The Man Standing in a Pool of Blood

I received this case on a sultry summer night, not long after I had graduated from the police academy and been assigned to a precinct in our city. My mentor was an old detective named Li, known by the nickname "Li the Blade." Legend had it that in his early years, he made his name by driving his blade straight through a suspect’s carotid artery in a single, decisive motion.

The case took place in a high-end residential complex in our city. The victim was a man in his thirties, discovered already lifeless. When found, he was standing in the living room of his own home, clad in pajamas, arms hanging at his sides, his face devoid of any expression, and his eyes wide open, staring straight ahead.

At his feet was a large pool of fresh blood, stretching from beneath him all the way to the living room’s doorway—a chilling sight. Yet what was even more bizarre was that the man bore no visible wounds; the blood was not his own.

“What on earth happened here?” I frowned at the scene, confusion swirling in my mind.

“We don’t know. This is how it looked when we arrived,” Li the Blade replied, standing beside me. “We’ve checked the entire apartment. There are no signs of a struggle, the doors and windows are all locked, and there’s no sign of forced entry.”

“Then how did he die?” I asked.

“Unknown. The medical examiner is still checking, but it doesn’t look like natural causes,” Li the Blade shook his head. “And there’s something else strange. Look at his eyes.”

Following his gesture, I gazed at the victim’s eyes—round, bloodshot, as if they had beheld something truly horrifying.

“What did he see?” I muttered.

“No idea. But I think he must have seen something that terrified him to death,” Li the Blade said. “Otherwise, his eyes wouldn’t be like that.”

Just then, the medical examiner emerged from the room, his face grave.

“Well? What’s the cause of death?” Li the Blade asked quickly.

The examiner removed his mask, drew a deep breath, and said, “Preliminary judgment: the cause of death is cardiac arrest due to extreme fright.”

“Cardiac arrest from fright?” Both Li the Blade and I were taken aback.

“Yes. Look at his eyes, his expression—it’s clear he saw something that drove him into a panic. The fear triggered acute cardiac arrest and death,” the examiner explained.

“But why was he standing here? And what about all the blood at his feet?” I pressed.

The examiner shook his head. “That, I don’t know. But I suspect the blood is related to his death somehow.”

“What should we do next?” I turned to Li the Blade.

He pondered for a moment. “Let’s start by looking into the victim’s identity. See if he’s offended anyone recently, or encountered anything unusual.”

So, Li the Blade and I began to investigate. The victim’s name was Zhao Feng, CEO of a publicly listed company, thirty-five years old, from a wealthy family. His wife was a doctor at the city hospital; they had been married for years, had a good relationship, and no children.

Our investigation turned up no evidence that Zhao Feng had recently made enemies, nor had he experienced anything out of the ordinary. However, during a conversation with his wife, we learned something crucial.

It turned out that the night before the incident, Zhao Feng and his wife had a fierce argument. The reason: Zhao Feng had grown close to a young woman recently, and his wife suspected him of infidelity. Zhao Feng explained that the woman was merely a client, and there was nothing improper between them. His wife ultimately forgave him.

“Could this have led to Zhao Feng’s murder?” I ventured.

Li the Blade shook his head. “Not sure, but I doubt it’s connected. If his wife had killed him, why would she have staged the scene this way? And what about all that blood?”

“So what now?” I asked.

Li the Blade considered. “Let’s check out this woman and see what her relationship with Zhao Feng really was.”

The woman’s name was Lin Xiaoyu, a twenty-six-year-old employee at an advertising firm—attractive, slender, admired by many.

Our investigation revealed that Lin Xiaoyu and Zhao Feng indeed had an improper relationship. However, she had an alibi for the night of the incident: she was working late at the office and didn’t leave until morning.

“Looks like Lin Xiaoyu isn’t connected to the case,” I said.

Li the Blade nodded. “We’ll have to look elsewhere.”

Just then, our forensic colleagues brought good news: they had found some strange marks on Zhao Feng’s floor—footprints, though oddly shaped.

“What are these?” I asked, perplexed by the photos.

“We’re not sure. But we can confirm they aren’t Zhao Feng’s,” a technician said. “His shoes are size 42, and these are clearly smaller.”

“Could these belong to the killer?” I speculated.

The technician replied, “We’ll extract the prints and compare them with our database.”

We extracted the footprints and sent them for analysis, but the results were disappointing—no matches were found.

“We’ll need another angle,” Li the Blade said, his eyes meeting mine. I nodded, feeling helpless; the case seemed a headless fly, with no clear direction.

While we were at an impasse, Zhao Feng’s wife provided another vital clue. She recalled that during their argument the previous night, they had mentioned something in the house.

“What was it?” I asked eagerly.

“A jade pendant,” she replied. “It was left to me by my grandfather, kept in our safe. During the argument, Zhao Feng said the pendant was fake and worthless. I got angry, and we started fighting.”

Li the Blade and I exchanged a look—the jade pendant seemed to be a new breakthrough.

“Where is the pendant now?” Li the Blade asked urgently.

Zhao Feng’s wife looked downcast. “I don’t know. After our fight, I haven’t seen it. I thought Zhao Feng put it back, but when the police checked today, the safe was empty.”

“Could the pendant’s disappearance be linked to Zhao Feng’s death?” I tried to piece things together.

Li the Blade thought for a moment, then ordered, “Investigate the history of the jade pendant. Check if the safe shows any signs of forced entry. Also, ask Mrs. Zhao if she remembers any identifying features of the pendant. Maybe we can trace its whereabouts.”

We divided up the tasks—I looked into the pendant, Li the Blade and the others examined the safe. After several hours, we gathered the information. The pendant, it turned out, had been passed down from Mrs. Zhao’s grandfather. Though Zhao Feng claimed it was fake, an expert’s preliminary assessment found it to be of immense historical value.

The safe showed no signs of forced entry, indicating it had been opened with the correct code or key. This made us suspect Zhao Feng himself had removed the pendant after their argument, for reasons unknown.

“If Zhao Feng died because of the pendant, what was the motive?” I asked.

Li the Blade pondered, “Perhaps there’s a hidden secret behind the pendant, or someone knew its real value and coveted it. Zhao Feng might have met his fate because of this.”

At that moment, the forensic team brought more news: several strands of hair, not belonging to Zhao Feng, had been found in his carpet. DNA tests revealed they belonged to an unknown woman—Lin Xiaoyu was excluded.

“It looks like our investigation needs to shift,” said Li the Blade, his gaze resolute. “We have to find this unknown woman. She could be directly involved in both the pendant’s disappearance and Zhao Feng’s death.”

Using the DNA data, we searched databases and broadened our probe into Zhao Feng’s social circle. Days later, an unexpected clue emerged. One of Zhao Feng’s friends mentioned that, shortly before his death, Zhao Feng had shown off a newly acquired jade pendant, boasting that he had traded for it with a mysterious woman reputed to possess many valuable artifacts.

“A mysterious woman, rare artifacts, a jade pendant…” The fragments spun in my mind, slowly forming a hazy outline.

We quickly obtained surveillance footage of Zhao Feng meeting with the woman. Facial recognition technology soon revealed her identity—a well-known antiques dealer named Su Wanqing. Her DNA matched the hair found in Zhao Feng’s home.

“Arrest Su Wanqing immediately. Search her residence and shop for the pendant,” Li the Blade ordered.

After a tense night of action, we found the missing pendant hidden in a concealed compartment of Su Wanqing’s shop. She confessed to her crimes. She had long coveted the Zhao family pendant and used her charm and expertise to get close to Zhao Feng, ultimately exchanging a counterfeit for the genuine article. When Zhao Feng discovered the ruse and tried to reclaim the pendant, she resorted to extreme measures—exploiting his psychological fears to stage a seemingly supernatural death, hoping to conceal the truth.

With that, the mystery unraveled. Li the Blade and I exchanged a knowing smile; though the path had been winding, it was through persistence and intellect that we uncovered the truth behind this strange case. The pendant, a symbol of family legacy, was restored to its rightful owner, bringing the case to a fitting conclusion.

With Su Wanqing in custody and the pendant returned, the oppressive summer night’s enigma was finally dispelled. Zhao Feng’s wife wept upon learning the truth, mourning her husband’s tragic demise, yet grateful for the return of the cherished heirloom. She clung to the pendant, as if feeling the warmth and protection of her grandfather.

At the case’s debriefing, Li the Blade, ever calm and steady, commended our efforts. “Every case hides the complexities and dualities of human nature. This time, we confronted not just a murder, but a profound revelation of greed and fear.”

As I listened quietly, my heart was a swirl of emotions. From a fledgling rookie to an independent detective, I had witnessed countless joys and sorrows, setbacks and growth. This case deepened my understanding of a detective’s duty—not only to seek truth, but to uphold justice, to bring peace to restless souls, and ensure that justice prevails.

Night fell, and the city’s lights still glittered. Yet in this summer night, the air seemed touched by an added calm and serenity. Leaving the station, I looked up at the stars, silently wishing: may every innocent soul find peace, and may the light of justice shine forever.

And as for me, I will continue along this road, filled with uncertainty and challenge, using my wit and courage to uncover more truths hidden in the darkness and safeguard the peace of this land. For this is my truest conviction and pursuit as a detective.