Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Ray Curtis took a deep breath and stood at the door of Ed McCann's room, gripping the gun tightly. He gently put down the football, took a deep breath, and his eyes were determined. Then he raised his hand and knocked on the door, holding the intercom to his lips. "Conan, are all the lights on?"

Conan looked up outside the hotel, confirmed it, and responded: "The light in the lower right corner is not on yet."

"OK, I'll be there now!" Ray Curtis responded, then raised his gun and pointed it at Ed McCann's door. His eyes were like a cheetah's, focused and sharp, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.

The moment Ed McCann opened the door, Ray Curtis kicked the ball with all his might. The ball hurtled downstairs, hitting the wall and bouncing off, striking a mop handle at the foot of the stairs. The handle lost its balance and fell to the ground with a soft thud. Without support, the sliding door resting on the handle swung and slammed into the light switch on the wall.

"Conan, are the lights on?" Ray Curtis stared at Ed McCann, whose eyes were full of fear, his eyes as sharp as a hawk.

"Yeah, it's on!" Conan's crisp response came from the intercom.

Immediately, Ray Curtis's eyes flashed, and he fired without hesitation. A loud gunshot broke the silence of the night, and the bullet accurately penetrated Ed's chest. Blood spurted out instantly, and Ed McCann's body shook and fell to the doorway.

Without a pause, Ray Curtis quickly dropped the pistol and, relying on his immense strength, turned and ran downstairs. His steps were steady and swift. As he ran down the stairs, he saw Ed McCann's body slumped stiffly against the doorway in the room behind him, blood slowly spreading across the floor.

---

"Bang!" A dull gunshot pierced the quiet night, followed by the sound of shattering glass echoing in the silent air. The three people upstairs were so frightened by the sudden noise that they suddenly stuck their heads out of the window and nervously asked what happened on the intercom.

"Is that a gunshot?!" Hattori Heiji's voice was anxious. He and Conan hurriedly ran into the building, with an ominous premonition flowing in their hearts.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Yuanzi appeared calm and composed, everything was under her control. She slowly recovered the props left behind by Ray Curtis during his crime and quickly restored the layout of the rooms on the first floor.

Then, Sonoko picked up the mop in the room. When Hattori Heiji and Conan hurriedly ran past her, Sonoko stared at the second floor in panic. It was perfectly normal for a waitress with a mop to appear in the hotel. Who could suspect her?

Seeing no one was paying attention, Yuanzi casually walked away from the noisy crowd, mop in hand, her steps leisurely. She feigned panic as she skirted past several hurriedly approaching staff members and headed down the corridor toward the hotel's utility room.

After entering the utility room, Sonoko casually threw the mop into the pile of mops, making sure no trace was left. She slowly adjusted her uniform, making sure everything looked like a normal waitress's job.

Then, she pulled the deflated ball and needle from her pocket, wrapped them in a small stone, and expertly tossed them into the river near the hotel. The stone, carrying the ball and needle, sank to the bottom, gradually disappearing into the night. She had disposed of all evidence, leaving no trace.

Mission accomplished, Sonoko took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief and satisfaction. Everything had gone as smoothly as she'd anticipated, without a single mistake. She glanced around, making sure no one had noticed her unusual behavior.

Finally, she straightened her clothes, picked up a tray, pretended nothing had happened, and walked out of the hotel.

---

The banquet hall had become unusually deserted. Almost everyone in the once bustling hall had left. The sudden shooting had unnerved most of the guests. Some opted to watch the excitement, flocking to the streets outside the hotel; others, anxious to avoid suspicion, hurriedly left the venue. The events that were supposed to continue on stage were also interrupted by the incident, and the atmosphere suddenly became quiet and tense.

Now, Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan were the only two people left in the spacious banquet hall. Chen Shuo stood in front of a table, holding a glass of red wine, looking relaxed and unconcerned about the situation.

Ran Maoli stood beside him, her expression completely different. Her brow was furrowed, her eyes gleaming with anxiety. Ever since the gunshot, her mind hadn't relaxed. Though all around her was silent, she was still filled with questions and anxieties. She glanced down at her phone, as if waiting for a message, but there was nothing new on the screen.

"This was... done by Sonoko, right? There won't be any problems, right?" Ran Mouri was a little worried, with obvious anxiety in her tone.

Chen Shuo smiled slightly, shook his head, and was about to speak to comfort her, but before he could say anything, he was interrupted by a naughty voice.

"Hey, don't worry, Xiaolan. I didn't shoot. I got away safely!"

Following these words, a waitress with freckles on her face appeared in front of them, smiled and gently took Mao Lilan's arm. Mao Lilan was stunned for a moment, her face full of confusion, but when she heard the familiar voice, she immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as we escape unscathed," Mao Lilan breathed a sigh of relief, a hint of relief in her eyes. Then she asked doubtfully, "You didn't shoot? Then who did?"

Chen Shuo calmly replied, "Humph! Ray Curtis fired the shot. This girl dared to confront the client on her first mission, and even had the nerve to ask Gin and the others for cover. I really underestimated you..."

Chen Shuo's tone was flat, with almost no emotional fluctuations, but those who knew him well could hear a hint of dissatisfaction and blame in it.

Hearing this, Sonoko looked a little embarrassed, and she instinctively looked towards Mao Lilan for help. Mao Lilan shrugged her shoulders and said that she could not help, and she vaguely felt that Sonoko might have violated a taboo this time.

Yuanzi could only make a bitter face and mutter in a low voice: "I... I know I was wrong." She carefully took Chen Shuo's arm and admitted her mistake in a soft tone: "I won't do it again next time, really, please don't be angry."

Chen Shuo glanced at Yuanzi, feeling rather dissatisfied. However, since it was his first mission, he was quite smart to seek help from Gin and the others.

He sighed, his tone calm but undeniable. "Yuanzi, this mission is no joke. Facing the client head-on, especially for a rookie like you, carries risks far greater than you can imagine. You think you can handle it, but if something goes wrong, it's beyond your control and your life could be in danger. If the situation becomes stalemate, the consequences will be disastrous."

Mao Lilan frowned. Although she did not fully understand the details of this mission of Yuanzi, she could still realize the seriousness of the matter when she heard Chen Shuo's scolding.

She looked at Sonoko seriously, her tone tinged with reproach: "Sonoko, although you are very powerful, there are some things you cannot take risks on. The rules of the underworld must have been confirmed in blood. They cannot be taken lightly."

Sonoko listened to the two people's lecture, feeling a little uneasy. She whispered, "I...I understand. Really, I won't do it again. I promise to be more careful next time." Her voice was a little low, sincere and regretful.

Seeing Sonoko's genuine regret, Chen Shuo couldn't help but soften his heart. He sighed, the serious expression on his face gradually easing. He gently touched Sonoko's head, and his tone was no longer so harsh: "Just remember this. Actually, your decision and plan this time are quite good. Gin also thinks highly of you, which is worthy of praise."

Yuanzi's originally downcast expression suddenly changed, and a bright smile appeared on her face in an instant, as if the dark clouds had dispersed and the sun was shining into her world again. She immediately let go of Chen Shuo's arm, crossed her arms, and said with a proud smile: "Hehe! Of course! I am Lord Huijin!"

Chen Shuo helplessly covered his face, unable to look straight. He really couldn't understand the speed of this girl's transformation. Just a moment ago, she looked like she was about to drop her pearls, but in the blink of an eye, she could actually transform into such a middle school-like state.

Mao Lilan couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh when she saw this. She was also happy from the bottom of her heart that her best friend's debut performance was recognized.

The three of them chatted for a while, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. Mao Lilan finally let go of the worry that had been hanging in her heart. Sonoko looked around and saw that some guests had begun to return to the banquet hall, so she decided to leave quietly.

"Hey, mission accomplished, I'll be leaving now." She smiled and waved at the two of them, her face full of pride. "You two can continue being sweet, bye~"

Chen Shuo nodded and said softly, "Go."

Mao Lilan looked at him, waved her hand gently, and said with a smile: "We will go back tonight, too, you don't have to worry."

Yuanzi waved her hand and turned away with a smug smile. Her figure quickly blended into the increasingly lively banquet crowd. Watching her disappear from sight, Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan said nothing more, but just exchanged a silent glance and smiled knowingly.

---

"Impossible..." Hattori Heiji roared, slamming the wall in anger, the sound echoing in the empty room. Although he and Conan had reconstructed the entire case with their almost irrational reasoning ability, they now faced an insurmountable obstacle - no evidence.

"I'm sure the murderer is that Lei... How could the football disappear out of thin air? He must have found some way to hide the football in a place where we can never find it..." Hattori's voice was full of anger and unwillingness. He could not accept such a powerless situation.

Conan, on the other hand, looked indifferent. He shrugged, "No matter how much we don't want to believe it, even though we have ruled out all impossibilities and all clues point to Lei, without evidence, all reasoning is just empty talk. The judge won't look at how brilliant your reasoning is, evidence is what matters most." He paused and turned to Hattori, "Do you feel unconvinced? Sometimes it's just so helpless. Justice...is not always going to win."

Hattori Heiji sighed deeply. "Yeah..." He turned and walked to the window, his eyes a bit empty, as if he was lost in thought. "We lost this time. The motto I once believed in—'No matter how well-planned a criminal is, he won't have the last laugh'—seems nothing in this world is absolute..."

Conan didn't answer. He looked out the window quietly, as if thinking about something. After a while, Hattori suddenly turned around and looked directly at Conan: "But, Kudo, I remember you once said that killing is an act that should never be done...Are you not angry at all for letting that Lei go unpunished? Or is it because he is your idol?"

Conan's eyes dimmed slightly, and he didn't respond. He lowered his head and remained silent for a while, as if he was considering whether to respond to this question. Hattori looked at his silence with some disbelief: "What on earth have you been through?"

Conan shook his head gently. He thought of his two childhood sweethearts and said in a low and sad voice: "That was a very painful experience..." He didn't say anything else, as if even he himself didn't want to recall the experience of that time.

Ultimately, the case lacked truth, the evidence was insufficient, and all the reasoning and assumptions failed to translate into actual legal action. The case was eventually classified as unsolved, and everyone at the party was released by the police.

---

The next day, sunlight filtered through the morning mist onto the vast soccer field. The air was filled with the scent of fresh grass and the tense atmosphere of the impending match. Standing in the stands, Conan's eyes drifted to the energetic figure in the center of the field. Ray Curtis, with his signature smile, waved his arms, enthusiastically greeting the fans. At that moment, he looked the same, the idol he always admired, undeniably the center of attention.

Conan's eyes, however, were somewhat unfocused. Last night's case was still swirling in his mind, especially the still-unsolved mystery. The football, the mop, Ray Curtis. His emotions were mixed, his thoughts swirling endlessly.

He couldn't help but wonder, if Hattori Heiji really did find the ball, if their theory was confirmed, how would he face his idol? Would he choose to uncover the truth, or let this adoration remain veiled? These questions were like an unsolvable knot in his heart.

At this moment, another name involuntarily emerged in Conan's mind—Chen Shuo. Chen Shuo's appearance gradually opened up a new worldview in which only the truth mattered, and it also changed the trajectory of his life. It's unclear whether this change was a good one, but it did subtly shift Conan's mindset.

Conan took a deep breath and suddenly felt relieved: "He changed my life..."