The Trap is Set!

The sky darkened as clouds gathered, and soon raindrops began to fall.

Li Yuan pulled up his hood, but just then, the female student from earlier ran over with an umbrella.

"Rain again... Has it been raining every day lately?"

"Do you think the Jade Emperor drank too much, or is the Dragon King catching a cold?"

Li Yuan instinctively avoided her, but the girl stubbornly followed him. "What's wrong? Can't you tell me what's bothering you? I won't laugh at you."

"Think about it, wasn't I the one who treated you the best during high school?"

The girl kept following Li Yuan, and he quickened his pace.

Until a raven appeared, landing on a power line and letting out a series of eerie caws.

Hearing the raven's call, Li Yuan's expression changed. "Can you stop following me? I have work to do."

"What kind of work? You're not really cleaning fish at RT-Mart, are you?"

"By the way, I saw a post online the other day. A guy said he'd been cleaning fish at RT-Mart for over a decade, and his heart had become as cold as..."

"Get lost!" Li Yuan suddenly roared at the girl.

Staring at his furious face, the girl froze.

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"You..."

Li Yuan didn't say anything else. He tugged at his raincoat and walked away.

The raven on the power line let out a strange laugh and flapped its wings, flying off.

...

The rain grew heavier.

Li Yuan's face twitched, and his heart began to beat faster.

Just then, the raven flew to his side and transformed into a girl.

"Well, well, who was that girl? She seemed quite fond of you."

"You yelled at her like that. Her heart must be shattered now~"

Li Yuan didn't respond.

"Hmm... Why not turn her into a Deep One? Given how she feels about you, she'd probably be more loyal and reliable than your other minions."

Li Yuan glanced at the raven girl. "That woman talks too much. She's useless."

"Let's go. It's time to act."

The raven girl grinned. This was going to be interesting...

...

In front of the Northridge Police Station.

"Nan Yan is our primary target for this investigation. I believe I've already explained the anomalies there in the previous briefing. Any questions?"

"None!"

The team answered in unison.

"This time, we have one goal: to figure out what's inside Nan Yan. Whether it's a monster or a human, it must give us an answer!"

Yang Yan turned to the team behind him. "Everyone, check your equipment!"

The officers took out their pistols and began inspecting them, then counted their magazines and other standard gear.

Yang Yan felt uneasy about this hastily assembled, unapproved team.

After all, their opponent wasn't human but something they couldn't comprehend.

But even so, Yang Yan couldn't show his anxiety.

As the saying goes, a timid soldier is just one person, but a timid leader affects the whole team.

After checking the equipment, Yang Yan took a deep breath.

"Listen up. The opponent we're facing this time may no longer be human!"

"This might be our first encounter with a monster, but it won't be the last. This operation is called 'Clearing the Clouds'!"

"We must find out what those things are!"

"Let's move out!"

...

Night, Yangshan District.

Li Yuan stood on a building, overlooking the street below. The rain continued to fall, with no sign of stopping.

A raven flew over and transformed into a girl, standing beside him.

"Are you sure they'll pass through here?"

Li Yuan closed his eyes and let out a strange, whale-like call.

The sound had an unusual wavelength and covered a vast area, almost the entire Yangshan District.

Many people heard the eerie call, but no one paid it any mind.

Yet, everyone who heard it appeared in Li Yuan's mind.

"The route hasn't changed. Four police cars, seventeen people. Their target is Nan Yan. Notify the Queen Bee—she's been exposed."

The raven girl took an earpiece out of her ear.

"Hello, hello, is 004 there? I'm looking for 004, yeah..."

"That's right, you've been exposed."

"Not my fault. 002 said the police are heading your way. Handle it yourself."

"Give me the communicator," Li Yuan said, taking it directly.

"Queen Bee, there's one person in that group you might not be able to handle."

"That guy is strange. Evacuate all the civilians in the hotel immediately, then release my Deep Ones."

The Queen Bee's voice came through the communicator.

"All of them?"

"All of them."

"Today, no one leaves Nan Yan alive."

Li Yuan hung up the communicator.

"Chu Yang."

"If you really have what it takes to survive tonight, I..."

"Stop jinxing yourself, or you'll drop dead any second," the raven girl said, transforming back into a raven and flying away.

"My job is to record. I'm out of here."

Li Yuan twisted his neck, and his body began to expand. Deep green scales covered his skin.

In the blink of an eye, Li Yuan had transformed into a fishman.

...

Nan Yan Hotel.

Four police cars skidded to a stop in front of the hotel's entrance.

A bearded officer stepped out of the car and wiped his head. "Not to brag, but my driving skills..."

"Enough showing off. This mission isn't a sightseeing trip," Yang Yan said, stepping out of the car and pulling out a pistol.

The bearded officer shrugged. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood."

"But... are we too late?"

The group looked at the hotel. It was eerily quiet. Though the lights were on, there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Is this a trap?"

"More like a setup."

"Stay alert. Our opponent isn't human!"

A young man stepped out of the car, stretching his legs and arms.

"Chu Yang, be careful," Yang Yan said.

Chu Yang nodded. "Don't worry. I can handle myself."

A raven flew overhead, a camera hanging from its chest.

...

Top Floor of Nan Yan.

The Queen Bee puffed on a cigarette holder, surrounded by hundreds of women in uniform.

"The guests have arrived."

"Although that fishman said not to interfere, this is still our territory. I don't want it turning into a seafood market."

"You all, do your part. Cut the power, stab them in the back, guard the doors. Today, anyone who dares to enter won't leave."

The women nodded in unison, then began taking the elevators downstairs in groups.

Afterward, the Queen Bee took out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"A group of cops got drunk and caused a scene here. They slipped and... well, they're all dead. Can't blame me, right? You'll handle it fairly, won't you?"

"..."

The Queen Bee exhaled a puff of smoke. After a moment, a man's voice came through the phone.

"...Yes, Queen Bee."

...

Inside Nan Yan.

The police officers entered cautiously, checking every room on the first floor.

But without exception, there was no one.

No guests, no staff.

The officers were puzzled but continued their search upstairs.

They didn't take the elevators, instead splitting into two teams and taking the stairs on either side.

The second floor was the same—completely empty.

"Strange... Even if they knew we were coming, they couldn't have evacuated this quickly."

"Unless..."

"Unless everyone obeyed."

"What's the problem with that?"

"A big problem."

Yang Yan's eyes narrowed. Would paying customers really be so compliant?

If they were forcibly evicted, wouldn't they gather outside and demand answers?

There should've been people arguing and refusing to leave.

If they were offered money, that could've driven some away.

But this was a high-end hotel. There were surely wealthy guests who wouldn't budge for a small bribe.

And what if a couple was in the middle of an intimate moment when the staff barged in and told them to leave?

Would they really comply?

The dining tables still had unfinished meals, and the beds were still warm.

What kind of force could evacuate everyone so quickly?

No matter how you looked at it, it had to be something unnatural.

The group continued upward, but just as they reached the third floor...

All the lights went out at once!

"Be careful!"

Tap, tap, tap!

At that moment, a series of wet, hurried footsteps echoed around them!

"That sound!"

"Watch out!"

...