Descendant of the great detective Sherlock Holmes, and Zhang Yang had already seen Holmeska's skills firsthand.
Finding him on the plane might've been luck, but showing up early outside the Dragon Nation Embassy—that took real smarts.
"If the game rankings are accurate, then Subier might actually be stronger than Holmeska?"
"Would the competition really leave someone like him out?"
Everything pointed to one thing—Subier had to be one of the contestants too.
In the challenge video, he brought out the Angel's Tear necklace. It had one hundred ninety-eight natural, high-quality diamonds, sparkling brilliantly.
It had once hung around the neck of the Queen of France. Its value was astronomical.
The Angel's Tear was worth so much that even the tournament prize money could barely cover its price.
Logically, someone like Subier had no reason to join the competition. But rich people don't base their choices on money.
Being number one in the game rankings made it clear—he was chasing something else entirely.
"I must really be something, if even Subier's that interested in me."
Zhang Yang shook his head with a quiet laugh.
He had to admit—this bizarre competition was getting more and more interesting.
Just dealing with Holmeska was already enough of a headache. If Subier joined in too, it'd be even harder to stay focused.
If it were all Class A fugitives like Jeff and Daweika, the pressure wouldn't be on Zhang Yang. As long as he spotted them, he could use Bruce and the others to quietly take them out before they caused trouble.
But with people like Holmeska and Subier, that method wouldn't work.
Zhang Yang could only stay sharp and watch his back constantly.
"There's no way I can let him join the competition!"
He made up his mind on the spot.
'Better to throw the first punch than take a hundred later.'
Since Subier had issued a challenge, Zhang Yang would accept it.
And he'd make sure Subier lost so completely that he'd give up on trying to catch him.
Otherwise, someone like that—wealthy and relentless—would stop at nothing to get an autograph.
When rich people got obsessed, they were way harder to handle than a couple of wanted criminals.
Plus, ever since Subier posted the challenge video, Zhang Yang's fans had been going wild, eagerly waiting for his response.
[Subier's probably the best private detective out there. If he's challenging Kaitō Kid, he must be super confident!]
[Oh my god! If Kaitō Kid takes on Subier's challenge, the result's not gonna be easy to predict!]
[Victor and Bruce are totally out of the picture now. Subier's in a different league!]
[He's number one in the detective game rankings—Subier's skills are definitely top tier!]
[If he's that good, why doesn't he just go catch Kaitō Kid himself? What's the point of posting a challenge video?]
There were all kinds of opinions online. But most people still supported Kaitō Kid.
After all, his past heists were legendary—every success plain for all to see.
Time after time, police set flawless traps, but Kaitō Kid always escaped unscathed.
That kind of record couldn't be dismissed just because of some game ranking.
Still, some people admired Subier. First, for his incredible wealth—real-world achievements that naturally commanded attention.
And second, because the detective game was way more than just a game anymore. Its prestige spoke for itself.
Subier sitting at the top of the leaderboard definitely wasn't just for show—he had the skills to back it up.
On the other side, Bruce and the others were just as troubled after watching Subier's challenge video.
All the info Zhang Yang found, Bruce and Harrison had already noticed too.
Their thinking was nearly identical—Subier's challenge was probably tied to the competition.
"Shit! Director Victor, you still haven't been able to reach Subier?"
Victor shook his head regretfully at Bruce. "Still no contact. Subier holds a high position in France. Even the Enforcement Bureau has to tread carefully around him."
"Director Bruce, if your guess is right, then Subier definitely won't cooperate with us."
As soon as Subier's challenge video dropped, the three of them started investigating.
And when it came to the theory that Subier was a contestant, Bruce and Harrison were in full agreement.
Victor, however, wasn't convinced.
Subier was too wealthy. The dark web tournament's six hundred million dollar prize might sound insane to others.
But for Subier, it was pocket change.
The Angel's Tear necklace he used in the challenge had once belonged to the Queen of France. That necklace alone was likely worth more than the competition's grand prize.
The three of them waited patiently, but there was still no reply from Subier.
Instead, they saw Kaitō Kid's direct response first.
"Mr. Subier, I'm honored to accept your challenge. Tonight, I'll visit your estate and take the Angel's Tear necklace!"
After reading Zhang Yang's post, Harrison sucked in a sharp breath. He couldn't wrap his head around it.
"What the hell? What's Kaitō Kid thinking?"
"He should already know about the competition—so why walk right into a trap?"
Bruce, face dark, cautiously asked, "But what if he doesn't know?"
"Kaitō Kid has always loved making bold moves. A public challenge like Subier's? He'd definitely take it."
Victor watched Bruce and Harrison go back and forth, but none of it was what he cared about.
He only wanted to know one thing—could they catch Kaitō Kid or not? As for the competition, he didn't consider it part of his mission.
If they could catch Kaitō Kid, that alone would mark the peak of his career.
"Gentlemen, this dark web competition all started because of Kaitō Kid!"
"If we catch him soon, wouldn't that take care of everything?"
Bruce looked up at Victor. This guy's way of thinking was even simpler than how Bruce used to be.
Now Bruce finally understood how dumb he must've looked to Harrison at the beginning.
"Director Victor, you're not wrong."
"But even now, you still haven't made contact with Subier. So what exactly are we supposed to do?"
"Can your bureau just storm into Subier's estate with a team?"
Victor made some good points—but the actual work wasn't getting done.
It had already been over two hours since Subier posted the challenge video, and they still hadn't reached him.
If this were how the FBI handled things, Bruce would've blown a gasket right on the spot.
Victor's face sank. He got up to push things along.
Just as he was about to step out of the office, an agent from the Enforcement Bureau opened the door and came in.
"Director Victor, we've received a reply from Mr. Subier."
"He said this is a personal challenge to Kaitō Kid, and he will not allow the Enforcement Bureau to interfere."