So, when he saw the private message, being shocked was only natural.
But once the surprise passed, Victor immediately started doubting. He suspected the message was just a distraction, a trick from Kaitō Kid to make his escape.
Bruce froze for a moment. That angle hadn't even crossed his mind.
But he still trusted Kaitō Kid's character. Even though the guy was a top-class thief, he'd never hurt anyone, nor had he ever done anything that really angered the public. Every time he stole something, it was just one item. Even if there was a mountain of gold in front of him, he wouldn't budge.
"Director Victor, Kaitō Kid has plenty of ways to escape. I think your suspicion might be unnecessary."
"Don't forget about the underground competition. And that gunshot in the manor—didn't you hear it just now?"
Despite Bruce's defense, Victor still had a skeptical attitude.
He couldn't bear the thought of the capture plan failing. And worse—failing because of a single message from Kaitō Kid? That was unacceptable.
But the situation was too serious now, and Victor didn't dare gamble.
To be cautious, he decided to evacuate the crowd first.
"Chief Bruce, our setup is fully capable of catching Kaitō Kid. I'm sorry, but I can't completely trust his message."
"But I will start clearing the crowd and send Enforcement Bureau agents to search the area for explosives."
"As for our capture formation, it stays."
Bruce wanted to say more, but Harrison raised his hand and interrupted him. His voice was low and steady.
"Understood."
"Director Victor, then let's act fast. The sooner the better."
"Also, Bruce and I want to head into the manor to confirm whether Kaitō Kid's message is true."
Victor glanced at the manor gate and walls. With their skills, those two could easily scale the walls.
He knew Bruce and Harrison didn't share his priorities or strategy, so he simply agreed.
Meanwhile, seeing the three of them whispering at the gate made the crowd restless and annoyed.
[What are the three of you planning? Are you just going to stand there and not take action?]
[Shit! Gunshots went off inside the manor and you're still whispering at the gate?]
[No wonder they can never catch Kaitō Kid. They clearly don't have a plan for emergencies!]
[Wow, what is this—an on-site meeting of senior officials?]
[Unbelievable. What are they even doing?]
Ignoring the snide remarks and sarcastic jeers, Bruce and Harrison quietly moved to the base of the wall, then swiftly climbed over and entered the manor grounds.
Only then did the crowd calm down a bit.
[Oh my god! They're finally doing something. At least they took the first step!]
[This is France! Why didn't Victor go with them?]
[God bless. I hope Kaitō Kid is okay!]
[Who knows what's really going on in the manor? And Bruce and Harrison only act now?]
Victor took a deep breath and turned to face the noisy crowd. He brought his walkie-talkie to his mouth.
"Team One and Two, report to the manor gate. Begin evacuating the crowd."
"Nearby squads, send reinforcements to cover the gaps left by One and Two."
Victor couldn't afford any holes in the perimeter, not even if the manor was rigged with explosives.
The safety of both the Enforcement Bureau agents and the bystanders was important—but capturing Kaitō Kid was still the top priority.
But the moment people heard they were being cleared out, complaints started flying.
[WTF? Evacuation? Based on what?]
[Shit! Could something really have happened in the manor?]
[Why the hell are they suddenly making us leave? What's going on inside?]
[Hahaha, Kaitō Kid must be fine! If he'd been shot, Victor wouldn't be kicking us out!]
[They're trying to get rid of us because they don't want us seeing something shady!]
Victor's face turned darker with each complaint. Finally, he couldn't hold it in and shouted at the crowd.
"Fuck! Do you all have a death wish?"
"There might be a bunch of explosives hidden around the manor! Are you seriously waiting around for them to blow up?"
Even though Victor's voice nearly cracked from shouting, only the front rows could hear him clearly.
[WTF? Explosives? Who planted explosives?!]
[Damn it! Kaitō Kid not only threw dummies but also planted bombs?]
[Shit! No way it was Kaitō Kid! He wouldn't hurt anyone!]
[Director Victor, explain yourself! Where did the explosives come from?]
[Oh my god! Is Victor actually serious? There are really explosives near the manor?!]
Victor didn't bother responding to their questions. Truthfully, he didn't fully believe the private message from Kaitō Kid either.
But if there was even a sliver of truth and something did happen, the consequences would be catastrophic.
That kind of responsibility—he couldn't shoulder it. Not even ten of him could.
So, he'd agreed to evacuate the crowd first, minimizing the risk before dealing with the bombs.
Soon, the assigned squads arrived.
Under Victor's signal, they immediately started clearing the area—no arguments allowed.
Of course, it didn't go smoothly. The crowd grew restless, and the yelling intensified.
Victor took a deep breath, his face grim, then pulled out his phone to call for backup from the Enforcement Bureau.
"Send more people right away. We need a full sweep around the manor!"
Staring at the chaos around him, Victor suddenly felt anxious.
If those explosives went off, the fallout wouldn't just hit France. Netizens all over the world would drown him in spit.
Meanwhile, Bruce and Harrison had already climbed over the wall and were making their way toward the villa.
Under the cover of night, they moved quickly. They didn't encounter a single guard along the way, which made them even more worried.
"Bruce, we better stay sharp."
"All the guards are off patrol. They must be holed up in the villa."
Bruce gave a firm nod. The two figures disappeared into the shadows.
Zhang Yang, who had moved to the far side of the roof, had used the darkness to slip back into the building unnoticed.
"Maket really is insane. And Bruce and Harrison didn't bring anyone with them?"
Zhang Yang stood by the window and immediately spotted Bruce and Harrison moving fast under the night sky.
He'd already explained everything clearly in the private message, but those two still charged in alone.
That was far from smart.
Just in case, Zhang Yang took out a signal jammer and released a strong magnetic field.
If Bruce and Harrison messed this up, the only chance would be to block Maket's remote detonator signal.
As for Maket himself, that was entirely up to Bruce and Harrison now.
If they couldn't even catch one terrorist like Maket, they had no business being agents.