Chapter Seven: The Successful Completion of the Mission

As time ticked by, the long-awaited moment of 6:30 PM arrived. But Cat's Eye hadn't shown up? Surely, this was unexpected. Could there be a sinister plot brewing? While Junfu looked around in bewilderment, the windows before everyone suddenly cracked and exploded! The windows had actually blown up.

The twin sounds of the exploding windows captured everyone's attention, especially since the explosion occurred near the painting "The Reader." It seemed impossible; these panes were made of bulletproof material and theoretically shouldn't have shattered like this.

"Lower the protective barriers!" With the windows now gaping open, fierce winds howled into the room. Acting swiftly, Junfu ordered the protective barriers to be dropped, sealing the window completely. This not only blocked the fierce wind but also prevented Cat's Eye from stealing the famous painting.

"What's going on? The painting's gone?" At this moment, Junfu's subordinates realized that "The Reader" hanging on the wall was now just an empty frame. Had Cat's Eye already been and gone?

"Damn it, what's happening? Weren't you standing right in front of the painting? How did you not notice anything?" Junfu furiously questioned the guard in front of "The Reader," who, of course, was Zhang Fan in disguise.

"I apologize, the commotion just now..." From the outside, the guard Zhang Fan played was unrecognizable, his head deeply bowed under a large cap. To Junfu, it seemed this guard was feeling guilty about losing the painting.

"Look! A hot air balloon!" At that moment, one of Junfu's subordinates, looking out of another window, spotted a small hot air balloon drifting in the sky with a faint silhouette beneath it. It was an unusual sight for a time like this.

"If Cat's Eye can't escape underground, then you'll surely succeed, Junfu," Junfu recalled Zhang Fan's earlier words. Could this be their method? It must be.

"Follow me!" Junfu shouted, leading all the police and security guards in a chase after the balloon.

"Manager, should we store these paintings now?" After Junfu and the others left, a worker in a blue uniform approached the kneeling manager. Since it was the last day of the art exhibition, protocol dictated that the paintings should be stored and prepared for transport.

"Do whatever you want," the manager replied impatiently, waving his hand dismissively. The loss of "The Reader" was bound to cause an international incident since the painting was on loan from a foreign museum.

"What about this empty frame?" the worker continued, pointing to the frame devoid of its painting.

"I said do whatever you want!" The manager stood up furiously, his anger palpable. The worker could only apologize and quickly removed the empty frame.

"I never expected this, Zhang Fan. Your actions were beyond my imagination," Lei applauded, amazed after listening to Zhang Fan's explanation of the entire heist. Indeed, Zhang Fan seemed to possess a natural talent for thievery.

But how did it all happen? Let's recap. First, Zhang Fan covertly installed micro-timed explosives on the window frames. The explosion not only shattered the windows but also created the perfect distraction. In that instant, Zhang Fan quickly placed a thin sticker over the painting within its frame, making it appear empty to Junfu and the others, who never suspected that the painting was still there.

Meanwhile, Rui Tears, lying in wait outside, activated the hot air balloon, creating the illusion that Cat's Eye was making an escape in it, thus diverting the attention of the police and security guards.

Finally, Zhang Fan, disguised as an exhibition worker, took the painting away effortlessly after getting the manager's approval. The entire operation was executed flawlessly, earning Zhang Fan a perfect score from Lei in her mind.

"You flatter me, Sister Lei. These were just some clever tricks," Zhang Fan humbly dismissed, explaining that his plan was based on impressions from comics he had read, combined with his actual observations of the scene.

"Regardless, you and Rui Tears have successfully completed the test. I hereby announce that you both are officially members of Cat's Eye!" Lei declared, clapping first to welcome them.

"Oh, Zhang Fan and Rui Tears are joining us? Now we're all one big family!" Not only did Lei applaud, but Tong also looked at Zhang Fan with satisfaction, and Ai even cheered, warmly welcoming their new members.

"What do you mean 'one big family'? Ai, what are you talking about!" Although Ai's comment was unintentional, it left Tong blushing at the thought of being family with Zhang Fan. The idea of someday truly becoming one made her head spin with steamy thoughts, and she couldn't bear to ponder it any further.

"What's wrong? Did I say something incorrect?" Ai looked at Tong, confused by her sister's reaction.

"No, Ai, you're right. It's just that your sister is overthinking things," Lei chuckled, watching her younger sister's innocent blunder.

"Big sister!" Embarrassed by Lei's teasing gaze, Tong shot Zhang Fan a glare and stomped off to her room.

"What's going on?" Zhang Fan felt wronged, having been caught off guard by Tong's reaction.

"What do you think?" Lei tapped Zhang Fan's forehead lightly, wondering if these two would ever get together.

And so, Zhang Fan and Rui Tears' side quest was completed, rewarding them with 1,000 game points each. But more importantly, the shop feature was finally unlocked, much to Zhang Fan's excitement.