Different Pupils

The cost of using his unique power was far lower than that of his original power. It was also the lifeline that had kept him alive until now. It was precisely because of Cyber Eye's abilities that Chaoyang had decided to hold Paradise's first trial run aboard the Heart of the Ocean cruise ship. A few simple emails sent through the Caribbean Company's system had created a secret gathering open only to the wealthy. Although seven invitations had been sent and only four people ultimately showed up, he believed it would not be long before word of Paradise spread throughout high society.

At the same time, while browsing Qiao James's mailbox, Chaoyang naturally noticed traces of the International Criminal Police investigation. He had not considered it a big deal at first. After all, every identity was fabricated, and he had no fear that they could trace anything back to him. But after signing the contract with Judy, he realized this might be an opportunity. That was why he had sent the email directly to the Asian division's mailbox.

Taking all the factors into account, Chaoyang concluded that the investigators would definitely take the bait. Although the final result was largely as he had expected, there had been a deviation in the process—he had not anticipated that the animated email graphic and PowerPoint registration form he had casually made would become that tiny crack in the armor.

"Perhaps I should really establish a Paradise logistics department," Chaoyang mused. He now had more than four million dollars on hand, with verifiable sources and legitimate channels. Some ideas that had previously remained mere fantasies now finally had the capital to be put into practice.

Of course, he knew this part had to be handled with extreme caution.

The more traces he left in the world, the greater the risk of exposing himself.

At present, his greatest advantage was concealment. Demon Power sounded incredible, but in a direct confrontation, he was not much stronger than an ordinary person. Maintaining the mystery of his identity was therefore essential.

The good news was that he had also gained Wish Force on this side.

After withdrawing from the other world, Chaoyang was surprised to discover that the first group of players who had participated in Paradise had actually returned some Wish Force to him after satisfying their craving for excitement. Measured numerically, it amounted to around fifty. Though it was little more than a bonus compared to what he gained on the other side, it was undoubtedly a good sign. He had spent ages struggling on Earth in the past without earning this much Wish Force, yet this time every person had provided more than ten points. Fate truly was wondrous.

Clearly, it had everything to do with the four of them entering the other world.

And fifty Wish Force was already enough for him to create a double that could exist for half a day.

Besides, Earth did not have those bizarre and unfathomable entities, so overall, it was still far safer than the other world.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A sudden burst of urgent knocking interrupted Chaoyang's thoughts.

He rose to his feet and looked toward the entryway. Not only did the knocking fail to stop, it became even more insistent. "Wild Team Delivery! Boss, your food is here!"

Chaoyang could not help rolling his eyes. He walked to the door and opened it. "Coming, coming. Why are you rushing me so much?"

"I've still got several orders to deliver, unlike you, boss—" The man glanced at the mountain of takeout containers and household garbage piled beside the door. "All you have to do is reach out and take your food. See? I wasn't late—"

He was settling the order and seemed about to grumble a little more when his voice abruptly froze.

"What is it?" Chaoyang frowned.

This was an old residential complex, and the hallway lighting was rather dim. Right on the boundary between light and shadow, he saw a flicker of fear appear plainly on the man's face. Had the man not stopped so abruptly, Chaoyang would never have noticed such a subtle change.

"Ha, boss, you cosplay too? Your makeup is really well done." The deliveryman quickly returned to normal. Shaking his head with a self-mocking laugh, he turned and headed down the stairs. "Open the door earlier next time!"

Cosplay? What was that supposed to mean?

Chaoyang shut the door in confusion. After thinking for a moment, he entered the bathroom.

He turned on the light and looked at himself in the mirror, his hairs standing on end.

His right eye was no longer its original crystalline sphere. It had become a tightly tangled mass of black threads!

Smack!

Chaoyang instinctively covered his eye.

Half his field of vision instantly disappeared.

He slowly moved his hand away and peered at his right eye again. This time... he saw an utterly ordinary human eye. Its iris was dark brown, with slight bloodshot streaks along the edge of the white. It could not have looked more normal.

What had that been just now? A hallucination?

There had been absolutely nothing about this in the awakened memories...

For a moment, even Chaoyang could not make sense of it.

Yet since other people could see it, this was clearly not a mere illusion. Fortunately, the stairwell had been dimly lit, causing the deliveryman to mistake it for colored contacts or something similar.

Chaoyang spent another half hour in front of the mirror, but that strange pupil never appeared again.

It seemed what had happened just now was only an accident.

Damn, now he was really cyber.

Chaoyang let out a faint sigh.

This place was clearly no longer suitable to live in. Even if the deliveryman had not seen his face clearly, who could guarantee that he would not suddenly remember it one day and find it deeply strange?

Ever since finding a new way to survive, he had rarely stayed in the same place for more than half a month. Renting had become the norm. Although he had only returned from abroad a few days ago and had just rented this apartment, he still had to leave when it was time to leave. Fortunately, he was no longer as poor as before. He had plenty of money to spare and did not need to feel pained over the several months of rent he had prepaid.

What Chaoyang did not understand was that he had used his abilities many times before, so why had this suddenly happened now? Could this also be an effect of traveling between two worlds?

For the sake of safety, he should have figured out the cause before making his next move. But time would not wait for him. Not only was he bound by the contract, the consumption of Wish Force would not leave him any room to stop.

Besides, he currently had no way to sever himself from the other world.

The enormous disparity in Wish Force meant he was destined to travel frequently between the two places.

Chaoyang took out his phone, opened the email he had prepared in advance, and pressed send.

Strings of characters climbed onto the main network under his control, streaking like flowing light toward every corner of the world—

A new round of Paradise games was about to begin.

Jiangcheng, inside an upscale bar.

Dazzling neon lights painted the crowd in red and blue. Fast-paced music filled their ears, and amid the shifting, gorgeous lights and shadows, men and women pressed close together, hunting their respective targets. Compared to the cheap bars outside, there was not much difference here, aside from pricier drinks, stricter entry requirements, and younger, prettier girls.

Zhou Zhi was a regular here. Or rather, Jiangcheng's rich young heirs all treated this place as a gathering spot. Whether they came to pick up women or kill time, it was a decent choice. Zhou Zhi had once been keen on this sort of thing too, but today was different. For the first time, he found the energetic music grating and irritating, while the invited internet-famous women could no longer stir his interest.

"Brother Zhou, what do you think of that woman in purple?"

"I heard she's from out of town and has a lot of followers online."

"So what? If Brother Zhou makes a move, she'll definitely be his."

The people around him all chimed in with flattery. This was also the opening move of their "game." They would pick an outstanding target, then bet on whose hands she would fall into. Zhou Zhi had joined in many times and had won more than once. To him, the outcome was unimportant. The process itself was the most entertaining part.

"I'll pass. I'm not in the mood today." This time, however, he did not play along.

"What is it? Not feeling it?"

"If you're not going, I will." Another companion winked at him.

Zhou Zhi waved a hand, signaling for him to do as he pleased.

"I get it. Brother Zhou has serious business to discuss today, so he isn't interested."

"Oh, the club matter?" Someone beside them immediately picked up the conversation. "I heard Young Master Zhao is coming later? I'm not qualified to take part, so I'll only be able to watch from the side."

Zhou Zhi neither confirmed nor denied it, but only he understood the real reason. Now, whenever he closed his eyes, that scene replayed in his mind—

A towering horse charged toward him, and the two of them fell together into mud reeking of fish. A dagger sliced open his belly, and his abdomen suddenly seemed to grow much lighter. Yet even as he lay dying, what he could not tear his gaze away from was Naruko, locked in a chaotic battle with the enemy. Every gesture she made was filled with an indescribable beauty. Even at the moment a sharp sword split open her neck, the edge in her eyes remained enough to make one's blood run cold.

Looking back at these scantily clad women twisting and posing before him, he found them utterly dull.

No, it was not just the women.

Hadn't his former self, who used to linger here, also been pale and flavorless, as dull as chewing wax?