Chapter Eleven: Traces of Blood

When Lin Ran and Guo Ting arrived at the police station, they happened to catch Fan Beixiao squatting on the steps of the guardhouse at the entrance, smoking with old Wang, the security guard. The two were chatting and laughing about something, and as soon as Fan Beixiao saw Lin Ran, he immediately walked over.

“Well, isn’t this our campus beauty? How come you’re with Brother Ran?” Fan Beixiao greeted them with a teasing grin, his demeanor unsavory as ever.

“Don’t talk nonsense!” Lin Ran shot him a glare.

“You two carry on, I’ll be off now,” Guo Ting said hurriedly, a faint blush rising to her cheeks. She turned and hurried away, a little embarrassed.

“Brother Ran, looks like that girl has a thing for you!” Fan Beixiao remarked meaningfully, watching Guo Ting’s flustered departure.

“Shut up, you’re so nosy,” Lin Ran said, well aware of why Guo Ting had blushed.

“By the way, Bei, I was just looking for you,” Lin Ran said, suddenly recalling something.

“What’s up?” Fan Beixiao asked.

“Lend me your mini recorder.”

“The mini recorder? What do you need that for?” Fan Beixiao asked in confusion, not understanding why Lin Ran wanted it.

The mini recorder was something Fan Beixiao had modified from a dashcam; after his adjustments, it could be carried around easily, the footage was clear, and it could last for twenty-four hours on a single charge.

“Mind your own business,” Lin Ran said, putting on a stern face—he didn’t want Fan Beixiao to know he was going to search for evidence.

“Oh,” Fan Beixiao replied, dropping the subject. He more or less guessed what Lin Ran was up to.

Lin Ran followed Fan Beixiao to his workspace, where Fan Beixiao rummaged under his workbench for a small bag. From inside, he pulled out a button-shaped item and handed it to Lin Ran. It was a tiny button with a small hole—the lens of the mini recorder. You simply clipped it to your clothes, making it very convenient. On the back was a small red button; pressing it would record whatever was in view.

Lin Ran didn’t say much, as he already knew how to use it. He slipped the button into his pocket and headed toward Wang Changhai’s office.

“Wait, Brother Ran, this should come in handy for you,” Fan Beixiao said mysteriously, handing him something that looked like a stun baton.

“What’s this for?” Lin Ran asked, weighing the baton-shaped object in his hand—it had a satisfying heft.

“It can see your fingerprints! Most importantly, it can detect bloodstains hidden on walls,” Fan Beixiao whispered in Lin Ran’s ear.

Damn, Lin Ran thought to himself in astonishment. This thing is insane! It can even detect hidden bloodstains. As expected, anything Fan Beixiao makes is top-notch. Lin Ran couldn’t help but look at him with newfound respect. Having this tool would be a huge help.

When Lin Ran went to Wang Changhai’s office, Wang was there and agreed to his request without much fuss.

Not wasting a minute, Lin Ran left the police station and caught a taxi straight to the villa. Standing before it again, he felt the air grow heavier and more oppressive. He couldn’t tell if it was just his mind playing tricks or something else, but the place felt eerie and foreboding.

He took out the mini recorder, clipped it to his collar, and switched it on. After that, he circled around the police tape and walked inside. Passing the big tree in the middle of the yard, he glanced at it a few extra times. The tree was bare; not even a crow perched upon it.

A few steps later, Lin Ran suddenly stopped and looked around. After a long moment, he found nothing amiss. He frowned—the strange sensation of being watched unsettled him.

Unable to pinpoint the source, he gave up searching and went inside. The moment he entered, a nauseating smell hit him. Though the bodies had already been removed, the stench of decaying flesh still lingered in the air.

The spot where the victim’s body had lain was outlined in white tape. Lin Ran checked the surrounding rooms but found nothing useful. Searching like this was futile. Just as he was growing frustrated, his hand brushed against something heavy in his pocket—Fan Beixiao’s baton-like device.

He hurriedly pulled it out; it looked like an old-fashioned mobile phone, about as long as a modern smartphone. At the front was a screen-like panel, and a switch on the side. Lin Ran flicked the switch, and the screen lit up, emitting a blue-violet light about a meter in diameter, much like ultraviolet.

He cautiously shone the blue light on the floor and, sure enough, spotted some messy footprints. This discovery gave him a jolt of excitement. The prints weren’t very clear, but judging by their size, they likely belonged to the two children of the deceased.

He didn’t give up. Instead, he drew the curtains, darkening the room. The footprints appeared sharper in the dim light. Lin Ran knelt and searched the floor inch by inch, hoping to find something useful.

Suddenly, he spotted some speckled marks, resembling droplets on the floorboards. He quickly followed their trail, noticing the spots grew more frequent and clustered together. Lin Ran inhaled sharply—the stains looked exactly like blood splatter. This was a major clue. He distinctly remembered that none of the victims had obvious external wounds, let alone any bleeding. This meant the bloodstains did not belong to the victims.

Moreover, the stains didn’t just stop there; they continued, scattered deeper inside the house. Lin Ran followed the trail and found several more patches of bloodstains. From the amount, he was certain they didn’t belong to this family.

As Lin Ran studied the bloodstains, his gaze inadvertently fell upon the white outline on the floor marking where the body had lain. Suddenly, he realized that the other bloodstains he’d found were also next to the outlines. Could there be a connection? He wondered.

Thinking of this, Lin Ran quickly headed to the room where he’d found the strange mask. For some reason, he had a hunch he’d find something there—a gut feeling he couldn’t ignore.