Nighttime Crimes

"Not bad. You really did guess right." Qiao James nodded to the four of them. "There are definitely ghosts in this theater."

"Who are they? Why are they doing this?" Zhou Zhi asked quietly.

"Who cares? They're obviously no good." Anthony took a compound crossbow from his back. "I've been waiting for ages. Finally, I can get to work."

"Wait. What are you going to do?" Zhang Zhiyuan frowned.

"What do you think?" The Russian grinned, a cold light glinting in his eyes. "Take them out, of course. Don't worry, they won't make a sound before they die. I've got experience with this."

"I've had a look," Qiao James added. "These guys aren't professionals. They're spread out, so they can't watch each other's backs. And it's pitch-black here. Outsiders won't easily spot them, but they won't easily spot us, either. If we handle this right, we can open up a gap in their defenses."

"They're people!" Zhang Zhiyuan reminded them. Even the most detestable criminals shouldn't be subjected to vigilante justice. As a law enforcement officer, he was instinctively averse to such behavior.

At that, the others all turned to look at him.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong with your brain? You were pretty sharp before." Qiao James gave a cold laugh. "This is Paradise, not the real world we came from. The laws you're talking about don't apply here."

"Buddy, did you really come here to enjoy Paradise?" Anthony chimed in. "You should've known this sort of thing would happen before you came in. Whatever. If you won't get your hands dirty, just watch from the sidelines. The rest of us can handle it."

With that, he crouched and slipped into the pitch-black night, moving so quietly and deftly that you'd never guess someone of his size could manage it.

Qiao James, Taylor, and Asahara Naruko followed him out of the alley. For a moment, only Zhang Zhiyuan and Zhou Zhi remained in their hiding place.

"Listen... This world looks incredibly real, but time travel isn't possible in reality, right?" Zhou Zhi patted him on the back. "I almost thought it was real, too. I feel a lot better now."

Zhang Zhiyuan's face was livid, but he said nothing. Had these people really never considered that Paradise might be a real world? No... They weren't fools. In what Qiao James and Anthony had just said, not once had either of them mentioned a game. They'd used "Paradise" instead.

Exactly. They didn't care about that at all, and had no intention of figuring out whether it was real. Even if it was a real world, as long as the law couldn't reach them, they could act without a care.

In that brief moment, a shadow silently crumpled to the ground.

There was no lighting, so Zhang Zhiyuan couldn't clearly see what had happened, but there was no doubt the crossbow was at work. Anthony had chosen a modern weapon: silent and deadly. Its barbed bolt, as thick as a little finger, could kill even a wild boar with a single shot.

The victim's accomplices hadn't noticed a thing.

"Let's go over, too," Zhou Zhi suggested.

This wasn't their homeland. The law couldn't reach them... Zhang Zhiyuan repeated it to himself three times before finally nodding. "All right."

He still had a mission to complete. If he insisted on doing things by the book, he wouldn't just fail to rescue the missing reporter—he'd expose his own identity, too.

When they approached the theater's eastern wall, Zhang Zhiyuan saw that the others had already made a quick job of cleaning up. Three or four pairs of feet stuck out from the bushes by the wall, and smears of blood marked the ground.

Anthony still looked slightly intoxicated, as if he were drunk. When he saw Zhang Zhiyuan, he even gave him a playful fist bump. "You guys are really... missing out."

"Hunting people isn't much different from hunting animals, is it?" Taylor chuckled.

"Actually, it's easier." The light in his eyes had changed completely.

He'd crossed a line, Zhang Zhiyuan thought. He'd seen the same look in the eyes of plenty of criminals.

Qiao James looked much calmer. "We can't celebrate yet. If anyone's patrolling, they'll soon notice a gap in their defenses. Our real target is still inside the theater. We need to find a way in. We can't exactly use the front door, can we?"

"You guys are amazing... It's like you do this all the time..." Zhou Zhi clicked his tongue.

The remark chilled the mood.

In the end, the Russian glared at him. "Kid, you don't need to have eaten pork to know what a pig looks like. Besides, these guys are probably high. Even the old lady next door would be quicker to react than they are."

"Ahem. Back to business," Taylor cut in. "The front entrance is out. It's too exposed, and we don't know if anyone's guarding it from inside. There are plenty of windows along this side of the building. Going in through one seems like a good option."

The others exchanged glances and had no objections.

"Also, none of us knows what's going on inside, so I suggest splitting into two groups. Qiao and I will stay in the open, while Mr. Anthony and Miss Naruko move in the shadows. That way, even if we run into enemies, we won't all be exposed at once."

"What about us?" Zhou Zhi asked hurriedly.

"You didn't even pick weapons, so just look for an opportunity to help," Taylor said with a shrug. "By the way, those lookouts were carrying weapons—mostly hatchets and daggers. They're poor quality, but you can take them for protection."

"Uh... All right."

Once the plan was settled, they sprang into action.

The window was set high, about two meters above the ground, but that was no problem for them. They could easily reach it by making a human ladder. The window was locked, but Taylor used a dagger to pry open the wooden latch in just a few dozen seconds. With a boost from the others, they climbed inside one after another.

The room on the side was small. Judging by its furnishings, it was a tearoom where guests could chat or rest. In a building like a theater, which required a large open space, the stage was usually in the center.

"Damn, it's way too dark." Qiao James felt his way forward. "We should've had those two who still have Points exchange some for a torch."

"Forget it. A torch would make it easier for you to see where you're going, but it'd also make it easier for the enemy to spot you." Taylor suddenly stopped. "Besides, I think we've found it."

Qiao James also noticed a sliver of light shining beneath the door at the end of the corridor.

It was nearly midnight. It was obvious who was still at work.

Taylor tapped the floor twice, the signal for the two groups to regroup.

Soon, the other four had joined them at the door. They gently pushed it open a crack, revealing the spacious theater hall.

In fact, the hall was only separated from where they'd entered by a single corridor.

What Zhang Zhiyuan saw made him draw a sharp breath. This wasn't just where the criminals had committed their crimes; it was also where they executed their victims. Three wooden posts stood on the stage, each with a person tied to it. Their mouths had been gagged, and no matter how terrified they were, all they could manage was a low, muffled whimper. Despair covered their faces in the firelight, while as many as nine criminals surrounded the posts.