Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

In the dark basement, dust filled the air, and the air was dull and oppressive.

Finally, the old man seemed to be tired of this staring game. He slowly raised his head, a sneer on his lips, and said in a weak and hoarse voice: "I have long heard of your great name, Wuchen."

Chen Shuo's eyes darkened, a complex expression in them: "Well, indeed, although I didn't know who you were before, we have been friends for a long time."

He responded calmly, his tone filled with an indescribable emotion, but also with a chill that couldn't be ignored.

The old man chuckled softly, his laughter dry and full of teasing: "Haha... I thought you would shoot me the first time you saw me."

Chen Shuo didn't answer immediately. He just shook his head slightly, his eyes becoming more profound. "I had this thought at first. After all, indecision is the worst thing to do in our line of work."

As he spoke, he kicked away a chair next to him, and the chair fell accurately in front of the old man with a low "creak" sound.

He walked over slowly, sat down without any haste, and looked the old man in the eye. His tone was steady but threatening: "However, after seeing you, I have a lot of questions that I would like you to help me answer."

A hint of disdain flashed in the old man's eyes. He looked at the members of Gin's team standing behind Chen Shuo. His gaze stayed on each of them, especially on Gin, staring at him for a few seconds.

He chuckled, his tone filled with disappointment and sarcasm: "Life is truly unpredictable. I thought Gin would be my most loyal subordinate, but I didn't expect him to betray me so easily."

Gin's face remained cold and emotionless, without a trace of emotion. His eyes were icy and devoid of any warmth, like a sharp blade piercing through the darkness.

One of the biggest rules in the underworld is that those who stand don’t talk, and those who sit don’t take action.

Chen Shuo curled his lips slightly, glanced at the old man sharply, and took over the topic: "Come on, your way of thinking is outdated. How can there be true loyalty if you treat people as tools? Gin is like this, and so is Vermouth."

When the old man heard this, a hint of shock flashed across his eyes, as if he hadn't noticed it. He nodded thoughtfully, the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Yes... I've lived too long, and my thoughts have become rigid..."

He paused, raised his heavy eyes, and seemed to be trying to recall something: "How is Rum?"

Chen Shuo shrugged, his tone filled with contempt: "Nowadays... I guess it's hard to even die."

He waved his hand gently, his eyes turning cold, "He's different from you. He's attracted too much hatred, and it's hard for him to even have a complete corpse."

The old man fell silent, his eyes gradually becoming unfocused. He seemed to have lost interest in this world. Perhaps he was thinking that his life had ended in such a ridiculous situation.

Perhaps he also understood that a hero like him could not withstand the test of this ever-changing world.

The old man seemed immersed in memories, his eyes gradually wandering, as if he was looking back on his long years, but Chen Shuo did not disturb him, but just waited quietly.

Finally, with a slight breathing sound, the old man's eyes returned to clear focus. He raised his head slightly and looked at Chen Shuo, as if he wanted to take a closer look at what kind of existence had overturned his criminal empire.

"By the way...how long have you lived...Karasuma Ren!"

Chen Shuo broke the silence with a questioning tone and a sharp look in his eyes.

Karasuma Renya's eyes widened suddenly, and a hint of surprise appeared in his expression.

He didn't expect that the young man in front of him actually knew his identity. This seemed almost impossible to him. After all, his name had long disappeared, and even he himself had a vague memory of the past.

Then, he smiled slightly and closed his eyes as if relieved, no longer caring about these details. At this moment, he seemed to no longer care about these things, and even death seemed to no longer touch his emotions.

"yes……"

Karasuma Renya whispered, his voice filled with a sense of desolation: "How long have you lived... I can't remember. What? Are you also interested in the secret of longevity?"

There was no emotion in his tone, but rather an indescribable peace, as if he no longer had any demands on time or life.

Chen Shuo smiled coldly, his eyes devoid of any emotion. "Humph! Immortality like yours? Are you kidding me? If I had to live like you, I'd rather blow up the White House with dynamite."

He didn't even glance at Karasuma Renya again, but just turned his head away with disdain, a hint of disgust flashing in his eyes.

Immortality is not a desire for him. Rather than living forever like the old man in front of him who is still dying, it is better for him to die in a blazing manner.

Karasuma Renya smiled slightly. He was not angered by Chen Shuo's words. Instead, he showed a little appreciation: "Haha, young people, you are indeed full of energy..."

"I'm actually very curious..."

Karasuma Renya continued, his eyes calm, "Why are you trying to pick on me? We don't seem to have any grudges against each other, do we?"

His tone was flat, with a hint of surprise, as if he couldn't understand why someone so young and full of energy would choose to target his forces.

Moreover, he had never met Chen Shuo, nor had he left any deep traces, so this confrontation seemed to have no cause whatsoever.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shuo slowly raised his head and looked towards the broken ceiling, as if searching for some kind of answer from the cracks. A flash of helplessness flashed across his eyes, but no one saw it. "Actually... I didn't intend to do anything at first."

He sighed softly, and suddenly looked at Karasuma Renya with self-mockery, a wry smile on his lips: "You may not believe it, but I did plan it very naturally, probably because... I am actually very insecure."

Karasuma Renya was slightly stunned, with doubts in his eyes.

The young man in front of him was recognized as the world's number one killer, with unmatched strength, fierce methods, and countless murders.

Such a person actually said that he had no sense of security? This was almost unbelievable to him, and he even felt a little dazed for a moment.

Karasuma Renya felt a surge of sarcasm in his heart, thinking that this statement was simply too unreasonable.

"Oh~~?" Karasuma Renya raised an eyebrow in feigned interest, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "The world's number one assassin doesn't feel safe? Are you trying to tell me what you're afraid of?"

He thought of various possibilities, perhaps confusion about the future, or perhaps being oppressed by an enemy, but he never expected that such a reason would come from an opponent who was omnipotent in his eyes.

Chen Shuo's eyes flickered slightly, but in the end, he spoke in a low voice.

"You may not understand, but people like me who work in this field are always on guard against others, those around us, and betrayals you can't even imagine. We're brushing shoulders with death every moment, and any slackness could cost us our lives."

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat low: "In the underground world, even trust has become a luxury."

The atmosphere in the air suddenly became solemn. Uramaru Renye looked at Chen Shuo in front of him with an indescribable complex look in his eyes.

"I didn't really feel anything at first. After all, I've been living this way since I can remember. It's become second nature, and there's nothing wrong with it. Until..."

Chen Shuo murmured softly, a complex smile appearing on his face: "Until I got something I never had before. Friendship and love!"

Karasuma Renya narrowed his eyes slightly, and when he heard this, a hint of understanding flashed across his eyes.

As a hero who has lived for more than a hundred years and experienced countless ups and downs, Uramaru Renya naturally understood Chen Shuo's current mood.

He did not respond in a hurry, but just quietly observed the young man in front of him. He couldn't help but feel a deep interest in his heart. What kind of change could make a man who was originally like a killing machine suddenly develop such a strong obsession with "feelings"?

"Yeah……"

Karasuma Renya's tone was understated, but the irony hidden in it was obvious.

"So, you want to have the strongest force of your own to protect those you want to protect? To do this, you're willing to clear away any obstacles that might pose a threat. Emotions... are truly strange things."

The contempt in his tone seemed to mock Chen Shuo's so-called "weakness", as if telling him that a truly strong person does not need these emotional ties.

However, Chen Shuo disagreed and responded calmly, "Oh, you're right. Feelings are indeed strange things. They make a killer who should be cold-blooded and ruthless suddenly learn to worry and protect."

He paused, his tone changed, and a hint of self-mockery appeared in his smile, "But even so, I don't regret it."

"Look at what Tokyo has become now. It's not an exaggeration to call it a battlefield."

Karasuma Renya's tone suddenly became sharp: "What did you say you protected? The people you cherish, or the innocent citizens you pushed into the abyss? Is this what you call 'protection'?"

His eyes were fixed on Chen Shuo, full of coldness and disdain.

For him, such actions for so-called emotions were meaningless. What he pursued was a higher level of power and control, eternal life! Not these trivial, short-lived emotional attachments.

Chen Shuo listened to Karasuma Renya's ridicule. He didn't get angry, nor did he refute. Instead, he smiled faintly, with a cold light in his eyes. "So, you still don't understand."

He spoke slowly, his tone filled with an inexplicable determination.

"What!?" Uramaru Renya raised his eyebrows, obviously confused by what Chen Shuo said.

"As long as the people I want to protect are still alive, what does it matter if I burn all of Tokyo to the ground?"

Chen Shuo's gaze suddenly sharpened, and his voice spoke without a trace of hesitation: "Do you think I care about so-called innocent citizens? My responsibilities are only to those I love, and they... are the only ones I care about."

He paused, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if a humorous thought had emerged: "Besides... I'm Chinese. Do you think any Chinese person would refuse to plow Tokyo?"

There was a hint of amusement in his tone, followed by a subtle hint of self-mockery. "I was already very moderate. I just blew up the shrine. If this gets to the ears of the Chinese people, do you believe I'll be accused of being too conservative?"

Uramaru Renya's pupils shrank, as if he was frightened by Chen Shuo's tone and attitude.

However, Chen Shuo's smile did not stop, but slowly became meaningful: "But, after all, I still need to live here. It would be troublesome for me to bomb Tokyo into ruins. What's more..."

As he spoke, his eyes gleaming with an unfathomable light: "Thanks to you, Japan now... no longer belongs to the Japanese government, right?"