Do Everything Possible

Zhang Zhiyuan abruptly pulled off his VR Goggles, finding his familiar surroundings back in view—the cold, fluorescent ceiling, the small room lined with soundproofing panels, the messy desk, and the concerned gazes of his colleagues.

"Hey, are you okay?" Cui Zhenen handed him a towel. "Wipe yourself off, you're drenched in sweat."

Only then did Zhang Zhiyuan notice the several patches attached to his arms and a medical device beside him emitting a steady hum.

"...Are you measuring my heart rate and blood pressure?"

"We had to. You looked like you were in a lot of pain just now," another colleague replied.

Zhang Zhiyuan recognized her as Ning Jing from the medical room. Government units always had a physician on standby for emergencies, though they were usually more of a formality. This was the first time he'd seen her in the office.

"Seriously, do you really need to react so dramatically to a VR game?" Cui Zhenen asked, looking puzzled. "You were trembling all over and gasping for air. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were having some kind of medical episode. If we weren't on a mission and your vitals hadn't been normal, I would have wanted to try the goggles myself... Honestly, if a game can do this to you, it'll be a joke if word gets out."

"Was it really just a game?" Ning Jing asked as she removed the patches and packed up the equipment. "You looked really worried when you came to see me in the medical room."

"I... I didn't!" Cui Zhenen quickly retorted. "It was mainly his reaction that scared me!"

Right... the Paradise game...

Zhang Zhiyuan pressed his head, a flood of memories rushing into his mind, making him dizzy! An unknown port city, completely alien residents, a burning theater, and the North City Police Station... His last memory was of a disguised corpse and a massive fist flying towards him, followed by a dead, pitch-black silence. It was like a nightmare, and he had just woken up.

"How long was I in there?"

"Are you asking about the time you spent with the VR on?" Cui Zhenen looked up at the wall clock. "Less than twenty minutes. Officer Zhang, what exactly did you see in the Paradise game? Can you tell us quickly?"

Only twenty minutes?

His newly acquired memories were clearly far more extensive than that!

"I saw a..." Zhang Zhiyuan stopped himself mid-sentence, his mouth closing abruptly. After a moment of eye contact with Cui Zhenen, he changed his tune. "Where's Director Gao? I need to see him immediately!"

"Director Gao is in a meeting outside. He probably won't be back for another hour," Cui Zhenen frowned. "What's wrong? Is there something you can't tell us?"

"Little Zhang, you didn't discover some crucial intel and decide to hog all the credit, did you?" a colleague chimed in jokingly.

"Hahaha... How could I!" Zhang Zhiyuan grinned. "It's just that when investigating Paradise, Director Gao assigned me a solo mission. I need to report to him first."

With that, he stood up and put on his uniform. "Where is the boss having his meeting?"

"Looks like you weren't just inviting me over for a meal, huh?" Gao Wei walked into the room, hanging his coat on the rack. "Go on, what's so important that you had to drag me all the way to your place to discuss?"

Zhang Zhiyuan pushed aside some clutter on the sofa, clearing a space for his superior. "Sorry about the mess, please make do."

"It's fine, I've spent time in jungles on the border, just say what you need to say," Gao Wei gestured for him to stop fussing.

Zhang Zhiyuan knew he was highly valued by his superior, which was why he could invite him here. But his boss's trust wasn't infinite, and he needed to get to the point quickly. "Director Gao, my home is a place I feel comfortable discussing sensitive matters. The soundproofing is excellent, so the neighbors won't hear anything... I've thought about it, and this is the only suitable place for my report."

"Report?" Gao Wei was momentarily bewildered. "It's about Paradise and Wayne. Jester, right? You can't do it at our office building?"

"It's... not quite appropriate."

Gao Wei stared at Zhang Zhiyuan for a long moment, seeing the unwavering determination in the younger man's eyes.

"Then speak. I'm listening," he said, sitting down on the sofa.

"Yes, sir." Zhang Zhiyuan gave a salute and then recounted his entire experience in the Paradise game, detail by detail. He spoke at a steady pace, but it still took nearly half an hour to finish. Gao Wei interrupted him very little, but the skepticism in his eyes grew more pronounced.

"I know this all sounds unbelievable. Even I feel like I'm dreaming, and I experienced it firsthand," Zhang Zhiyuan clenched his fists. "But I swear on my party loyalty, every word I've said is the truth, with no fabrication or falsehoods whatsoever!"

Gao Wei rubbed his forehead, a hint of helplessness on his face. "So, you're saying that Glorious Fortress isn't a city in a game, but exists in reality? And Paradise controls secret passages to it? All through a pair of VR Goggles?"

Zhang Zhiyuan's heart sank slightly. He knew his superior didn't fully believe him.

But this was within his expectations.

He knew this wasn't something easy to believe.

That Old Gao wasn't furious or storming out was already quite open-minded. If it were another superior, he suspected he'd be kicked out of the police force as a lunatic.

However, precisely because it was so difficult, he had to try his utmost.

"Of course, there's another explanation: that Paradise possesses extremely advanced virtual reality technology, so advanced that it can perfectly simulate a real city, its inhabitants, and its environment," Zhang Zhiyuan continued. "Both explanations are equally incredible, but I'm more inclined to believe the former."

"Why?" Gao Wei pondered. "If you're talking about perfect simulation, it's certainly technically challenging, but at least theoretically possible. For instance, that popular TV show recently—isn't it about someone getting alien technology and creating miracles?"

"Indeed, but I have my reasons. It's just that there hasn't been enough time, and I haven't fully organized my thoughts..."

"It's fine, just say whatever comes to mind."

"The biggest issue... I think it's about profit," Zhang Zhiyuan took a deep breath. "If Paradise truly possessed this kind of technology, making it into a game would be the least profitable use of it! Yes, it caters to the wealthy, and the tickets aren't cheap, but Director Gao, do you think an organization with this kind of technology would be short on money?"

Implanting consciousness into a virtual world is, in a sense, immortality! Compared to the temptation of eternal life, a mere game is nothing. If he were Paradise, why would he simulate a steampunk world? Why not simulate reality directly? Even if not granting immortality, just renting out a meeting room or a laboratory could create dozens of times more time out of thin air using time dilation, enough to drive business magnates and researchers insane!

Unless... Paradise couldn't change it!

"That does make sense..." Gao Wei mused. "Anything else?"

"Yes, but this is just my personal feeling." Zhang Zhiyuan paused. "If Paradise could simulate worlds at will, then it should be the master of the game. But I feel... they aren't. The reason Paradise approached us is because it needs us."

"Needs... us?" Gao Wei blinked in surprise.

"Yes," Zhang Zhiyuan met his superior's gaze directly. "Paradise infiltrating the Interpol network wasn't a provocation, but a deliberate invitation. It knew we were investigating Wayne. Jester, and it knew we would definitely take the bait!"