Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains into the villa. Chen Shuo was brushing his teeth in the bathroom. Suddenly, the crisp ring of the doorbell interrupted his thoughts. He paused, his eyes deadened, and thought to himself, "So early? No way..."

"Brother Shuo! I can't leave here, please open the door!" Mao Lilan's voice came from the kitchen. She was busy preparing lunch boxes for the trip today.

Chen Shuo staggered to the door, opened it, and was greeted by a smiling Sonoko, accompanied by Ai Haibara and Conan. Sonoko's energetic voice greeted him, "Good morning! Brother Shuo, let's start our joyful seaside trip!"

"Are you guys here too early?" Chen Shuo rubbed his eyes helplessly, thinking to himself that he hadn't fully woken up yet.

"The early bird catches the worm!" Sonoko raised her chin and walked in like a little sun. Conan and Huibara Ai also followed her into the house.

"I got up early specially for this trip!" Yuanzi sat carefree on the sofa, looking lively and cheerful. The gloom of the past few days seemed to have completely disappeared.

Looking at the vibrant Yuanzi, Chen Shuo felt relieved. This disciple's mentality was impeccable. However, there seemed to be something a little off-putting at the scene.

"Why are you here?" He squinted his eyes at Conan, feeling a little puzzled. "I remember I didn't invite you, did I?"

Conan was slightly startled, looking a little embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly: "Uh... I just came to take a look."

Sonoko spread her hands helplessly and interrupted, "This kid shamelessly followed me when I went to pick up Ai. There was nothing I could do!"

After hearing this, Conan showed an awkward smile on his face, lowered his head and said no more.

Chen Shuo thought to himself, it seems this little guy is still obsessed with Xiaolan, but he didn't intend to bother him. He was completely confident in his relationship with Mao Lilan. This little brat with a head full of deductions was not worth worrying about.

"Then let's go together. Anyway, you, the plague god, are here, and there's a murder to watch. Just consider it a change of pace." Chen Shuo shrugged and said jokingly, his tone relaxed, as if a murder was bound to happen on this trip.

After hearing this, Conan's expression froze instantly, and he quickly explained: "No, the murder has nothing to do with me, those are just coincidences..."

"I must bring back wonderful photos!" Sonoko said excitedly, completely ignoring Conan's self-defense, her eyes flashing with longing for travel.

"Hmph! I just hope not too many people die this time." Haibara Ai glanced at Conan and said lightly, with a hint of amusement in her words.

"It's really none of my business! Plague gods and the like are all superstitions. We should believe in science!" Conan was still trying to distance himself from the matter, appearing a little anxious.

Just then, Mao Lilan came in with a few lunch boxes and greeted everyone. When she saw Conan, she was stunned: "Huh? Conan is going too? I hope not too many people die, it will really affect the mood."

"Why do you say that, Xiaolan?!" Conan collapsed and felt that the world was too unfriendly to him.

Looking at Conan with lifeless eyes, everyone looked at each other and smiled knowingly. Sure enough, teasing Conan was quite interesting.

Chen Shuo noticed that Yuanzi was carrying a large bag. He frowned slightly and thought, "How much stuff do you have? Why is it so big?" He couldn't help but ask, "Yuanzi, what's in your bag?"

Yuanzi looked proud and smiled like a child: "Hey, Brother Shuo, look at my spoils!" As she said that, she began to rummage through her bag. With a flick of her wrist, the contents of the bag instantly spilled onto the sofa.

When everyone came over to take a look, they saw the floor full of items, including cosmetics, snacks, swimsuits, clothes, and many strange things. It was like a grocery store.

"What is this? Are you preparing for a party?" Chen Shuo shook his head helplessly.

"That's right!" Sonoko smiled brightly, "Look, these snacks are for eating on the road, the swimsuits are for the party at the Izu beach, and the cosmetics are for beauty! As for this..." Before she finished speaking, her hands trembled with excitement, and a pistol fell out of her bag.

"Eh!? How did this thing fall out!" Yuanzi frantically picked up the pistol, sticking out her tongue with a silly look on her face: "Hey... This fell out accidentally..."

Conan was stunned, his mind went blank, thinking: "What's going on? Sonoko actually has the habit of carrying a gun? No way! Doesn't Japanese law prohibit people from carrying guns?"

"Yuanzi! I'm going to criticize you for this!" Chen Shuo frowned, ready to reprimand Yuanzi seriously.

Conan nodded aside: "Yes! Brother Shuo! You must make it clear to her, this is not a joke! This is against the law!"

"You should always carry a pistol with you, preferably not in a backpack, so you can always have it out in an emergency," Chen Shuo began his "teaching moment." Yuanzi nodded seriously and put the Glock 19 into her handbag, looking very serious.

Chen Shuo patted Yuanzi's head with satisfaction and said with a smile, "That's right, safety first."

"Isn't... this the main point?" Conan was about to collapse. He pointed at Yuanzi's handbag, then at Chen Shuo, his voice trembling, "Ah... ah... that... pistol?"

"What's wrong, Conan? Is there any problem?" Ran Mouri asked curiously, completely unaware of the seriousness of the matter.

Conan's face was filled with fear. A terrible thought flashed through his mind. He asked in a trembling voice, "Xiaolan... Sister... You don't have a pistol in your bag, do you?"

"Hahaha, how could that be?" Mao Lilan looked amused and shook her head to deny it.

Seeing Mao Lilan's denial, Conan breathed a sigh of relief and thought to himself: "Fortunately, Xiaolan is still relatively sober, and the world has not yet turned to the worst."

However, just when Conan was about to smile with relief, Mao Lilan took out an eagle claw knife from her handbag, with a little shyness on her face, and gently stroked the blade: "My shooting skills are not good, not as good as Sonoko, so I can only use this."

"Boom!" Conan felt like he was struck by lightning. He went completely crazy and screamed in his heart: "This world is over. Even the gentle Xiaolan..."

"You're surprised by something you haven't seen before..." Haibara Ai said coldly, giving Conan the final blow. Conan fell completely silent, thinking helplessly in his heart: "Forget it, I'm tired, let the world end."

---

On the beach of Izu, the sun was shining brightly, the waves gently lapping against the sand, and the air was filled with the salty smell of the sea. Everyone was moved by this beautiful scenery and smiled happily. Even the usually cold Haibara Ai smiled for the first time in a long time. Like a real little girl, she was led by Mao Lilan and Sonoko and ran towards the beach.

"Come on, Ai!" Ran Mouri shouted excitedly, with a bright smile on her face and her eyes shining with anticipation for the beach.

"Slow down!" Haibara Ai blushed slightly and tried hard to keep up. Although she looked calm, she couldn't hide the joy in her heart.

Conan stood aside, his serious expression a stark contrast to the cheerful atmosphere around him. He watched the scene with a wave of shock in his heart. He couldn't believe that in just a few days, his two childhood friends had become so unfamiliar, seemingly completely different from the ones he remembered.

"Brother Shuo, you taught me all this, right?" Conan asked seriously, his tone full of dissatisfaction.

Chen Shuo sat on a rock on the beach, smiling at the three cheerful women in front of him, and nodded easily: "Yes, Yuanzi and Xiaolan are both very talented."

"But...but this...this is illegal. How can they be allowed to possess weapons without permission? They shouldn't be like this!" Conan shook his head, feeling a mixture of emotions, as if it was difficult to accept. He thought of the pistol that Sonoko had dropped from her bag, and the eagle claw knife that Mao Lilan had taken out, and his heart was filled with complex emotions.

"Kid, take care of yourself!" Chen Shuo patted Conan on the head, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "What's it to you what they become? Who do you think you are? Wanting to control everything? Do you have to apply your methods to everyone? They haven't changed, they've just learned to protect themselves better. You've never been able to give them that. Just like what happened with Yuanzi a few days ago, you should know. In that situation, could the law protect her? Or did the police?"

Conan's heart trembled, and then he was overcome with a wave of withdrawal. He lowered his head, his mind a turmoil. Chen Shuo's words were like a hammer, hammering down his sense of justice. He had always believed that the law was supreme, and that right and wrong were clearly defined. However, facing Chen Shuo's blunt words, he was forced to rethink his position.

"I..." Conan's voice was filled with mixed emotions, his tone somewhat powerless. He wanted to uphold justice, to dispel the darkness, but the reality he faced left him feeling helpless. He understood that he was not omnipotent, and even with his unwavering faith, he could not change what had already happened.

"What can I do?" This thought kept swirling in his mind. Chen Shuo's words hit him like a hammer. He wanted to refute, but he felt powerless.

Chen Shuo ignored Conan who was keeping his head down and not saying anything, and walked towards the women who were waving at him. He was planning to relax today and didn't have the time to be a spiritual mentor.

---

At night, moonlight shone on Izu Beach, casting a silvery glow across the sand. The clamor of the temple fair faded, and a few people emerged from the bustling scene, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Yuanzi, waving her camera, excitedly approached Chen Shuo and said mysteriously, "Brother Shuo, guess how many sexy photos of Xiaolan I have in my camera?"

"Oh? I'd better take a closer look." Chen Shuo patted Yuanzi's head and gave her a thumbs-up, a teasing glint in his eyes. "I'll teach you some tough moves when we get back. Will your next photoshoot be better?"

"That's a must!" Yuanzi also gave a thumbs up, and her white teeth looked very conspicuous under the light.

"Hey, what are you two talking about again!" Mao Lilan blushed like a ripe tomato when she heard this, and quickly interrupted to protest, "Don't make fun of me!"

"○( ＾皿＾)っHiahiahia..., who made you so popular? All the men are chatting up with you and ignoring me!" Sonoko smiled very happily, completely ignoring Mouri Ran's protest, and instead started to blame her.

"Perverted uncle." Haibara Ai muttered to the side, expressionless, but with a hint of teasing. Although her voice was not loud, it seemed to inadvertently ignite the fire in Conan's heart.

Conan lowered his head, a gloomy expression on his face, feeling like an ignored balloon. He clearly wanted to join in the fun, but every time he spoke, he was ignored, which inevitably made him feel a little disappointed. "Why did I come along?" He was full of questions about this trip.

No one noticed that, not far behind them, a dark-skinned, bespectacled athlete sighed in frustration as he watched Yuan Zi and Chen Shuo's intimate interaction. Meanwhile, in the grove on the other side, behind a large tree, a dark figure surreptitiously watched the group, a menacing look on his face.