Paradise

Biodata

Background / History

Paradise began as a secret trial event aboard the Heart of the Ocean cruise ship. Invitations targeted wealthy guests with a one-million-dollar entry fee; participants entered through VR goggles and found their consciousnesses placed in altered bodies aboard a dilapidated boat in another world. The initial scenario assigned them the role of pirates and supplied rusted weapons. 1

The project was organized by Chaoyang, whose Cyber Eye enabled him to send invitations through the Caribbean Company’s system at little cost. The first participants’ excitement after returning to Earth generated roughly fifty Wish Force, demonstrating that Paradise could provide Chaoyang with an additional source of energy. 8 9

After the trial, Paradise expanded its recruitment. It sent an untraceable invitation directly to International Criminal Police, offering entry either for one million dollars or for exceptional investigative and crime-solving ability. 8 Its second round, marketed as “Major Upgrade, v2.0,” introduced a city setting, visible Points, exchange functions, and reward missions. 11 12

Paradise’s missions increasingly overlapped with Chaoyang’s contracts and investigations in Glorious Fortress, including the rescue of Cote Dane and the operation against Kuiqi. 20 29 To local residents, Chaoyang later described Paradise as a god whose purpose was to dispel suffering and leave only joy, allowing the game’s operation to develop into a religious persona. 37

Operations

Entry and recruitment

• Initial access was sold through exclusive invitations, with a one-million-dollar entry fee. 1
• Paradise later offered Interpol two possible “tickets”: one million US dollars or exceptional investigative skills. 8
• Invitations can arrive by email, while VR headsets may be delivered directly to accepted participants. 9 11
• Existing participants can apparently submit another person’s information for admission; Qiao James successfully brought Jason Taylor into the second round. 11

Immersion and bodies

• Participants enter through VR goggles or headsets, but experience full sensory immersion, including temperature, texture, scent, taste, pain, and altered physical forms. 1 11
• Paradise assigns participants physical shells rather than transferring their original bodies. 20
• Creating bodies consumes significant Wish Force. Chaoyang later sought fresh corpses matching specified measurements as reusable vessels, reducing this cost. 36
• Time experienced within Paradise can vastly exceed elapsed time on Earth; Zhang Zhiyuan retained extensive memories from a session lasting less than twenty minutes in reality. 33
• Participants may end their journey at any time. 1 29

Host interface

• Paradise communicates in-game through the masked Host, initially appearing semi-transparent and later wearing a red-and-black cloak with a Sichuan Opera mask. 1 11
• The Host provides scenario guidance, announces missions, directs players during emergencies, and administers the exchange system. 1 25 29
• The Host claims Paradise generally does not restrict participant actions, though individual games include reward missions. 1 12

Points and exchange

• In the second round, each participant begins with 1,000 Points. 11 12
• Points are awarded according to performance on reward missions and can be exchanged through a mental-command interface. 12
• Available items include combat equipment, healing cards, revival scrolls, and practical supplies such as pressure cookers, gas canisters, lighters, fishing spears, and thermite packs. 12
• Some rewards are effectively constrained by reality: the Host states that Revival Scrolls and Healing Cards cannot be used on characters within the Paradise game, because it cannot genuinely resurrect the dead. 20
• Replicated equipment requires Chaoyang to have personally handled and recorded the real item first; skill-sharing “tofu” requires knowledge Chaoyang himself possesses. 29

Known Scenarios and Missions

Relationships

• Chaoyang — Operator and creator of Paradise’s Earth-side recruitment; he uses it to obtain Wish Force and advance his work in Glorious Fortress. 9 20
• The Host — Paradise’s masked in-game guide and visible representative to participants. 1 11
• Zhou Zhi — Early participant who becomes fixated on returning to Paradise and repeatedly accepts its invitations. 10 49
• Zhang Zhiyuan — Interpol officer recruited through Paradise’s invitation; he investigates whether it is a simulation or access to another real world. 8 33 34
• Judy — A Glorious Fortress resident who comes to view Paradise as Chaoyang’s deity and supports its promises to others. 37 48
• Elodie Capet — An Angel who recognizes Paradise as a growing force and initially attacks Chaoyang because of its perceived threat. 38

Notable Quotes

“Welcome to Paradise.” 1

“Paradise awaits your arrival.” 8

“All suffering in this world will eventually be dispelled in Paradise, and in the end, only joy shall remain.” 37