Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chen Shuo called Maori Kogoro. As soon as the call was connected, Maori Kogoro's familiar roar came from the other end: "Hey! Chen Shuo! Have you found Lan? Are you guys okay?!"

Maori Kogoro's voice was filled with panic and anxiety, and it was clear that he could no longer contain his worry. Chen Shuo looked down at Maori Ran beside him. She had already treated most of his wounds, but the penetrating wound on his shoulder was too severe, so Maori Ran didn't dare to move easily. Seeing the worry on her face, Chen Shuo reached out and patted her head gently, indicating that she didn't need to worry too much.

"It's okay, Kogoro. Lan is with me. We're all fine." Chen Shuo smiled and reported to the person on the other end of the phone, his tone lighthearted, as if the steel bar piercing his shoulder was nothing. Then, he changed the subject and said seriously, "However, there are a group of people trapped in the cinema lobby. Call for help immediately."

"Okay, okay! I'll arrange for someone to go over right away!" Maori Kogoro replied hastily. There was a hint of relief in his voice, but then he became anxious again. "You guys must hold on!"

Chen Shuo hung up the phone and was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he suddenly heard a strange beeping sound. It was faint, but in the quiet surroundings, it was remarkably clear. He frowned, looked around warily, and quietly approached the source of the sound. As he approached a chair, the sound became more pronounced.

"What's that sound?" Mao Lilan also noticed it and followed closely behind Chen Shuo.

Chen Shuo narrowed his eyes and glanced down at the chair, his pupils suddenly shrinking. He reached out and gently pushed the chair aside, revealing a huge bomb. Red numbers jumped rapidly on the screen, emitting a "beep" warning sound.

"This...this bomb is so big..." Mao Lilan covered her mouth, her eyes wide open, and looked at Chen Shuo in horror. She suddenly understood that this bomb was enough to cause the entire building to collapse in an instant.

Chen Shuo's expression also grew serious, but he remained calm and said in a low voice, "Looks like things are going to get complicated."

Chen Shuo calmly squatted down and reached out to open the bomb's lid, revealing the complex mechanical circuitry within. Although he wasn't a bomb disposal expert, as someone who traversed the underground world, he understood the basic principles. However, rashly dismantling it like this would clearly be courting death, and he didn't want to take any chances.

He glanced at the countdown and breathed a sigh of relief—the bomb still had more than two hours to go. While time was running out, at least there was no immediate danger to his life. He stood up, turned to look at Mao Lilan, who had been staring at him nervously from behind, and whispered soothingly, "Don't worry, there's still plenty of time."

Mao Lilan nodded, but the worry on her face did not diminish at all, "Brother Shuo, what should we do? Such a big bomb..."

"Don't worry," Chen Shuo patted her shoulder, "I have a way." As he said that, he took out his cell phone and quickly dialed Kogoro Mouri's number.

As soon as the call was connected, Chen Shuo got straight to the point: "Kogoro, we have a bomb here. It will explode in more than two hours. Moriya Teiji is the culprit. He designed this bomb. You have to take the police to his house to see if there are any blueprints or other clues."

Kogoro Mori was stunned on the other end of the line. He hadn't expected things to be so complicated, and his heart, which had been at ease, was once again in suspense. "Moritani Teiji? That architect? Damn it... Okay, I'll bring people over right away!"

Chen Shuo heard the hurried footsteps on the other end and knew that Maori Kogoro had already taken action immediately. He hung up the phone, breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at Maori Ran with a comforting smile: "Wait a little longer, wait until your father finds the blueprints, and then I can dismantle this thing."

Although Mao Lilan was still nervous, she felt a little relieved when she saw Chen Shuo so calm. She nodded and whispered, "Well, I believe you."

Chen Shuo looked at her and secretly swore in his heart that he must protect her and never let anything hurt her.

Over an hour later, Chen Shuo's phone rang. He picked up the phone, and Maori Kogoro's name appeared on the screen. After the call was connected, Maori Kogoro's complex and slightly tired voice came from the other end of the line: "Chen Shuo, the blueprints have been found. The bomb disposal experts are studying it now, and they will be able to solve it soon... And... Thank you."

That gentle "thank you" was filled with inexpressible emotion, and Chen Shuo understood it all, listening silently. He knew that Maori Kogoro's "thank you" wasn't just for finding the blueprints, but also for helping him solve the problem of Moritani Teiji—the man who had put his daughter in a life-or-death crisis.

As a former police officer and current detective, Kogoro Mouri has his own principles of justice and creed. He resents the threat Moriya Teiji poses to Ran Mouri and wishes to kill him himself. However, he knows that if it were him, no matter how much he hates him, he cannot go against his principles and kill someone. However, Chen Shuo completes the task for him, leaving him with a mixture of gratitude and conflict.

The silence on the other end of the line stretched for a few seconds, and Maori Kogoro finally couldn't help but sigh. "I know you're doing this for Lan... but I still... well..." The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't know how to continue. On the one hand, he was grateful for Chen Shuo's decisiveness, but on the other hand, he had to face the torture in his heart.

"Kogoro, I understand." Chen Shuo's voice was calm, but his tone was firm. "There are some things I can do. You don't need to bear these burdens."

The other end of the phone fell into a brief silence again. After a moment, Maori Kogoro whispered, "Anyway, I'm already very grateful that Lan is safe."

Chen Shuo smiled slightly and skipped the topic.

---

The bomb disposal expert quickly analyzed the layout of the bomb and began guiding Chen Shuo in dismantling it. Although Chen Shuo was nervous, he remained calm and followed the expert's instructions, cutting the wires step by step. While the bomb's structure wasn't complex, every step required extreme caution.

When he finally reached the last two wires, time was running out. As the countdown drew closer, the air thickened with tension, and even Mao Lilan couldn't help but hold her breath. Chen Shuo's hands trembled, and he thought to himself, "How could this happen?"

"Why aren't the last two wires on the blueprint?" he fretted, sweat dripping down his forehead. Everyone tensed up, looking at each other in bewilderment. Even the bomb disposal expert began muttering to himself, "This is impossible! The blueprint ends here..."

"Do you have any ideas?" Chen Shuo asked through gritted teeth, the sweat on his palms gradually increasing.

"We need more information!" the bomb disposal expert responded urgently, his tone revealing helplessness and anxiety.

Chen Shuo couldn't help but pound the ground, a resounding sound. He felt a knot in his stomach. There was no pattern to the two lines, and their function was completely unrecognizable. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but all he could think about was Mao Lilan's safety.

Chen Shuo stared at the countdown on the bomb. Minutes were running out, and the air around him seemed to grow heavy. The frantic commands of the bomb disposal expert and Maori Kogoro's shouts echoed on the other end of the line, while the people around him were already sinking into despair. Their faces twisted as they glanced around anxiously, whispering, hoping for a miracle. But Chen Shuo suddenly felt a strange calm, as if none of this had anything to do with him.

He took a deep breath, slowly hung up the phone, and turned his gaze to Mao Lilan. She was nestled in his arms, her face filled with anxiety and fear, a stark contrast to the clamor outside. "Lan, maybe... we're going to die." Chen Shuo's voice was gentle, yet with a hint of indifference.

Mao Lilan's heart trembled. Normally, she would be overwhelmed with nervousness, but now she felt as calm as water. She leaned gently into Chen Shuo's arms, feeling the warmth of his chest, as if the despairing noise and panic outside had nothing to do with her. "Brother Shuo, I'm not afraid." Her voice was soft but firm, with a sense of transcendent relief.

The wailing and despair of the crowd echoed in their ears, yet between Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan, a river of calm seemed to flow. Their eyes met, and everything around them gradually blurred. The bomb countdown, the chaos outside, became unimportant. What mattered was that in this moment, they were together.

"As long as I'm with you, nothing else matters." Mao Lilan said softly, with a determined light in her eyes.

"Lan, no matter what happens, I'm here." Chen Shuo responded in a low voice, stroking her hair, feeling her warmth and tenacity.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, and the despair and fear around them were thrown behind them. In each other's arms, they enjoyed this moment of peace, as if the whole world was just the two of them, resisting the coming storm.

The two of them watched the countdown on the bomb tick away, second by second. Time seemed to slow down immensely at this moment. When the countdown reached only five seconds, Mao Lilan suddenly seemed to have made a decision, a glint of determination flashing in her eyes.

Without warning, she raised her head and kissed Chen Shuo directly on the lips. Chen Shuo was stunned. Feeling the girl's lips on his own, his eyes widened instantly, and his mind went blank for a moment. At that moment, Mao Lilan also casually pulled out a wire.

Chen Shuo's mind was still processing this sudden kiss, but his body had already responded involuntarily. He closed his eyes and fell deeply into this gentle yet tense kiss. Time seemed to stand still, and all the tension, fear, and countdown seemed to be diluted by this warm kiss.

However, this tranquility was soon shattered by the cheers all around them. Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan were both startled awake, their lips hastily parted. They stared at each other blankly, their faces still tinged with the warmth of the moment, their heartbeats nearly drowning out the clamor outside.

They lowered their heads and looked at the wire that was casually pulled off in Mao Lilan's hand, and then looked at the timer on the bomb - there was only one second left, and it stopped!

"Lan...you..." Chen Shuo was speechless, but more surprised and relieved.

Mao Lilan also stared blankly at the wire in her hand, feeling a little scared, but she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. A smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and she said softly: "Brother Shuo, we survived."

Chen Shuo sighed and couldn't help laughing. He shook his head gently, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He looked at Mao Lilan and whispered, "You are really brave..."

After the crisis was over, Mao Lilan's courage seemed to be drained away in an instant. The bold action just now seemed beyond her ability to bear. Her cheeks flushed with shame, and she looked like a ripe apple. She lay weakly in Chen Shuo's arms, not daring to look up at him, and even her breathing became a little rapid.

Chen Shuo looked down at Mao Lilan in his arms, a doting smile on his face. The thrilling moment just now seemed like a distant dream. He reached out and gently stroked her hair, and asked softly, "Lan, are you okay?"

Mao Lilan buried her face deeper, and her voice, with a little trembling and shyness, came out muffled from his chest: "Brother Shuo... I... I like you, I don't know when..."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito, almost drowned out by the cheers around them, but Chen Shuo heard it clearly, and his heart instantly softened. He lowered his head, smiled even more deeply, and gently hugged her.

"Lan, me too." His voice was gentle and firm, responding to her shy confession.

When Mao Lilan heard this, her heartbeat seemed to speed up a few beats, and she almost shrank into a ball with shyness. She didn't expect Chen Shuo to respond so directly. She was surprised and nervous. She clutched Chen Shuo's clothes tightly with both hands, as if this moment could be frozen in time.

However, Chen Shuo's hand suddenly loosened a little. Mao Lilan realized something was wrong and quickly looked up, only to find that his originally smiling face showed a trace of fatigue. His eyes gradually closed, and he fell to the side weakly.

"Brother Shuo!" Mao Lilan hurriedly supported him, and then noticed that the wounds on Chen Shuo's body were still bleeding. He could no longer hold on due to excessive blood loss.

Chen Shuo smiled slightly and said softly, "It's okay... I'm just too tired. Let me rest for a while..." After that, he completely lost consciousness.

"Brother Shuo!"