Sudden Contact

Chapter 49: A Sudden Connection

"You're drunk," Zhang Zhiyuan said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I'm drunk, and I'll say anything when I'm drunk!" Zhou Zhi hiccuped. "Alcohol doesn't lie to you; it only amplifies your true feelings and makes you realize that your usual self is just a facade!"

"Is there anything here to sober you up? I'll get you a glass."

"Milk, green tea... there's everything in the fridge." Zhou Zhi lay back down, staring at the ceiling and mumbling, "Brother, you're not an ordinary person, are you?"

Zhang Zhiyuan staggered to his feet and walked to the fridge. "What makes you say that?"

"In the serial murder cases, you came up with most of the ideas... and burning the chandelier, it sounds simple, but when you think about it, you know how difficult it is to execute. Plus... you know how to use a gun, not like in games, but like someone who truly understands how to kill with a gun. Someone like that... how could they be an ordinary person?"

"You've observed well." Zhang Zhiyuan threw him a bottle of cold milk. "Here, a reward for you."

"I'm the least favored one in the Zhou family, but I'm not an idiot either." Zhou Zhi smiled, but it sounded like self-mockery. "Of course, if you don't want to say, I won't pry—"

"Your brother here is an International Criminal Police officer."

Zhou Zhi suddenly fell silent.

"What, scared?"

"Why should I be scared?" he blurted out, puffing his chest. "I haven't done anything illegal! Besides, the International Criminal Police don't have jurisdiction in China, do they? I'm just relieved."

"Relieved about what?"

"Relieved I didn't ask about you in the private room. Brother, please, whatever you do, don't reveal this identity. I have... I have some acquaintances who are extremely sensitive about this kind of thing, even if you just mention the word 'police'."

"You think I'm stupid? I'm only telling you because it's just the two of us," Zhang Zhiyuan shrugged.

"But... is what you're saying true or not?"

"See for yourself." Zhang Zhiyuan pulled a fake police ID from his pocket and tossed it to him.

"So, you came to Jiangcheng to find me... for another reason?" Zhou Zhi slurred. "Could it be... you want to investigate Paradise?"

"First, the Paradise organization... or the Company, is not registered in China and is operating illegally. Second... second... sigh, anyway, we need to figure out their background." Zhang Zhiyuan sat back on the edge of the sofa. "And you... are one of our few witnesses, I need your assistance. But the main reason, didn't we agree to meet if we had the chance?"

"Ha... haha..." Zhou Zhi suddenly started laughing intermittently.

"What are you laughing at?"

"I didn't expect that I, of all people, would play such an important role someday. But..." His voice quickly dropped, as if all his strength was draining away like water, "I won't be able to go to Paradise anymore."

"Why?"

"It's because of the money, of course! A million dollars per entry isn't something I can afford." Zhou Zhi sighed deeply. "Even if I asked my family, I wouldn't get any support, because they've never seen Paradise, so they wouldn't understand its significance."

Zhang Zhiyuan remained silent.

"It's ridiculous, isn't it? I've seen that world, yet I have to go back to being a frog in a well. If you hadn't come to Jiangcheng to find me, I might never have had the chance to know anything about Paradise again... Now do you understand why I was so happy?"

He paused for a moment. "Brother Zhang, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Go ahead."

"Don't lose contact with me. When you have time, tell me stories about Paradise, and... news about Asahara Naruko."

"I will."

"Then it's a deal..." Zhou Zhi's voice gradually became indistinct. "I think she's definitely not an ordinary person either. Someone like her wouldn't be interested in me, but I still want to see her more..."

"Who knows, you're not ugly."

"No, you don't understand... At her level, money and looks aren't the most important things anymore..." he murmured. "Never mind, let's not talk about that... When you come to Jiangcheng next time, I'll show you a good time, and don't forget what you promised me..."

"You're not going to ask for a pinky swear, are you?"

"Pinky... swear..." Zhou Zhi's voice was so faint it was almost imperceptible.

"Hey, little brother."

"Hey, are you still awake?"

"Zhou Zhi?"

Zhang Zhiyuan called out several times but received no response. The next second, the drunken look on his face completely vanished, his sluggish body became agile, and he flipped up from the sofa, starting to search Zhou Zhi for his phone.

Zhang Zhiyuan wasn't worried about the other party waking up suddenly. According to his colleagues in the pharmacology department, the few drops of anesthetic he'd secretly squeezed into the milk were enough to make someone sleep until dawn.

It didn't take long before he got Zhou Zhi's phone. Then, Zhang Zhiyuan took out a small toolkit from his suit's inner pocket and began disassembling the phone on the spot.

What he needed to do was simple: implant a backdoor chip into the other party's phone. Through this chip, he could directly read any information on Zhou Zhi's phone, such as photos, emails, and call records. It wasn't that Zhang Zhiyuan suspected Zhou Zhi of anything, but rather that Paradise contacted players via text messages or emails, and the technical department needed more tracking points to have a chance of finding a flaw in the sender's identity.

Just as Zhang Zhiyuan was about to close the phone cover, two SMS notification sounds startled him!

"Mmm..."

Zhou Zhi only let out a low groan and didn't open his eyes.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. Zhang Zhiyuan decided he would buy a pack of cigarettes for Old Wei in the pharmacology department when he got back.

Besides Zhou Zhi's phone, his own phone had also chimed. The fact that both phones rang simultaneously indicated the origin of the messages.

He opened his inbox and looked closely. Indeed, it was an invitation from Paradise.

However, the invitations for the two of them were slightly different. Zhou Zhi received the usual information, while his own was a text message with a number.

"Call: 0X0-8886953X".

Zhang Zhiyuan's heart couldn't help but tremble!

What did it mean? Was Paradise trying to communicate with him directly?

This was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Tracking the call's location would be far more effective than a few text messages! The problem was that it was already past midnight, and the technical department wouldn't have anyone on duty. Who could he find to trace the number?

Zhang Zhiyuan suddenly remembered what his superior had said, "For security reasons, I can't elaborate, but Officer Cui is trustworthy."

Since that was the case, he decided to try his luck.

He forwarded the message to Cui Zhenen, then added another #TAD. This short code was commonly used within the criminal investigation department to mean "trace address." If Cui Zhenen saw this message, she would immediately understand his intention.

Afterward, he went to the restroom, locked the door behind him, and dialed the number according to the text message.

The call was answered after only two rings.

"A new round of the Paradise game is about to begin. This time, you will have a special challenge: completing a role-playing mission according to specific requirements."

The voice was cold and hoarse, like a machine devoid of emotion. Clearly, it was a voice effect that had been processed afterward, making it difficult to discern the speaker's identity by ear alone.

"Why me?" Zhang Zhiyuan tried to sidestep the issue. "If I understand correctly, this means our relationship is no longer that of game operator and participant, but more like a mutually beneficial partnership."

There was no response from the other side.

He pressed on while the iron was hot. "Since it's a partnership, wouldn't it be more convenient for future work to increase mutual understanding? I'm also very curious about what kind of organization Paradise actually is—"

"Are you finished?" However, the other party's next words poured down like ice-cold water. "You participate in the game, and Paradise provides rewards. That is the entirety of our relationship. If you are unwilling to accept, I will find someone else. Goodbye."