Chapter 82
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Chapter 82: “Stone”
Knock knock.
A knocking sound came from outside the office door.
“Come in.” Gao Wei hung up his uniform, and spoke in a slightly puzzled voice. He had just stepped inside, who would be looking for him so early?
The door opened, and Zhang Zhiyuan walked in, panting heavily. He looked terrible, his lips were dry, and there were deep dark circles under his eyes.
“Where were you yesterday?” Gao Wei asked. “If I remember correctly, you and Officer Choi returned two days ago. But while she showed up for work, you disappeared. You didn’t stay up all night, did you?” Gao Wei opened his thermos, poured a cup of wolfberry tea for his subordinate, and said, “Here, have some tea first.”
“Actually, I haven’t slept for almost two days now,” Zhang Zhiyuan replied. He picked up the teacup and took a big sip, only to grimace later as it burned his mouth. “Yesterday, I went to Jindu.”
“You didn’t report your trip? Your audacity seems to be growing by the day,” Gao Wei’s said angrily, he was clearly displeased. “What exactly is going on in Chucheng? I heard you arrested someone, but they seem to be unrelated to the case?”
“I apologize, sir. This time the situation was truly exceptional.” Zhang Zhiyuan hastily put down the cup, pulled out a courier package out of his pocket, and carefully placed it on the table. ” I know that reports for official trips require approval, but I was afraid that we wouldn’t make it in time, so I left right away. I will give a detailed report of what happened in Chucheng, but it really has nothing to do with the Paradise. We basically wasted our time there.”
“Then what was your purpose in going to Jindu?”
“To pick up this package in person,” Zhang Zhiyuan explained honestly. “If I had waited for it to be mailed, it would’ve taken two or three days. By flying there, I could make the round trip in just one day. And this thing… is evidence.”
“What kind of evidence?” Gao Wei asked, puzzled.
“It’s proof that the Paradise exists.”
Chief Gao’s expression immediately turned serious as he opened the plastic bag and poured its contents onto the table.
It was a small stone.
However, when he held it in his hand, he could clearly feel that its texture was significantly different from ordinary silicate minerals.
“You mean… this is something from another world?”
“Yes.” Although Zhang Zhiyuan wasn’t quite sure what exactly the object was, but he knew that Paradise would never do anything without a purpose.
“There are several specialized test facilities in the North Hall. Regardless of whether it’s a rock or some kind of compound, they can give us a report. If its composition is something that has never been seen before, I believe it would serve as the strongest evidence we need.”
“How did you get it?” Gao Wei questioned.
“It was one of the rewards from the Paradise game.”
“They don’t realize the significance of this object?”
“They know—or rather, they seem to know everything… It’s just that the Paradise doesn’t care.”
Gao Wei gave Zhang Zhiyuan a puzzled look. Doesn’t care? He didn’t expect such dismissive words from his capable subordinate, who usually upheld the reputation of their organization. “Are you saying that they plan to appear openly in the broad daylight?”
“No, what I mean is that the Paradise’s technological capabilities have reached a new level. At this point, we can’t catch them using normal methods.” Zhang Zhiyuan briefly summarized his experience in Chucheng to his superior. “If they dare to take such actions, it means that they don’t care about the
chain reaction it will cause.”
“Even the files in the Big Data Center have been replaced? Why didn’t you inform me earlier?” Gao Wei’s eyes widened.
“Because any network-based barriers would be ineffective unless the equipment is turned off. And as you know… they won’t do that.”
“We’re leaving,” Gao Wei said, standing up and draping his uniform jacket back over his shoulders.
“…Where to?” Zhang Zhiyuan was taken aback.
“Of course, to the National Appraisal Center,” he said firmly. “I’ll go with you.”
***
The National Appraisal Center was not far from the International Criminal Police Department building. It only took about ten minutes by car.
As official partners, Zhang Zhiyuan and Gao Wei did not have to wait in line. They were immediately escorted into a special reception hall. A young man dressed in a white lab coat greeted them, “Hello, my name is Bai Yan. How can I help you?”
After introducing themselves, Gao Wei handed over the courier bag, ” The thing is… we would like your center to help us analyze a stone.”
“Hiss…” Upon seeing the bag, Bai Yan grimaced, clearly disapproving of the packaging method. But he hesitated to voice his concerns out of politeness, so he said, “Are you looking for blood traces or DNA analysis? But i must remind you that contamination might have occurred due to improper storage, so I cannot guarantee that the results will meet your expectations.”
“No, that’s what the police would check,” Zhang Zhiyuan quickly corrected. “We just want to know what kind of stone this is.
“Oh, you mean a gemstone appraisal?” Bai Yan put on gloves and picked up the stone. “Hmm… it doesn’t seem particularly valuable.”
“It doesn’t matter what it is or what it’s value is. Please just give us a detailed appraisal report.”
“All right, the billing will be through your organization. I’ll arrange for it right away.”
“Wait,” Zhang Zhiyuan called out again, “Can I go with you?”
“Huh?” This was the first time Bai Yan had heard such a request. “I’m sorry Officer Zhang, but the testing room is clean and sterile, you can’t come in.”
“That’s enough, sit down!” Gao Wei pulled him back firmly, then turned to the examined and said, “It’s okay, go ahead with your work. How long will it take?”
“About an hour. You guys can head back now, as the report will be available on the app.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll wait here.”
Bai Yan shrugged, seemingly puzzled by their behavior. But since they were official clients, he didn’t push any further.
“You need to calm down, young man!” Gao Wei glared at Zhang Zhiyuan.
“I apologize, I am just afraid that he might lose the sample,” Zhang Zhiyuan replied, still looking uneasy. “You know, ever since I intercepted this stone at the relay station, it hasn’t left my hands for a moment.”
“I understand. If everything you said is true, then it’s the most important piece of evidence in the world.” Gao Wei smiled. “Given your strong desire to prove the existence of Paradise, have you thought about what you’d like to do next if the higher-ups start taking this seriously?”
“I want to continue to stay in Paradise and serve as a liaison between the two worlds,” Zhang Zhiyuan replied slowly.
“Hmm… That’s not too much of a request, I think it should be feasible.” Gao Wei pondered for a moment before adding, “But I thought you’d want to join the investigation team and focus on uncovering the location of Paradise in the real world. You are young and capable, but what you lack is experience. This kind of opportunity would be great for your future promotions. Staying only in the game would probably hinder this aspect in consideration, as direct involvement is the only way to build that experience.”
“It’s alright,” Zhang Zhiyuan said firmly. He knew exactly what he wanted. “If you ever get the chance to visit Paradise, you’ll undoubtedly want to stay there for a few more days. In addition, I’d like to advise those from the higher-ups not to rush to find out Paradise’s true identity. It serves as our only gateway to another world. Losing it would result in immeasurable losses. Besides, Paradise itself isn’t important; what’s most important is being able to explore and develop the new world.”
“You can give suggestions, but their effect will depend on various factors,” Gao Wei patted him on the shoulder. “Our main achievement lies in discovering this important matter. But if it turns out to be really huge, our influence over it will be quite limited!”
Zhang Zhiyuan nodded silently. He knew that his superior was telling the truth.
At the end of the day, they were just a part of the International Criminal Police Department. They were lucky to have achieved what they had so far. Without the chance meeting with Joe James and journalist Zhu Di, he wouldn’t have discovered Paradise either. If the higher-ups decided to get involved, they would undoubtedly set up tightly organized teams and bring in more capable people who could take the lead. At that time, it would be hard to predict what steps they would take next.
Just as Zhang Zhiyuan was thinking about the uncertain future, the inner door of the reception hall suddenly opened, and more than a dozen people dressed in white lab coats rushed in and surrounded them!
Bai Yan was among them, but he did not speak up first.
The one who took the initiative to first to speak was an elderly man with gray temples. He wore thick glasses and had noticeable wrinkles on his forehead, but his voice was surprisingly clear and loud. “Did you bring this stone?”
“Yes… it was us,” Zhang Zhiyuan nodded.
The man suddenly leaned in close, their noses almost touching each other, “Are there more stones like this? Where did you get it from?
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