Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Seeing that Conan and Mao Lilan had been captured, the masked man revealed a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with pride. He turned to Chen Shuo and said, "As expected of you, Chen Shuo, you are truly amazing. You really understand human nature so well that you could even let this little brat come to you on his own!"

Chen Shuo looked at Conan and Ran coldly, his face expressionless, as if the two were just a scenery. Mao Lilan looked at Chen Shuo in disbelief.

"Brother Shuo, how could you..." Xiaolan wanted to ask something, but the fat woman strangled her neck tightly, so she could only utter nothing.

Chen Shuo simply glanced at them without answering, then walked straight into the room, seemingly oblivious to all this. Conan stared at his murderous gaze, a sudden surge of fear in his heart, his mind a turmoil. His trust in Chen Shuo collapsed instantly, his heart plunging into an ice cellar, his limbs stiffening.

"It's over... It's over..." Conan kept repeating in his mind, feeling that he had nowhere to escape. Xiaolan struggled beside him, her expression becoming extremely desperate.

"Conan! Run away!" Xiaolan whispered hurriedly. Although she was suppressed, she still tried hard to motivate him.

"We...can't escape..." Conan forced himself to calm down. The scene made him feel desperate. His smart brain, which he was proud of, was completely useless at this moment. He felt a little desperate.

The fat woman pushed them into the room, and Conan and Xiaolan were forced to sit face to face. The air around them seemed to freeze, and the tense atmosphere made it almost impossible for them to breathe.

Inside the room, Chen Shuo stood before the large French window, seemingly captivated by the snowy scene outside, oblivious to the movements behind him. His back, against the backdrop of the white snow, looked exceptionally cold, like a statue isolated on an icy plain. Mao Lilan gazed at him, her eyes filled with disappointment and heartbreak. She had never imagined that the man she secretly loved, Shuo, would become so cold and heartless. She wanted to ask for clarification, but her throat seemed to be clogged by an invisible force, and all her questions and anger turned into silent tears.

Conan stood aside, his body still trembling slightly as he recalled Chen Shuo's murderous gaze. His mind was in a turmoil, as if he had fallen into a dark abyss. He looked around, realizing that he and Xiaolan had been forced into a dead end. He wanted to break the deadlock, but his mind was only a blur. "What should I do? What should I do..." He clenched his fists, his palms wet with sweat.

At this moment, the masked man leaned against the wall leisurely and said to Conan in a joking tone: "I have to say, kid, you are really smart. You actually found this place. But..." He glanced at Conan with a sneer, "You are too stupid. You actually dared to confront us with a high school girl. I really don't know whether to praise your bravery or laugh at your stupidity."

The fat woman echoed the sentiment, crossing her arms over her chest with a look of sarcasm on her face. "Haha, you're such a jerk. You're actually dragging your childhood sweetheart into this, causing her to suffer the same fate as you."

These words struck Conan like a hammer in the heart. His face paled instantly, and deep regret filled his eyes. "How could I be so stupid..." He lowered his head, a wave of self-blame and regret welling up in his heart. He now fully realized his mistake—he was so focused on solving the mystery and obtaining clues that he completely ignored the people around him, dragging Xiaolan into this danger.

He recalled Xiaolan's gentle and trusting eyes along the way, and her unconditional support for him, and felt a pang of pain in his heart. He thought he was smart and capable enough, but in the end, he still put Xiaolan in danger.

"I was so selfish... I was so focused on solving the case that I didn't even consider Xiaolan's safety." Regret washed over him like a tide, making it almost impossible for him to sit still. He recalled the image of Xiaolan hurt and crying because of him, and the guilt and self-blame in his heart almost overwhelmed him.

Conan clenched his fists and vowed to himself, "Ran... I will never let anything happen to you! No matter what, I will get you out of here this time!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, thinking about how to deal with the crisis at hand. Although regret was swirling in his heart, he knew that the only thing he could do now was to cheer up, even if it was just a glimmer of hope, to fight for a way out for Ran.

Conan made up his mind and decided to try his usual tricks to make the villains in front of him relax their vigilance so that he could find a chance to escape. He was about to speak, but before he could say anything, the fat woman behind him got ahead of him and asked coldly, "What should we do with this little girl?"

The masked man shrugged with a calm expression: "She? She's useless now. Just get rid of her. Anyway, all we want is this little brat - this rare specimen." His tone was as relaxed as if he was talking about a laboratory mouse, and there was no trace of pity in his eyes.

After saying that, the masked man turned to Chen Shuo and ordered without disguising anything: "Go ahead, this is your token of loyalty."

Chen Shuo's expression changed slightly, and a cold murderous look flashed in his eyes. He stared at the masked man and said in a low voice, "You want me to kill her?"

The masked man calmly replied: "Yes, it proves that you are one of us." He spoke lightly, as if he was talking about an ordinary matter.

The air froze in an instant. Xiaolan stared at Chen Shuo in horror, her eyes filled with disbelief. "Brother Shuo... why?" Her voice trembled, as if she still hoped that what she saw was just a nightmare.

Conan's eyes widened, and he froze in place, thinking to himself, "Oh no!" He couldn't help but shout, "Chen Shuo, don't! You can't do this!"

However, Chen Shuo's eyes were as cold as ice, and he didn't give anyone a chance to explain. His gaze turned cold, and he raised his pistol and pulled the trigger with lightning speed. "Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and blood splattered across Xiaolan's chest. An expression of pain and despair crossed her face, and she slowly fell to the ground.

"Ran!" Conan cried heartbreakingly, rushing forward to hug Xiaolan's fallen body. Her breathing gradually became weaker, her face turned pale, and her eyes gradually lost their luster.

Chen Shuo looked at him coldly, as if he were watching an insignificant play. He said calmly, "Kudo Shinichi, this is all because of you. If you hadn't involved her, perhaps I could have saved the Mori family." His tone was nonchalant, as if he didn't care about Xiaolan's death at all.

Conan stared blankly at Chen Shuo, his eyes filled with despair. "No...it shouldn't be like this...it's all because of me..." He hugged Xiaolan tightly, tears blurring his vision, and deep regret welled up in his heart. Just a few minutes ago, he had thought he could cleverly solve everything, but now he realized that the person he cared about most had paid a heavy price for his impulsiveness and recklessness.

"If I hadn't brought her here...if I had been calmer...this is all my fault!" Regret flooded him like a tide, making it almost impossible to breathe. His heart felt like it was being torn apart by countless sharp blades, and the pain was so severe that his eyes went dark.

"Ran, I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Conan's voice was low and trembling, his world crumbling at that moment. Regret and self-blame weighed on him, making it almost impossible to breathe. The pain in his heart pierced every nerve like needles. He knelt on the ground, holding Ran's limp body, feeling an unprecedented sense of helplessness and despair.

Conan completely collapsed under the immense mental blow, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if he had lost all life. The masked man looked at him, squatted down, and asked calmly, "Did you gain anything from this experience?"

Conan completely ignored his question, his eyes vacant, like a walking corpse, and he showed no reaction. The fat woman walked over, picked him up, and said in a distressed tone, "I hope you can remember how you feel right now and not be so impulsive in the future. Otherwise, this scene may very well come true."

There was something unusual in her words. Conan was stunned for a moment, and suddenly a familiar voice rang in his ears - Mao Lilan's laughter.

"Puff!" That gentle laugh was like a flash of lightning, jolting Conan back to reality from his despair. He struggled to free himself from the fat woman's embrace and turned in disbelief to look in the direction of the sound. He saw Mao Lilan, supported by Chen Shuo, with a mischievous smile on her face and a hint of cunning in her eyes.

"Xiaolan...are you okay?" Conan stared at her blankly with his eyes wide open, his mind in a mess.

"Of course it's okay!" Mao Lilan looked at him with a smile and patted his shoulder gently: "You didn't expect it, right? This time I just wanted to teach you a lesson!"

Conan was about to say something when he suddenly turned around and stared at the masked man and the fat woman. The masked man took off his mask and revealed a familiar smile - Kudo Yusaku. The fat woman next to him also took off her wig and mask, her face full of pride. It was Conan's mother, Kudo Yukiko!

"Dad! Mom!" Conan's eyes widened, his face filled with shock and disbelief: "So you...?"

Yusaku said with a teasing smile, "Yes, it's us. We just want you to understand that sometimes you are too impulsive, always wanting to solve everything yourself without considering the dangers around you."

Yukiko also smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "This time I'll teach you a lesson! Don't be so reckless again, Shinichi!"

Conan's face showed an extremely complicated expression. He looked around in disbelief, then turned to look at Chen Shuo. He said with a hint of coldness on his face: "Kudo boy, this is a reminder for you. I hope you can remember the despair just now."

Conan finally came back to his senses and couldn't help but smile, but the tension and regret in his heart were still there: "Yes... I will never forget..."

Yusaku said meaningfully: "This is a lesson, reminding you not to easily fall into danger. Only by protecting yourself can you protect those around you."

Conan felt a sense of relief, secretly grateful for this unexpected "family lesson." Even though this was just a dramatic lesson, he understood the good intentions of his parents, Xiaolan, and Chen Shuo. He also finally understood that from now on, no matter what dangers he faced, he would prioritize the safety of those around him.

---

After the farce, Kudo Yusaku and Yukiko looked at Conan with a hint of guilt and helplessness. Yusaku sighed softly and said, "Shinichi, come to the United States. We have some connections in the FBI and can arrange a witness protection program. It's safer there."

Yukiko also gently held Conan's hand, her eyes full of worry: "Yes, Shinichi, this kind of life can't continue. You have done enough, let the adults handle the rest."

Conan was silent for a moment, his head bowed in thought. He understood his parents' good intentions, but at the same time, he felt the burning determination in his heart grow stronger. He slowly raised his head, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Thank you, Mom and Dad. But... I can't leave. I must destroy that organization with my own hands. I can't escape."

When Mao Lilan heard his words, her heart ached and she couldn't help but say, "But Shinichi, don't you think it's too dangerous? What we just experienced... do you want to experience it again?" There was worry in her eyes.

Conan looked at her gratefully with a gentle smile: "Xiaolan, thank you. But I really learned a lot this time, and I also understand how important it is to protect the people around me. I swear, I will never be as reckless as this time again. I will be careful." He said firmly: "Also, I can't let this organization continue to threaten innocent people."

Yusaku and Yukiko exchanged a glance and sighed knowingly. Yusaku patted his shoulder and said helplessly, "You have such a stubborn temper. I don't know who you inherited it from. But I respect your choice. I just hope you remember that we are always behind you and support you."

Yukiko stroked his hair, her eyes full of motherly love: "Shinichi, no matter what decision you make, your family will always be your support. But you must promise me that you will be careful and never joke with your life."

Conan nodded, his eyes firm and his tone filled with unshakable determination: "I promise you, I will be extremely careful."

Although the Kudo couple and Mao Lilan were still worried, they knew that this time they could not change his choice. Finally, Kudo Yusaku nodded slightly, revealing a proud smile: "Okay, Shinichi, since you have made up your mind, let's go for it."

---

The Kudos boarded their flight back to the US, leaving Conan and Ran behind. Chen Shuo drove them back to the Mori Detective Agency. Ran chatted with Chen Shuo, smiling and happy, seemingly still relishing the day's "adventure." Chen Shuo had also regained his usual gentle demeanor, speaking little, but the atmosphere was reassuring.

Arriving downstairs at the office, Xiaolan seemed to be in a particularly good mood. She skipped into Chen Shuo's "Quiet" coffee shop and said loudly, "Today is so much fun. I can't wait to have a cup of coffee. Oh, and cake too!"

Conan stood by the car, looking at her back and couldn't help but smile. After all this trouble, he was exhausted, so he prepared to go back to the office for a hot shower and a good rest. As he watched Chen Shuo close the car door and was about to follow him into the cafe, Conan suddenly remembered that thrilling moment from before—Chen Shuo's eyes at that time, so cold, as if he would actually pull the trigger at any moment. Even thinking about it now, Conan still shuddered.

He couldn't help but murmur to himself, "Chen Shuo's acting is really amazing... That look in his eyes is like he really wants to kill me."

Unexpectedly, Chen Shuo stopped, turned around, and looked at him coldly. Conan was slightly stunned and was about to explain, but Chen Shuo said softly: "That's not acting, kid."

Chen Shuo narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone calm and cold: "If one day you really put my friends in danger, I will kill you without hesitation."

After that, Chen Shuo said nothing more and walked straight into the cafe. Conan stood there, stunned for a long time. He watched Chen Shuo disappear through the cafe door, a complex mix of emotions stirring in his heart—a touch of awe, a touch of curiosity, and an indescribable uneasiness.

"He... is serious." Conan's heart sank. At this moment, he deeply realized that Chen Shuo was indeed not an ordinary person. However, after what happened today, he dared not be as reckless as before. He smiled bitterly and shook his head, thinking to himself, "It seems that I really need to be more cautious."