At Beiling City Police Bureau, officers stared at surveillance footage in disbelief. "Is that... a mermaid? A fairy tale?"

"Mermaid murders?"

"Bullshit. Someone’s faking it with costumes and props."

"Chief, another case occurred simultaneously. Two victims..."

"Wang Haonan’s the prime suspect."

"But cameras show no one entered his apartment during the murders. He was at a café for three hours!"

"Damn... back-to-back棘手 cases..."

A young detective named Yang Yan entered. The chief shoved files at him. "Overtime."

"Do I look busy?" Yang Yan groaned.

"Yes. Overtime."

A bearded cop tossed him a photo. "Mermaid footprints—webbed, fishy smell. Victim’s bed had scales."

"Deliberate misdirection. No such thing as mermaids."

---

In a bar, Wang Haonan and the fish-man nursed untouched cocktails.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Your power’s flawless," the fish-man remarked.

"Yours too. The fish did it—what’s that got to do with us?" They smirked.

The bartender sniffed. "Smells... fishy?"

The fish-man lifted a bag. "Fresh catch. Time to go."

Wang Haonan downed his drink. "How to catch an invisible killer?"

"Make them visible. Spread paint... or sand?"

---

On the street, Chen Ye sighed at his empty wallet. "Need cash... but robbing banks? Too risky."

His café parking lot now held a red convertible. Inside, a familiar neighbor—Lin—flirted with a glamorous older woman.

"Ah, boss! We’ve waited ages!" Lin winked. "Meet Ms. Shen. Insisted on trying your *legendary* coffee."

Chen Ye produced a vial of black liquid. "The priciest brew... not for the faint-hearted."

Ms. Shen sipped—then gulped. Her pupils fractured momentarily before reforming. Her body shifted: youthful curves, skeletal hands. A stinger sprouted from her finger, plunging into Lin’s neck. He collapsed.

"Fascinating... How shall I repay you?" Her voice dripped honey.

Chen Ye opened his mouth—"Money’s—"

"Trivial for someone like you." She gestured at the empty café. "This place isn’t for profit, is it?"

Chen Ye: *Is she mocking me?*

"A mere monetary reward would be... vulgar. Expect a *proper* gift soon."

...

**Designation No.004: Hive Queen (Matriarch)**