Chapter 49
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Chapter 49: Unexpected Contact
“You’re drunk.” Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head.
“Yes, I’m drunk; only when I’m drunk do I spill everything!” Zhou Zhi let out a belch, “Alcohol doesn’t lie, it just amplifies your true feelings, making you realize that your everyday self is merely a facade!”
“Is there anything here to help you sober up? Let me pour you a glass.”
“Milk, green tea… There’s everything in the fridge,” Zhou Zhi murmured as he lay back down, staring at the ceiling. “Hey brother, you’re not an ordinary person, right?”
Zhang Zhiyuan unsteadily stood up and walked toward the refrigerator. “What makes you say that?”
“In the serial murder case, most of the ideas were yours… And burning through the chandelier cable sounded simple, but upon thinking about it, one realizes how difficult it actually was to execute. Moreover… you know how to use firearms, not like in video games, but genuinely understand how to kill with them. Someone like that… couldn’t possibly be just any average individual, could they?”
“You observe well.” Zhang Zhiyuan tossed him a bottle of cold milk, saying, “Here. It’s your reward.”
“I may be the least favored one in my family, but I’m not stupid,” Zhou Zhi smiled, though it seemed tinged with self-ridicule. “Of course, if you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t pry further—”
“Your old buddy here is part of the International Criminal Police Department.”
Zhou Zhi abruptly fell silent.
“What, are you scared now?”
“Why should I be scared?” he protested, raising his chin defiantly. “I haven’t done anything illegal! Besides, members of the International Criminal Police Department don’t have jurisdiction within domestic borders, right? I’m just relieved, that’s all.”
“Relieved about what?”
“Relieved that I didn’t ask for your details inside the private booth. Remember, bro, don’t reveal this identity to anyone else. I have some… some acquaintances who are extremely wary of such matters; even just hearing the word ‘police’ would unsettle them.”
“Do you think I’m dumb? I only mentioned it because we’re alone here,” Zhang Zhiyuan shrugged.
“But… are you serious or joking?”
“Check it out yourself.” Zhang Zhiyuan pulled his counterfeit police officer ID from his pocket and tossed it to Zhou Zhi.
“So you came to Jiangcheng to find me… for other reasons as well?” Zhou Zhi slurred. “Could it be… you guys want to investigate Paradise?”
“First, the Paradise… or game company hasn’t registered domestically, making their operations illegal. Second… second… sigh, in short, we need to uncover their true background,” Zhang Zhiyuan said as he sat back down on the sofa. “And you… are one of our few witnesses; I require your assistance. However, the main reason is that we agreed to meet up if there was ever a chance, right?”
“Hah… hahaha…” Zhou Zhi suddenly burst into sporadic laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“I never thought there would come a day when I could play such a crucial role. But…” His voice quickly dropped, as if all his strength were draining away like water. “I won’t be able to visit Paradise anymore.”
“Why not?”
“Of course, it’s because of money! A ticket costing one million dollars each time is simply unaffordable for me.” Zhou Zhi let out a deep sigh. “Even if I asked my family, there would be no support whatsoever; as they’ve never seen Paradise and wouldn’t understand its significance.”
Zhang Zhiyuan fell silent.
“Isn’t it quite amusing? Despite having glimpsed that world, I’m destined to become a frog trapped at the bottom of a well once again. If you hadn’t come to Jiangcheng looking for me, Big Bro, I might never have had another chance to talk about Paradise… Now do you understand why I was so ecstatic?”
He paused briefly. “Big Bro Zhang, can I ask you for a favor?”
“Go ahead.”
“Don’t lose touch with me. Whenever you have time in the future, please share stories about Paradise and updates on… Asahara Naruko.”
“I will.”
“Then it’s a deal…” Zhou Zhi’s words gradually became mumbled and unclear. “I feel she must not be an ordinary person either. Someone like her wouldn’t be interested in me, but still, I want to keep observing her…”
“Who knows, you’re not bad-looking,” Zhang Zhiyuan responded.
“No, you don’t understand… At her level, money and appearance aren’t the primary concerns anymore…” he murmured softly. “Forget it, let’s not talk about this now… Whenever you come to Jiangcheng in the future, I’ll make sure we have a great time together. And don’t forget what you promised me…”
“You’re not going to make me do that pinkie swear again, right?”
“Pinkie… swear…” Zhou Zhi’s voice became barely audible.
“Hey, buddy.”
“Hello? Are you still awake?”
“Zhou Zhi?”
Despite calling out multiple times, Zhang Zhiyuan received no response from his friend. In the next moment, all traces of drunkenness vanished from his face, and his sluggish body suddenly sprang to alertness. He swiftly stood up from the sofa, beginning to search for Zhou Zhi’s phone on him.
Zhang Zhiyuan wasn’t worried about Zhou Zhi waking up abruptly; according to his colleague from the Medical Department, the few drops of sedative secretly mixed into the milk were enough to keep someone asleep until dawn.
With minimal effort, he found Zhou Zhi’s phone. Zhang Zhiyuan then retrieved a small toolkit from the inner pocket of his suit jacket and promptly began disassembling the phone on the spot.
His task was straightforward: to implant a backdoor chip into Zhou Zhi’s phone. Through this chip, he could directly access any information on Zhou Zhi’s device, such as photos, emails, and call records. It wasn’t that Zhang Zhiyuan suspected Zhou Zhi of wrongdoing; rather, the Paradise typically contacts Players via text messages or emails. The Technology Division needed more data points to increase their chances of uncovering flaws in the sender’s identity.
Just as Zhang Zhiyuan was about to close the phone cover, two sudden SMS notifications startled him!
“Uh…” Zhou Zhi merely murmured but did not open his eyes.
Phew, close call. Zhang Zhiyuan decided to buy a pack of premium cigarettes for Old Wei from the Medical Department as thanks for the sedative assistance once he got back.
Besides Zhou Zhi’s phone, his own had also beeped—the simultaneous sounds clearly indicating where the texts originated.
He opened his inbox and confirmed what he suspected: it was indeed an invitation from the Paradise.
However, there were slight differences between the two invitations. Zhou Zhi received the usual message, while Zhang Zhiyuan’s contained a numbered line of text.
“Call this number: 0X0-8886953X.”
Zhang Zhiyuan’s heart couldn’t help but jolt!
What did it mean? Could Paradise be trying to communicate with him directly?
This was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Tracking down the call source offered far more potential than just deciphering a few text messages! The problem was that it was past midnight; there was no way anyone from the tech department would still be on duty. Who could he contact to trace the number?
Suddenly, Zhang Zhiyuan recalled his superior’s words: “Due to confidentiality reasons, I can’t provide details, but Officer Choi is trustworthy.”
With that assurance, he decided to take a chance.
He forwarded the text message to Choi Jeon-eun and added the code #TAD at the end. This shorthand, commonly used among detectives, signified ‘track address.’ If Choi Jeon-eun saw this message, she would instantly understand his intent.
Next, he went to the restroom, locked the door behind him, and dialed the number as instructed in the text.
On the other end, someone answered after only two rings.
“A new round of Paradise games is about to begin, and this time you will have a special challenge: completing a role-playing task according to specific requirements.”
The voice was cold and raspy, devoid of any emotion, akin to a robotic tone. Clearly, it had been digitally processed, making it difficult to discern the speaker’s identity based solely on sound.
“Why did you choose me?” Zhang Zhiyuan attempted to engage in a strategic conversation with the caller. “If I’m not mistaken, our relationship now shifts from that of game organizers and participants to something more like a mutually beneficial partnership.”
There was no response from the other side.
He pressed his advantage, saying, “Since we’re partners, wouldn’t it be more conducive for future collaboration if we got to know each other better? I am genuinely curious about what kind of organization your Paradise truly is—”
“Are you done talking?” The next words from the caller felt like a chilling splash of ice water: “You participate in the game, and the Paradise provides rewards—that encapsulates our entire relationship. If you’re unwilling to accept this, I’ll find someone else. Goodbye then.”
