“But all we know is that he is tall. This clue is too vague. Where do we even begin?” Ah Yu asked, somewhat worried.

Lin Wanqing pondered for a moment and said, "We can start with the records related to the fire from that year and see if we can find more information about that family. Perhaps we can find some clues related to that mysterious man from these records."

“You’re right,” Ah Yu agreed. “Let’s go to the local archives and police station first to see if we can find detailed information about the fire from back then.”

The two immediately took action, first going to the local archives. The archives staff, upon learning their purpose, were very cooperative and helped them search for historical records. However, due to the passage of time, many documents were blurred and illegible, making the search very slow.

V. Breakthroughs in Archives

After several hours of effort, they finally found a record about the fire from that year among a pile of old files. The record detailed the time and location of the fire, as well as some basic information about the affected families.

"Found them! This family's surname is Lin." Lin Wanqing said excitedly, pointing to the information in the file. "It seems that I am very likely a descendant of the Lin family."

Ah Yu carefully examined the file and suddenly discovered an important clue: "It mentions here that the Lin family received several anonymous letters before the fire. Perhaps these anonymous letters are related to the fire and that mysterious man."

They immediately asked the staff if there were any records of the anonymous letters, but the answer was disappointing. The anonymous letters from that year were not kept on file and may have been lost.

“It’s okay, we still have leads from the police station,” Ah Yu comforted Lin Wanqing. “Maybe they have more investigation records about the anonymous letters.”

The two rushed to the police station. The police station's records were relatively well-maintained, and they quickly found the contact information of the officer who had been in charge of the fire investigation years ago. Although the officer had retired, Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing decided to visit him anyway, hoping to get more clues from him.

VI. Visiting retired police officers

After making some inquiries, they found the home of the retired police officer. The officer's name was Li Jianguo, a kind and approachable old man. After hearing what Ayu and Lin Wanqing wanted to say, he warmly welcomed them.

“That fire back then was indeed very strange,” Li Jianguo recalled. “We suspected arson at the time, but after a long investigation, we couldn’t find any conclusive evidence. We also checked those anonymous letters, but the senders’ information was completely missing; it was as if they appeared out of thin air.”

"During your investigation, did you find any clues related to a tall, mysterious man?" Lin Wanqing asked.

Li Jianguo pondered for a moment and said, "It seems there is such a thing. A few days after the fire, someone saw a tall man in the neighborhood who was behaving strangely. But when we went to investigate, he was gone. At the time, we didn't connect this to the fire, but now that I think about it, there might really be some connection."

"Does anyone remember what this man looked like? Or did he leave any distinctive features?" Ah Yu pressed.

"I only remember that he was wearing all black clothes and a hat, which covered his face completely. However, an eyewitness said that he seemed to see a very special tattoo on the man's hand, which was the shape of a snake," Li Jianguo said.

Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance; the tattoo clue gave them new hope. "Thank you, Officer Li. This clue you provided is extremely important," Ah Yu said gratefully.

VII. Tracing Tattoo Clues

After leaving Li Jian's house, Ayu and Lin Wanqing began investigating the "snake tattoo" clue. They inquired throughout the town, asking if anyone had seen a man with a snake tattoo on his hand. However, several days passed without any results.

"Has this lead gone cold again?" Lin Wanqing asked, somewhat frustrated.

"No, that won't happen. Let's expand our search area," Ah Yu encouraged. "Maybe this man isn't in town. Let's check the surrounding cities."

The two decided to travel to a nearby metropolis, where the dense population might lead them to more clues. They posted missing person notices throughout the city, describing the mysterious man's features and the snake tattoo on his hand, hoping someone would provide useful information.

Meanwhile, they also posted information online, seeking help from netizens. As the information spread, more and more people paid attention to this matter. However, most of the feedback was useless information, either due to misreading or deliberate sabotage.

Just when they were feeling somewhat desperate, they finally received a valuable lead. A netizen contacted them, saying they had seen a man with a snake tattoo on his hand at a bar, but they weren't sure if he was the person they were looking for.

VIII. Exploring Bars

Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing immediately went to the bar according to the address provided by the netizen. The bar was dimly lit, the music was loud, and people were dancing freely on the dance floor. They searched around the bar, carefully observing everyone's hands.

After searching around, they couldn't find their target. Just as they were about to leave, Ah Yu suddenly noticed a man sitting at the bar. He was wearing black clothes and had a faint tattoo mark on his hand.

Ah Yu and Lin Wanqing exchanged a glance, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation welling up inside them. They slowly approached the man, trying to make out the tattoo on his hand. As they reached his side, the man seemed to sense their gaze and turned his head.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!