Mystery Paradise: Wishing Power Demon

Chapter 76 - 76 75 Locking on the Suspect

?Chapter 76: Chapter 75: Locking on the Suspect Chapter 76: Chapter 75: Locking on the Suspect Zhang Zhiyuan had become more and more accustomed to the vertigo induced by disconnection. He took two deep breaths, removed the VR headset, and slowly opened his eyes.

The intense gunfight had just taken place before his eyes, and at first, he was able to aim at less lethal parts of the body, but as the battle stretched on, and enemies began to flank from the sides, he couldn’t afford to be so meticulous anymore. It wasn’t until all six magazines were emptied that he finally let go of the trigger, and by then, he had no idea how many had died by his gun.

The enormous differences between the two worlds gave him the illusion that he was in a dream.

But his will was clearly warning him that it wasn’t a fictional environment; everything was happening for real.

Zhang Zhiyuan looked up at the wall clock; the time pointed to 18:20.

This gaming session lasted about three hours.

Despite the enormous time discrepancy between the two sides, why hadn’t that world advanced at a rapid pace? Last time, after being disconnected for three days, in theory, several months should have passed there.

“You’re awake?” Ning Jing came over and removed the monitoring equipment from his body, “Director Gao just came by, he said as soon as you wake up, to have you go straight to his office.”

“I got it,” Zhang Zhiyuan put on his jacket, “Did he say what it’s about?”

“No, but by the look on his face, he seemed to be in very high spirits,” Ning Jing said with a smile, “If you get a promotion, don’t forget to treat us!”

“Definitely,” Zhang Zhiyuan smiled, jumped down from the reclining chair, and left the secluded room set up specifically for the Paradise game.

Then he quickly made his way to the director’s office on the fourth floor and knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

“Reporting in!” Zhang Zhiyuan pushed open the door, entered, and saluted first, “I heard you were looking for me?”

“That’s right, the list you asked me to investigate last time has some results,” Gao Wei stated succinctly.

“What?” Zhang Zhiyuan was taken aback, “That was quick?”

“Yes, things went smoother than I expected. Hearing that it was our government agencies requesting, the Caribbean Company quickly provided the boarding list, and not just that, they also procured the surveillance records from that day.”

“This…” Zhang Zhiyuan realized his boss had some significant news for him, “You… found a suspect?”

“Correct,” Gao Wei drew out a file and pushed it to the edge of the desk, “According to the national criteria, there were a total of one hundred and thirty-seven people that day, twenty-nine could enter the VIP room. Based on the height, arm length, and other features you provided, there’s only one person. This is his file.”

Zhang Zhiyuan picked up the file and quickly skimmed through, “Huang Zining, male, twenty-five years old, from Chu City. Is he the game host? Is there a chance of an identity theft situation?”

“We can’t rule out that possibility, but don’t forget, we found not just the identity, but this ‘person’!” Gao Wei emphasized by tapping on the desk, “He can change identities, but he can’t cover up his movements. As long as we work with customs and the transportation department, in cooperation with the big data center, we will be able to trace all of his movements. Under the countless cameras, it’s impossible for him to move without trace! Zhang Zhiyuan!”

“Present!” Zhang Zhiyuan stood at attention.

“You are to take full responsibility for this matter, work overtime if you must, and find his current location, then proceed with the arrest!” Gao Wei ordered.

“Yes!”

“What’s the matter with you?” The superior gave him a peculiar look, “I thought your response would be more enthusiastic. Isn’t this what you have always wanted to prove?”

He wasn’t wrong, but at that moment, a complex mix of emotions surged within Zhang Zhiyuan’s heart.

For some reason, his mind was filled with images of the multitude of slaves locked in iron cells, the patients moaning on the beds in the holy temple, and the bright eyes of the nun.

However, these images were but fleeting.

His primary duty was to enforce national law and ensure the safety of citizens. “Yes! I guarantee to complete the mission!”

…

At nine o’clock in the evening, Zhang Zhiyuan finally received a call from the data center.

“The materials you requested are ready. We are sending them to you now; is it convenient for you?”

“Thank you for your efforts, please send it.”

Soon, an archive accompanied by image data was received on the computer.

“What is this?” Cui Zhen’en sipped her milk tea while waiting for the files to unpack and said, “I mean… are you and Director Gao hiding something from me? Last time you had me check a number, I thought it was a surprise drill, but later I casually checked the location where you dialed from and found out you weren’t at Beifu at all. Now you’ve left me to work overtime alone, just to receive encrypted files from the data center, what case are you actually working on?”

“Actually… you guessed right,” Zhang Zhiyuan nodded.

“Pfft—” Cui Zhen’en spat out a mouthful of milk tea, “You guys really are keeping things from me?”

“Sorry, that was my decision, because this case is extraordinary.”

“Talking like you’re some detective agency!” Cui Zhen’en rolled her eyes, “Please, we’re essentially more like an intelligence agency, responsible for exchanging information with counterparts around the world. We neither need to go to the scene nor catch people physically, so what case needs to be treated with such secrecy?”

“It’s far more mysterious than you think, or I should say… other cases can’t even be mentioned in the same breath as this one. I kept you here this time because I was planning on getting you involved too. Because Director Gao…,” he paused, then changed what he was about to say, “he values you highly.”

“I think you just lack manpower and wanted to drag an innocent person to keep you company for overtime,” Cui Zhen’en snorted with a laugh, “Stop beating around the bush, just tell me straight.”

“No rush, take a look at these files first, you’ll have time to slowly come to terms with it,” Zhang Zhiyuan said slowly.

Cui Zhen’en gave him a strange look, but couldn’t be bothered to argue, and used the encryption key received from the other side to open the archived file.

“So this guy is the suspect, huh?”

She opened a series of videos in parallel; the footage locations included airports, high-speed train stations, and many were street corners, but no matter where, the main character in the center of the videos was always the same person.

“Correct.”

“What crime did he commit?”

“He participated in a large-scale online virtual reality game, and we’re not clear whether he’s an administrator, a game designer, or maybe just a small role within the customer service team. But once we catch him, I believe we should get an answer.”

“Huang Zining?” Cui Zhen’en raised an eyebrow.

“No. It’s a game that connects the world,” Zhang Zhiyuan said.

“What kind of game is that? MMORPG? Or AAVG? But what law does that break, are they evading taxes?” Cui Zhen’en started to suggest but then immediately dismissed the idea, “No, that doesn’t fit, why would Director Gao be concerned about tax evasion? We are not from over the strait. Can you explain this in more detail?”

“I can. Simply put, these people are operating a virtual reality game, but in essence, it’s not an ordinary game. It leads players to a world that actually exists, a place they call Paradise,” Zhang Zhiyuan said while watching the characters in the video, articulating every word, “Remember the invitation we found in Wayne James’s email when we were investigating him?”

“Wait a second… When you mention Paradise, are you referring to the Paradise game where James and other criminals secretly met? The one that openly defied Interpol?”

“Yes, but as I said before, it’s not just a game. The place where I met James… is called Magnificent Castle, and it… is in another world.”