Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Manhattan was still bustling in the early morning, its streets bustling with people as if they would never stop. Sunlight shone on the glass walls of skyscrapers, reflecting a dazzling light. Chen Shuo stood at the hotel window, gazing at the city that never sleeps, a sense of quiet contentment welling up in his heart.

After last night's battle, the mission had been successfully completed. He could now temporarily let go of the tension in his heart and enjoy a short rest. Chen Shuo chuckled, put on his coat, and prepared to go out and enjoy this rare leisure time.

In a street cafe, Chen Shuo ordered a cup of black coffee and sat quietly by the window, observing the people coming and going. He was in no hurry to go anywhere. After the mission was over, the city was just a great place for him to travel. He hadn't thought about the next step. Since he was no longer bound, why set goals for himself?

That afternoon, Chen Shuo walked along Broadway, admiring the surrounding architecture and cultural atmosphere. In his previous life, he rarely had the opportunity to stroll leisurely like this, but in this life, he wanted to enjoy life to the fullest. These ordinary moments of life always gave him a strange sense of relief. As a killer, always on the brink of life and death, he had long been accustomed to danger and loneliness, and this ordinary peace seemed particularly precious.

---

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was already evening. Chen Shuo was enjoying a sumptuous dinner in a quiet Western restaurant. Just as he was struggling with a piece of steak, his phone suddenly vibrated.

The caller ID showed a familiar name - Mao Lilan.

Chen Shuo frowned slightly. Sure enough! What is coming will come.

"Hello, Xiaolan?" Chen Shuo answered the phone, his tone as gentle and calm as ever.

On the other end of the line, Mao Lilan's voice was hesitant, as if she was struggling to say something. "Brother Shuo, can I...can I see you? There are some things...I want to talk to you about."

Chen Shuo was silent for a few seconds, his eyes gradually becoming complicated. After what happened last night, he didn't know how to explain it to Mao Lilan. But he didn't refuse, "Okay, tell me the location."

"It's in the rooftop cafe of our hotel. The view there is very nice and it's... quiet." Ran Mouri's voice revealed a hint of uneasiness and anticipation.

"Okay, see you in half an hour." After hanging up the phone, Chen Shuo stood up, paid the bill, and sighed slightly.

---

Half an hour later, Chen Shuo stood at the entrance of the rooftop cafe. The night breeze was cool, the view was expansive, and the lights of the entire city shimmered beneath his feet. Mao Lilan was already sitting at a table near the edge, her face clearly filled with anxiety and tension.

Chen Shuo walked over and sat opposite her, his expression calm: "Xiaolan, I'm here."

Mao Lilan looked up at Chen Shuo, her eyes revealing a complex emotion. Her fingers gently pinched the coffee cup, as if she was trying to form words. She opened her mouth and finally spoke: "Brother Shuo, I saw you yesterday..." Her voice was full of hesitation and confusion: "Who...who are you?"

Chen Shuo looked at her quietly and sighed inwardly. This scene was not at all unexpected to him. Mao Lilan was not the kind of person who could be easily kept in the dark. She had witnessed too many things and could no longer ignore them. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Xiaolan, do you want to hear the truth?"

Mao Lilan nodded with a firm look in her eyes.

"Okay." Chen Shuo took a deep breath and said calmly, "Xiao Lan, you have to understand. There are some things I haven't told you. It's not because I don't trust you, but because there's no need. Snakes have their own ways, and rats have their own ways. You're still young, and there are some dark places in the world that you can't understand. You should have seen the news today. In that hotel yesterday... I did it. It's my job."

These words were like an icy knife piercing Mao Lilan's heart. Her pupils suddenly contracted, her body trembled slightly, and she almost dropped the coffee cup in her hand.

"Killer..." Mao Lilan muttered to herself. She understood the implication in Chen Shuo's words and guessed his true job. She had always thought of Chen Shuo as a strong, reliable older brother, a gentle and trustworthy person. But at this moment, Chen Shuo's words, which were almost indicative of something, shattered her worldview, a fact that left her feeling extremely complicated.

Chen Shuo watched her reaction, feeling helpless. Facing this girl who had given him an angelic feeling, he didn't want to hide anything. To do so would have made her look foolish. But he also knew how cruel this truth would be for her. He whispered, "I know this is hard for you to accept, but it's the truth. My job isn't ordinary. I carry out dangerous, classified missions, often involving... human lives."

Mao Lilan's mind flashed back to the scene of last night: the cold-blooded Chen Shuo, shooting the killer without hesitation, and the bloody scenes she saw on the news this morning. Her breathing quickened, and she couldn't calm down for a while. She bit her lip tightly and asked with difficulty, "Why...why did you choose this kind of life?"

Chen Shuo was silent for a moment, a hint of bitterness in his eyes. "Some things are not a choice, but something you have to do."

Mao Lilan did not speak, but her eyes were still complicated. She tried to organize her thoughts and tried to find an answer. She could not understand why the Shuo brother she was familiar with could be a cold-blooded killer.

Chen Shuo saw her inner struggle and said softly, "Xiao Lan, you know, life is not as simple as we think. Some people are born in the sun, while others are destined to live in darkness. You may never understand my past. But I can tell you one thing - I never actively chose to become a killer. It was life that forced me to take this path."

Mao Lilan looked up at Chen Shuo, her eyes still filled with confusion and pain: "But... isn't killing wrong? No matter what, taking someone's life is always wrong."

"Yes." Chen Shuo nodded. "Killing is always wrong, but in my world, choice no longer matters. Every action is for survival. Sometimes, it's others who want my life, and I have no choice but to act before they do."

Mao Lilan's hands trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't imagine what Chen Shuo's life was like, nor could she understand the "rules of survival" he spoke of. In her world, life was precious, and no one should arbitrarily deprive another of their life.

She choked up and asked, "So... do you regret it? Do you regret choosing this path?"

Chen Shuo gave a bitter laugh, his eyes filled with helplessness and deep pain. "Regrets? Perhaps I have, but I had no choice." He paused, his gaze fixed on the distant night sky, as if recalling the bloody past. "But it's already happened, there's no turning back. Even if I wanted to get rid of it, reality wouldn't allow it."

Mao Lilan finally couldn't hold back her tears. She gritted her teeth and her voice trembled a little: "But... you are such a good person, why did you become like this?"

Chen Shuo looked at Mao Lilan, feeling a pang of sadness in his heart. He reached out and gently patted her shoulder, his tone soft but firm: "Xiao Lan, I wish things could be simpler, but this world isn't as fair as you think. I know you can't understand, and maybe you hate me, but no matter what, I just want you to understand—I've never meant to hurt you, and I never will."

Mao Lilan burst into tears, her inner struggle and pain flooding back like a tide. She looked at Chen Shuo, the man she saw downstairs every day, with a gentle smile, and now he told her that he was a killer. This fact was undoubtedly a huge shock to her.

"I don't know how to face it..." She choked and said, "I just... I just can't accept that you are such a person."

Chen Shuo looked at her with mixed emotions in his heart. He knew that this was a huge challenge for Mao Lilan, and she was going through an indescribable struggle in her heart.

"I understand. This is hard to accept," Chen Shuo whispered. "But you have to know that I'm not a demon. I don't want to make some silly excuse about killing people out of helplessness, but... everyone has their own path. I can only guarantee that in this world, the people I kill are all wicked criminals with countless crimes, the kind that can't be punished by law."

Mao Lilan fell silent. She was struggling internally. She didn't want to accept the fact that Chen Shuo had become a killer, but she also sensed his helplessness. She looked up, a hint of confusion in her eyes. "But... couldn't you have chosen another path? Why did you have to choose something so dangerous, something that might even... take someone's life?"

Chen Shuo sighed, a bitter smile on his face. "If there were any other options, I wouldn't have chosen this path. But sometimes, fate is so cruel. And now... killing is a bad habit, but I can't give it up."

Mao Lilan's heart is still difficult to calm down. The gentle and reliable Shuo brother in her eyes is actually a cold-blooded killer. This makes her feel in great contradiction.

"Xiao Lan!" Chen Shuo's voice rang out again, somewhat earnestly. "I know it's hard for you to accept all this. But please believe me, I have never intended to hurt you, or anyone else related to you. My world is dark, but you are the only one I don't want to be encroached by this darkness."

These words sent a slight jolt through Mao Lilan's heart. She could sense that Chen Shuo was speaking the truth. She had felt Chen Shuo's care and protection countless times, and that had never changed. Her mood calmed down a bit, but she still struggled to process the sudden truth.

"But...will you continue like this in the future? Will you continue to kill people?" Mao Lilan's voice was low, but she had to find out.

Chen Shuo looked at her, silent for a moment, then said helplessly: "I have already stepped into this world and cannot escape easily. As long as I am in this circle, the killing will not stop. Xiaolan, I can't promise you anything, but I can promise you that I will only kill those who deserve to die!"

Mao Lilan looked at Chen Shuo with tears in her eyes: "Brother Shuo, what should I do? How should we get along in the future?"

Chen Shuo gently wiped away the tears from Mao Lilan's eyes: "Don't worry, I'm still your Brother Shuo! In front of you, I'm still the owner of the coffee shop downstairs from your house, and this will never change!"

---

Mao Lilan left, but before leaving, she hugged Chen Shuo tightly. Then, without saying anything, she hurried out of the cafe.

Chen Shuo sighed deeply, as if a huge rock had finally fallen from his heart. Although Mao Lilan didn't say anything, Chen Shuo knew that she just needed time to digest it. It seemed that after spending a few years together, Xiaolan also knew clearly what kind of person he was.

Perhaps he could make up a bitter and vengeful "truth" to temporarily reassure Xiaolan, but she was not a fool, and such deception would only overdraw their relationship. It would be better to speak directly. He knew that the truth was bound to make Xiaolan feel painful and might even lose her trust forever.

But this was the life he had chosen, and there was no turning back. Fortunately, the bet had paid off!