Beiling City Public Security Bureau.
Staring at the photos retrieved from the surveillance footage, a group of people was utterly baffled. "What is this? A mermaid? Like in a fairy tale?"
"A mermaid committing murder?"
"What mermaid? It's just someone playing tricks, trying to scare people."
"Chief, there's another case that happened almost simultaneously with the mermaid murder. There are two victims..."
"I've seen that one. Initial speculation suggests the suspect is Wang Haonan."
"No... Captain, the surveillance didn't capture anyone entering or leaving Wang Haonan's apartment. During that time, no one entered or left the entire building..."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. So, where was Wang Haonan?"
"He was in a coffee shop for three hours. During that time, the two victims were already dead."
"What?!"
"Tsk... One tricky case after another..."
Just then, a young man returned to the police station.
Seeing him, the chief quickly walked over. "Yang Yan, are you busy?"
Yang Yan was taken aback. "Not really."
"Then work overtime." The chief tossed him a file.
"No, I'm busy, Chief!" Yang Yan quickly replied.
"Then work overtime," the chief said, glancing at him.
"So, am I busy or not?" Yang Yan's mouth twitched.
The chief turned away. "If you're not sure, then work overtime."
Yang Yan: "..."
A bearded officer handed him a photo. "Take a look. Something big's happened again."
Yang Yan took the photo and was stunned. "Is this... a mermaid?"
"Yeah. According to the information from the on-site investigation team, the footprints in the hallway resemble flippers, and there's a fishy smell."
"And the victim's bed was scattered with fish scales."
"Initial speculation is that the perpetrator might be deliberately disguising themselves. They could be wearing a costume, and the fish scales might have been prepared in advance to mislead us."
"After all, how could there be mermaids in this world?"
...
In a bar.
Wang Haonan and the Fishman sat with two cocktails in front of them, but neither touched their drinks.
"Your ability is flawless," the Fishman said.
Wang Haonan lit a cigarette silently. "Yours too. After all, it was the fish who acted, not the person."
The two shared a knowing smile.
The bartender, wiping a glass, overheard their conversation.
"Do you smell something? It's like... a fishy odor?"
The Fishman picked up a bag. "Fresh fish from the market. Alright, it's about time. I'll head out first."
Wang Haonan waved him off, then downed his drink in one go. "Boss, how do you think an invisible murderer could be caught?"
The bartender thought for a moment. "An invisible murderer? Make them visible?"
"Visible, huh?"
"For example, by sprinkling some paint or something on them?"
"What if the invisible person can change the color of their body, including the paint on them?"
"Then... what about sprinkling sand on the ground?"
Sprinkling sand.
That's tricky.
"But the premise is, the criminal has to be there."
...
On the street.
Chen Ye walked with one hand in his pocket and the other holding his phone. After a while, he sighed. "No money..."
"Should I send the Invisible Man and the Raven to steal?"
"No... who keeps money at home these days? It's all in the bank."
"Have the Fishman rob a bank?"
"He'd get shot to pieces."
"The Invisible Man wouldn't work either. With thermal imaging, invisibility is useless."
"After going in circles, it still comes down to finding someone rich."
But where do you find a rich person?
"Huh?"
Chen Ye looked up and suddenly noticed a red convertible parked in front of his coffee shop.
"Well, looks like work's come to me."
Chen Ye walked into the shop and saw a man and a woman sitting inside.
The man was nearly thirty, quite handsome, and, coincidentally, Chen Ye knew him.
He was a neighbor from the building next door, who often came to his shop for a cup of coffee and stayed all day.
His most frequent line to Chen Ye was, "What else can you do while fishing besides waiting?"
The woman, on the other hand, had golden hair, an elegant demeanor, and exuded wealth. She seemed older than the man.
"Looks like he's landed a sugar mama."
As soon as Chen Ye entered, the man waved at him. "Hey, boss, you're finally here. We've been waiting for a while."
Chen Ye changed into his uniform and walked to the counter. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
The woman's eyes lit up as she looked at Chen Ye. "No, you're just on time."
"Xiao Lin's been telling me your coffee is one of a kind. He insisted I come here to try it."
One of a kind?
What does he know about coffee?
The man glanced at the woman and whispered, "See, Ms. Shen? I wasn't lying. Boss Chen and I are pretty much on the same level in terms of looks."
The man then winked at Chen Ye.
Huh?
What's this act about?
The woman crossed her legs. "Truly, the most intoxicating is the spring breeze, and the most dreamlike is the young man. Boss, you look so young."
Chen Ye remained expressionless. "What would you like to drink, ma'am?"
"Give me the most expensive one you have," the woman said with a smile.
Chen Ye chuckled, then suddenly pulled out a bottle from his pocket, filled with a black, coffee-like liquid.
"The most expensive one isn't something just anyone dares to drink."
The woman picked up the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and sniffed it. There was a faint aroma.
But why did it smell so strange?
"I've never smelled this before. It's not like regular coffee. What is it?" the woman asked.
"A secret recipe."
Made from coffee beans, queen ants, queen bees, honeycomb, golden butterflies, and tulips.
Code name: Honeycomb.
The woman swirled the liquid in the cup, then took a small sip.
"Hmm... a very unique flavor. Sweet aftertaste, with a fragrant aroma. But this... doesn't taste like coffee."
She then downed the rest of the liquid in one go.
The next second, her pupils trembled violently.
"Uh... what is this...?"
The man beside her was startled. "What did you give her?!"
Chen Ye smiled faintly. "Like I said, a secret recipe."
The man was about to speak, but the woman suddenly grabbed his collar. "Did I... tell you to speak?"
The man was stunned. "Ms. Shen, I..."
"Shut up." The woman turned to Chen Ye, her pupils splitting into multiple fragments.
But soon, her pupils merged back into one.
Then, her body began to tremble, and her figure started to change—becoming more voluptuous, more youthful.
But her hands withered, leaving only skin and bones.
Aside from that, there were no other abnormalities.
Chen Ye frowned.
Strange. This wasn't the effect he had intended...
Just as Chen Ye was puzzled, a stinger suddenly grew from the woman's finger.
She silently pricked the man's neck with it, and he passed out before he could react.
"That was... quite an experience. How can I thank you?"
The woman looked at Chen Ye with a seductive gaze. It seemed...
The drug's effect had taken a strange turn.
Oh well, never mind.
"I want..."
"I know. This gift of yours is invaluable. It's not something money can measure."
"No, money is..."
"To you, money must be trivial. Otherwise, you wouldn't run a coffee shop with no customers."
"It's not making any money, is it?"
Chen Ye: "..."
I think she's mocking me, but I have no proof.
"But right now, besides money, I really don't have anything else to thank you with."
Yes, money is enough!
I don't need anything else. I just need money right now!
"I know it's not enough, so I've decided to give you a gift worthy of this. You can look forward to it."
Huh?
...