NOVEL SIMPLE The Masked Man: A Missing Finger, A New Lead
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Li Wei sat at his desk, meticulously reviewing the latest reports. A knock at the door broke his concentration.
"Enter," he said, not looking up from his work.
Chen Wei stepped in, a stack of papers in her hands. "Captain, I've completed the cross-reference of herb purchases you requested."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.
"One name stands out," Chen Wei said, placing a document before Li Wei. "Zhang Lao, a local farmer. His purchases of rare herbs have increased significantly over the past few months."
Li Wei scanned the document, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Bring him in for questioning."
Hours later, Zhang Lao sat across from Li Wei in the austere interrogation room. The farmer's eyes darted nervously around the space.
"Tell me about these herb purchases," Li Wei said, his voice level.
Zhang Lao's fingers twitched. "I... I was approached by a man. Said he'd pay me well to buy certain herbs for him."
"Describe this man."
"He wore a mask," Zhang Lao said, swallowing hard. "But I remember... he was missing a finger on his left hand."
Li Wei's pen paused mid-stroke. He looked up at Zhang Lao. "Which finger?"
"The... the little one, I think."
Li Wei nodded once. "You're free to go. But don't leave town."
As Zhang Lao scurried out, Li Wei turned to Chen Wei. "I want a list of everyone in the area missing a finger. Prioritize the left hand, little finger."
Chen Wei nodded and left the room.
Days passed as Li Wei and his team conducted discreet investigations. The list narrowed to five individuals missing a finger on their left hand. Li Wei assigned his most trusted officers to shadow each suspect, gathering information without arousing suspicion.
On the fifth day, Chen Wei burst into Li Wei's office, her eyes wide with excitement. "Captain, we've found something."
Li Wei looked up from his desk, his expression unchanged. "Report."
"One of the suspects, a man named Chu Li, was seen with Daoist Chen when they first arrived in the village a year ago. They came together, Captain."
Li Wei's eyes narrowed slightly, the only indication of his interest. He stood, reaching for his coat. "Prepare a horse. I'm going to visit the town Daoist Chen claims to be from."
The journey was long, but Li Wei's mind remained active, piecing together the puzzle. As he rode into the town, he began his inquiries, his questions careful and measured.
By nightfall, Li Wei had his answer. No one in the town had heard of Daoist Chen. The priest's backstory was a fabrication.
As Li Wei mounted his horse for the return journey, his mind raced with the implications of this discovery. The connection between Chu Li and Daoist Chen, the false history, the strange murders - all pieces of a larger, more sinister picture.
Li Wei spurred his horse forward. He had work to do, and the threads of this mystery were finally starting to unravel.