be our primary asset in identifying suspicious individuals in the area. But with great power comes great responsibility. I trust you're up to the task, right?"
"No problem. I can't guarantee I'll find them, but I'll give it my all."
"Excellent! With your assurance, Cifera, I feel much more confident.
"Finally, I must remind everyone again: the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief is no ordinary opponent. It's only a matter of time before the other contestants are captured, but this enigmatic mastermind is full of tricks and likely has hidden cards up his sleeve.
"Everyone must stay on high alert! Understand?"
"Understood!"
After the call ended, Wang Lei casually approached Liu Shanhe and whispered:
"Old Liu, believe it or not, I've actually spotted a suspicious person nearby."
"What? Impressive, Teacher Wang Lei!"
Liu Shanhe accepted this without suspicion, choosing to trust Wang Lei.
After all, that's how investigations often go. Critical leads often don't come from the investigators themselves, but from a casual remark by an outsider.
Of course, Liu Shanhe wasn't trying to belittle Wang Lei. It's just that, in the eyes of professional investigators, Wang Lei was no different from any other bystander.
"Where is he? Is he watching us?"
"He's in the small park nearby. I'm not sure if he's seen us—when I spotted him, he was facing away from us."
"And what makes him suspicious?"
"He's dressed in a full black tuxedo, completely out of place in this setting... You'll understand when you see him."
"Alright."
With that, Liu Shanhe silently issued orders to the other Pursuers.
In an instant, the team dispersed, fanning out to surround the park.
"Teacher Wang Lei, let's go take a look ourselves."
Just then, the live stream suddenly cut away.
The viewers, who had been eagerly anticipating what suspicious person Teacher Wang Lei had found, were left dumbfounded.
Has the Director lost his mind?
But when they saw the figure in the formal black suit appear on screen, they couldn't contain their excitement.
This Director is the real MVP! We viewers are just riding the wave to victory!