Stretching some data across cells but not others--how is this possible?

So you're saying that in the same row, there is a message stretched across and also values in the individual cells?
I can think of two possibilities.
1. they put spaces between the text to make it appear that the second row of values were in individual cells.
2. They overlaid a text box with no fill and no line.
I put both possibilities into an example sheet attached.

PS. I used "Center Across Selection" rather than merged cells.