"Damn it! Someone tell me what the hell just happened?!"
Chief Director Guo Tao slammed his fist on the table, the impact echoing sharply through the room.
The broadcast director scrambled to check the equipment:
"All systems are operational, signal's fine... Holy shit! How is this even possible?!"
"Cut the 'holy shit' crap! Just tell me what you found!"
Seeing the director charge at him, fists clenched, the broadcast director quickly explained:
"It was all just a coincidence! You'll understand when you see the footage. I'll zoom out now."
The black screen instantly shrank inward, revealing the second floor of the Pursuit Team's base once more.
A pitch-black silk cloth now covered Nie Bing's position. The human-shaped outline visible through the cloth suggested Nie Bing was underneath it.
"There was no blackout at all. Just as I switched the camera to focus on expert Nie Bing's face, she was covered by this cloth. The timing was so perfect that it looked like the feed had vanished."
The director understood the explanation, nodded, and settled back into his seat. He issued new instructions:
"Pull up footage from other cameras and explain what just happened to the audience.
"Heh, it seems Contestant Cifera is about to surprise us again."
Seeing Cifera standing beside the black cloth, it was clear this was her handiwork.
As the director manipulated the controls, the live broadcast cut to a replay from another camera angle.
The footage showed Cifera approaching the conference table, suddenly bending down to reach under it, and with a swift tug, she whipped out a sheet of black silk.
Her movements were incredibly graceful. The cloth twirled through the air before landing precisely on Nie Bing, enveloping her completely.
Watching this replay, the previously bewildered audience finally understood what had happened:
[Holy shit, so that's what happened!]
[The director really pulled one over on us! Everyone was completely fooled.]
[Thank goodness the show is okay! Honestly, I was panicking just now, thinking such a great program was about to get censored.]
[Forget that cursed thing! Isn't anyone curious when that big black cloth got hidden under the table?]
[Dude, isn't this basic magician stuff? No need to freak out.]
[Exactly! I just want to know what kind of stunt Cifera's gonna pull next.]
[Probably gonna pull off a disappearing act with a real person.]
Though they couldn't admire Nie Bing's master-level bondage skills any longer, the audience's anticipation soared again when Cifera produced the black cloth.
On screen, Cifera crouched down and patted Nie Bing's shoulder through the cloth, reassuring her:
"Little Bingbing, calm down first. I'll untie you right away. If you're afraid of the dark, just close your eyes."
Even though Nie Bing knew it was just a crime simulation, being completely bound and suddenly covered with a black cloth would make anyone uneasy.
But hearing Cifera's words and feeling her reassuring pats, Nie Bing couldn't help but feel a bit speechless.
I'm a criminal investigator! Do you think I'm some frail little girl?
"Got it. Hurry up."
"Good, you've got spirit! Just keep relaxing."
Gripping the edges of the black cloth, Cifera chuckled softly.
"Since I'm a Magician, naturally I'll use my magic tricks to untie you, Little Bingbing.
"It took me about five minutes to bind you earlier. Now, untying you will take just ten seconds. Let the countdown begin—
"10, 9, 8... 4, 3, 2...
"1!"
Whoosh!
Cifera whipped the black cloth away, revealing a sight that left everyone in awe once again.
There was no legendary transformation into a live person. Nie Bing still lay motionless on the ground.
But the intricate rope network that had bound her had completely vanished!
Yes, not just untied—the ropes themselves had disappeared...
It was as if a divine miracle had occurred!
Unsurprisingly, the Bullet Comments erupted into chaos, "?" flooding the screen.
[For those who don't understand, is this quantum entanglement untying magic?!]
[Where did the ropes go?! What happened to that massive pile of ropes?!]
[Director! Replay! Immediately! Play it back frame by frame!]
[Upstairs, cut the director some slack! This can't be replayed!]
[I know this trick! There's a dissolving spray hidden in the black cloth's lining! It's a chemical magic trick!]
[Upstairs is wrong! It's a physical magic trick! Clearly, it's an ultra-thin cutting wire that severed the rope the moment the black cloth was lifted.]
[Stop arguing! This is the Cat God's signature cat magic!]
The director cut to a close-up, allowing viewers to clearly see Nie Bing's condition.
The wrinkles on her clothes from the rope's constriction, the distinct red marks on her wrists—every detail confirmed that the earlier scene was genuine, not a special effect.
Nie Bing stood frozen, her eyes wide as saucers.
She flipped her wrists over, examining them closely. Just moments ago, she'd been bound immobile; now, not a single fiber of rope remained.
Mechanically, she rotated her neck, scrutinizing her body from head to toe. Finally, she concluded:
"This... is... unscientific..."
Each word seemed squeezed from her throat. The formidable logical analysis ability that had made the celebrated young detective a rising star had completely crashed!
This was even more shocking than when she had personally witnessed a black cat leaping out of her backpack earlier.
After all, this time she was the one experiencing it firsthand. She could say with absolute certainty that she hadn't done anything at all. Until the black cloth was lifted, she had remained tightly bound by the ropes.
Yet the moment Cifera lifted the black cloth, Nie Bing's vision was blinded by a sudden burst of light, forcing her to instinctively close her eyes.
In that instant, she suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of freedom, as if all restraints had vanished.
When she reopened her eyes, she realized this wasn't just a feeling—it was reality!
In those mere ten seconds, she had miraculously broken free.
And the ropes had vanished without a trace...
[LMAO, look at Goddess Nie Bing's dumbfounded expression—'My entire career as a criminal investigator has been overturned!']
[Save me! I'm screenshotting Inspector Nie's face for memes!]
["The Time My Criminal Investigation Expertise Was Instantly Shattered by a Catgirl.JPG"]
[Director, where are you? Get a close-up of Goddess Nie Bing's collarbone! There's a red mark there—I suspect it's the key to cracking Cifera's magic! Immediately! Now!]
[Upstairs, stop messing around! Do you actually want the show to get canceled? Come on, are you some kind of troll?]
[Exactly! Just watch the show properly and stop causing trouble, got it? Maybe the Production Team already got warned after the binding tutorial earlier. Let's not make things worse.]
On screen, Cifera laughed at Nie Bing's words:
"Unscientific?
"Trickery itself is a science. It's just that you only see the surface and never grasp the underlying principles.
"Just because something exceeds your current understanding doesn't mean it's supernatural, does it?
"Otherwise, would we Magicians actually possess real magic?
"Isn't that right, Little Bingbing~?"
With a charming smile, Cifera leaned down and offered her hand to Nie Bing.
"Indeed, that's correct," Nie Bing replied, her gaze finally regaining its usual composure as she firmly declared:
"I will unravel these tricks someday!"
"Alright, I'll be waiting for that day to come~"
Cifera returned to her position at the technical console and patted the seat beside her:
"Next, I'll reconnect with the Pursuit Team members and continue executing my plan.
"You just sit here and play the part of a victim—bound, immobile, and already unconscious. Of course, I'll allow you to open your eyes—otherwise, you'd be bored to death.
"But beyond that, don't do anything else, understand?"
"You're really letting me open my eyes?!"
Hearing Cifera's words, Nie Bing's earlier composure vanished, replaced by the same excitement she'd felt when she first witnessed Cifera's computer wizardry.
"Of course."
After Cifera's confirmation, Nie Bing didn't even bother straightening her wrinkled clothes before hurrying over and sitting properly beside her, her eyes fixed intently on Cifera, determined not to miss a single move.
It wasn't just the dazzling computer maneuvers she was eager to witness, but also how Cifera intended to pull off her audacious scheme under the pretense of Nie Bing's "unconsciousness."
Beneath that adorable cat-like facade, what dark schemes are you hiding? Let me witness them firsthand!
That's what Nie Bing thought.