Chapter 50
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Chapter 50: Additional Reward
“Wait, wait… I didn’t say I was unwilling!” Zhang Zhiyuan hastily tried to backtrack, “Can we pretend I never mentioned it? Hey, are you still listening?”
「Yes, listening.」
“Alright…” He let out a long breath, “First, tell me about this special challenge – is that okay now?”
What a cold-hearted guy, Zhang Zhiyuan thought to himself. It seemed he had underestimated Paradise’s understanding of its leverage, daring to dismiss any concerns even after provoking the International Criminal Police Department. One could only wonder what fueled their courage.
However, he had to admit, at present, he couldn’t afford to take such risks.
If Paradise were to block him, he wouldn’t know where else to find another lead. More crucially, players recruited by Paradise hail from all over the world. Even if it meant compromising his own comfort, he couldn’t allow national security to fall behind.
After all, the existence of “another world” has immense significance.
「The requirements have been sent to your phone. You now have five minutes to review and raise any questions.」
Five minutes! That wasn’t a short time for tracking down a location!
“I’ll check it right away.” Suppressing his excitement, Zhang Zhiyuan opened the newly received text message, “Uh… I need to impersonate someone named Zhang Qiang, who happens to be Zhang Zhiyuan’s brother?”
「Since Zhang Zhiyuan has already died in the previous round of the game, there is no restriction regarding who specifically Zhang Qiang refers to from Paradise’s standpoint.」
Wow, they’re not even trying to hide it anymore!
If this were just a game, what does death matter? It would just mean reloading a save file.
He had also inquired about it; during the first round, there were no regulations on player names—using real names posed no issue whatsoever. However, now the Paradise suddenly started enforcing name restrictions, and the only plausible reason could be their interactions with locals!
“Wait… proficient in medicine? That’s not my area of expertise. You know my background; isn’t helping with investigations enough?”
「Solving cases was the task for the previous round, and you don’t need extensive medical knowledge. A basic understanding, akin to boiling water for disinfection, will suffice.」
“Huh?” Zhang Zhiyuan was taken aback. Is boiling water really considered medical expertise? it’s just common sense!
At that level, any player should be capable!
「When the time comes, you’ll understand.」The voice over the phone seemed unwilling to provide further explanation, 「The new round of the game will commence at 3 PM two days from now. You have one day left to prepare.」
“Fine, I accept this challenge,” Zhang Zhiyuan acknowledged, knowing he had no choice but to comply. “However, since this mission’s difficulty is higher, can the rewards also be improved? Surely it won’t just be extra points?”
「What about Wayne Jenkins?」
“What?” He was momentarily taken aback.
「Wayne Jenkins himself will be your reward. Not only his capture but also all evidence of his criminal activities can be provided. You’ve always wanted to apprehend him, right?」
Zhang Zhiyuan was genuinely stunned!
Paradise seemed to have crystal-clear knowledge of even the most specific matters!
“But Joe James… isn’t he a player?”
「As you mentioned, that’s within the game. Paradise promises the best experience during gameplay, but outside the game, it’s a different matter.」 There was a pause before continuing, 「This reward will be delivered in L City; remember to arrange personnel beforehand. Once everything is prepared, I’ll contact you again.」
“Wait—” Zhang Zhiyuan tried to ask more questions, but the other party had already hung up.
A few seconds later, his phone rang again, and this time the caller ID displayed Choi Jeon-eun’s number.
“Hello, what’s going on? Conducting surprise drills this late at night?” As soon as Zhang Zhiyuan answered, his colleague’s loud complaints echoed through the phone, “If I hadn’t still been trying for my first win of the day, no one would’ve even received your message!”
“So did you check it out?” Zhang Zhiyuan eagerly asked.
“Yes, the number is from our department’s landline, specifically the third backup phone of the Security Division,” Choi Jeon-eun replied impatiently. “What’s up? Are you staging some sort of double act with someone?”
“F**k!” He clenched his fists tightly.
Using a phone within the International Criminal Police Department building to call investigators looking into Paradise was an outright display of their power and capabilities!
The problem was that after the previous incident involving invitation cards, the IT department had conducted a comprehensive overhaul of the department’s network, claiming it was now foolproof. However, in light of this situation, all their efforts seemed like a mockery.
“Well, say something?”
“No… It’s fine now,” Zhang Zhiyuan replied weakly. “I owe you one. Next time, I’ll treat you to a feast of hairy crabs.”
“Oh? That sounds fair enough. Alright, I’m hanging up then. Remember to conduct any future surprise drills during office hours. Yawn…” Choi Jeon-eun ended the call shortly afterward.
It seems that capturing even a glimpse of Paradise won’t be straightforward… Zhang Zhiyuan gazed at his reflection in the mirror, suddenly feeling overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness. Could he truly track down Paradise’s whereabouts? The mysterious organization appeared to possess hints of supernatural influence, not only effortlessly breaching digital fortresses but also creating objects out of thin air in another world… and possibly even distorting time.
After a moment of silence, he abruptly lifted his head and slapped his cheeks several times.
Come on, Zhang Zhiyuan! You’re just getting started, don’t even think about giving up now.
Where had the resilience and never-give-up attitude instilled in him during his military training gone?
As a defender of national security, there was one thing he could never do: surrender or admit defeat.
With this thought, Zhang Zhiyuan picked up his phone once again and dialed his superior, Gao Wei.
“Young man, do you know what time it is?” Gao Wei’s steady voice resonated through the receiver.
“Apologies for disturbing your rest, sir, but I have important information to report,” Zhang Zhiyuan whispered.
“Gladly, if it weren’t urgent, you wouldn’t be calling at this hour. Hang on, let me move to the living room so as not to wake my wife.” Gao Wei paused briefly before continuing, “…Alright, go ahead with your report.”
Zhang Zhiyuan meticulously recounted how Paradise had directly communicated with him.
“They captured Wayne Jenkins? And they’re willing to hand him over to the International Criminal Police Department?” Gao Wei’s voice sounded genuinely surprised. “Do you truly believe what Paradise said is accurate?”
“About eight or nine out of ten chances, yes. The main reason is that Paradise has no need to tell a lie that could be easily exposed,” Zhang Zhiyuan responded without any formalities towards his superior. “Moreover, verifying it would be straightforward. We just need to inform our counterparts in the European department and have them contact the local police.”
“That makes sense…” Gao Wei pondered. “I’ll make arrangements in the morning. Regardless, capturing Jenkins would still be a significant achievement.”
“It doesn’t end there. Ideally, we should bring him back for trial domestically.”
“Why?”
“Because he has witnessed Paradise,” Zhang Zhiyuan stated without hesitation. “Didn’t you say that to convince those at the top about the reports regarding Paradise, providing evidence is crucial? This man serves as living proof!”
Although Wayne Jenkins couldn’t be considered physical evidence, he could validate the existence of Paradise from another angle. There’s no way the Police Department would collude with the very criminal they’re pursuing, right? And for the criminal, there’s absolutely no need to support the captors’ lie since his confession about Paradise wouldn’t directly affect whether he ends up in prison or not. In this scenario, if they can extract a testimony from Jenkins that aligns with their own report, the persuasiveness of their claims will multiply significantly!
Once the higher-ups begin seriously examining the possibility of Paradise’s existence, the intensity of the investigation will undoubtedly escalate by several levels. At that point, Zhang Zhiyuan would no longer be fighting alone against the tide.
