In the restroom on the third floor of Nanyan Hotel, a groggy girl stumbled out. "Huh... Why are the lights off? Where... is everyone?"

  She squinted in the darkness, her foot suddenly stepping into a puddle. "Water? Ugh... What's this awful fishy smell? I'm gonna—"

  Before she could finish, she doubled over and vomited against the wall. "Cough... Li Yuan, that jerk! How dare he yell at me? I was just... trying to care..." Her words slurred as she staggered forward. "Need to go home... Can't afford the overnight fee here... Damn capitalists."

  The fishy stench grew stronger as she groped her way downstairs. "Why's it so noisy here—"

  Thud! Thud!

  Two muffled thumps sounded behind her. She turned, finding nothing but darkness. Unseen in the shadows, two fish-men silenced Worker Bees by clamping hands over their mouths.

  "Shh."

  "The Sea King says let her pass."

  As she descended, more ambushing Worker Bees were abruptly dragged into blackness by scaly hands.

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  At the rooftop, the Hive Queen frowned at her intercepted forces. "What's that fish playing at? Spy games?" She snapped open a communicator. "Raven! What's Agent 002 doing?!"

  A playful voice crackled back. "Who knows~ Maybe reuniting with an old flame?"

  "Patch me to 002. Now!"

  After static, Li Yuan's voice emerged: "Let that woman leave."

  "Are you insane? She's seen too much!"

  "My mission is handling Chu Yang. Crowd control was your job—yet you missed one."

  "And I'm cleaning it up!"

  "Don't touch her."

  "Is that a threat?" The Hive Queen's eye twitched as Raven's mockery cut in: "Tsk tsk, wrinkles incoming, granny~"

  Granny.

  Veins bulged at her temple. "...'Granny' is outdated. The term is 'experienced and elegant lady.' Come closer, and I'll share... KFC's secret recipes for my new franchises."

  Perched on security cameras, Raven shrugged, observing Chu Yang's desperate fight below. Though matching fish-men in strength, the detective was hopelessly outnumbered—even with twenty fish-men diverted to protect the drunk girl.

  Tap tap tap.

  Dozens of identical women swarmed the corridors, blades gleaming.

  "Oho?" Raven chuckled. "Pulling all Worker Bees? Someone's furious."

  Li Yuan glanced urgently upward. "Raven! Help!"

  "Ah-ah." The observer wagged a finger. "I'm just here to film. Ask your fish buddies."

  Growling, Li Yuan lunged at Chu Yang, pinning him against the wall with a barrage of blows. Just as victory seemed certain—

  Click.

  A grenade pin clinked to the floor.

  "Boom!"

  The explosion blasted Li Yuan backward. Through settling dust, he roared at the empty crater where Chu Yang and two officers had vanished.

  "AFTER THEM!"

  Dozens of fish-men leaped into the tunnel as the Hive Queen's forces closed in from all sides.