Chapter 53
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 53: “Newcomer” Joins
Two days later, Zhang Zhiyuan glanced at his watch; it was precisely 3:30 PM.
He picked up the VR headset and performed one final check to ensure all surrounding equipment was operating normally—Gao Wei took this matter very seriously lately. Not only had he allocate a dedicated room for Zhang Zhiyuan, but he also assigned specialized medical personnel to monitor his vital signs continuously. Additionally, multiple cameras and network surveillance devices were set up within the room to record everything throughout the process. In a sense, this was already the maximum effort Gao Wei could exert without official approval from higher-ups.
Naturally, Zhang Zhiyuan understood the reason behind his superior’s caution.
It stemmed from the news received from the European branch about Wayne Jenkins being confirmed captured.
It was almost identical to what Paradise had stated.
Not only was Jenkins apprehended, but detailed evidence of his crimes was obtained as well. The evidence was so comprehensive that it seemed… as if Jenkins himself had willingly provided it.
There was no doubt that Paradise had a thorough grasp of the players participating in their games. It appeared that any information transmitted through the internet inevitably fell into their hands.
Then, does Paradise also have a clear understanding of my objectives as well?
“Ready?” Old Gao’s voice came through the headset.
Zhang Zhiyuan dismissed his thoughts, nodded at his supervisor behind the glass partition, and placed the VR headset on his head.
After silently counting to five, a familiar sensation of dizziness engulfed him instantly!
The pressure from the VR headset gradually faded away until it completely disappeared, replaced by moist and warm air.
He knew everything had changed now.
Opening his eyes, Zhang Zhiyuan found himself in the living room of an old house. With a quick glance around, he realized this was exactly where the previous game had ended.
“Brother Zhang!” a joyful shout echoed.
Turning, he spotted a stranger running toward him, his face beaming with happiness. Judging by the nickname, this must be Zhou Zhi, but how did he recognize Zhang Zhiyuan?
“How do I appear right now?”
“Pretty much the same as last time, otherwise, how could I have identified you?” Zhou Zhi closely examined him upon approach. “Uh, though if we look carefully, there are some slight differences… like your nose seems more prominent?”
Ah, right—this time he was playing the role of Zhang Qiang, Zhang Zhiyuan’s brother. Likely due to that reason, Paradise had recreated his body based on his previous appearance.
But if they were so similar, wouldn’t others perceive them as twin brothers instead?
Portraying twins would be much more challenging than simply being unrelated siblings.
Zhou Zhi didn’t give him time to ponder further, continuing excitedly, “That day, I saw the Paradise invitation and your farewell note, thinking it’d be a long while before we could meet again. Guess what? Someone paid my admission fee! Seven million yuan! Brother Zhang, did you have anything to do with it?”
“I did raise concerns about the excessively high fees with the Paradise organizers; perhaps they made adjustments accordingly.”
Naturally, Zhang Zhiyuan wouldn’t reveal his department’s involvement. He needed Zhou Zhi as an independent observer, not someone who thinks they’ve become a temporary employee of the International Criminal Police Department, like a privileged young master.
“Let’s follow protocol and introduce ourselves first since our appearances don’t match up again,” a new voice interjected. “I am Anthony Chekhov.”
“Asahara Naruko.” Another slender woman entered the living room.
Their physical appearances had changed significantly since their last encounter. The Russian seemed considerably younger this time, with only a slight paunch remaining; otherwise, he appeared as a robust middle-aged man. As for Asahara, she looked almost otherworldly, featuring pointed ears and intricate patterns on her shoulders, reminiscent of the tortured victim they encountered at the theater previously.
After Zhang Zhiyuan and Zhou Zhi also introduced themselves, Anthony shrugged disinterestedly. “So James and Tyler won’t be present this time? Last round, my luck ran out early, and i got eliminated first. I was hoping to compete seriously against them again, but now…” He scanned the group, “I didn’t expect it to just be women and Mr. Justice Warrior here.”
“Without Mr. Justice Warrior, we probably wouldn’t have even made it past the theater entrance, let alone completing the mission,” Asahara Naruko said in her usual calm tone. “Hopefully, you can deliver another equally thrilling performance this time.”
“Ha… little girl, no one dares to speak to me like this in Rose City.”
“But this isn’t Rose City, is it?” Asahara replied firmly, showing no sign of backing down.
“It seems everyone’s spirits are quite high.” Suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted their confrontation as the Host entered the hall, still dressed in his signature black-and-red trench coat and Sichuan opera mask. “Welcome to Paradise. Since you’re all regulars here, I won’t elaborate much on the details. Additionally, we have a newcomer joining us this round, so let’s hope for a pleasant experience together.”
He then gestured towards the back with a wave of his hand. “Come out now.”
As a petite figure emerged from the shadows, the room instantly fell silent.
“Greetings, everyone… I am the Demon,” Luo Di said through gritted teeth, introducing herself.
“Wow… what kind of body is that? Absolutely adorable!” Asahara Naruko couldn’t help but exclaim, “She looks just like a doll straight from a painting…”
This sentiment echoed in the minds of Zhou Zhi and the others as well.
The girl had a completely different aura compared to them!
She had short, flaxen hair with softly curled ends, evoking an irresistible urge to run fingers through it. Her skin was equally delicate and fair, contrasting starkly with the weathered locals—it made her seem like a young lady who had sneaked out from some aristocratic family. Even her attire was noticeably more refined than that of the ordinary townsfolk. Around her slender neck, she wore a black silk choker, which added a touch of modern elegance.
“Is this a paid cosmetic skin? Host, I want one too!” Asahara Naruko couldn’t hide her admiration for the girl, her previous indifference vanishing completely.
“So, it turns out she does care about appearances after all,” Zhang Zhiyuan whispered to Zhou Zhi.
“Come on, bro, regardless of how Miss Asahara is, she’s still a woman,” Zhou Zhi muttered. “But isn’t this skin quite expensive? Probably costs another million?”
“My apologies, but currently, Paradise does not offer aesthetic customization services,” Chaoyang replied, feigning regret. “Of course, as technology advances, your requests might be fulfilled in the future.”
Nonsense—of course, it couldn’t be exchanged. In fact, gathering these bodies had already been quite challenging for Chaoyang. The reason Luo Di appeared unique was entirely because she didn’t require a physical body to move about; standing before everyone now was Luo Di herself.
“Host, this is truly unfair,” Asahara Naruko persisted with a hint of dissatisfaction. “If we can’t change our skins, at least the bodies shouldn’t be worse than before, right? This time, not only do I feel slower, but there’s also a strange odor.”
“I agree,” Anthony concurred. “Are high-quality bodies really that expensive? If the ticket price isn’t enough, I’m willing to pay more. My legs feel as if they’re filled with lead.”
“Really? Perhaps there’s some issue somewhere,” Chaoyang responded confidently. There was no room for guilt, as this approach saved a substantial amount of Wish Power. In truth, this round of the game served as a new experiment for him—aside from Zhang Zhiyuan’s specially crafted body, the other three players were using fresh corpses provided by the Yeni Cathedral. These bodies typically hadn’t been deceased for more than four hours, and he needed only a tiny bit of Wish Power to reanimate their dormant organs.
He referred to this preservation method as the “Virtual Soul.”
