Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

In the rainy woods, the gentle rain rustled through the leaves, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of earth. Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan strolled side by side, chatting about daily matters in a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. Since that day's heart-to-heart talk with her mother, Kisaki Eri, Xiaolan had grown noticeably closer to Chen Shuo. Though still shy, a door had already quietly opened within her heart.

She stole a glance at Chen Shuo's profile, her heartbeat quickening, the corners of her mouth curling up uncontrollably. She thoroughly enjoyed being treated so gently by Chen Shuo; his subtle care made her feel like a little princess being held in the palm of his hand. However, her shy nature kept her from expressing her feelings. Even as her heart surged, she cautiously maintained the delicate relationship.

Chen Shuo seemed to be chatting with her nonchalantly, but he had actually already vaguely sensed Xiaolan's feelings. After all, he was also an adult, and it was not that he did not notice the subtle changes in Mao Lilan. However, Chen Shuo was also conflicted in his heart.

"She's still so young..." Chen Shuo sighed inwardly. On the one hand, he lived in a dark world—as a killer, his hands were stained with blood. Faced with such a pure, kind girl, he didn't know how to respond to her feelings. Her presence was like warm sunshine, while he always hid in the shadows, unsure if he was worthy of approaching her. On the other hand, Mao Lilan's kindness and sincerity seemed to heal his cold heart. She was the most beautiful girl Chen Shuo had ever met, like an angel, almost allowing him to see another possibility in life.

Chen Shuo couldn't help but turn his head to look at her. Xiaolan lowered her head in panic because of his sudden gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"Silly girl..." Chen Shuo chuckled inwardly, but he also knew this warm moment couldn't last forever. He didn't want to disrupt this hard-earned tranquility, but he didn't dare to approach easily. So, he chose to maintain the status quo and not disturb this delicate balance.

The footsteps of the two people made a gentle stepping sound on the wet mud, and it seemed that they both tacitly enjoyed this brief silence and warmth.

In the woods, Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan's figures gradually walked away, while not far away, Conan and Suzuki Sonoko quietly followed them, secretly observing the pink atmosphere in front of them that was almost materializing. At this time, Conan and Sonoko's expressions were completely different.

Sonoko held her face in her hands, her eyes gleaming, her mouth stretched almost to her ears as she watched Chen Shuo and Xiaolan interact. Her face was filled with a fascination, a look reminiscent of Kogoro Mōri's expression upon seeing a beautiful woman. If someone who didn't know them were present, they'd surely mistake Sonoko for Mōri's biological daughter. Her heart was a thousand pink bubbles floating around.

"Wow, this atmosphere is so sweet! I wish I had a boyfriend as handsome and gentle as Brother Shuo!" She held her face and fantasized, and couldn't help but whisper to herself excitedly.

In stark contrast, Conan walked beside her, gritting his teeth. His eyes seemed to be able to emit sparks, staring at the backs of Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan, his heart sour as if he had drunk a large jar of vinegar.

"What the hell is this guy doing! Xiaolan is...! She's getting so close to me! I absolutely can't let this atmosphere continue!" He was angrily thinking in his mind how to interrupt this couple who were "showing off their affection".

However, just as Conan was about to rush forward to break the awkward sweet atmosphere, Suzuki Sonoko caught a glimpse of him from the corner of her eye and immediately saw through his plan. As if by some magical intuition, Sonoko grabbed Conan's collar at the moment he moved and pulled him back.

"What do you want to do?" Yuanzi's eyes flashed with a cunning light, and she lowered her voice and laughed, "Don't disturb them! What a sweet couple! Let them stay a little longer!"

Conan looked back at her with a depressed look on his face, groaning inwardly. "How did this woman see through my thoughts?" He protested softly, "Who said they were sweet? I think you were mistaken!"

Sonoko raised her eyebrows and smiled even more proudly: "Oh, I saw it clearly, Xiaolan was almost holding her up. You are not jealous, little Conan?" After saying that, she deliberately emphasized the words "little Conan", which made Conan so angry that his face turned red.

Conan could only grit his teeth helplessly and rage, but he had already planned to wait for Sonoko to let down her guard and then find an opportunity to break this warm world of two. As he thought about it, he was helplessly held by Suzuki Sonoko's collar like a kitten, with no way to resist.

"Hmph, Xiaolan won't be fascinated by that guy..." He muttered in his heart, but it seemed that even he himself didn't quite believe it.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a roar of thunder that echoed through the forest. Startled, Ran screamed, and instinctively threw herself into Chen Shuo's arms. But for Chen Shuo, this moment seemed anything but romantic. He subconsciously hugged Ran tightly, his gaze fixed on the distant woods.

"It's him again..." Chen Shuo narrowed his eyes, a sense of alarm rising in his heart. He saw the bandaged man he had seen on the suspension bridge that day. Now, the guy was holding an axe and rushing towards them with a strong murderous intent.

"Be careful!" Suzuki Sonoko and Conan who were following behind also saw this scene. Sonoko couldn't help but shout out a warning, and Conan's face instantly became serious.

Chen Shuo's expression remained calm. He lowered his head slightly and looked at Lan, who was clinging to his chest. After Yuanzi's shouting just now, she also saw the bandaged monster rushing over, but the timid girl must have been frightened at the moment, with a look of horror on her face, and she didn't move.

Chen Shuo had already planned his next move. "If he gets any closer, I can subdue him in an instant." Chen Shuo's muscles subconsciously tensed, and he entered a state of alert.

But perhaps Sonoko's shouting had had an effect, the bandaged man hesitated for a moment, as if assessing the difference in numbers on the field. He paused for a moment, his eyes flickering, and in the end, he didn't continue his attack. Instead, he turned and plunged deep into the woods, quickly disappearing without a trace.

Conan chased after him without hesitation, his detective instinct driving him into action. Meanwhile, Chen Shuo didn't move. He looked down at the still trembling Mao Lilan and patted her back gently. His eyes were gentle, but his voice was firm: "It's okay, it was just thunder."

He had no intention of chasing after them. He knew in his heart that the most important thing at the moment was to protect the safety of Xiaolan, Sonoko and the others.

Yuanzi also recovered from the shock just now. She walked towards Chen Shuo and Xiaolan with a frightened face and stammered, "What...what kind of weirdo with bandages? I was scared to death...luckily you are okay."

Chen Shuo smiled soothingly and whispered, "Don't worry, I'm here, everything will be fine."

Hearing his calm voice, the fear in Mao Lilan's heart gradually subsided. She looked up at Chen Shuo, a shy blush on her face, and silently withdrew from his arms. She still felt her heart beating faster, but more of a sense of security.

When Chen Shuo escorted Mao Lilan and Yuan Zi back to the mountain villa, Conan walked in with a heavy face. Although he had just tried his best to chase the bandaged monster, with the physical condition of an elementary school student, he could not keep up at all and had to give up the pursuit.

As soon as she entered the door, Suzuki Sonoko immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly asked everyone else in the villa whether they had also seen the bandaged monster.

Takahashi Ryoichi scratched his head innocently. "Oh, I did see a person wrapped in bandages on the suspension bridge, but I thought it was some cosplay enthusiast nearby, haha..."

Ota Katsuya nodded and frivolously agreed, "Yeah, there was a bit of a spooky atmosphere over there on the suspension bridge. I almost thought they were filming a horror movie!"

Hiroki Kakutani also put down the camera in his hand and recalled seriously: "We all saw it, but we really didn't pay much attention to it."

After hearing the three people's answers, Suzuki Ayako's expression turned serious and she shook her head without hesitation: "Impossible! This is my family's villa. The entire ten-mile radius is our private land. There is no way there are other residents. Where did this cosplay enthusiast come from?"

This sentence instantly froze the originally relaxed atmosphere. Everyone in the room looked at each other, and the expressions on their faces gradually changed from indifference to anxiety and fear.

Conan lowered his head, a flicker of caution and thought in his eyes. Chen Shuo remained calm, scanning everyone present. He began to speculate on the truth behind this incident. He felt that this was not the end of it.

Yuanzi grabbed her arm and asked nervously, "Could it be... that this guy is coming for us?"

This question weighed on everyone's mind like a huge rock. Chen Shuo looked out the window. The drizzle outside had gradually become heavier, as if the storm was brewing an even more uneasy night.

Ayako tried to call the outside world, but found no response. Frowning, she dialed a few more times, with the same result. Helplessly putting down the receiver, she looked up and said to the crowd, "It seems the phone line is cut. I can't get through at all."

"What?" Yuanzi stood up in a panic, "Doesn't that mean we've lost contact with the outside world?"

"Why don't we go to the suspension bridge and take a look?" Chen Shuo suggested.

The group rushed to the only suspension bridge leading to the outside world, but their hearts were heavy when they arrived - the suspension bridge had been destroyed and was completely impassable. They were trapped in the mountain villa with no way to leave.

The sky gradually darkened, and the downpour intensified. Helplessly, everyone decided to wait until daybreak to find a solution. After a few whispered discussions, they returned to their rooms to change.

When Chikako returned to her room, she found a note slipped through her doorway. She froze for a moment, then bent over to pick it up and quickly unfolded it. The note's contents made her face suddenly change color, and her fingers trembled slightly.

"Chikako, what's wrong?" Ayako, who was passing by, saw this and asked with concern.

Chikako quickly closed the note and forced a stiff smile: "Ah, it's okay... I'm just a little tired and want to rest early." After she said that, she hurried into the room and closed the door.

Ayako frowned and stood at the door for a while, looking a little puzzled, but in the end she said nothing and turned back to the hall.

By the time everyone had changed and gathered in the hall, Chikako still hadn't appeared, apparently deciding not to come out for the time being. Takahashi Ryoichi continued to repair the damaged roof, his hands and feet so nimble it was hard to believe he was a chubby prop maker.

In the hall, Conan stood thoughtfully, staring out the window at the night. "The bandaged man, the destroyed bridge, and that note..." His mind quickly sorted out the clues, and suddenly he thought of the name "Atsuko" that Ayako had mentioned earlier. His intuition told him that this matter might be related to that name.

While the others were not paying attention, Conan walked up to Ayako, tilted his little head and asked, "Sister Ayako, can you tell me who that person called 'Atsuko' is?"

Ayako's expression froze for a moment, and after a moment's silence, she sighed. "Atsuko...was once a member of our university film club and a good friend of mine. We were very close." Ayako paused, her eyes darkening. "But, one day, two years ago, Atsuko suddenly hanged herself."

Conan's brows furrowed even more tightly: "Why did she commit suicide?"

Ayako smiled bitterly and gently touched Conan's head: "It's better not to mention this matter anymore, okay? She is gone, and I don't want to recall these things anymore."

Looking at Ayako's melancholy expression, Conan didn't ask any more questions, but he already had a vague feeling in his heart that Atsuko's death and the strange incident before him were definitely more than they seemed on the surface: "What secrets are hidden in this mystery?"

Chen Shuo sat in the corner of the hall, quietly watching the conversation between Ayako and Conan, his eyes occasionally glancing at Mao Lilan, who was still a little frightened and held Chen Shuo's hand tightly.

Suzuki Sonoko muttered to herself, "Today was so scary." While comforting Mao Lilan, Sonoko pretended to be relaxed and said, "I thought I only saw this kind of plot in movies, but I didn't expect to experience it myself." After saying that, she couldn't help but glance at Chen Shuo and blinked, "But luckily, Brother Shuo is here, otherwise we really don't know what to do!"

Chen Shuo smiled slightly, patted the back of Xiaolan's hand, and said calmly: "Fortunately, that bandaged weirdo has not appeared again for the time being."

Despite his casual words, Chen Shuo's heart wasn't as calm as Yuanzi had imagined. He keenly sensed that the bandaged figure wasn't just randomly attacking. He was targeting either him or Xiaolan. This thought puzzled Chen Shuo—why would he target them? He reflected on the day's events, and his doubts grew.

"Are you okay?" Chen Shuo looked down at Mao Lilan with a gentle voice.

Mao Lilan looked up and met Chen Shuo's gaze, forcing a smile: "I... I'm fine, I was just really scared just now."

"Don't worry, I'm here." Chen Shuo patted her shoulder gently. Although the words were simple, the soothing meaning in them gradually dissipated Mao Lilan's panic. She leaned against Chen Shuo's side, feeling a sense of security and warmth, and her heart calmed down a little.

Sonoko took the opportunity to half-jokingly tease, "Hey, Ran, with a reliable 'flower protector' like Shuo-ge here, what are you afraid of? Even if another bandage freak comes, he still can't hurt you! You can beat him with karate!"

"Sonoko!" Mao Lilan's cheeks turned slightly red, and she gently pushed Sonoko. The tension in her heart that had just been suppressed seemed to be relieved a lot by Sonoko's teasing.

"Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore," Yuanzi grinned, then secretly glanced at Chen Shuo and whispered to Xiaolan, "But I really envy you. Brother Shuo protects you so well."

Mao Lilan blushed even more, lowered her head and dared not respond to Sonoko's words.

Chen Shuo listened to their conversation and smiled, his heart unmoved as he continued to analyze the situation calmly. The appearance of the bandaged man was no accident, but he was not in a rush to act. He decided to wait and see if any new clues would emerge.

"Everyone, be careful tonight," Chen Shuo suddenly warned. His tone remained calm, but a hint of alertness crossed his eyes. He had a vague feeling that tonight might not be so peaceful.