"She not only bypassed our identity verification systems undetected and illegally infiltrated our press conference venue!
"She also manipulated our lighting system and even hacked into the audiovisual system, altering the big screen content to satisfy her own selfish desires!
"While such actions may be permitted within the rules of her program, as the Security Chief of Starry Headquarters, I view this as a severe breach of our core security systems—a clear criminal offense!"
Lei Gang's voice was firm and resolute, brimming with righteous fury over the invasion of his territory and a fierce defense of his professional competence.
"By using unknown means to disrupt our press conference and cause chaos, I, as the head of Starry Security, have both the right and the duty to restrain her immediately and hand her over to the police or the Pursuit Team from her program for further action!
"This is about protecting Starry, and it's about safeguarding every guest and media representative present! Chairman Liu, please understand our responsibilities!"
Liu Ruyan was left speechless by Lei Gang's forceful and well-reasoned rebuttal.
She couldn't deny that Cifera had used unconventional, even illegal, methods to infiltrate the premises.
She opened her mouth to defend Cifera, but struggled to find a suitable justification. Her face flushed, and anger flashed in her eyes—how dare Lei Gang show her such disrespect!
The journalists present were stunned to see Starry's Security Chief daring to defy the CEO's wishes, even silencing her with his argument.
A wave of elation swept through the crowd!
Oh my god!
What kind of lucky day is this?!
This press conference was a goldmine of explosive stories—each one headline material!
Enough said! Just record everything!
The journalists scrambled to document every word, while the live stream's Bullet Comments section erupted in heated debate:
[Sister Liu's fierce protection of Cifera is badass! But Minister Lei's points seem valid too.]
[Save me! As a corporate slave, this is suffocating! Lei Gang just straight-up dissed the boss in public!]
[I'll bet fifty cents that Liu Ruyan will sabotage the Security Department's year-end bonuses. This full-frontal assault is brutal!]
[Put yourself in Lei Gang's shoes and your blood pressure would skyrocket! The Security System was breached, and they won't let me arrest anyone? What do I care about the show's rules? I quit!]
[If I were Chairman Liu, I'd be even angrier! I hired you to do a job, not to publicly undermine me!]
[To be fair, Sister Liu is definitely in the wrong here. She's clearly trying to protect Cifera by force. The show's rules allow contestants to commit crimes legally, but from the Security Chief's perspective, if you interfere with my job, I'm going to arrest you!]
[LOL! Cifera's got that "watching the drama unfold" look on her face: "You guys argue first. I'm just here for the entertainment~"]
[The reporters in the audience are snickering too: "Another headline! My bonus is secured!"]
[Cifera, run! The Pursuit Team's police cars are pulling up downstairs!]
[This is terrifying! Lei Gang's so adamant... Could he be in cahoots with the Pursuit Team?]
Just as the atmosphere grew tense and Liu Ruyan found herself momentarily speechless, Cifera, bathed in the spotlight, chuckled softly. Seemingly unfazed by Lei Gang's accusations, her voice remained light and casual:
"Minister Lei, so angry? I bet you're really dying to know what little tricks I pulled on your security system, aren't you?"
As she said "little tricks," Cifera snapped her fingers.
Snap! The lights in the entire venue instantly returned to normal, and the screens flickered back to displaying the charity auction.
The sudden return to full brightness momentarily disoriented the crowd, who had grown accustomed to the darkness.
Lei Gang's face darkened as he witnessed Cifera casually perform another one of her "little tricks"—a seemingly simple gesture that concealed unfathomably sophisticated techniques—right before his eyes.
That Cifera is so infuriating!
Could it be voice-activated?
But with all the noise here, what kind of voice recognition system could achieve such precision...
Lei Gang's mind raced, but he couldn't find an answer. The more he couldn't understand, the more desperate he became to know exactly how she had bypassed his security system as if it were nothing.
He let out a cold snort, his gaze sharp as a knife as he locked eyes with Cifera.
"Of course! This concerns a critical vulnerability in Starry's security! You must explain yourself!"
"No problem at all~"
Cifera spread her hands, her smile sweet yet with a hint of mischief.
"Two conditions—
"First, you must allow me to leave. Don't hand me over to the police or the Pursuit Team from the show.
"Second, before I go, let me have a proper chat with Sister Liu. You won't disturb us.
"If you agree to these conditions, I'll go with you after I've finished talking with Sister Liu and 'confess' everything you want to know. How does that sound?"
Cifera's tone was as casual as if she were discussing afternoon tea plans.
She knew perfectly well that Lei Gang would accept these conditions.
In the brief minute or two of their encounter, Cifera had already completely deciphered Lei Gang's mindset, which aligned almost perfectly with the information she had gathered.
Indeed, after identifying Starry Light as her target, Cifera had meticulously researched the background of Starry Security's Chief Security Officer. She had prepared well in advance:
He was a former elite Special Forces operative with eight years of service. During a counter-terrorism operation, a Technical Team Member's negligence had led to his accidental injury and forced retirement.
This experience instilled in him a zero-tolerance professional instinct toward security vulnerabilities, explaining his visceral reaction to the system intrusion—it had struck his Achilles' heel.
After retiring from the Special Forces, he spent some time regrouping before transitioning into the security industry.
The pinnacle of his career was leading the design of the defense system for a renowned international jewelry exhibition. This system successfully intercepted a laser-cutting attack by an international criminal syndicate.
This triumph cemented his reputation as the industry's gold standard for "impenetrable" security and reinforced his absolute confidence in his own solutions.
The only blemish on his career record occurred five years ago during a jewelry transport when his overreliance on traditional security methods and underestimation of hackers' capabilities led to the transport route being compromised.
Since then, he had developed an obsessive focus on technical vulnerabilities, even personally obtaining certification as a cybersecurity engineer.
Three years ago, he officially assumed the role of chief security architect for the Starry Headquarters Building, overhauling the legacy security system to universal acclaim within the industry.
At that time, the Starry Jewels Main Store was hailed as the most secure jewelry store in the nation.
Cifera understood perfectly that for a Security Chief in this situation, clearing the shame of a system breach would be far more compelling than capturing her.
Her earlier demonstration—snapping her fingers to restore the entire system right in front of him—was precisely intended to further provoke him, ensuring he would wholeheartedly accept her terms.
Of course, Cifera didn't believe for a moment that he could actually stop her from leaving.
If she wanted to leave, no one could stop her, even from this towering height hundreds of meters above the ground.
Without a doubt, she had no intention of honoring her agreement.
Her purpose was simple: to make her Starry Light heist performance even more spectacular.
Since Lei Gang had willingly stepped onto the stage, she might as well let him play his part to the fullest.