Chapter Nine: Another Person

Lin Ran couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something off about the crazed old man’s behavior. Generally, except for those born with mental instability, others who lose their minds do so after witnessing something that shatters them. The old man had clearly been rambling incoherently, yet Lin Ran could sense from his words that he knew something important.

He made his way toward the villa, convinced that some secret was buried within its walls, a secret surely connected to the Hu Feng family’s death—perhaps even tied to the villa’s very first owner. Just as Lin Ran was about to conduct a thorough investigation inside, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID: it was Fan Beixiao.

“Hello, Bei,” Lin Ran answered, casting a quick look at the screen.

“Ran, where are you?” Fan Beixiao’s voice came through, sounding urgent.

“I’m at the crime scene,” Lin Ran replied, frowning at the unexpected call.

“What are you doing there? Hurry back, Officer Wang is looking for you!” Fan Beixiao said hastily.

“What does he want with me?” Lin Ran asked, puzzled. He wasn’t an official member of the force—why would Officer Wang be looking for him?

“No idea! Just get back here quickly!” Fan Beixiao urged.

“Alright, I got it!” Lin Ran hung up, glanced back at the villa, and decided he could only return at night after dealing with matters at the station. He hailed a taxi and headed back.

Upon returning, Lin Ran saw Fan Beixiao waiting for him at the entrance. Together, they hurried toward Wang Changhai’s office.

Knock, knock. Lin Ran rapped on the office door.

“Come in!” Wang Changhai’s voice called out.

“Officer Wang, you asked for me,” Lin Ran said as he and Fan Beixiao entered. They found Wang Changhai frowning, peering through a magnifying glass at something. As Lin Ran approached, he realized it was the mask.

“Where did you two find this mask?” Wang Changhai set aside the magnifying glass and got straight to the point.

“In the wall of a room,” Lin Ran replied, not quite sure why Wang Changhai was suddenly so interested.

“What kind of room? Do you have any photos?” Wang Changhai’s eyes brightened as he pressed for details.

“Yes! Bei, bring the photos you took yesterday,” Lin Ran said, nodding at Fan Beixiao.

Fan Beixiao nodded and left to fetch the pictures.

“Officer Wang, why the sudden interest?” Lin Ran asked once they were alone.

“We found Hu Feng’s fingerprints on the mask. But aside from his, there’s another set—unregistered in our files. Judging by their size, they belong to a woman. I suspect their owner may be connected to the case,” Wang Changhai said.

Lin Ran was startled, suddenly recalling what Guo Ting had said about seeing a woman hanging from a tree. Could those prints belong to her?

Lin Ran was about to speak when Fan Beixiao returned with the photos, forcing him to swallow his words.

“Officer Wang, these are the photos I took yesterday,” Fan Beixiao said, handing over an envelope.

Wang Changhai took it eagerly and pulled out several panoramic shots of the room. He examined them repeatedly, his brows knitting tighter as he fell into deep thought. Lin Ran and Fan Beixiao dared not interrupt.

“Is this where the victims’ family memorial tablets were kept?” Wang Changhai asked after some time, his frown deepening.

“I don’t think so. It looked more like the mask was being worshipped,” Lin Ran replied after some thought.

“And why do you say that?” Wang Changhai asked, still frowning.

“First, there weren’t any memorial tablets for the deceased family. The room was plastered with yellow talismans, and the mask was hidden inside the wall above the altar. It seemed more a place of worship for the mask itself—or perhaps, there’s another possibility.” Lin Ran pointed to two of the photos in Wang Changhai’s hand, pausing for effect.

“What possibility?” Wang Changhai pressed him.

“I’d rather not say. It’s just a theory,” Lin Ran hesitated.

“Out with it! That’s an order!” Wang Changhai was caught up in the story, and Lin Ran’s sudden silence left him deeply frustrated—like someone finally finding a restroom after holding it in, only to have someone stop him halfway. The irritation was palpable.

“The other possibility is that the mask wasn’t being worshipped, but rather, being kept at bay,” Lin Ran said.

Wang Changhai’s brows furrowed even deeper. He paced the office, lost in thought.

“Officer Wang, could it be possible that these unknown fingerprints belong to the villa’s previous owner?” Lin Ran suddenly suggested.

“What are you saying?” Wang Changhai turned, his expression unreadable.

“That the mask was left behind by the previous owner—and that Hu Feng, upon hearing rumors of hauntings, hired a Taoist to seal the mask away,” Lin Ran explained.

“Nonsense! There are no such things as ghosts in this world; people just scare themselves!” Wang Changhai, who had been smiling moments before, suddenly changed his tune, berating Lin Ran harshly.

Lin Ran and Fan Beixiao fell silent, standing dutifully to the side as Wang Changhai vented his anger.

“Don’t ever bring up such things in front of me again!” Wang Changhai barked, finally calming down and ushering them out.

“Ran, why do you think Officer Wang reacted so strongly to the mention of ghosts?” Fan Beixiao asked in confusion as they left.

“I don’t know,” Lin Ran replied, shaking his head. Wang Changhai’s reaction had indeed been rather extreme.

“Never mind, I’d better get back to studying my little treasure,” Fan Beixiao said, heading back to the intelligence division.

When Lin Ran returned to the Major Crimes Unit, he found that Guo Ting had arrived and was helping out. He didn’t approach her, focused instead on preparing for his own plans. He intended to return to the villa that night, determined to uncover whatever secrets it held.