Chapter 33
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Chapter 33: Giving It All One’s Got
Zhang Zhiyuan abruptly removed his VR headset, finding that everything familiar had returned to his field of vision—the cold-lit ceiling, the soundproofed small room, the cluttered desk, and the concerned gazes of several colleagues.
“Hey, are you okay?” Choi Jeon-eun handed him a towel. “Wipe yourself off; you’re drenched in sweat.”
Only then did Zhang Zhiyuan notice several patches on his arms, while a medical device nearby emitted a steady hum.
“… Were you monitoring my heart rate and blood pressure?”
“What else could we do? You looked really distressed just now,” another colleague responded.
He recognized her as Ning Jing from the infirmary. Government offices typically have a physician on standby for emergencies, though it often seemed unnecessary. This was the first time he’d seen her at their workplace.
“Seriously, isn’t your reaction to playing a VR game a bit too extreme?” Choi Jeon-eun looked puzzled. “Shaking all over and gasping for breath—it could make someone think you’re having some sort of medical episode. If not for being on duty with normal vital signs, I might have even removed the glasses myself to check… Honestly, if word gets out that a game could affect you like this, it’ll be quite a joke.”
“Was it truly just a game?” Ning Jing removed the electrode patches and began tidying up the equipment. “When you came to the clinic looking for me earlier, you seemed genuinely worried.”
“I… didn’t!” Choi Jeon-eun hastily countered. “It was mainly his reaction that startled me!”
Right… Paradise.
Zhang Zhiyuan pressed his hands against his head as a flood of memories surged into his mind, momentarily making him dizzy and disoriented! An unknown coastal city, its vastly different inhabitants, the burning grand theater, and the Northern City Police Department… His last memory froze at the sight of a disguised corpse and a massive fist hurtling toward him, followed by silent darkness, akin to waking from a nightmare.
“How long was I gone?”
“Do you mean the time since putting on the VR headset?” Choi Jeon-eun glanced at the wall clock, “Not even twenty minutes. Officer Zhang, what exactly did you witness in the Paradise game? Can you please tell me quickly?”
Only twenty minutes?
These additional memories clearly exceeded that brief span!
“I saw a…” Zhang Zhiyuan abruptly stopped mid-sentence. After exchanging looks with Choi Jeon-eun, he changed his wording, “Where’s Chief Gao? I need to see him immediately!”
“Chief Gao is attending a meeting outside; he probably won’t be back for another hour.” Choi Jeon-eun frowned, “Why, is there something you can’t discuss with us?”
“Xiao Zhang, don’t tell me you’ve uncovered some crucial intel and want all the credit for yourself?” one of his colleagues teased nearby.
“Hahaha… Of course not!” Zhang Zhiyuan grinned widely, “It’s just that during the investigation of Paradise, Chief Gao assigned me a separate task, and I must inform him about it first.”
With those words, he stood up and put on his uniform jacket. “Where is Chief Gao holding the meeting?”
***
“Looks like you’re not actually planning to treat me for dinner?” Gao Wei entered the room and casually hung his coat on the rack. “Alright, spill it—what’s so urgent that we had to discuss this at your home?”
Zhang Zhiyuan pushed aside the clutter piled on the sofa, creating space for his superior to sit down. “Apologies, it’s quite messy here. Please bear and make yourself comfortable.”
“That’s fine; I’ve spent time in border jungles before. Just get straight to the point.” Gao Wei signaled him to stop fussing.
Zhang Zhiyuan understood well that only due to his supervisor’s high regard could he invite him here. However, such trust was not limitless, and he needed to swiftly address the main issue. “Chief Gao, my home is relatively safe with excellent soundproofing; neighbors won’t hear anything… After much thought, I concluded this is the best place to report.”
“Report?” Gao Wei momentarily seemed puzzled. “Is it related to Paradise and Wayne Jenkins? Why couldn’t it be discussed in our office building?”
“It’s not… entirely appropriate there.”
Gao Wei stared intently at Zhang Zhiyuan, noticing the determination in his subordinate’s eyes.
“Go ahead, I’m listening,” Gao wei said as he sat down on the sofa.
“Yes, sir.” Zhang Zhiyuan saluted and then proceeded to recount his entire experience participating in the Paradise’s game in meticulous detail. He spoke at a steady pace, but it still took nearly half an hour to finish his account. Throughout this time, Gao Wei hardly interrupted, but the skepticism in his eyes grew increasingly evident.
“I understand how unbelievable all this sounds; even witnessing it firsthand felt like a dream.” Zhang Zhiyuan clenched his fists tightly. “However, I swear upon my integrity as a party member that every word I’ve spoken is true, with absolutely no fabrication or fiction!”
Gao Wei rubbed his forehead, a hint of exasperation showing on his face. “So you’re saying that Glorious Fortress isn’t just a city within the game, but actually exists in reality? And Paradise controls the secret passages leading to it, accessible through VR headset?”
Zhang Zhiyuan’s heart sank slightly, realizing that his superior hadn’t fully believed him. This reaction was not unexpected, though. He knew it would be difficult for anyone to accept such claims easily.
The fact that Old Gao didn’t erupt in fury or dismiss him outright already demonstrated considerable open-mindedness. In another leader’s shoes, Zhang Zhiyuan suspected he might have been immediately kicked out of the police force as if he were deemed a fool.
However, precisely because it was not easy to accept, he had to make his utmost effort to persuade.
“Of course, there’s another explanation: Paradise possesses incredibly advanced virtual reality technology that allows it to fully simulate a real city, including its residents and environment,” Zhang Zhiyuan continued. “From an incredibility standpoint, both explanations are comparable, but I lean more toward the former.”
“Why?” Gao Wei pondered for a moment. “Creating a completely realistic simulation is indeed technically challenging, but at least theoretically possible. For instance, do you remember that popular TV series recently? Didn’t it involve someone obtaining alien technology to create wonders?”
“Yes, true enough. But I have my reasons. It’s just that we’ve had limited time, so my analysis isn’t comprehensive yet…”
“That’s fine, share whatever thoughts you have.”
“The biggest issue… I believe lies in the aspect of profit.” Zhang Zhiyuan took a deep breath. “If Paradise truly mastered such technology, turning it into a game would likely be the least profitable approach! Yes, currently it targets the wealthy with high ticket prices, but Chief Gao, do you think an organization possessing this kind of technology would lack funds?”
In a sense, transferring consciousness into a fictional world could be considered a form of immortality! Compared to the allure of immortality, what does a mere game matter? If he were Paradise, he wouldn’t bother creating a virtual steam civilization world; simulating reality would seem far more appealing. Even if not offering immortality, merely renting out meeting rooms or laboratories with time dilation effects could multiply available hours exponentially, enough to drive business tycoons and researchers mad with desire!
Unless… Paradise cannot change its nature!
“That makes sense…” Gao Wei pondered thoughtfully. “Anything else?”
“Yes, but this is just my personal observation.” Zhang Zhiyuan paused briefly. “If Paradise can effortlessly create virtual worlds, it should have complete control over its games. However, I feel that… they may not truly possess such unrestricted power. The reason Paradise approached us is because it needs us.”
“Needs… us?” Gao Wei was taken aback.
“Yes.” Zhang Zhiyuan met his superior’s gaze directly. “Paradise’s intrusion into the International Criminal Police Department‘s network wasn’t an act of provocation but rather a deliberate invitation. It knew we were investigating Wayne Jenkins and anticipated our interest!”
