Crimson Instinct

---

Andingzhen.

*Duan Deming*

I cursed my luck. We are at a critical juncture, and here I am, lying on the hospital bed.

I put my hand at the back of my head and looked up at the ceiling.

Tian Song…

I narrowed my eyes. A spy, huh? That is going to be a problem. I must say he impressed me. He really fooled me.

I was careless. How could I do that? His poker face really did the trick. He was with me this whole time, but I didn't even get any clue about his true facade.

But damn that forensic evidence is with him now. That is a problem. A huge problem indeed. I cannot let him have that evidence for any longer.

Thank God Bai Li and Xin Lei told me everything.

I smiled. But it is still not too late. I can still get the important evidence. I just have to be very careful with him now. I cannot let him know that he is exposed.

I sighed.

Tian Song. You are working quite fast. You even came here to Andingzhen to take Bai Li and Xin Lei with you.

But General Song foiled your plans.

If he had caught both of them, then it would have posed another problem for us.

That was a nice game, Tian Song. But now it's my turn.

I will surely catch you.

---

Langfang.

*Xin Lei*

We arrived near the Natural Park. It was ten in the evening. We stood at a corner and discussed our plan once more.

Bai Li asked, "So you know what we have to do, right?"

I typed. "Yes."

Liao Huifang also affirmed the same.

"Good. Let's go."

We walked and reached and towards the gate, and as expected, the guard immediately stopped us.

"Where are you going? The park is closed now."

Liao Huifang burst into tears. "Mr. Guard. We need to go inside. You have to help us!"

"What? Wait, happened?"

"You see. My friends and I visited the park today, and I lost my bracelet in the park somewhere. I have to find it right now. Please let us go inside."

"What? You want us to open the park for you just to find your bracelet? No."

Liao Huifang expertly feigned to beg. "No! I cannot give up. That bracelet is given to me by my late mother, who my grandmother gave it to. It's our family heirloom that is passed down from generation to generation. I cannot lose it."

The guard said, "Sorry, miss. No can do. Its past working hours. We cannot abide by your request. And we didn't get any report on any bracelet in lost and found. So maybe you dropped it somewhere else."

Bai Li said, "You are mistaken. We immediately returned to our car after our visit, and she noticed her missing bracelet. We didn't get down anywhere in the way. So we are sure that the bracelet is here in the park."

Liao Huifang widened her eyes, shedding more fake tears. I must applaud her acting skills to look cute.

"You don't understand. I will be kicked out of my house if my family comes to know about it. My brothers and sisters are just waiting for that chance to happen. Can you not understand my predicament? I will be homeless! They would disown me! Please, please let us find my bracelet inside!"

The guard was exasperated. "Miss that is against our rules. Do you even know how large the park is? You think you can find your bracelet in a forest-like park? And there bare huge chances that some other stranger might have already stolen it if it was so valuable."

This was getting difficult.

Bai Li sighed. "Alright. Guess she has to already start packing her bags. Her reputation and everything will all be gone."

Liao Huifang sobbed some more to look even more pitiful. "There is no humanity left at all. I am about to be thrown out, but nobody cares. How will I survive in this harsh world by myself?"

The guard twitched his eyebrow. It seemed to work. Another guard on duty came by, and the first none explained all the situation.

Liao Huifang glanced at me, and I faintly nodded.

The guards came up to us. "Alright. We allow you to find your bracelet, but just for one hour. If you couldn't find it before it, then you will have to leave the premises. We will not extend any more time."

Great!

They led us in, and one of them asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Bai Li quickly said, "No, thank you so much. We are already troubling you enough. We know the places where we visited, so we got an idea."

"Alright. But make sure that you don't wander around the area where the little girl was kidnapped. The investigation is still going on."

"Of course, of course. I think that place is south from here?"

"No, north."

"Then it won't be a problem at all. We are going east."

The guard nodded, and as he left, I typed. "Good job."

Liao Huifang grinned. "See? I did prove useful to you two."

Bai Li shrugged. "Xin Lei could have also done that if not for you."

Oh, dear.

"You! Can you never appreciate me even once?" Liao Huifang stomped her foot. "You are really so rude!"

She looked at me and seriously said, "Are you sure you like him with that poison tongue of his? Leave him. There are better guys out there."

"Hey!" Bai Li grimaced. "Don't fill her ears with nonsense."

I chuckled and typed. "It might be poisonous to others, but his tongue is sweet to me. Literally." And I meaningfully glanced at him.

Bai Li suddenly coughed, and even in that small light, I saw his face turn red.

Cute. Did he recall our kiss?

"O-okay back to work. We have only one hour. We have to find out about Fu Meili."

Liao Huifang asked, "Well, we came here, but how to proceed? This park is huge."

I typed. "The forensic report of Liao Chuntao."

"What about that?"

Bai Li said, "The report said that she was possibly kept in a place which was greasy and oily because there were faint traces of industrial oil found in her body. The cops thought that it might be a factory, but this is a park. There might be an old storage area somewhere where such things have been kept, probably when Natural Park was constructed? Or for any repairs or maintenance."

I typed. "We Just have to head north around where Fu Meili was last seen."

"And that place is? Why haven't the cops found the place yet if they know the general direction of her disappearance?"

Bai Li said, "Well, we cannot trust the cops here. Because one of them is hindering the investigations."

"That officer who wanted you two to come with him."

"Yes."

As we navigated through the park, I took in the beautiful scenery that glowed from the light of the lamps. We passed through the lake on the way. Even at night, it looked breathtaking.

It was quite a while since we crossed the lake, and the area was quite densely packed with trees. It was really easy to get lost here.

I noticed the lights weren't properly working here as opposed to before. It was getting darker. It gave a sinister and creepy feeling as we went further. I shuddered.

Slowly from afar, I sensed a rough shape of something tall. I typed. "I think I see something there."

Liao Huifang said, "I don't see it. No, wait." She knitted her brows and narrowed her eyes. "I guess there is something there."

"Wait. Let us check the surroundings first if it's safe. Cocoa find-"

I suddenly felt him stiffen.

Cocoa…It was so natural to call him, but…

I pressed his hand.

"I am sorry. You two say if you see or hear anything."

We scoured the area and concentrated on any movement, but there was none.

As we moved closer, we found it. An old, dilapidated building that looked as if it was haunted. It seemed to almost merge with the forest.

"What is with these weird plants and mushrooms here? Never saw them before." Liao Huifang commented.

Bai Li said, "Okay. Be careful not to leave any fingerprints behind inside."

I took my handkerchief and rotated the doorknob. The door made a cringing sound as it slowly opened.

It was faint, but a bad stench came wafting through my nostrils.

It smelled like something rotten.

"Ew! This smell is horrible." Liao Huifang complained.

"This smell…" Bai Li muttered. "This is bad news. There is a faint trace of blood I smell. This place is always closed, so the remnants might be still in the air."

"Look if you find anything at the backside, Liao Huifang. Take me with you, Xin Lei. And tell me what you see."

I walked close to him. There was a chair, and I pulled him. I typed. "There are chairs here."

"Chairs?"

I typed. "Yes."

"How many? How are they placed?"

I counted and typed. "Twenty-one. They are on one side of this room and in a line. Like there are four rows with five chairs side by side."

"Then?"

"Is there a window?"

I typed. "Yes. At the far end. That must be the window through which Fu Meili and Fu Jun saw the crime happening."