Besides Little Ya and Sister Jingjing, Lu Yue and Nie Bing had also long noticed Kawaguchi Tokushi lurking in the crowd.
Nie Bing's instincts as a Criminal Investigator, honed by her recent training with Cifera, had immediately flagged the suspicious figure. Compared to the other onlookers, his behavior was distinctly more furtive.
As he approached, Nie Bing took a half-step forward, her gaze sharpening and her body tensing, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Lu Yue, as the new "Night Shadow"—the most talented prodigy of the Phantom Thief Clan—was particularly sensitive to such surveillance. Though he appeared nonchalant on the surface, his peripheral vision had already locked onto Kawaguchi Tokushi. Internally, he scoffed:
What kind of pervert is this? A stalker?
His target seems to be Sister Aya? He won't get away with it!
Everyone else had noticed Kawaguchi Tokushi's odd behavior, and Cifera was no exception.
When she spotted him spying, Cifera immediately recognized his disguise, just as she had when she first saw Lu Yue cross-dressed. Even from a distance, she could tell he was using a disguise.
The Imposter's Ability had made her the bane of all disguises and impersonations.
Having thoroughly researched the other competitors, she instantly pierced through his disguise and reverse-engineered his true appearance, instantly confirming his identity as Kawaguchi Tokushi, the top-ranked ninja prodigy from Japan.
Recalling that the IP address she'd traced when hacking Little Ya's account had also been traced back to Japan, she couldn't help but speculate: Could it be that Little Ya offended someone in Japan, and they came here for revenge?
Now it seemed he mistook her for Little Ya's sister and had set his sights on her instead.
Heh, another strange twist to the plot. But that's a good thing—more drama means more entertainment!
The Japanese audience must be watching us now. If I start messing with their star player... they'll probably explode with rage, while the Chinese audience will absolutely love it!
No need to hold back, then!
With that thought, Cifera decided to observe Kawaguchi's next move before delivering her own "surprise."
Kawaguchi Tokushi was completely immersed in his flawless performance, oblivious to the fact that "Aya" and her group had been observing him closely for quite some time.
He planned to pose as one of "Aya's" fans, approach her for a photo, and use the opportunity to secretly release his "Fly," a ninja tool that would silently burrow into her hair and conceal itself.
The "Fly" ninja tool was excellent in every way, except it required close-range deployment to lock onto its target. Otherwise, it would flail around blindly like a headless fly.
As Kawaguchi Tokushi moved toward "Aya," the bullet comments on both sides of the live stream once again erupted into a "friendly exchange."
Japanese Viewers' Bullet Comments:
[He's coming! Master Tokushi's performance is about to begin!]
[Perfect disguise! Not a single flaw!]
[They really have no sense of caution, ha ha!]
[He's getting closer! Approaching so naturally! It looks like Kawaguchi's target is that beautiful blonde!]
[Target locked! Operation commence! Let them witness the might of Japan's ninjas!]
[I already feel sorry for China's Pursuit Team. They have no idea what they're up against!]
Seeing the Japanese viewers immediately popping champagne, the Chinese viewers immediately retorted:
[Are all you nearsighted? Which eye told you Officer Nie Bing and her team were off their guard?]
[Exactly! Didn't you see Little Bingbing's gaze sharpen? If those ninja bastards dare to make a move, they're toast!]
[Lu Yue comes from the ancient Phantom Thief Family. He might even be the ancestor of your ninja clans! How could he possibly fail to see through Kawaguchi Tokushi's disguise?]
[Sister Jingjing just gave Kawaguchi a disdainful glance, as if looking at trash. If that idiot ninja tries anything, he'll get the shit beaten out of him!]
[Did you see the Aya Sisters? Their lips curled into identical playful smiles. They've definitely figured out Kawaguchi is up to no good and are just waiting for him to walk into their trap!]
Faced with the Chinese viewers' counterattack, the Japanese viewers clearly sensed something was amiss, but they remained stubborn:
[That female criminal investigator seems a bit reactive? No matter, she'll never uncover Master Tokushi's techniques!]
[That hulking woman looks intimidating, but she's probably all brawn and no brains. She's nothing to worry about!]
[The others aren't even worth mentioning!]
[Ha ha ha! With Master Tokushi's skills, victory is assured!]
By now, Kawaguchi Tokushi had closed to within two meters of Aya and her group.
"Um... excuse me, sorry to interrupt..." he began, his gaze fixed on Aya. Speaking fluent Mandarin with a Colonel's accent, he continued, "Miss Aya! I... I'm a huge fan of yours! Your runway performance earlier was absolutely stunning! Would you... would you mind taking a photo with me?"
As Kawaguchi Tokushi spoke, he continued advancing, closing the distance between himself and Aya. He was rapidly approaching the critical point where Fly could be deployed.
Just as the situation reached its peak, a young, clear voice suddenly rang out from the side:
"Police officer! That creepy uncle with the hat!"
All eyes turned to see a robust little boy, around seven or eight years old, standing with his hands on his hips, pointing assertively at Kawaguchi Tokushi. Behind him stood two uniformed, stern-faced police officers.
The little boy shouted his accusation:
"He's been hiding over there, secretly watching those pretty sisters! And he was smirking creepily! He must be some kind of pervert planning something evil! Arrest him!"
Kawaguchi Tokushi: "!!!"
The fake smile on his face instantly froze, his entire body petrified.
After all my meticulous planning, how could I have overlooked a elementary schooler?!
Two police officers stepped forward and addressed Kawaguchi Tokushi with polite but unwavering authority:
"Sir, please show us your identification. We've received a report from a citizen and need to verify your identity and information. Your cooperation is appreciated."
Kawaguchi Tokushi felt a bitter anguish, almost weeping with frustration:
Baka yarou! That brat! Why did you have to make such a scene?! My perfect performance had barely begun, and now it's already stained with this unacceptable blemish!
Kuso!
Watching Kawaguchi Tokushi, now detained and interrogated by the police, his face contorted with embarrassment and awkwardness, the reactions of "Aya" and the others varied, but all felt a sense of absurdity.
"Aya" gracefully covered her mouth and chuckled softly, as if witnessing something amusing.
Little Ya burst into an unreserved laugh, even giving the little boy a thumbs-up.
Lu Yue wore a smug expression, barely managing to suppress his laughter.
Nie Bing exhaled in relief, but her professional instincts kept her vigilantly observing Kawaguchi and the officers.
Sister Jingjing remained expressionless, though her eyes seemed to soften ever so slightly.
They didn't linger, as if this were just a minor interruption. Under Sister Jingjing's lead, they walked toward a luxurious car, leaving Kawaguchi Tokushi behind to receive the "concern" of the police officer.
The live stream's Bullet Comments section exploded, Chinese viewers going wild.
[Hahahahahahaha! Well done, kid! Take my upvote!]
[I'm dying of laughter! Is this the genius ninja from Japan? He died before he could even finish his apprenticeship, taken down by a grade-schooler's tip-off!]
[The Iron Fist of Social Justice strikes! Specializing in crushing all this flashy nonsense!]
[Want an autograph? Dream on! You're going to the Police Station for a cup of tea first!]
[Kawaguchi Tokushi: I just wanted an autograph... Police Officer: No, you didn't.]
[Where are the commentors from earlier? Come out and walk around! Is this how your Master Tokushi's genius ninjutsu gets handled? Interrogated by the police?]
In stark contrast to the frenzied atmosphere in the Chinese stream, the Japanese Bullet Comments section was mortified.
[Huh?! What's going on?! Where did this little brat come from?! Meddling kid!]
[A miscalculation... I didn't realize bystanders would be so nosy... But it's not Master Tokushi's fault—he's just unfamiliar with foreign customs!]
[Master Tokushi, it's alright! We're just making a strategic adjustment! There are many ways to approach the target! This is also part of the ninja way!]
[They are so nosey! They're just ordinary patrol police! Master Tokushi can easily shake them off!]
[This is just a coincidence! They got lucky!]
[Don't celebrate too soon,! Just wait until Master Tokushi escapes, and you'll regret this!]
Though they continued to put on a brave face, making excuses, and issuing threats, the arrogant and expectant atmosphere that had permeated the Japanese live stream had largely dissipated, replaced by deep embarrassment and resentment from being humiliated.
Their highly anticipated "genius ninja's" debut had ended with a citizen (particularly a group of elementary school students) reporting him, followed by local police stopping and questioning him on the spot—an utter social failure and disastrous start.
Meanwhile, the Chinese audience was drowning in a sea of joy.
Just when everyone thought the first round of this sudden transnational clash was about to conclude with a dramatic and distinctly Chinese-flavored climax, an unexpected turn occurred—
Kawaguchi Tokushi suddenly broke free from the two police officers and charged toward "Aya," who was walking away!
Could he be unable to bear the humiliation, resorting to brute force?!