Chapter 76
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Chapter 76: Rushing Overnight
“Are you kidding me?” Choi Jeon-eun looked at him like he had lost his mind. “If the Paradise game you’re talking about is the same one we came across during our investigation of Jenkins case, isn’t it just a VR game? Don’t forget, you were the one who asked me to check for any peculiarities with that VR headset. And as far as I could tell, it’s completely ordinary—aside from that hidden internal camera, there’s nothing special about it compared to what’s available on the market!”
“That’s exactly what makes it amazing and incomprehensible.” Zhang Zhiyuan didn’t rush to counter her skepticism, knowing full well that without experiencing it firsthand, no amount of explanation would suffice. “A regular VR headset gave me an experience that felt completely real. So, there are only two possibilities: either I’m lying, or Paradise has actually found a way to transport people to another world. Now… do you think I’m lying?”
Choi Jeon-eun opened her mouth to respond but stopped, torn between disbelief and the strange reality Zhang was presenting. Finally , she looked away irritably, “Ahhh… right now, I feel like such a fool.”
“Let’s focus on task at hand first.” Zhang Zhiyuan said, giving her shoulder a reassuring pat. “Help me find out where this person was last seen.”
“Allow me to run a comparison program first,” Choi Jeon-eun sighed, her fingers flying across the keyboard.. “With so many files, it could take several hours.”
“I’ll get you a cup of coffee.”
“Anything but an Americano,” she called out as she continued typing. Then, without looking up, she asked, “What does Director Gao think about all this?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know what i mean…your nonsense! Surely Director Gao must be aware too? What did he say to you?”
“He said it doesn’t matter whether he believes it or not; the important thing is finding evidence.” Zhang Zhiyuan said while he continued to place the coffee order. “And the guy we’re searching for now has the most critical piece of evidence.”
“Hmph, that sounds like something Old Gao would say.” Choi Jeon-eun pushed the keyboard aside for a moment. “Alright! Since we have some spare time, how about a quick game of ‘first victory’ mode.”
“Hey… what about the task I entrusted to you!”
“We live in modern era—why should I rely on manual tracking? Anyone who can’t write programs to automate their work is bound fall behind!” she declared confidently.
“Are you sure the computer can track this person?” Zhang Zhiyuan questioned seemingly unconvinced.
“It doesn’t need ‘track’ anything. I just programmed it to identify the filming location and street names from the video footage, then automatically pinpoint them on a map. how about a quick, we can cross-reference these locations with the public security database to trace the suspect’s movements. As long as he has somewhere to hide, we’ll be able to find traces of his whereabouts.” Choi Jeon-eun explained patiently, “Look here—the first trace after disembarking was Jiangcheng International Airport. After that, he took the subway to the high-speed train station. The data center might not have records of this specific journey, but local CCTV databases would have.”
“I see…” Zhang Zhiyuan displayed a look of sudden realization.
“But wait, if you knew I could handle this, why did you call me to come in for overtime?” Choi Jeon-eun questioned incredulously, “Don’t tell me you really wanted me to analyze all this manually! Did you expect me to analyze all night by eye?”
It’s because you’re someone Director Gao trusts, one of the few colleagues we can rely on within the International Criminal Police Department…, Zhang Zhiyuan thought internally. However, such sentiments were not easily expressed aloud. Instead, he said, “I just knew you’re great with computers, so i thought with your help it would be faster. Oh, didn’t you want to play that game for your daily win? Let’s start now.”
“Just don’t call me over for tech support again.” Choi Jeon-eun decided to let him off this time and said, “Add me as a friend first.”
At that moment, the computer suddenly beeped.
“What’s wrong?”
“Strange… it’s done already?” Choi Jeon-eun was also taken aback momentarily before turning back toward her desk, “The analysis comparison is complete.”
“Did you mentioned earlier… it would take hours,” Zhang Zhiyuan said, surprised.
“Yes, usually it would. But seems like this one went super smooth.” She pulled up the footprint map and pointed at the densest cluster of routes, “Look, he’s currently in Chucheng, and there’s a high chance he lives around this residential area. The nearby surveillance cameras have also captured his movements.”
Zhang Zhiyuan leaned closer to examine the data.
As Choi Jeon-eun explained, the system’s facial recognition made it impossible for the suspect to hide his actions. Even if he was wearing a mask, the cameras can identify him based on unique combinations of facial features, clothing style, and color. These records are not focused solely on him; he was just one of thousands captured by the cameras. However, if necessary, the computers can identify a person in a matter of seconds through data matching.
Hearing the explanation Zhang Zhiyuan took out his phone and dialed Gao Wei’s number, “Chief Gao, we’ve found the target. Yes, yes! I understand. Alright… I’ll go confirm right away.”
After hanging up, but before he could move, Choi Jeon-eun swiftly grabbed his hand, “Are you going to arrest him?”
“Chief Gao said he’ll help me coordinate with Chucheng’s police, but we need to keep custody of the suspect.”
“And then what? Are you gonna maintain full secrecy and going to keep me in the dark again after dragging me into this?” Choi Jeon-eun glared at him.
Actually, Chief Gao tasked me with forming my own squad,” Zhang Zhiyuan answered calmly without evading the issue.
“Don’t change the subject—” Suddenly, she paused her eyes narrowing. “Wait…. squad?”
“Mm-hmm, and you’re the third member that I’ve chosen.” Zhang Zhiyuan opened a flight booking app, “So, do you want to continue working overtime with me?”
Choi Jeon-eun’s wide-eyed gaze gradually softened into a crescent moon shape as she said with excitement, “Absolutely! Let’s hurry up and buy the tickets!” However, after a moment, she questioned further, “I’m the third member, so who is the second?”
“Ning Jing from the infirmary. I needed someone to monitor my vitals when I was in the other world.” Zhang Zhiyuan added, “However, her role is solely to track my vital signs; she is unaware of the true nature of Paradise.”
“Then I am genuinely the second member!” Choi Jeon-eun’s tone suddenly brightened, “Alright, Team Zhang-Choi, let’s move out!”
***
Glorious Fortress, Lord’s Manor
When Shandela arrived at the Lord’s Manor, she saw Li Qiang Aola pacing back and forth restlessly near his desk. His pale face had an unusual flush of red, betraying the depth of his anger.
Upon spotting the City Guard Commander, he slammed his fist on the table, “Do you have any idea what happened last night?!”
“The fog tide,” Shandela responded calmly—despite her exhaustion from a long night duty, she mustered her energy, “At its nearest point, the dense fog was less than half a mile away from the northeast watchtower. As the dawn approached, the fog began to recede and it has since moved back past the wheat fields.”
The outcome was fortunate. Glorious Fortress had suffered little damage. Due to the previous event occurring at night, most residents stayed indoors, resulting in very few instances of panic or accidents. Naturally, there would be reported missing persons upon post-event assessment, and her swift order to recruit ships to patrol had incurred heavy costs. But given the rarity of the fog tide, occurring only once every several decades, the overall result could be considered remarkably lucky.
“This wasn’t a natural phenomenon—they’re here!” The lord remained agitated and shouted at Shandela, “Glorious Fortress is their next target!”
They…
Shandela knew exactly whom he was referring to.
She exhaled softly, trying to keep her own frustration in check. “But my lord, there is no evidence suggesting that followers of the Church of Hidden Mist can manipulate the fog.”
As one of the most notorious cults, the Church of Hidden Mist had long been a topic of interest across both the new and old continents. This sect worshipped mystery and fog, with most of their activities typically confined deep within the foggy regions. Some rumors claimed that the cult believed the fog was the veil of a divine being, and high-ranking heretics could supposedly summon the fog itself, which they said could wipe out entire cities. Many blamed the fall of Old Fortress to be a “miracle” preformed by the Church of Hidden Mist, as it marked the first sudden appearance of fog on the old continent.