Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

The morning sun shone through the window onto Chen Shuo's face. Though not glaring, it still made him squint unconsciously, and he slowly woke up. He opened his eyes and looked at the ceiling. The unfamiliar environment made his eyes sharp, and he quickly scanned the surroundings. Is this... a hospital?

He looked down. Mao Lilan was sleeping soundly beside him, her breathing even, her cheeks slightly puffed out, looking somewhat adorable. Chen Shuo was stunned for a moment, his mind returning to the thrilling scene of the previous night—those thrilling and charming images instantly flooded his mind. His expression gradually softened, the stinging pain in his shoulder reminding him that he hadn't fully recovered yet.

"It's been a long time since I was injured so badly..." He smiled bitterly and gently rubbed his tightly bandaged shoulder, sighing. It seemed that he had fought a little too hard this time.

As he laughed at himself, his gaze involuntarily fell on Lan's face. Her brows were slightly furrowed, as if even her dreams were unsettled. Chen Shuo felt a slight warmth in his heart, and he couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke her cheek. The soft touch from his fingertips brought a sense of peace to his heart.

"This is not bad...it's worth it." He thought silently in his heart, his eyes gentle and a smile on the corner of his mouth.

Mao Lilan seemed to sense a movement, her long eyelashes trembled a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes. Seeing that Chen Shuo was awake, she didn't react for a moment, and a trace of panic appeared on her face: "Brother Shuo! You're awake? How do you feel? Are you feeling unwell?"

Chen Shuo chuckled and raised his hand to touch her head: "I'm fine, just a little pain in the shoulder."

Mao Lilan looked at him, her eyes full of worry: "You scared me to death. You fainted all of a sudden yesterday. I didn't know what to do..."

At this point, Mao Lilan's nose felt sore and her eyes turned red: "It's all because of me..."

Seeing Mao Lilan looking like she was about to cry, Chen Shuo couldn't help but smile slightly, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He pulled her close and kissed her. Mao Lilan had never expected such a sudden attack. She was stunned for a moment, and then she was immersed in Chen Shuo's tenderness, her heart full of sweetness.

When their lips parted, Mao Lilan's face flushed red, and her shy look made Chen Shuo want to laugh. She hurriedly pushed him away, with a hint of blame in her eyes, but it also looked particularly cute: "Hateful, how could you do this all of a sudden!"

Chen Shuo chuckled and wanted to say something, but was interrupted by her. Mao Lilan was a little flustered for a moment and began to walk around the room: "I'm going to call Mom and Dad over! Wait, I'll go right away!"

After saying that, she turned around and ran out of the room, as if she was escaping something. Chen Shuo looked at her back, his heart filled with warmth. He couldn't help but shook his head, a smile on his face, thinking that such a day was really good.

Before Chen Shuo had time to savor the heartwarming moment, he heard Maori Kogoro's signature chattering voice from outside: "Xiao Lan, you said Chen Shuo is awake? That's great!" As the voice got closer, the door was pushed open suddenly, and Maori Kogoro almost rushed in, his eyes shining, as if he saw a savior, and threw himself to Chen Shuo's bedside.

"Chen Shuo! Thank you so much!" Maori Kogoro hugged Chen Shuo excitedly, and his strength was so strong that Chen Shuo almost couldn't breathe. "You saved my Xiaolan, you are really our family's benefactor!"

"Hey, wait..." Before Chen Shuo could react, Kogoro hit the wound on his shoulder hard. He gasped in pain and the smile on his face froze. "Um... that's right, Kogoro, my shoulder..."

"What did you say?" Maori Kogoro didn't realize it at all. He was still hugging Chen Shuo with tears of gratitude. He was so excited that he couldn't control himself. "I say, you are such a good boy! If it weren't for you, Xiaolan... wuwuwu..."

Seeing that Chen Shuo was gritting his teeth in pain, before he could finish his words, Maori Kogoro felt a powerful force coming from behind, and then with a "bang", he was hit hard on the head by two fists.

"Dad! Didn't you see that Brother Shuo is injured? Don't be so reckless!" Mao Lilan stood behind him angrily, scolding her unreliable father with an angry face. She grabbed his collar with one hand and dragged him away a few steps.

"Oh, Xiaolan, you kid, be gentle!" Maori Kogoro covered his head and grumbled aggrievedly, "Am I not too excited? I just want to thank him..."

"No matter how excited you are, you have to consider the situation!" Mao Lilan rolled her eyes at him unhappily, looked at Chen Shuo's shoulder with heartache, and softened her tone, "Brother Shuo, are you okay? Does it hurt?"

Chen Shuo gritted his teeth and forced a smile: "It's okay, just a small scene."

At this moment, Hibiki Eri also walked in. She glanced at her unreliable husband, shook her head, and sighed in disdain: "He's so old, and still so unreliable."

Then, she walked to Chen Shuo's bedside, bowed solemnly to him, and said with gratitude: "Chen Shuo, thank you very much, you have worked hard. If it weren't for you, Xiaolan might really..."

Chen Shuo smiled at her, nodded, and said nothing more. He felt that words of thanks were unnecessary, as everyone knew what was going on.

Maori Kogoro finally reacted at this time, standing aside and scratching his head embarrassedly: "Hey, that... Chen Shuo, did I use too much force just now? Haha..."

"It's not just excessive force, it's like he's trying to hurt me more seriously." Chen Shuo thought helplessly, but he just said lightly: "It's okay, no big deal."

---

After everyone laughed and joked for a while, because Kisaki Eri was too busy, she said goodbye and left. Mao Lilan followed her out to see her off, leaving only Chen Shuo and Mao Li Kogoro in the room. At this time, Mao Li Kogoro's expression gradually became serious, completely different from his previous funny look.

Silence filled the air. Chen Shuo raised his eyes slightly and looked at Kogoro. He knew what he was going to say next.

After two minutes, Maori Kogoro finally stood up and bowed solemnly to Chen Shuo. He said sincerely, "Chen Shuo, thank you very much. This time, you were able to kill that scumbag Moriya Teiji. Maybe this goes against my creed, but I admit that I support it in my heart."

Chen Shuo smiled slightly and waved his hand: "You're welcome, this is my specialty."

Kogoro sighed and continued, "Don't worry about the police. I've already fooled them. But... Conan's side is more difficult to deal with. With his intelligence, he must have guessed something."

Chen Shuo nodded gently upon hearing this, his eyes reflecting calmness. "Conan is indeed clever, but don't worry, my professional skills haven't deteriorated. He can't possibly have any evidence. Without it, even his suspicions will be useless."

"You're right," Maori Kogoro breathed a sigh of relief, a trace of admiration flashing in his eyes: "As expected of you... Wuchen..."

"Haha, shut up!" Chen Shuo replied calmly, but he felt relieved in his heart. It was good that his old friend could understand him, and it also made him feel that he had made the right friends.

"However, I still have to remind you," Kogoro said seriously, "Once Conan becomes suspicious, he will definitely pay more attention to you, so you have to be careful."

"Don't worry." Chen Shuo said calmly, "He has never taken me lightly, and I have always handled it well."

Kogoro nodded, seeming to feel a little relieved. The two smiled at each other, and the atmosphere in the room gradually relaxed. Although the topic was heavy, the tacit understanding between them made it seem less depressing.

---

In the evening, Toru Amuro and Azusa Enomoto both pushed open the door to Chen Shuo's hospital room. They had been busy helping Chen Shuo manage the "Jingxin" coffee shop during the day and rushed in after it closed. In the ward, Ran Maoli had been caring for Chen Shuo, and when she saw them enter, she smiled.

Azusa Enomoto looked at Chen Shuo with tears in her eyes and said with concern, "Boss, you must take good care of yourself!" She walked to the bedside and said in a soft but firm voice, "I will keep an eye on the cafe and will definitely not slack off!"

Chen Shuo looked at her, his eyes still calm, and nodded: "Thank you for your hard work, Enomoto."

Mao Lilan also said softly: "Yes, Brother Shuo, you have to get better soon, I will always be with you."

Amuro Toru stood aside, his usual smile on his face, a look of admiration in his eyes. He walked forward, raised his thumb, and said in a relaxed tone, "Boss, I'm truly impressed by you! You were able to handle everything under those circumstances last night. You're incredible."

Chen Shuo smiled faintly and said nothing more. He just patted Amuro Toru's shoulder, indicating that he didn't need to say these polite words. After all, the tacit understanding between him and Amuro Toru didn't need to be said.

The two of them bantered for a while, and the atmosphere gradually became more relaxed. Enomoto Azusa chattered about the little anecdotes that had happened in the cafe that day, and Amuro Toru occasionally joined in, making her laugh out loud. Mao Lilan sat quietly to the side, looking at Chen Shuo with a gentle gaze, her heart full of concern.

"Okay, we won't disturb your rest," Amuro Toru stood up and said with a smile, "Boss, recuperation is the most important thing. You can leave the cafe to us without worry."

Azusa Enomoto also nodded in agreement: "Yeah! Don't worry about it, just take care of your injuries!"

Chen Shuo smiled slightly, turned to Mao Lilan and said, "Lan, go see them off."

Mao Lilan nodded, stood up and prepared to follow Amuro Toru and Enomoto Azusa out the door. Just as they reached the door, Chen Shuo glanced at Amuro Toru lightly and gave him a meaningful look. Amuro Toru understood, nodded slightly, revealed an inadvertent smile, and then pulled Enomoto Azusa out the door.

"Ms. Xiaolan, I heard that yesterday was very exciting. Can you tell us the details?" Toru Amuro made up an excuse and successfully dragged Ran Mouri out of the door.

The room fell silent. Chen Shuo sat alone on the hospital bed, his gaze fixed on the window. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm golden glow on the ground. He watched silently for two minutes, silently counting the time.

"We've been waiting for so long, and now there's no one here. Why aren't you coming out?" Chen Shuo suddenly said softly, his eyes still looking out the window, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

A few seconds later, the door was slowly pushed open, and Conan walked in with a complicated expression on his face. He stared at Chen Shuo, as if waiting for an answer. Chen Shuo turned his head and looked at Conan, his eyes as calm as a deep pool, without a ripple.

Neither of them spoke, the air seemed to freeze, and the room was silent.

Conan stood there, his heart awash with mixed emotions. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but Chen Shuo's impeccable composure prevented him from speaking. Chen Shuo remained composed, as if he had anticipated this moment, his face devoid of any unnecessary expression.

Silence stretched between the two of them, and neither of them spoke first. The only light in the entire ward was the quietly changing light of the setting sun.

Finally, Conan couldn't help himself and asked in a low voice: "Moriya Teiji...you killed him, right?"

Chen Shuo didn't confirm or deny it, but simply asked calmly, "If it were really me, what would you do?"

Conan was stunned for a moment, countless images flashing through his mind. In the past, faced with such a situation, he would definitely do everything he could to send Chen Shuo to prison. After all, this was his duty as a detective. But now, he was at a loss as to where to start.

"I... I don't know how to answer." Conan lowered his head, as if trying to convince himself: "Moriya Teiji not only committed many serious arson and bombing cases, but also put Ran in a life-or-death crisis. He came for me, but he also implicated many innocent people."

Chen Shuo looked at Conan's expression, his heart slightly moved. He could understand Conan's struggle and contradiction. After all, every detective has a scale to measure justice in his heart. And right now, Conan felt at a loss under this scale.

"You know, Conan," Chen Shuo's voice softened, "sometimes, justice and choices aren't that simple. For me, what I hope to do is eliminate all potential threats as much as possible. I must protect the people I care about."

Conan looked up, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He thought for a moment, but ultimately remained silent. After all, the moral dilemma weighed heavily on him, leaving him no chance of respite. His silence was a reflection on the past and a meditation on the future.

Chen Shuo was silent for a moment, then looked at Conan with a deep gaze and slowly said, "Conan, when you saw Moriya Teiji's body, did you feel a sense of pleasure?"

Conan was stunned by this, his expression complex. He lowered his head and pondered for a long time, his emotions surging like waves. Finally, he nodded gently. Although the moment was full of contradictions, he did feel a sense of relief.

Chen Shuo smiled slightly, as if he had already anticipated Conan's answer: "Moritani Teiji is a psychopath and a paranoid. He never cares about other people's lives. To him, sacrificing innocent people is just part of realizing his sick plan. His death is a good thing for everyone."

Conan looked up at Chen Shuo, his eyes filled with questions and confusion. He didn't know how to respond to Chen Shuo's words.

Chen Shuo chuckled softly and continued, "Didn't the police suspect me? Of course they did, of course they did. I understand, my suspicion is simply too great. Even though the evidence is insufficient, any intelligent person would list me as the primary suspect. But do you know why they didn't give me a hard time?"

Conan's frown deepened. He had a vague idea of ​​the answer, but he was unwilling to admit it.

Chen Shuo's lips curled up slightly, his tone revealing a certain calmness: "Because I did what most police officers wanted to do but couldn't. The law may punish evildoers like Moriya Teiji, but sometimes, the law can't stop everything in time. The world is not black and white, it is a delicate gray. Where there is light, there must be darkness. And I am that darkness."

Conan's heartbeat quickened. The silent man's confession at that moment made him feel an unprecedented sense of oppression. Chen Shuo's voice was low and firm: "I am the darkness responsible for protecting the light. Someone must stand in the darkness to make the light shine brighter. My light is Xiaolan! Moriya Teiji threatens my light, he must die!"

The room fell silent again, the air thick with emotion. Conan bit his lip, his mind trembling with emotion. Faced with Chen Shuo's confession, he couldn't immediately make a judgment. On the one hand, he was deeply conscious of his conviction that no matter how complex the truth, justice should be determined by the law. On the other hand, he truly abhorred Moriya Teiji's brutality, and perhaps Chen Shuo's actions had actually protected more people.

However, the boundaries of all this are so blurred.

The two looked at each other in silence. As their eyes met, Conan felt that his inner conflict became more complicated. He didn't know how to continue this conversation.