231: What?! There's more?

Before the words even finished, Liu Hongwen's figure suddenly surged! His body, covered in Bee Armor, erupted with astonishing speed, no longer in the relatively heavy and sluggish posture from before, turning into a yellow and black afterimage as he lunged straight at Shen Mingyuan!

Shen Mingyuan reacted the instant Liu Hongwen moved, raising his arms in a cross; the "twin stars" pistols in his hands let out a slight tremor, like the beating of a biological heart.

Within the deep red visor, the opponent's speed was extremely fast, yet the trajectory was not uncatchable.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dark red energy bolts burst forth from the left and right muzzles in succession, weaving into a containment net in the air that draped over the lunging Liu Hongwen.

However, Liu Hongwen's perception ability—shared through the vision of countless compound eyes and processed collaboratively by the bee swarm—was displayed to its fullest at this moment.

His body twisted, dodged, and ducked at various small, ergonomically-defying angles, managing to force his way through the gaps in the dense barrage. Only a few shots grazed the surface of the Bee Armor, splashing a few sparks and a few shattered worker bees, but failing to damage his core!

The distance was closed in the blink of an eye!

Liu Hongwen rushed close to Shen Mingyuan, his fist, condensed from the bee swarm, carrying a tearing hum as it smashed ruthlessly toward Shen Mingyuan's face! This punch was heavy and powerful, far exceeding that of an ordinary person.

Combat was not Shen Mingyuan's specialty, but the reaction and basic physical qualities granted by the armor were still there.

At the critical moment, his left-hand "twin stars" pistol was too late to turn, so he had to bend his right arm and use the matte black armor on the outside of his forearm to block the blow head-on!

Clang—!!!

The heavy sound of metal clashing, mixed with the muffled crack of the bee swarm being squeezed and shattered, suddenly exploded! Shen Mingyuan only felt a massive force transmit from his arm, and he couldn't help but slide back half a step, his feet plowing shallow furrows into the floor.

From outside the shop, the violent roar of an engine tearing through the air suddenly approached from afar!

In the next second, that silver and black motorcycle, like a steel beast breaking free from its shackles, boldly smashed through the already messy glass shop door, rushing into the shop amidst flying glass shards and a gale, its front pointed directly at Liu Hongwen's back!

Although Liu Hongwen was locked in a struggle with Shen Mingyuan, the sensory network formed by the surrounding bee swarm allowed him to instantly perceive the fatal threat from behind.

He suddenly exerted force to shake off Shen Mingyuan's block, and his body, covered by the bee swarm, dodged to the side at an almost broken angle!

The motorcycle grazed the edge of his Bee Armor, overturning a row of tables and chairs, but the offensive was not over!

A silver-white figure leaped up from the still-unsteady motorcycle, twisting his waist in mid-air. His right leg, like a battle-ax carrying irresistible force, traced a silver trajectory and kicked toward the chest of Liu Hongwen, who had just dodged and was off-balance!

Liu Hongwen hurriedly crossed his bee swarm arms to block.

“Bang—Crack!”

A heavy thud, accompanied by a dense sound like a shell cracking, exploded!

The power contained in Lu Jianchuan's kick far exceeded Liu Hongwen's estimation. His defensive structure, temporarily condensed by the bee swarm, collapsed instantly under the absolute impact of the force.

His entire person was like being hit by a heavy truck; with a muffled groan, he flew backward and crashed heavily onto the cooking counter behind him, pots and pans shattering all over the floor.

Lu Jianchuan landed steadily, his silver-white armor shimmering with a cold luster in the dim light.

His gaze briefly met with Shen Mingyuan's, who was standing with his guns drawn not far away, and they gave each other an imperceptible nod. No words were needed; the tacit understanding of fighting side by side had already been reached.

Liu Hongwen growled as he pushed himself up from the ruins, the bee swarm surging frantically to repair the shattered Bee Armor on his chest, the humming filled with enraged frenzy.

“Go!” Lu Jianchuan shouted lowly and was the first to charge out. His silver-white figure was like a cannonball leaving the barrel, heading straight for Liu Hongwen. Shen Mingyuan's figure flickered, moving like a ghost to the flank, his dual pistols ready at any time to provide precise fire suppression and distraction.

Lu Jianchuan's fighting style was fierce and direct. His fists and feet, wrapped in the sound of wind, clashed hard with Liu Hongwen's swinging bee swarm fists, producing a series of dull thuds.

The power and eerie attack angles granted by the bee swarm allowed Liu Hongwen to hold his own against Lu Jianchuan for a time, but the comprehensive enhancement of physical qualities brought by the silver skeleton armor allowed Lu Jianchuan to gradually gain the upper hand in frontal strength.

After a fierce exchange of punches and arms, Lu Jianchuan caught the tiny gap as Liu Hongwen retracted his punch. His left hand parried the other's incoming bee stinger arm, and his right fist suddenly accelerated. Fine silver-white electric arcs quietly jumped on his knuckles as he smashed it ruthlessly into the relatively thick left shoulder area of Liu Hongwen's Bee Armor!

Bang! Crackle—!

A dual explosion of physical impact and bio-electricity! A gap was blown open in the bee swarm at Liu Hongwen's left shoulder, and countless worker bees stiffened, smoked, and fell in the current. Furthermore, a surge of electricity penetrated the bee swarm, causing his entire left side to go momentarily numb!

“Argh!” Liu Hongwen let out a cry of pain, his movements inevitably stalling.

At that moment, the motorcycle with its own consciousness started up again! Like a battle beast with a life of its own, it adjusted its direction, its engine roaring, and charged toward the stiffened Liu Hongwen, its tires screeching against the ground!

Liu Hongwen endured the numbness, his right arm's bee swarm rapidly condensing into a shield shape as he roared to meet the charging motorcycle!

Boom!

The bee swarm shield and the front of the motorcycle collided violently. The massive impact caused Liu Hongwen to slide back again, leaving long marks on the ground. But he actually managed to withstand the collision!

However, at the moment of impact, the motorcycle's front wheel twisted skillfully, and the body used the force to complete a nearly perfect rapid tail-flick. The heavy rear of the vehicle, like a steel whip, traced a semi-circle and struck solidly against Liu Hongwen's waist, which had been exposed while blocking the front!

Bang!

This blow was full of force, and Liu Hongwen could no longer maintain his balance. He was swiped flying sideways, exactly in the direction of Lu Jianchuan!

Lu Jianchuan had already anticipated this and stepped forward rapidly. At the optimal moment when Liu Hongwen's body flew within reach, he twisted his waist and hips, and his right fist, fully charged with power, erupted once again with dazzling silver-white electricity. Like a heavy cannon, it struck with unerring precision at the lower part of Liu Hongwen's unprotected back!

Thud—!!! Crackle!!!

This hit was solid; the heavy thud sounded like striking a leather drumhead.

An even more violent bio-electricity poured in through the fist, raging and destroying frantically within the bee swarm network inside Liu Hongwen's body!

Liu Hongwen let out a shrill, inhuman howl, his body falling forward like a broken kite and smashing heavily onto the ground. Electricity crackled across his skin, and many bees lost control, flying around like headless flies. The Bee Armor on his body suddenly became fragmented and unstable, revealing the pale, pained human skin underneath.

Meanwhile, Shen Mingyuan did not stop. His deep red visor locked onto Liu Hongwen's limb joints and non-lethal parts, and the "twin stars" pistols in his hands continued to fire in bursts.

The dark red energy bolts struck precisely at the arm joints Liu Hongwen used to try and prop himself up, as well as the ankles he wanted to use to push off the ground. He wasn't seeking a lethal kill, but effectively limited his movements, intensifying his loss of balance and pain, making it difficult for him to quickly reorganize his Bee Armor or launch an effective counterattack.

Even so, Shen Mingyuan's shots still deliberately avoided vital areas like the head and heart. His goal was always to subdue, not to kill.

Liu Hongwen lay paralyzed on the ground, his legs and arms temporarily stripped of their ability to move by Shen Mingyuan's precise shooting. The Bee Armor on his body was incomplete, revealing the pale, trembling skin below, and the humming of the bee swarm had become scattered and weak.

He struggled to lift his head, looking at the approaching Shen Mingyuan and Lu Jianchuan, and asked hoarsely, “Why... didn't you kill me? I said... as long as I'm alive... as long as there's a chance...”

Shen Mingyuan stood before him, his deep red visor looking down at him, his voice coming through the armor with complex emotions:

“I can't do it. You... are already a victim. Although you killed people, that is a fact; I won't deny it, and neither will the law. But I won't use lynching on you because of that.”

He paused for a moment, as if organizing his words, and also as if confirming the beliefs he held dear:

“Late justice might really... only reveal the truth. But because of that, we need the law even more, we need rules and procedures that are as perfect as possible.

This is what civilization is; even if it falls again and again, it must struggle to move forward, working hard to fix loopholes and prevent the same tragedies from repeating.

I will hand you over to the law for judgment. The court will decide your end based on the evidence—whether it's the death penalty or something else. This isn't lynching; this is... the bottom line that a civilized society must uphold.”

Lu Jianchuan stood slightly behind him. The silver-white armor was silent for a moment before he spoke:

“I... am not very good with words. But I do think you are pitiful. You killed people, that's also a fact. I won't say nonsense like 'it's also your fault he hit you' or 'it takes two to tango,' that's not reasonable. It's just...” He shook his head, “I don't want to kill you. That's all.”

Liu Hongwen lay on the ground, making a “he-he” sound that was either crying or laughing, fragments of the Bee Armor peeling off as he trembled.

Shen Mingyuan crouched down and asked the question that had been lingering for a long time: “One more question. The worker at the very beginning, Zhang Jianjun, he didn't participate in your son's matter. Why did you kill him?”

Liu Hongwen's unfocused gaze sharpened for an instant, and he shook his head vigorously, his voice carrying a kind of confusion that even he found hard to understand:

“No... I didn't kill him. When I found him, he was already dead... It was 'them'... these bees, they killed him.

Later... later, somehow, 'they' found me and I became... like this. Before that, it was the bees that killed him.”

Shen Mingyuan and Lu Jianchuan looked at each other, their brows furrowed.

Just then—

“Squelch... Crash!!!”

A series of hair-raising, wet bursting sounds and the loud crash of shattering glass suddenly came from behind them!

The three of them instinctively turned their heads to look.

They saw that deep within the restaurant, in the center of the giant saltwater ecological fish tank, the exceptionally large, deep red starfish that had been quietly spawning earlier had undergone a terrifying mutation!

A small colorful fish, which had previously swallowed the milky-white eggs released by the starfish, suddenly began to swell and twist unnaturally, then abruptly exploded from the inside!

It wasn't flesh and blood flying everywhere, but rather countless fingernail-sized, bright red, and rapidly moving micro-starfish! These newly hatched “juveniles” seemed to receive a unified command, paddling through the water at an incredible speed, heading straight for the giant The Mother starfish and quickly attaching to and undergoing Fusion with it!

The The Mother starfish began to writhe and swell violently. Its five arms thickened and lengthened at a speed that defied biological laws, its central disk bulged sharply, its color became a deeper, darker red, and its surface developed a rough, rock-like texture. Its size achieved a Breakthrough of the fish tank's limits within seconds!

Boom—!!!

The thick, reinforced glass walls of the tank were forced to burst open. Seawater, mixed with gravel, coral, and panicked schools of fish, poured out, instantly flooding a large area of the floor.

And in the center of the gushing water and scattered debris, a starfish about the size of an adult human, entirely dark red and hideous in form, stood up—

It used two thick arms to support itself on the ground, while the other three arms waved slowly in the air. In the center of its bulging disk, the skin tore open, and a massive, cold, bloodshot, and emotionless yellowish-brown eye suddenly opened, coldly “staring” at Shen Mingyuan, Lu Jianchuan, and Liu Hongwen on the ground at the other end of the restaurant.

Shen Mingyuan's pupils constricted as he blurted out, “What the...? There's more?!”