“Exactly, I’m from the UK.” The man nodded repeatedly. “When Joe told me about this, I didn’t believe it at all—I thought he was just drunk and rambling. I never imagined what he said couldn’t even represent a ten-thousandth of this world... This game is just too incredible!”

　　Michael Bolton wholeheartedly agreed.

　　He even began to suspect that the police might have completely misunderstood the situation—Joe James wasn’t holding a secret meeting here; he was simply enjoying a game that only the wealthy could participate in.

　　But quitting now was out of the question; he could only play his part to the end. “Does the park allow us to invite others to join?” Ethan asked curiously.

　　“I’m not sure, but when I signed up, I filled in his information, and he received a VR headset in the mail.” James shrugged.

　　“Can this window be opened?” Jason Taylor walked around the small cabin and stopped in front of a sealed wooden window. “Don’t get me wrong... I just want to know where we are right now.”

　　Everyone exchanged glances; no one objected.

　　In fact, everyone wanted to know.

　　Seeing this, Jason tried pushing the window. The wooden board wasn’t locked and was soon pushed open a crack. Light streamed in from outside, making the room, previously lit only by an oil lamp, a bit brighter.

　　He hurried over eagerly.

　　“Oh my... Jesus, have mercy! There’s a city outside!” Almost at the same time, he couldn’t help but exclaim in awe.

　　“A city?” The others crowded over.

　　Michael Bolton was no exception. When it was his turn, his reaction was no better than the others’—he saw, under a blanket of gray mist, a sprawling cityscape slowly unfolding before his eyes. Tens of thousands of houses were packed closely together, rising gradually like a mountain ridge. People bustled along the streets, and horse-drawn carts occasionally passed by with goods, making the place lively and prosperous. Judging by the architectural style, this was clearly very different from 21st-century Earth, but the people didn’t look much different. If all this was just a virtual image simulated by the game program, what kind of terrifying computing power must the host machine possess?

　　“Could it be... this city is the one we saw last time?” David Carter murmured.

　　“Where did you guys appear last time?” Michael Bolton asked immediately.

　　“At sea,” Ethan replied. “We played as pirates.”

　　“Uh... pirates?” As a law enforcer, Michael Bolton immediately felt uncomfortable.

　　“That’s right, but we had just landed when the patrol wiped us out completely.” Ethan said flatly. “At the time, all we could see was a barren village and towering city walls in the distance.”

　　“So what are we playing as this time?” James rubbed his hands, his tone full of anticipation. “Terrifying criminals sneaking into the city? Or legendary bank robbers?”

　　“Dude, can’t you think of something better?” the Brit scoffed. “Please don’t bring reality into the game.”

　　“Ha, I just can’t wait, that’s all.”

　　Michael Bolton appeared indifferent, but inwardly he sneered. That’s right, this guy was definitely the Wayne Johnson on the wanted list, a habitual criminal. This Jason seemed quite familiar with Joe; if he could get his identity out of him, it might be a new lead in the case.

　　“By the way, where’s the host?” Anthony said. “Last time he said it was just a trial run, but this time would be very different.”

　　“I just hope he gives us a few more handy weapons.” Ethan still seemed bitter about having to fight the patrol with a rusty weapon last time.

　　“Of course, I don’t think anyone will be disappointed this time.” Suddenly, a voice came from behind the group.

　　Everyone was startled and turned around in unison.

　　At some point, a man wearing a red and black cloak and a Sichuan opera mask had appeared in the corner of the room.

　　This was the host of the Paradise game!? Michael Bolton immediately fixed his gaze on him. Even though he knew this was just a virtual avatar, he still hoped to catch some clue from the man.

　　“Come on, tell us—what roles are we playing this time?” James urged.

　　“Don’t rush. I want everyone to look at the upper left corner—yes, the upper left of your field of vision.” The host said unhurriedly.

　　Although Michael Bolton was puzzled, he still looked toward the upper left as instructed.

　　He then noticed a pale white number slowly appearing.

　　The number was “1000.”

Chapter 12: This Isn’t Scientific!

　　“These are the play points I’m giving you all—you can think of them as chips.” The host continued, “Although Paradise won’t restrict your actions, each game will still have a bonus mission. Based on your performance, you’ll be awarded corresponding points. Now you can open the exchange interface and select what you need—just stare at the number and silently say ‘open,’ and the interface will automatically appear.”

　　Open.

　　Michael Bolton silently repeated the word in his mind, and then saw the number enlarge, turning into a semi-transparent table.

　　So... is this really just a game?