Chapter 75
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Chapter 75: Locking Down Suspects
Zhang Zhiyuan was beginning to adjust to the dizzying sensation that accompanied exiting the game. He took a couple of deep breaths, removed the VR headset, and slowly opened his eyes.
The memory of the intense firefight from moments ago still lingered vividly in his mind. At first, he managed to aim at non-lethal areas, but as the battle lines stretched and enemies started flanking him, he could no longer show such restraint. He’d lost count of how many lives he’d taken as he unloaded six magazines before finally releasing the trigger.
The stark contrast between the two worlds gave him a surreal feeling, as if caught in a dream. Yet, his consciousness distinctly warned him that it wasn’t a fictional world; everything that was happening there was real.
Zhang Zhiyuan glanced at the wall clock. It was showing 6:20 PM now. The so called ‘gaming session’ had lasted for about three hours.
But if the time discrepancy was as large as he suspected, why hadn’t the other world advanced by months? last time, when he was disconnected for three days, several months had gone by over there.
“You’re awake?” Ning Jing’s voice pulled him back to reality. She approached to remove the monitoring devices from his body. “Director Gao came by earlier and said once you wake up, you should immediately go to his office.”
“Understood.” Zhang Zhiyuan put on his jacket. “Did he mention what it’s about?”
“No, but judging by his expression, he seemed very excited,” Ning Jing smiled. “If you get promoted, don’t forget to treat us all!”
“Of course.” Zhang Zhiyuan grinned, jumped off the reclining chair, and exited the secluded room specifically designated for Paradise game-related matters. Without delay, he made his way to the Director’s office on the fourth floor. After a brief knock, he heard the familiar voice from inside.
“Come in.”
“Reporting!” Zhang Zhiyuan pushed open the door, saluting first before entering. “I heard you were looking for me?”
“Yes,” Gao Wei said, his tone brisk. “The list you requested has been processed. We have results.”
“What?” Zhang Zhiyuan was taken aback. “Already? That was fast?”
“Yes, it went even smoother than I anticipated. Upon hearing that our national authorities requested it, the Caribbean Company readily provided the passenger manifest. Not only that, they also obtained the surveillance footage from that day.”
“This…” Realizing that his superior had significant news to share, Zhang Zhiyuan asked, “Have you… identified a suspect?”
“Indeed, we have.” Gao Wei pulled out a file and slid it towards the edge of the table. “On that day, there were a total of 137 individuals meeting the nationality criteria, 29 of whom had access to the VIP areas. Based on the physical characteristics you provided, such as height and arm length, there is only one person who matches. Here is his file.”
Zhang Zhiyuan picked up the file and quickly scanned through it. “Huang Zining, male, 25 years old, from Chu City. He’s the game host? Could there be a possibility of identity fraud?”
“We can’t rule that out, but don’t forget, what we found isn’t just an identity—it’s this ‘person’ himself!” Gao Wei forcefully tapped on the table. “He may change his identity, but he cannot conceal his movements entirely. By coordinating with customs and transportation departments, along with assistance from the data center, we can trace his entire travel route. With countless cameras around, it’s impossible for him to vanish without a trace! Zhang Zhiyuan!”
“Sir!” Zhang Zhiyuan stood at attention.
“You’re in charge of handling this case fully. If you need to work overtime to locate his current whereabouts, so be it. As soon as you are done, proceed with his arrest!” Gao Wei ordered.
“…Yes, sir!”
“What’s wrong?” His superior gave him a puzzled look. “I expected your response to be more assertive. Isn’t this exactly what you’ve been fighting to prove?”
Logically, it was correct. But complex emotions surged within Zhang Zhiyuan at that moment. For some reason, images of the numerous slave laborers imprisoned behind iron bars, the groaning injured lying on Cathedral beds, and the nun’s bright eyes flashed through his mind.
However, it was fleeting. The images dissipated as quickly as they came.
His primary duty was to enforce national laws and safeguard citizens’ safety. Whatever conflicted emotions stirred within him had no place here.
Zhang Zhiyuan stood straight, his voice firm.”Yes, sir! I guarantee completion of the task!”
***
At 9 p.m., Zhang Zhiyuan finally received a call from the data center.
“We’ve prepared everything you asked for and are sending it over now. Is this a good time?”
“Thank you for your hard work. Please, go ahead.”
Shortly after, his computer pinged with a notification: a compressed file containing the requested video footage.
“What’s this about?” Choi Jeon-eun asked while sipping her bubble tea as she waited for the files to unpack. “Listen… is there something you and Chief Gao are hiding from me? Last time, when I was asked to check phone numbers, I thought it was just a routine drill. But later, I casually looked into the location from where you made those calls and found out you weren’t even at North Hall. Now here I am, stuck pulling overtime while you’re getting encrypted files from the data center. Exactly what case are you working on?”
“Well… your guess isn’t far off,” Zhang Zhiyuan admitted with a slight nod.
“Spit it out!” Choi Jeon-eun nearly choked on her bubble tea. “You guys really have been keeping secrets from me?”
“My apologies, but it was my decision due to the extraordinary nature of this case.”
“Extraordinary, huh? As if you’re some kind of top investigator!” Choi Jeon-eun rolled her eyes. “Please, we’re basically more like an intelligence agency, responsible for sharing information with our counterparts around the world. We don’t even need to visit crime scenes or physically apprehend suspects. What kind of case requires such secrecy?”
“It is much more mysterious than you think, or rather… no other case can compare to this one. This time, I’ve kept you here because I want you to join us in investigating it. Because Chief Gao…” He paused, carefully choosing his wording at the last moment, “He highly regards your abilities.”
Choi wasn’t convinced. “Right. So, you’re just short-staffed and want someone innocent to accompany you during overtime,” she scoffed. “Stop beating around the bush; just tell me straight out.”
“There is no need to rush. Take a look at these documents first. You have time to gradually process the information,” Zhang Zhiyuan said calmly.
Choi Jeon-eun gave him a strange look but didn’t dwell on it further. Using the decryption key provided, she opened the compressed file package.
“So, this guy is the suspect?”
She opened several videos, each showing different locations—airports, train stations, street corners—but always with the same person in the center of the frame.
“That’s correct.”
“What crime did he commit?”
“He is involved in a large-scale online virtual reality game. We’re currently unsure if he’s an administrator, game designer, or just a low-level member of the customer service team. However, once we get him, I believe we’ll find our answers.”
“Game?” Choi Jeon-eun raised her eyebrows.
“Not just any game. It’s a game connected to a real other world,” Zhang Zhiyuan said.
“What is it? An MMORPG? Or perhaps an adventure game? But what law have they broken? Did they evade taxes?” Choi Jeon-eun immediately dismissed her own guess, “No, Director Gao wouldn’t care about tax evasion. We’re not dealing with offshore jurisdictions here. Can you give me more details?”
“Of course. In simple terms, this group is running a hyper-realistic game, but it’s not just any ordinary game. Instead, It guides players to an actual, physical world—one they call ‘Paradise Land.’ ”
Zhang Zhiyuan explained while watching the unfolding footage. He continued word by word, “Do you remember when we were investigating Wayne Jenkins and found that invitation letter in his email inbox?”
Choi’s eyes widened. “wait… The Paradise you mentioned, could it be referring to the Paradise game where Jenkins secretly met other criminals? The one that openly challenged the International Criminal Police Department?”
“Yes, but as I said, it’s not just a conventional game. The place where I met Jenkins… it’s called Glorious Fortress, and it… exists in another world.”
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