"Aya" looked directly at Lu Yue:
"Could Sister Lu Yue come with me? She can verify my identity, proving that I am Aya, not a fictional character created by Contestant Cifera."
Lu Yue froze, inwardly speechless.
Damn it! This woman is truly cunning! She's dragging me into this!
He instantly understood "Aya"'s intention:
She knew he understood her connection to Little Ya and that he was currently the best "witness" to clear her name.
If he refused to cooperate, she might resort to a desperate gambit—exposing his identity as "Night Shadow" on the spot, which would spell his doom.
Fine... Helping her helps me too. Besides, she isn't really Cifera, is she?
Having resolved his dilemma, Lu Yue rose without waiting for Liu Shanhe's response, his face radiating conviction:
"Sister Aya is right. I can confirm that there's absolutely no doubt about her identity. She couldn't possibly be a fictional character created by Contestant Cifera. I'm completely certain of that."
Liu Shanhe's gaze swept back and forth between "Aya" and Lu Yue.
Though his suspicion that "Aya" and Cifera were the same person had wavered with Aya's reappearance, he now believed it was a fifty-fifty chance. Years of professional habit prevented him from drawing hasty conclusions.
However, with Lu Yue as a "third-party" witness, he could at least gather more information for reference.
Through previous questioning, it had been largely confirmed that Lu Yue posed no significant issues.
Moreover, Liu Shanhe had specifically ordered surveillance on Lu Yue during Cifera's disturbances, and the young man had shown no abnormal behavior whatsoever. The likelihood of him being the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief was now extremely low.
Even if he were the Grandchild of the Phantom Thief, he would have no reason to help Cifera, his competitor.
Furthermore, microexpression analysis revealed that Lu Yue wasn't lying, suggesting he genuinely had some basis for verifying Aya's identity.
Given these factors, the likelihood of the first possibility—that Aya and Cifera were separate individuals—was growing stronger.
Thank heavens, at least it's not the second one...
After a moment's contemplation, Liu Shanhe nodded.
"Very well. Since Miss Lu Yue is willing to testify, let's all go together."
Standing behind Liu Shanhe, Nie Bing remained silent throughout, her cold eyes fixed intently on "Aya."
Her intuition, her sixth sense, screamed wildly—this woman was undoubtedly Cifera!
Even though "Aya's" performance was flawless, even with Lu Yue's corroborating testimony, Nie Bing's inner conviction remained unshaken.
Cifera... how far do you plan to take this game?
This time, I won't let you slip through my fingers so easily again!
Nie Bing clenched her fists, the battle intent in her eyes growing ever more fierce.
She voiced no objections, simply following Liu Shanhe, "Aya," Lu Yue, and the others toward the temporary interrogation room.
After Liu Shanhe led "Aya" and Lu Yue away, the live stream's Bullet Comments erupted into heated discussion once more:
[They're gone, off for questioning, but I doubt they'll get anything out of her.]
[Of course not! The real Cifera is still soaring through the skies! How could this "Aya" possibly be her?]
[Plus, Little Granddaughter seems to genuinely know Aya. I wonder if Aya realizes he's Night Shadow?]
[They must know. Otherwise, Lu Yue wouldn't have agreed so readily. I've always suspected their "sisterly" bond was just a facade, hiding a constant battle of wits. If I'm right, Lu Yue probably feared Aya would betray her, leaving her no choice but to cooperate.]
[The comment above makes sense! It seems Aya really is innocent! Lin Zhiyuan and Old Liu were both wrong!]
[Where's Lord Lin? Why didn't he join the interrogation this time?]
[Do you even need to ask? After his analysis got completely debunked on the spot, he's probably too embarrassed to show his face. He's likely holed up somewhere, questioning his life choices.]
[Only Little Bingbing insisted on going along. Judging by her expression, she still suspects Aya is involved.]
[Maybe Little Bingbing trusts her instincts? As the Eldest Daughter of the Nie Family, she likely inherited some of her father's mystical milk abilities.]
["Mystical Milk bloodline inheritance"? Hahaha! Everyone's busy analyzing rationally, and you're spouting mystical nonsense!]
[Actually, it's really hard to say... What if—and I mean what if—the flying Cifera outside is another fake? Don't forget Cifera already tampered with the Heaven's Eye System's live stream before!]
[Holy shit! Don't scare me like that! Could this flying Cifera we've been watching all this time be another "movie"?]
[Aaaah! What's the truth?! My CPU's about to burn out! Where's the Nie Family Patriarch? Analyze this for us! I bet if I listen to the reversed audio, I'll find the answer.]
[Forget the Nie Family Patriarch! He's having a bigger existential crisis than Lin Zhiyuan right now!]
[@Little Ya, Big Boss Little Ya! It's time for your grand entrance! Guide us through this maze!]
[Stop @-ing her! Ever since Aya appeared, Big Boss Little Ya hasn't posted a single bullet comment.]
[Could it be... Aya really is Little Ya herself?! If she's there in person, she obviously can't watch the live stream and post comments!]
[OMG!!! This is too much information! My brain can't handle it!]
Meanwhile, ten thousand meters above the ground, in the first-class cabin of an international flight from Japan to China...
The "Big Boss Little Ya" so eagerly awaited by the Bullet Comments was comfortably ensconced in a spacious airline seat, a tablet resting on her lap. The screen displayed the live stream of [ Global Manhunt: The Final Heist ].
Although Cifera had "banned" her account, Little Ya wasn't easily deterred. She was currently watching the live stream through her housekeeper Sister Jingjing's account.
After Little Ya successfully identified the culprit in the World Junior Detective Championship, she nearly gave the organizers a heart attack.
They had never imagined someone could solve their "ultra-difficult case" so quickly. They had painstakingly crafted it, pooling the wisdom of renowned detectives and master mystery novelists!
The Japanese organizers had pinned their hopes on their own star detective, who was only halfway to the truth. Meanwhile, many international contestants hadn't even found the right path. Yet this young girl from China had already cracked the case?
This was beyond impressive! It was ridiculously powerful! So unreal it felt like a fantasy!
Was this the legendary foundation of the Cat's Eye clan, China's ancient detective lineage?
Sugoi! Honto ni sugoi! ! !
(spy-lol)
For the strength-worshipping Japanese, although Little Ya's victory was almost too effortless, turning their pre-tournament hype about the "ultra-difficult case" into a joke, they couldn't really complain. After all, she had undeniably demonstrated her superior skills. The most they could do was put on a brave face and shower her with over-the-top praise for her "incredible brilliance."
It wasn't that our case was too weak; the contestants were just too brilliant!
However, what the organizers hadn't anticipated was that after Little Ya submitted her answer, she announced she was returning home immediately, not even attending the awards ceremony!
This was a blatant act of contempt toward the competition and a naked insult to the entire Japanese detective community!
The Japan Detective Association erupted in furious shouts of "Kichiku!", "Temee!", and "Baka Yarou!"
Some even threatened, "If you don't attend the ceremony, we won't acknowledge your results!"
But Little Ya, eager to see Cifera, couldn't care less about these brats' fuss. Ignoring their howls, she slammed the door behind her and used her "cash ability" to board the fastest flight back home.
As for how this pointless "World Junior Detective Championship" would eventually conclude, she couldn't care less.
If she'd known the competition was this brainless, she wouldn't have bothered participating in the first place! What a waste of time!
On the tablet screen, footage played showing "Aya" following Liu Shanhe to the Temporary Interrogation Room.
Watching that golden-haired figure, so much like her adult self, Little Ya's lips curved into a knowing smile.