The Thief Game

(A novel featuring the Phantom Thief Kid as its central figure, where elegance is the absolute theme. Interested readers may check out the first three chapters before deciding whether to continue.)

(Lastly, dear readers, don’t forget to leave a five-star review if you enjoy it. Love you all (￣3￣)╭?)

Night fell.

The summer evening breeze was always so warm, and the full moon hung high, casting its silvery light impartially upon everyone below.

Complementing this was the bustling splendor of City H.

On the rooftop of the tallest building in City H—the International Trade Hotel—

a dozen individuals dressed in identical uniforms stood with stern expressions, their breaths seemingly held in unison.

They were on high alert!

And before them stood a young man clad in white.

His pristine white suit, the four-leaf clover charm dangling from the monocle over his right eye, the classic white top hat reminiscent of medieval Europe—all accentuated by the faint smile on his lips.

Whoosh—

A gentle wind swept past, lifting the edges of his white cape.

In that moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Every gaze was fixed on the young man, as if he alone commanded the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

With arms gracefully outstretched, bathed in the moonlight, he resembled a celestial being at play, his confident smile unwavering:

"It’s showtime!"

……

Half a day earlier.

Daytime.

"Hello, audience! Welcome to the live broadcast of Thief Game, China Region 3! I’m your host, Xixi, thrilled to be here with you all!"

"With the advancement of technology, the world has largely embraced peace."

"Yet, the primary challenges facing society have shifted from the horrors of war to crimes like theft and robbery."

"To assess global crime prevention efforts and identify gaps in security management, nations worldwide have jointly launched this program."

Thief Game is the first and only program fully endorsed by the World United Government.

To ensure thoroughness, it spans 800 regions globally, with 10 participants per region—totaling 8,000 contestants.

Once the game begins, all participants are permitted to engage in non-destructive illegal activities, such as theft, anywhere in the world to acquire illicit gains.

If they successfully evade law enforcement and regional pursuit teams and remain undetected for a specified period, their spoils are secured.

The value of the stolen goods is then converted into cash by the United Government and awarded to the participants.

The higher the value, the longer the pursuit period.

Of course, if caught before the time expires, the participant is eliminated.

Upon hearing these rules, the live chat erupted.

"Holy crap! This is basically legalized crime! If I’d known, I would’ve signed up too—just rob a jewelry store, hide out, and wait for the timer to run out. Easy money!"

"Bro, if it’s legal crime, why stop at a jewelry store? Just hit a bank! Way more cash there!"

"Both of you are clowns. You think your rusty kitchen knife can crack a bank’s bulletproof glass? You’d be lucky to scratch it!"

"Exactly. With surveillance everywhere and pursuit teams on standby, you’d be cuffed before you even made it past the bank doors!"

"True, this money isn’t easy to earn..."

The barrage of comments continued, but the show pressed on.

Host Xixi began introducing the ten participants of the region.

The first was a brawny man named Zhou Tai, his muscles so defined they seemed ready to burst through his clothes. A former silver medalist in the World Boxing Championships!

An explosive start!

The chat exploded again.

"Wait, why is this guy here? With that build, he’d stick out like a sore thumb! How’s he supposed to hide?"

"Who says he needs to hide? The game bans firearms. With Zhou Tai’s skills, he could bulldoze his way out even if surrounded!"

"Isn't this fucking cheating? Everyone else is trying their best to escape, but he just rolls up his sleeves and goes all out. Who dares to catch him?"

"Agreed!"

"+1"

Xixi moved on to the second participant—a tall, striking woman in a sleek black-and-red bodysuit that accentuated her figure. Her cold demeanor matched her sharp features.

Xixi introduced her: "Our second contestant is Lin Qingyao. You may not recognize her name, but her uncle is legendary—Lin Shanhe, the infamous ‘King of Thieves’ from 30 years ago!"

Noticing the camera, Lin Qingyao gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.

"Suddenly, I miss my mom..."

"Same. Look at this floor—so flat. These bricks—so long..."

"Are you guys even paying attention? The real story here is her being the niece of the King of Thieves!"

"Exactly. Lin Shanhe vanished after his release from prison a decade ago. Wonder how much of his skill she inherited?"

"Skill aside, she’s at least a 70/10 in looks!"

"I disagree—minimum 90!"

The chat raged on, but Xixi remained unfazed as she introduced the third contestant—a middle-aged man with a scarred face and a menacing aura.

The fourth was an elderly man, the fifth a masked, diminutive figure...

Finally, the last participant.

"Ahem." Xixi cleared her throat and pulled out the final profile.

"Our tenth contestant is the youngest of the group. His name is Chen Feng, a recent honors graduate from Jiangcheng University."

The camera panned to Chen Feng.

Dressed in casual yet refined attire, his handsome features and warm smile exuded charm. A silver card danced effortlessly between his fingers.

Spotting the camera, he paused his card trick and offered a polite nod.

"Region 3 has contestants this good-looking? Dude’s handsomer than Kun Kun!"

"Blasphemy! No one tops my idol Kun! I refuse to accept this!"

"Looks mean nothing in Thief Game. It’s about skill, not a modeling contest."

"Sour grapes much? If this guy ‘robbed’ me, I wouldn’t resist. In fact, I’d gladly... hehe..."

Meanwhile, Chen Feng’s gaze wasn’t fixed on the camera but on an invisible "screen" before him.

[Host: Chen Feng]

[Gender: Male]

【Age: 23】

【Strength: 15 (Average person: 10)】

【Intelligence: 145 (Average person: 90)】

【Charm: 15 (Average person: 10)】

【Character Card: Kaito Kid (Fusion Rate: 15%)】

【Skills: Disguise (Beginner), Beast Taming (Beginner), Magic Hands (Intermediate), World Language Master (Intermediate)】

【System Inventory: Kaito Kid Outfit1, Card Gun1, Descending Rope2, 4D Holographic Projector1, Rose Bouquet99+】

【System Points: 300】

Staring at the card depicting a white-clad figure in his hand, Chen Feng couldn’t help but sigh at the unpredictability of fate.

Who would’ve thought that a promising young man from the 21st century would end up transmigrating to another world—and even obtaining a [Character Card System], with his first card being none other than Kaito Kid?

Sure, being a phantom thief sounded cool, but it was still a life of crime!

At first, Chen Feng was deeply conflicted. That is, until he received the invitation to this show.

"Alright, everyone," Xixi said, stepping back to the center of the stage after all the contestants had introduced themselves. This time, she was holding a red box.

"Now, our ten contestants will take turns drawing the locations they’ll be assigned to."

Following Xixi’s instructions, Zhou Tai stepped forward first, thrusting his burly arm into the red box and rummaging around before pulling out a slip of paper.

Next up were Contestant No. 2, Lin Qingyao, and Contestant No. 3, Scarface...

Chen Feng was last in line. By the time it was his turn, only one slip remained in the box.

Unfolding the paper, he saw the words clearly printed on it: "Zone 7."

...