Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Many days have passed since the tragedy on Moon Shadow Island, and the lives of Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan have gradually returned to peace. Chen Shuo's "Coffee Shop" is still where they meet most often. Every time Mao Lilan opens the glass door of the coffee shop, the aroma of coffee wafting from the shop always makes her feel at ease.

Maori Kogoro, or more accurately, Conan, continues to solve many complicated cases under the name of "the sleeping detective." As the cases are solved one after another, Maori Kogoro's reputation becomes more and more famous. His name appears frequently on TV and in newspapers, and he becomes a hot topic among the neighbors.

Whenever reports of these cases appeared on TV or in newspapers, Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan would always meet at the "Jingxin Cafe" without any prior arrangement to talk about those cases and some insignificant daily trivialities.

Their relationship is now much closer than before, their eyes and body language revealing a subtle understanding during every conversation. Mao Lilan often sits at the bar, a smile on her face as Chen Shuo prepares her coffee. She finds these quiet moments always natural, yet tinged with complex emotions she can't articulate.

Although Chen Shuo calmly handed Mao Lilan a cup of hot coffee, he could sense the unspoken tacit understanding within him. Gazing at her profile, Chen Shuo felt a warm sensation, yet the window paper remained unbroken. Both of them understood the existence of this relationship, yet seemed to be waiting for an opportunity, the right moment to reveal it.

Mao Lilan sometimes couldn't help but think that maybe one day, in this quiet cafe, at some unintentional moment, they would break through that barrier and usher in a different future. But every time she wanted to speak, the steam from the coffee cup and Chen Shuo's faint smile always made her choose silence.

---

On this day, Chen Shuo and the Maori family appeared on the TV station together. The reason was that with Maori Kogoro's rising fame, the TV station decided to do a special interview on him. This was a big deal for the Maori family, and even Kisaki Eri took the rare opportunity to take time out and come to the TV station.

The atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful as they gathered in the lounge area. Eri Kisaki, dressed in her professional suit, remained energetic, while Kogoro Maori jokingly teased something with a smug look on his face. The parents' daily banter always drew laughter from Ran Maori and Chen Shuo. Eri Kisaki, not to be outdone, retaliated with a few words against her husband, while Kogoro Maori feigned innocence and spread his hands, drawing laughter from the crowd. While the scene lingered with a hint of heated debate, it also revealed a long-lost warmth.

Ran Maori watched the scene quietly, a happy smile on her face. Her parents' relationship seemed to be slowly warming up. Although they still bickered on the surface, she could sense the hidden care between them. Her father was no longer so preoccupied with drinking and investigating cases, and her mother no longer ignored him. Even when they argued, Ran Maori could feel a glimpse of the long-lost family warmth.

"Days like this are wonderful," Mao Lilan sighed. She glanced at Chen Shuo and saw him sipping his coffee with a focused expression and a calm gaze. At that moment, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

This life is filled with family warmth and hope for the future. Mao Lilan knows that she not only has this family happiness, but also has someone she cares about. Although her relationship with Chen Shuo has not yet reached the stage of confession, the tacit understanding and affection have never faded.

After a while of laughter, the program planner, Michihiko Suwa, and the host, Takashi Matsuo, came over. Suwa smiled and greeted everyone, his tone full of compliments for Kogoro Mori: "Mr. Mori, this interview is sure to attract a large audience. You really are our star detective!"

Maori Kogoro was overjoyed when he heard this and laughed triumphantly: "No, no, it's just a small matter. But after all, I did solve a lot of difficult cases, haha!"

The program went on as planned. Although Kogoro Mouri couldn't detail the details of his "sleeping" crimes, as a former detective and veteran, he was still able to share some interesting anecdotes and experiences. While lacking in substance, his humor and exaggerated narrative style kept the audience laughing and the atmosphere quite lighthearted.

Chen Shuo sat in the audience, occasionally glancing at Mao Lilan, who was focused on the stage, with a slight smile on her lips, appearing particularly gentle. Even Kisaki Eri had put aside her usual harshness towards Mao Li Kogoro, and looked proudly at her husband who was full of vigor on the stage, while Conan watched silently from the side, occasionally revealing a speechless expression that said "those are all my words".

The show soon drew to a close. Maori Kogoro concluded his presentation with high spirits, drawing enthusiastic applause and a sigh of relief from the Maori family. Afterward, the audience engaged in a lighthearted conversation with host Takashi Matsuo. The conversation was lively, with occasional banter and a lively atmosphere.

"Where is Mr. Suwa?" Conan looked around and couldn't help but ask.

Chen Shuo frowned slightly and looked around, but Suwa Michihiko had vanished. He replied calmly, "Perhaps he left early because of something. Planners are always busy."

Conan nodded. Although he accepted Chen Shuo's explanation, he still felt something was amiss. Suwa had suddenly disappeared before the show was over. In such cases, the showrunner would usually stay until the very end.

Just as everyone was about to say goodbye and leave, a staff member suddenly ran over, panting and looking panicked: "We can't contact Mr. Suwa! We just had someone go to the mixing room to look for him, but..."

He didn't say anything else, and then another staff member came running over and added: "We found Michihiko Suwa's body in the mixing room!"

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room froze. Mouri Kogoro and Conan reacted instantly, exchanged glances, and almost simultaneously rushed towards the mixing room. Conan's heart tightened, knowing something was amiss, and his detective spirit instantly ignited. Mouri Kogoro, on the other hand, was fully alert, adopting his usual "experienced detective" demeanor.

"Hurry! Take me to the scene!" Kogoro Mouri shouted, and immediately got into work mode.

At the same time, Chen Shuo frowned and stretched out his hands to protect Mao Li Ran and Kisaki Eri beside him: "Let's go and take a look too." He didn't say much, but his tone revealed calmness and decisiveness.

The three of them followed the staff hurried to the mixing room. Along the way, Chen Shuo noticed the complex layout of the TV station building. The corridors twisted like a maze, and the elevator was blocked for some reason, making it difficult to get there. They started from the ninth floor, but it took them quite a while to get down to the fourth.

"This place is too complicated." Chen Shuo couldn't help but mutter.

By this time, a crowd had gathered at the entrance to the mixing room. The staff had set up a cordon, and the area was filled with discussion. Kogoro Mouri and Conan had already begun investigating the scene.

The police arrived quickly, led by Officer Megure, an old acquaintance. He walked into the mixing room and saw the walls riddled with bullet holes, his expression suddenly darkening.

"It looks like there was some random shooting at the scene," Maori Kogoro said solemnly, looking around. "These bullet holes match the number of shell casings at the scene. The bullet ultimately hit Suwa Michihiko."

Megure Jusan nodded in agreement. He agreed, believing the scene to be so. Conan had already crouched down, carefully examining the shell casings and the pistol on the ground. "This must be the murder weapon," he thought, his eyes flickering between the body and the pistol.

Hibiki Eri sensed something was amiss and frowned, "Such a bold move, and there weren't any witnesses to the murder?"

Matsuo Takashi explained: "I greeted the staff beforehand and will discuss the planning of the new program with Suwa-kun after the show, so the area around me has been cleared by Suwa-kun."

The staff also said that this is a blind spot for surveillance and cannot be captured at all.

Chen Shuo, standing nearby, didn't rush to comment. His gaze swept across the faces of everyone in the mixing room, and suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the expression on host Matsuo Takashi's face. Matsuo's face was a mixture of shock and sadness, but in that instant, Chen Shuo caught a subtle sneer. The sneer was fleeting, and Matsuo immediately returned to his grief-stricken expression, like an innocent bystander.

Chen Shuo raised his eyebrows slightly, chuckling inwardly. "Looks like he's the murderer." He didn't immediately expose Matsuo, choosing instead to wait and see. For Chen Shuo, sometimes watching someone's flawed performance was far more entertaining than directly exposing the truth.

Inspector Megure continued to methodically conduct the on-site investigation and question witnesses. Kogoro Mouri had already begun his classic "deduction stance," though he appeared to understand the situation only vaguely. Conan knew that Kogoro's "deduction show" would require his help once again.

"This time, Matsuo's behavior is a little strange." Conan also noticed Matsuo's abnormality and became alert. "If he is really related to this murder, we have to carefully check his loopholes."

"Brother Shuo, what do you think?" Mao Lilan asked Chen Shuo curiously, as if she noticed the change in his expression.

Chen Shuo smiled faintly, his eyes indifferent: "Nothing, just some unimportant details. This gunman is really unprofessional. If it were me, one shot would be enough!"

"Um...is that so...hahaha, you really are worthy of being Brother Shuo..." Mao Lilan smiled speechlessly. To be honest, if it was Chen Shuo, he would really have the qualifications to say that.

---

The case seemed to be at an impasse, with all the clues failing to point to a clear killer. Conan's sharp eyes swept across the scene, and suddenly, he spotted a cell phone dropped in a corner. He immediately realized it might be the phone Michihiko Suwa used to call someone before his death. Finding the last person he spoke to might unlock the mystery of the case.

Conan told the police about his discovery, and Officer Megure quickly made a decision: "Check the call records of this phone immediately! Start with Michihiko Suwa's friends and colleagues, and lock down the last person he contacted!" At the order, the police immediately took action, and the atmosphere on the scene suddenly became tense.

Meanwhile, Michihiko Suwa's body was carried out, but the aftermath of the case continued to spread. Reporters had already arrived at the scene, and their attention immediately focused on the famous host Matsuo Takashi. A large group of reporters swarmed over, microphones almost touching Matsuo's face.

"Mr. Matsuo, what are your thoughts on the passing of Mr. Michihiko Suwa?"

"It is said that Michihiko Suwa recently intends to replace you as the host. What is your response to this?"

"Do you think Mr. Suwa's death is related to his recent decision?"

Matsuo Takashi was besieged by these questions, but he remained remarkably calm, even looking sad. He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief and said in a choked voice, "Mr. Suwa was my dear friend and work partner... I can't believe the news... It's so sudden and so heartbreaking..." Even before he finished speaking, tears were already falling, and he looked incredibly grief-stricken.

However, Chen Shuo, standing nearby, simply watched all this with a cold eye. His gaze swept across Matsuo Takashi's overly sad face, and a hint of a sneer rose in his heart. Just then, Chen Shuo had noticed a change in Matsuo's expression—a hint of a sneer had crossed his face upon hearing the news of Suwa Michihiko's death, but that smile was fleeting, replaced by a look of deep grief.

"That's a pretty good acting." Chen Shuo sneered inwardly. He knew that sometimes excessive performance was often a cover-up for deeper thoughts.

Although Conan did not notice the changes in Matsuo Takashi's expression at this time, he began to suspect that he had found the motive for the murder from the conversation between Matsuo Takashi and the reporter.

Chen Shuo, however, had already made his own judgment. He didn't rush to expose the truth, but simply stood quietly by and observed. Reporters continued to swarm around Matsuo Takashi with questions, and he continued to address them with that mask of sadness, as if he were performing a carefully orchestrated play.

"Sure enough, there's something fishy about this guy," Chen Shuo thought silently, his gaze gradually growing colder. Things were starting to become clearer, and the outlines of his motives and methods were emerging - the man in front of him seemed to be the mastermind behind this case.