You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the entire city of Jiangcheng.

However, outside the city's exhibition center, it was as bright as day.

Numerous media reporters, carrying cameras and microphones, surrounded the perimeter of the police cordon.

The flashes of the cameras were like a never-ending starlight, flashing wildly and illuminating every tense or excited face clearly.

Vehicles from major television stations and online live streaming platforms lined up, their signal transmitters pointing directly into the night sky, broadcasting live footage of this epic showdown to screens in millions of homes.

Good evening, viewers! This is Jiangcheng TV, and we are currently broadcasting live from the City Expo Center...

"Shocking! International S-class master thief issues a threatening letter to Jiangcheng police; $300 million worth of diamonds in imminent danger!"

"The Magician vs. the Jiangcheng Police: Who will emerge victorious tonight?"

In this media frenzy, one figure undoubtedly became the focus of attention.

Li Mingyu.

He stood inside the police cordon, facing dozens of cameras, and carefully tidied his already neat hair and straightened his chest to make his brand-new police uniform look even more upright.

"Please rest assured, citizens!"

He faced the camera with a confident, reassuring smile, his voice loud and powerful.

"Our Jiangcheng police have laid an inescapable net! I, Li Mingyu, can assure the people of the city that tonight, not even a mosquito, let alone a living person, will be able to fly into the exhibition hall!"

This solemn promise was broadcast throughout the city via radio waves, immediately drawing cheers from all sides.

Li Mingyu, standing in front of the camera, reveled in this moment of being the center of attention, feeling like he was the guardian of the city.

Meanwhile, inside the exhibition hall.

The atmosphere was as tense as a steel wire about to snap.

All security personnel and elite special police officers were in position, hands on the gun handles at their waists, their eyes sharp as eagles, fixed on every corner of the exhibition hall. The only sounds in the air were the suppressed breathing of the crowd and the ticking of the clock on the wall.

Soon, the clock hands pointed to 23:59:50.

Ten, nine, eight...

In the monitoring room, everyone subconsciously held their breath, staring intently at the deep blue "Heart of the Ocean" on the screen, their heartbeats pounding in their chests with each countdown.

Seven, six, five...

Ye Qingcheng stood in the corner of the monitoring room, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Su Qingge stood beside her, her eyes sharp as she scanned every surveillance camera screen.

Four, three, two...

Lin Chen stood alone in the most inconspicuous shadow in the exhibition hall.

He leaned against the cold wall, slowly chewing a piece of mint-flavored gum and blowing bubbles of varying sizes.

His eyes were as calm as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple.

One.

Time reset to zero!

At the very moment the second hand and minute hand overlapped!

"Whoosh—Boom!!"

Without warning, tens of thousands of fireworks shot into the sky from the plaza outside the Expo Center!

The deafening roar, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, struck everyone's heart hard!

Immediately afterwards, countless dazzling lights exploded in the night sky, turning the entire sky into a colorful canvas.

The light was so dazzling and brilliant that it instantly overshadowed all the other lights on site!

Inside the exhibition hall, all the highly tense security personnel and special police, including Su Qingge in the monitoring room, instinctively turned their heads to look at the sky outside the window in the face of the sudden loud noise and bright light.

This is an irresistible neural reflex that a living organism experiences when faced with intense external stimuli.

Their attention was diverted.

Even if it's only 0.1 seconds.

For a true hunter, that 0.1 second is enough to decide the outcome of a hunt.

In that very instant!

"Clatter!"

With a soft click, the main power switch in the exhibition hall tripped.

stab-

All the lights, all the surveillance equipment, and all the infrared alarms went out at that moment!

The entire exhibition hall was instantly plunged into absolute, pitch-black darkness!

Panic spread in the darkness.

"What's going on!"

"Turn on the lights! Turn on the lights now!"

"Protect the diamond!!"

Li Mingyu's scream, distorted by extreme terror, sounded particularly piercing in the darkness.

However, this extreme darkness lasted only three seconds.

The backup power supply has been activated.

"Buzz—"

The soft emergency lights suddenly blazed on, illuminating the entire exhibition hall once again.

Forget about the chaos from before, everyone immediately turned their attention to the glass display case in the center of the exhibition hall!

fine……

The thick bulletproof glass of the display case was intact, without the slightest trace of damage.

Everyone breathed a long sigh of relief.

But the next second, everyone's breathing suddenly stopped.

Their pupils contracted to their maximum size in an instant!

The pale blue velvet tray was completely empty.

That legendary blue diamond, valued at $300 million and known as the "Heart of the Ocean."

It vanished into thin air.

Where the diamond disappeared, a black playing card took its place.

Ace of Spades.

In the very center of the card, drawn in red ink, is a grinning clown face, brimming with endless mockery.

It was as if it was mocking everyone present, calling them a bunch of complete idiots.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Every face was filled with incomprehensible horror and absurdity.

three seconds.

Darkness lasted only three seconds.

Inside the airtight bulletproof glass display case.

The diamonds just vanished into thin air?

This is not theft.

This is... magic!

"No...it's impossible..."

Ye Qingcheng's face turned deathly pale in an instant, devoid of any color.

She felt all her strength drain away, and her body swayed uncontrollably. If Su Qingge hadn't caught her in time, she probably would have collapsed to the ground.

Li Mingyu, who was standing closest to the display case, felt as if he had been struck on the head by a bolt of lightning.

He froze on the spot, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the mocking smiley face playing card, his mouth unconsciously agape, but unable to utter a sound.

"Not even a mosquito can fly in..."

"A net stretching to the heavens and the earth..."

His impassioned promises in front of the camera now felt like countless resounding slaps across his face, burning with pain.

His face turned from red to green, then from green to white, and finally became deathly pale.