Chapter 29

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Chapter 29: Check What’s Left in Your Pocket

“Detective?”

Zhou Zhi pondered for a moment before recalling the incident: during the carriage ride, Zhu Di had asked about the whereabouts of Detective, but he hadn’t paid much attention at the time. He unconsciously repeated her question and replied that he didn’t know, after which she didn’t press further. Surprisingly, those brief words stuck with Tyler. “Uh, perhaps he’s someone providing information? Why, is he important?”

“Let me ask you another question then, have you seen the Host’s face?” Tyler asked.

“No.” Zhou Zhi was certain about this point, “He always wore a mask… or maybe two. In any case, from the first time I saw him, he looked like that.”

“A Sichuan Opera mask,” Tyler emphasized. “Since he is the GameMaster, it’s not surprising that we don’t know his true appearance. However, a person wearing such a peculiar mask cannot interact normally with others in this world.”

This world…

Suddenly, Zhou Zhi realized what the other was implying.

“Exactly, if Paradise isn’t merely a game, then for the Host to communicate with others, he would need a tangible identity. And an identity suitable within a series of murder cases… being a detective is clearly a good choice.”

“You’re suggesting that the detective Zhu Di was questioning… is actually the Host himself?”

“Not just some fictional phantom, but his true self,” Tyler chuckled softly, seemingly quite pleased by Zhou Zhi’s astonished expression. He continued, “Of course, these are all my speculations, so don’t go asking the Host about it. In fact, what I’m most interested in isn’t this aspect…”

“T-Then what are you focused on?”

“The rewards, naturally. Think about it… following this line of reasoning, since the entertainment we seek isn’t just arbitrarily fabricated tasks, who is our real employer?” The Englishman leaned slightly forward, shadows from the oil lamp flickering across his face. “Is it the Host or Miss Zhu Di?”

“Does it make a difference…” Zhou Zhi swallowed nervously, “Only the Paradise can bring us here, right?”

“Of course there is, just like subcontracting versus direct contracting. However, given your young age, it might be challenging for you to fully grasp this concept.”

Isn’t it simply about cutting out the middleman and avoiding profit margins? Zhou Zhi was about to speak when the Host suddenly materialized in the center of the living room.

“Ah!” Zhou Zhi jumped, startled.

“What’s wrong?” Chaoyang looked towards him.

“No, no, nothing.” Feeling uneasy, Zhou Zhi glanced at the ceiling. “Is Paradise closing down?”

“Not at all. The mission has been updated: Eliminate the mastermind behind the scenes—Kui Qi, the Chief of the Northern City Police Department. You can open the mission interface for detailed information.”

“Wow, we didn’t have a mission interface before. Your updates are impressively swift,” Zhou Zhi remarked while opening the new interface. “But this time frame is really long; it feels like we’ve encountered a main quest.”

“I have a question, Host,” Tyler spoke up from the side. “Must players persist until the mission’s completion? What if someone wants to leave early?”

“The Paradise always prioritizes customer requests first. Both of you can choose to halt the game at any time,” Chaoyang swiftly replied, simultaneously raising his right hand as if preparing to snap his fingers. “Mr. Tyler, do you wish to end your experience in Paradise now?”

“No, no, no, you misunderstood; I was just casually asking,” Tyler hastily waved his hands.

Chaoyang lowered his hand again.

Meanwhile, Zhou Zhi had finished reading the mission description and couldn’t help but exclaim, “This guy is truly despicable! Even Zhou Bapi would have more integrity!” [Zhou Bapi is a symbol of the oppressive landlord class often depicted in Communist propaganda.The character was popularized in the story The Rooster Crows at Midnight.it’s based on the real-life landlord Zhou Chunfu.]

“Who’s Zhou Bapi?” Tyler asked. “A relative of yours?”

“He’s your relative!” Zhou Zhi rolled his eyes at the Englishman. “But we’re only left with two people, and the target still has bodyguards. It doesn’t seem feasible to charge in for an attack.”

“New phases of the mission will unlock new exchange items. You can take another look at the weapon exchange section.”

“Regardless, this mission’s difficulty is way too high…” Zhou Zhi abruptly froze mid-sentence because he spotted a weapon with an incredibly familiar appearance in the exchange list.

An automatic rifle named CQ-B.

The required exchange points were 1000.

Simultaneously, the numbers on the Exchange Interface also began to flicker, displaying “+1200”.

“The previous phase’s rewards have been settled, totaling 1,200 points from both the main quest and additional bonuses. You can use these in the new phase of the mission,” Chaoyang added.

For Chaoyang, this was also a gamble—the guns themselves were manageable, but every bullet used was not provided for free. He needed to spend Wish Power to construct them, and the cumulative cost of hundreds of bullets far exceeded that of the firearms themselves. This is why he initially hesitated to offer modern weaponry.

Compared to swords, bows, or crossbows, the operational expenses for guns were significantly higher.

Only after obtaining Zhu Di’s Wish Power did Chaoyang have the resources to create these items. If this mission failed, it would mean all his investments would go down the drain, leaving him virtually penniless until the next contract arrived.

While Zhou Zhi remained dazed, Tyler had already exchanged the rifle, skillfully released the safety with a click, and chambered a round with a crisp sound.

“Hahaha… These are indeed nifty toys. Too bad Mister Anthony and my friend Joe didn’t get to see them.”

“It seems like this isn’t your first time handling such a gun.”

“Of course, it’s just a replica M4. Joe and I have played around with them quite a bit,” Tyler admitted without denial. “However, we mainly used them at shooting ranges; this is my first time in actual combat.”

“But I’ve never used a real gun before…” Zhou Zhi felt rather uncertain. Despite being somewhat reckless, he always kept a distance from illegal activities. “By the way, since there’s Translation Tofu, could there be something like a Firearms Tofu?”

This left Chaoyang momentarily speechless. The so-called “tofu” actually refers to soul memories, meaning only skills he personally mastered can be shared with Paradise players. Additionally, replicating fictional objects required him to have touched the actual item and completed its on-site recording beforehand, enabling duplication within the Paradise. These two processes were distinct.

In other words, he might not necessarily use every item he created himself.

However, Chaoyang swiftly devised a workaround. “Apologies, but currently, the Paradise does not offer similar props. How about this: I’ll have another player provide you with firearms expertise—his consciousness will enter your body, subsequently guiding you in real-time, while I minimize any rejection reaction, allowing you to maintain as much control over your body as possible.”

“Huh… it can work like that?!”

Just as Zhou Zhi was about to ask how this would be accomplished, he felt a sudden surge in his head, followed by a voice directly echoing in his mind, “Hey, Host, I haven’t even agreed yet!”

“Big Bro Zhang!” Zhou Zhi exclaimed, astonished. “You’re still alive!”

“What do you mean ‘still alive’? Watch your words!”

“No, what I meant is, I didn’t expect you could return to the game again…” He looked joyfully at Chaoyang. “So the others actually also…”

“They can also observe your progress. As I mentioned earlier, you form a small team, and only when all of you are eliminated does the game effectively end as a failure,” Chaoyang calmly replied.

Of course, he was well aware that it wasn’t entirely true. For instance, he could decide at any moment to sever soul perception, plunging these individuals into complete slumber, or directly send them back to their original bodies. However, there was no need for such detailed explanations at this point.

“You can simply consider the others as being in observer mode. Regarding Mr. Zhang’s concerns… It was because I detected strong emotional fluctuations from you after learning about Haiya Mira’s situation that I made this proposal. If you find it inappropriate, I can withdraw the offer.”

Zhang Zhiyuan’s voice faltered momentarily. “I-I didn’t ask you to withdraw… Just next time, could you please consult my thoughts first?”

“Why not simply revive Joe and start over?” Tyler questioned, puzzled. “Having one more helper would greatly increase the chances of mission success, wouldn’t it?”

“Wait, I remember there being a Revival Scroll in the Exchange Interface, but it requires 1000 points,” Zhou Zhi remarked, well-versed with these items.

“That’s correct. From the beginning, I never said resurrection was impossible. However, regrettably, it cannot be used for new phase missions.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of time,” Chaoyang explained. “Creating a new body takes at least an hour, and now there remain less than two hours until dawn. If Kui Qi has not been eliminated by the time the east brightens, the mission will be considered a failure. If you wish to achieve final victory, you must act swiftly.”