"It's all so mysterious. They just bled from everywhere while asleep and then died," said the innkeeper.
"Were there any ties between them?" Ma Lin asked. He had come to investigate on his own.
"They all came from out of town and didn't know each other originally. They met only after arriving at Youtiao City and then decided to stay at my inn. I heard them talking about some sort of red sphere; it seemed to be something valuable they all wanted to get their hands on."
"How many days had they stayed at the inn?"
"Two days."
"Was there anything unusual on the evening before they died? For example, were they unusually happy or anything?"
"No."
"Did they have any plans to do anything specific?"
"They were always planning to do something every day."
"Were there no screams when they slept?"
"No. The illness seems very quiet; not a sound. That fat guy paid me two yuan yesterday evening, hoping for an extra Youtiao for breakfast for everyone. But they didn't get to eat it."
