004

Beiling City, Police Station

In the dimly lit room, the flickering glow of the surveillance screen cast eerie shadows on the faces of the police officers gathered around it, the scene unfolding on the screen left them all stunned.

"What is this? A Fish-Man? Is this from a fairy tale?" One police officer exclaimed.

"Fish-Man killed someone?" Another officer questioned, skeptical in his voice.

"Probably not. It's just someone in a costume," Another police officer suggested, trying to rationalize the bizarre sight.

The director turned to his team, his expression grave "There's also a murder case that happened at the same time as this Fish-Man sighting. Two people were killed..."

"I took a look at that case. A preliminary estimate suggests the murderer might be Han Verte."

"But... director," Another police officer interjected, "The surveillance didn't detect anyone entering or leaving Verte's house. During the entire timeframe, there was no one in or out of the house."

"Are you sure?" the director asked, frowning.

"That's right. Also the autopsy showed that the two of them had been dead for 3 hours before being discovered, but at the time Han Verte was in a cafe."

The director's eyes widened in disbelief "What?!"

He sobbed heavily, rubbing his temples "Difficult cases keep appearing one after another..."

At that moment, a young man entered the police station. The director quickly walked over to him.

"Avee, you're not in a hurry, are you?" The director asked urgently.

Avee looked surprised for a moment "Not in a hurry."

"Good. Then go form a squad," The director said, tossing a part of the case files to him.

Avee's eyes broadened as he caught the files "No, I'm in a hurry, director!" He said hastily, realizing the gravity of the situation.

"In a hurry? That's one more squad," The director said, looking pointedly at Avee.

"So should I be in a hurry or not in a hurry?" Avee's mouth twitched in confusion.

The director turned his head and said, "If you don't know, then create a squad."

Avee sobbed. "...."

A bearded police officer threw a photo at him. "Look at the photo. It turns out there's something big going on."

Avee took the photo and was stunned for a moment. "Is this... a Fish-Man?"

"Yes," the bearded officer replied. "Based on the information the inspection team brought back, the footprints in the hallway were similar to webbed feet, and there was a fishy smell left behind."

"And the victim on the bed had scattered fish scales," Another police officer added.

"This team has a preliminary guess that the criminal is likely trying to disguise himself. What he was wearing was probably a prop costume, fish scales, etc. He was probably prepared in advance, the purpose was to create a fake crime scene," The bearded police officer continued.

Avee raised an eyebrow "To be fair, in this world, how can there be a Fish-Man?"

The room fell silent as they all contemplated the bizarre nature of the case.

...

In a Bar.

Han and Chino sat at the bar with two cocktail glasses in front of them, neither taking a sip.

"Your ability is quite impressive," Chino said, breaking the silence.

Han quietly lit a cigarette "You too. After all, it was a 'fish' that did the deed, not you."

Both of them laughed, sharing a moment of understanding.

The bartender, polishing a glass, couldn't help but listen in on their conversation.

"Do you guys smell something? Like a fishy smell?" The bartender asked.

Chino picked up a bag "Just bought some fish from the market. Anyway, we should get going. Not much time left, I'll head out first."

Han waved his hand, then downed his drink in one gulp "Hey, how do you think an invisible murderer can be caught?"

The bartender thought for a moment. "Invisible... murderer. Maybe find a way for that person to be seen?"

"Give me an example," Han urged.

"I suppose you could use some dye to sprinkle on the invisible person."

Han smirked "What if that invisible person can change the color of his body, including the dye that falls on him?"

The bartender considered this. "How about... throwing sand at him?"

Han nodded thoughtfully. "Throwing sand... That might work. But the prerequisite is, the guy stays still."

The bartender shrugged "That's the tricky part, isn't it?"

...

On the Road.

Mei walked with one hand in her pocket, the other holding her phone. After a while, she sobbed, "I don't have any money..."

"Should I let Han and Raven steal?" she mused. "No... No one hides money in their house these days. They deposit it in the bank."

"Should I let Fish-Man rob a bank?" She pondered "If he tries, he'll probably get shot."

"The Hollow can't either. A heat detector would pick him up right away."

After thinking for a bit, she concluded, "I need to find someone rich."

But how easy is it to find a wealthy person?

"Huh?" Mei raised her head and suddenly noticed a red convertible sports car parked in front of her cafe.

A sly smile crept onto her face as she approached the car "Looks like I've found my target."

Mei entered the cafe and spotted a man and a woman seated at the counter. The man, her next-door neighbor, was in his late thirties but had a striking appearance. He often frequented her cafe, spending hours there, known for his motto, "When you're lazy, what else can you do other than wait?"

The woman, exuded an air of wealth and sophistication, with golden hair and perfect poise. Mei couldn't help but thought, 'Truly a rich lady, huh'

As Mei approached, the man waved at her, "Uh, we've been waiting for a long time."

Quickly changing her attire, Mei stepped behind the counter, "Sorry for the delay."

The woman's eyes sparkled as she looked at Mei, "No worries, you're just in time."

"Little Lam always told me that your coffee is unique, so I had to come and taste it~"

Unique coffee? Mei thought, 'I don't know how to make coffee.'

The man, glancing at the woman, whispered, "Cough cough, I didn't lie to you, right, Sister Vex? Mei is very beautiful."

The woman lifted her legs, "You look really young, don't you?"

Mei heard that without expression, "Ma'am, do you want to drink something?"

"The most expensive cup of coffee in your cafe." The woman smiled and said.

Mei faintly, then suddenly took out a small bottle from her chest, which was filled with a black liquid like coffee.

"The most expensive, not something people dare to drink."

Hearing that, the woman picked up the bottle, immediately turned the lid open and sniffed. Instead, there was a faint fragrance.

But this fragrance, why is it so strange?

"I've never smelled this fragrance before. It's like it's not very similar to regular coffee. What is this?" The woman asked.

"Unique secret coffee."

Made from coffee beans, Queen Ants, Queen Bees, Honeycomb honey, Euphorbia, and Tulip flowers....

The woman waved the bottle, then unscrewed the lid and brought it to her lips, taking a sip.

"Hm.... It has a wonderful taste, it smells like orange, with a scent, but this... Doesn't seem like coffee?" she remarked, her curiosity piqued.

Mei observed the woman's reaction with a faint smile, "Ah, that's because it's not your usual cup of coffee."

In an instant, her eyes broadened with surprise.

"Ah... this is..."

The man beside her was taken aback, "What did you give her to drink?!"

Mei smirked knowingly, "Just a unique coffee."

Before the man could protest further, the woman's hand shot out, grabbing his collar "Did I give you permission to speak?"

The man faltered, "Sister Vex, I..."

"Shut up," She commanded, her gaze fixed on Mei.

As the tension mounted, Mei noticed something peculiar. The woman's pupils began to tremble, then split into several distinct segments before merging back into one.

Suddenly, the woman's body convulsed, morphing before their eyes. She appears younger and fuller, but her hands bore the marks of age, frail and withered.

Apart from that, there were no other changes to her body.

Mei observed the transformation closely, a hint of concern flickering across her features. This wasn't quite what she had expected...

Just as Mei's suspicion grew, the woman's finger extended into a long thorn.

Silently and quickly, she drove the thorn into the man's neck, causing him to instantly fall into a coma.

"It's truly... a novel experience. How can I possibly repay you?" The woman purred, her gaze fixed on Mei with a seductive allure.

The situation seemed to be taking an unexpected turn, but Mei brushed it off.

"I want..."

"I understand. Your gift is invaluable, not something that can be bought with money," the woman interrupted smoothly.

"No, money can..."

"For you, wealth holds little significance. Otherwise, why would you run a cafe with hardly any customers? Essentially, you're not making money, are you?"

Mei suspecting the woman of mocking her, although she had no evidence.

"But as of now, besides money, I have nothing else to offer as gratitude."

No, no, money was all she restricted at the moment.

"I understand that this gesture may seem insincere, so I've decided to present you with a suitable gift. Please be patient a little longer."

Ah?

------

004 - Queen Bee