Soon after, that warmth surged over him like a tide, sweeping across every inch of his skin with a roar. A strange tingling and pain also began to quietly rise throughout his body.

At the same time, while he had been fully focused just now, the entire pickpocketing process of the young man ahead—those smooth, flowing techniques—started to replay in his mind as if rewinding a tape. It was as if it were a memory of the soul, trying to imprint itself deep into his bones.

Along with this wave of images, Grace Bennett suddenly discovered that all the memories and images related to thieves lingering in his mind were inexplicably drawn out. Most of those memories were clips from movies and TV shows he had seen before, and at this moment, they spun rapidly like short films, flooding into his brain and limbs.

“Crackle, crackle~”

Amid barely audible clicks of his bones, it lasted only about a dozen seconds before everything vanished completely.

When Grace Bennett awoke from that strange state, his left hand suddenly twitched on its own. He had no idea when a SIM card had appeared in his left palm.

“Hiss~”

The smooth card spun beautifully between Grace Bennett’s fingers, then, like a fleeting blossom, swiftly retracted into his palm and disappeared. But in the next instant, a sharp corner of the card clearly reappeared.

That sharp corner, like a sprite dancing in the moonlight, flickered in and out between Grace Bennett’s fingers. Although each movement was still noticeably stiff, with each flip, the stiffness was fading at an imperceptible rate, gradually becoming nimble and fluid. But when Grace Bennett saw all this, he was completely dumbfounded.

Chapter 004: Playing Dirty?

Just as Grace Bennett was in a daze, he suddenly felt a scorching gaze shoot straight at him.

Looking up, Grace Bennett realized it was the young man who had just committed the theft, staring at his left hand in astonishment, with a hint of disdain and mockery flickering in his eyes.

Grace Bennett was stunned at first, then a bit bewildered.

He didn’t know that the shock in the young man’s heart was far greater than his own.

Simply because the young man couldn’t believe that in Ning City, someone would dare to challenge him!

Indeed, during a theft, being unexpectedly discovered by someone, and not only did the other party not shout, but even displayed some decent sleight of hand—if that’s not running into a fellow professional, a challenger, then what is?

Although in a big city like Ning City, pickpockets aren’t rare, those who have truly mastered the craft are few and far between.

Brian Carter was one of those top pickpockets!

No exceptions.

When it came to finger skills, Brian Carter could confidently look down on all of Ning City. In the past, whenever other pickpockets encountered him, they would usually turn and hide at the end of the street as soon as they saw him.

Although there was no official title, the reputation of Brian Carter as the king of pickpockets had already been established in an unspoken way.

Of course, he wouldn’t act casually. The targets he chose had to meet two main criteria. First, they had to be well-dressed and well-spoken—truly high-class, not just anyone in a suit and tie. This required a very discerning eye.

Second, they had to be outsiders. After all, anyone with a bit of sense knows that the poor don’t have much to offer, and with people used to cards these days, even the rich might not carry much cash. So after a theft, he often had follow-up tricks.

He would first pocket the cash, then pretend to be a good Samaritan who found an empty wallet and return the empty shell. With the cards and ID inside, he could often get a handsome reward.

But if the target was a wealthy and influential local, it wouldn’t be so safe. Outsiders would leave after losing their wallet, but locals could easily run into him again, and if exposed, he’d be in big trouble.

That’s why he usually spent much more time picking a target than actually stealing. For example, the last target—he had followed the person for several blocks before making his move when the person was momentarily distracted.

He never expected that just as he made his move, he’d run into a challenger from the same trade!

Looking at the man a few steps behind, with his somewhat stiff movements and shifty eyes, Brian Carter could even be sure this was probably a rookie, though his left hand was decent.

But for anyone daring to challenge him, Brian Carter had no qualms about delivering a cruel blow to their spirit.

With a wicked, low chuckle, Brian Carter glanced at Grace Bennett again, then suddenly turned his head to scan his surroundings. Soon, a delicate figure walking with her head down, a few steps ahead in the crowd, caught his eye.

After locking onto that figure, Brian Carter quickly turned back, shot Grace Bennett a mocking smile, and pointed at the figure.

With just a look, the already bewildered Grace Bennett was left even more confused.

What’s going on? Is he…