With those words, Cifera temporarily left the Pursuit Team's voice channel and picked up her phone to make a call.
Liu Ruyan had been kidnapped to a cheap, single-story rental house in a remote corner of an urban village.
Inside the rental house, the masked kidnapper who was brutally beating Liu Ruyan was startled by the sudden ringtone of his phone. It was a popular song by a young pop idol—"Melancholy and Loneliness Together."
This volatile, masked kidnapper, much taller than his accomplice, immediately stopped beating Liu Ruyan when he saw someone was calling her.
"Gag her mouth first," he barked at his accomplice. Then, holding the phone screen up to Liu Ruyan's face, he grinned maliciously.
"Heh heh, see these words? Is this the 'dead husband' you were talking about?"
Liu Ruyan stared in disbelief at her phone screen, where the caller ID clearly displayed "Husband." She knew for a fact that no contact in her phone was labeled with those words.
What the hell is going on?!
Could it be my dead husband's ghost...?
Seeing the surprise in Liu Ruyan's eyes, the tall kidnapper became even more convinced that she had been lying to him all along.
"Heh, you thought refusing to unlock your phone would stop me from contacting your husband? Now he's calling himself—it's fate!"
With that, the tall kidnapper answered the call. A kindly, honest-sounding elderly man's voice came through the phone:
"Ruyan, you've been out all day. When are you coming home? Should I come pick you up?"
"That won't be necessary. Your Ruyan is in my hands now and won't be coming home for a while."
After the tall kidnapper spoke, there was a moment of silence on the other end before the man suddenly burst out, his voice frantic:
"Who are you? What have you done to Ruyan? Please, don't do anything rash!"
Heh, looks like this husband really cares about this bitch. There's hope for the ransom!
The tall kidnapper's excitement surged, his voice rising in pitch:
"I'm not here to waste time. Your wife is in our custody! Prepare 5 million yuan in cash immediately, or you'll be preparing her funeral!"
The moment he finished speaking, the man on the other end responded instantly:
"Absolutely no problem! Give me an hour to get it ready! But could you let me hear Ruyan's voice first?"
Holy shit! Rich people are something else—dropping five million like it's nothing!
Despite their shock, the Tall Kidnapper didn't try to raise the price further. Five million was more than enough for them.
Suppressing his excitement, the Tall Kidnapper sneered coldly. "Listen up, you old geezer! Don't try any tricks! If we catch you, your wife will pay dearly!"
"No, no, absolutely no tricks..." The voice on the other end of the line sounded utterly submissive. "I just want to confirm my wife's safety first..."
"You can speak, but only one sentence. Understand?"
"Yes, yes, I understand..."
"I'm putting you on speaker now. Hurry up and talk."
"Ruyan, are you alright? No matter how much money they want, I'll get you out of there. You need to control your temper. Money can be earned back, but life, once gone, is gone forever..."
"Alright, that's more than long enough! Shut up now. Your wife's turn."
"..."
With that, the Tall Kidnapper exchanged a look with his shorter accomplice.
"Let her say something, but don't let her scream."
As the Short Kidnapper removed the gag from Liu Ruyan's mouth, she immediately roared in fury:
"You moron! Who do you think you are, pretending to be my husband? My husband died years ago!"
"Damn, this woman's feisty! But a curse counts as a word, so that's enough out of you."
After re-gagging Liu Ruyan, the Tall Kidnapper deactivated the speakerphone and continued:
"Remember, call me in an hour. I'll tell you where to drop the money.
"If you're late, or if I find out you've contacted the police, well, you know what the consequences will be."
With that, the Tall Kidnapper hung up abruptly and turned to his accomplice, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Brother, we've hit the jackpot!"
"You bet, boss!"
As the two kidnappers gloated, Liu Ruyan fell deep into thought.
Who had made that call? And how could the caller ID show "Husband"...?
To pull off something like that, it would take some seriously advanced hacking skills...
Wait a minute!
Hacking skills...?
Could it be... that person?!
At that moment, the image of a Catgirl who had soured Liu Ruyan's mood earlier that day flashed into her mind, refusing to fade away.
-
The Production Team's studio screen split into two frames:
One side showed Cifera ending a phone call.
The other frame displayed a cobweb-covered, dilapidated ceiling. The Tall Kidnapper had apparently placed the phone on a table, and the audio captured the pair gleefully fantasizing about their opulent lives after securing the five million ransom.
The Production Team had just replayed the entire sequence of Cifera impersonating Liu Ruyan's husband.
Everyone, from Nie Junfeng and the Host Qiu Qiu to the Pursuit Team members, watched the footage intently.
Qiu Qiu's face beamed with admiration as she exclaimed, her voice slightly trembling with excitement:
"Contestant Cifera has once again showcased her extraordinary hacking skills and her unparalleled ability to mimic human voices!
"Her exceptional performance has bought the Pursuit Team an hour to rescue the hostage!
"However, by revealing her voice mimicry ability to the entire Pursuit Team, she may have blown her cover as the mole!
"Inspector Nie, could you provide us with your analysis of Cifera's decision?"
Hearing Host Qiu Qiu's question, Nie Junfeng slowly rose to his feet, raised his hand, and gave a crisp salute to Cifera's image on the screen.
He then spoke, his voice filled with undisguised admiration:
'Leave it to me. If I say I can do it, I'll make it happen!'
"These were Contestant Cifera's words just minutes ago, and she has proven them to be true!
"Host, you ask me why Contestant Cifera would risk exposing her identity to the Pursuit Team by making such a choice?
"To be honest, I despise your question! It's an insult to Contestant Cifera!"
At that moment, Nie Junfeng unleashed the full force of his authority as a high-ranking officer in the Police Force. He pointed towards Cifera, who had ended her call and immediately immersed herself in the tense intelligence work.
His voice echoed through the studio, resolute and powerful:
"Contestant Cifera's actions were never about winning or losing a game. They were about saving a precious human life!
"Without hesitation, she sacrificed her advantage in the show, even risking exposing her true identity, all to seize that slim chance of survival."
"This spirit is what we should truly admire and emulate!"
He paused, his gaze piercing as he looked directly at the camera.
"Many viewers watching this program may be seeking thrills and entertainment, but Contestant Cifera has constantly reminded us that something far more important transcends all that—justice and responsibility.
"May we all take Contestant Cifera as our role model, upholding justice and embracing responsibility in our future lives, regardless of the difficulties or challenges we face.
"Of course, we must also act within our capabilities. If we encounter situations beyond our abilities, we must seek help and avoid acting rashly.
"This is one of the core messages our program aims to convey.
"Here, please allow me to once again thank Contestant Cifera for giving me the opportunity to share these words. Thank you!"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
As Nie Junfeng finished speaking, Host Qiu Qiu and the entire Production Team erupted into applause.
At that moment, as if sensing the respect emanating from the studio, Cifera in the broadcast suddenly looked up at the camera, a gentle smile gracing her lips. It seemed to say:
"Stop praising me! I merely did what anyone should have done."