Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

On a New York morning, a cool breeze blew gently, while sunlight streamed across the bustling streets, casting a golden glow on the skyscrapers. Ran Mouri, Shinichi Kudo, and Yukiko Kudo drove through the streets of Manhattan, enjoying a long-awaited moment of relaxation. Although the murder case on the plane had come to an end, the presence of Chen Shuo left Shinichi with mixed feelings, leaving him feeling restless. Ran Mouri, standing beside him, seemed completely absorbed in the charm of the city, chatting cheerfully with Yukiko Kudo, her smile radiant.

"Ran, how is New York? It's more interesting than you imagined, right?" Kudo Yukiko asked with a smile.

Mao Lilan nodded and responded with a smile: "Well, although I have only seen it on TV before, it feels completely different now that I am in it in person."

Sitting in the back seat, Kudo Shinichi looked out at the street scene, seemingly distracted. His mind reeled from the doubts surrounding Chen Shuo's relationship with his mother, and the city of New York itself seemed to harbor some unresolved crisis.

The laughter and chatter between the three gradually drowned out the clamor outside. Just then, unable to bear the loneliness, Yukiko Kudo suddenly stepped on the accelerator, causing the car's speed to soar. Soon after, accompanied by a shrill siren, an NYPD police car appeared behind the car, its pursuit lights flashing.

"Oh, I got caught." Kudo Yukiko smiled awkwardly and parked the car on the side of the road.

"Xiaolan, I'm sorry, I can't show off today." She winked and didn't seem to care.

Kudo Shinichi sighed helplessly: "Mom, you really are..."

A young police officer approached their car and said, "Please show me your driver's license and vehicle registration... The speed limit here is 40 miles per hour. Do you think you're in a movie?"

"Haha, sorry... I'm just a little bit in a hurry." Kudo Yukiko answered embarrassedly.

The young policeman looked at her carefully again: "You look... very familiar."

Kudo Yukiko's eyes lit up: "That may be because you have seen me before..."

"That's because you might have seen her at a crime scene." A deep male voice interrupted Yukiko's words. A tall, sturdy man with a round head walked over and said, "Actually, she is our secret agent. Maybe she was chasing a fugitive just now."

"Radishu!" After recognizing him, Kudo Yukiko was surprised and waved to him excitedly.

When the young policeman saw this scene, he immediately put away his questioning expression, saluted respectfully, and hurried away.

Kudo Shinichi was a little curious: "Who is he?"

Kudo Yukiko smiled and said, "The captain of the NYPD, Ladishou Redot. Your father helped him before."

Radixiu waved his hand, and the expression on his face suddenly changed. He quickly grabbed his cheek, as if tearing off a mask, revealing a beautiful face. Then, a familiar female voice sounded: "The person you should thank is not him, but me!"

Kudo Yukiko immediately jumped up excitedly: "Sharon!"

Standing before them was none other than Sharon Wynyard, a famous Hollywood actress.

"Wow, I heard someone was racing here, and I figured it was you when I calculated the time!" Sharon waved her hand and smiled a little tiredly, "You're still the same, you haven't changed at all."

Mao Lilan also leaned forward excitedly: "I am really blessed by the goddess of luck! I can actually see a big star of your level in real life!"

Lady Luck...

Hearing what Mao Lilan said, Vermouth frowned.

There is no such thing as God in this world. If there is one, he has never been kind to me. Otherwise...

Sharon waved her hand, revealing a hint of fatigue, and passed over the topic: "The little girl is so cute, let's stop talking so much and get in quickly!"

After saying that, Vermouth led the three of them into the theater.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of New York, Chen Shuo stood at the hotel entrance, his expression stern and his gaze sharp as an eagle. He stared quietly at the busy streets, his mind seemingly detached from the hustle and bustle of the city.

With his equipment already prepared, Chen Shuo walked steadily toward a secluded alley. After switching to a motorcycle, he quickly disappeared from the busy streets and headed straight for his destination for the day—the Statue of Liberty.

Upon arriving at the scene, he didn't rush in. Instead, he boarded a tourist boat, disguised as an ordinary visitor, and observed the iconic structure from afar. The Statue of Liberty was bustling with tourists, and patrolling security personnel were frequently moving back and forth. Chen Shuo's eyes darted between the various observation towers, quickly calculating the optimal sniping position and evacuation route.

"The target will appear at the podium, about 100 meters away," he muttered to himself. The QBU-191's effective range was sufficient for this operation, and the silencer would effectively reduce the noise. However, he knew that the key was how to quickly evacuate amidst the chaos.

---

Elsewhere, Vermouth, Shinichi Kudo and three others came out of the theater. Their expressions were complicated. A murder had just occurred in the theater, and although Shinichi Kudo eventually solved the case, the relaxed atmosphere had disappeared.

The four of them drove toward the Statue of Liberty. Of course, due to Kudo Yukiko's past, Vermouth was driving. Maori Ran, Sharon, and Yukiko were happily chatting, taking photos and admiring the New York scenery. Kudo Shinichi sat by the window, gazing at the Statue of Liberty in the distance, feeling a tinge of unease, though he couldn't quite place the reason.

---

On Liberty Island, the speech was about to begin, and a crowd gradually gathered. Chen Shuo had quietly blended into the crowd, silently approaching the observation deck.

"The time has come." He whispered to himself, his eyes cold as ice.

He took up a sniper position with an excellent view and quickly assembled the QBU-191 in one smooth motion. The entire process took less than a minute, and the gun was firmly positioned on the edge of the observation platform, the scope locked onto the distant podium—George Dixon, about to become his prey.

At the same time, his other hand slowly touched the button on his waist - the time bomb buried on the island would explode the moment the shooting started, creating chaos and covering the evacuation.

---

The speech officially began. George Dickson stood on the podium and waved to the crowd, who applauded loudly. On one side of the audience, Mao Lilan, Kudo Shinichi, Kudo Yukiko, and Sharon were watching this scene with smiles on their faces.

"What a grand occasion." Mao Lilan said happily.

Kudo Shinichi frowned, his uneasiness growing more pronounced, as if a pair of cold eyes were watching them. He looked around, trying to find the source of the abnormality.

---

Chen Shuo's sight locked onto Dickson on the podium, but suddenly, Ran Maori crossed his line of sight. She was standing in the crowd with Kudo Shinichi and a few others. Her brilliant smile made his hand tremble slightly, and the image in the sight blurred.

"Xiao Lan..." Chen Shuo murmured softly, feeling annoyed.

He adjusted his breathing and tried to refocus his attention, but Ran Mao's figure was lingering. Her smile continued to challenge his rationality and shake his always firm belief in being a killer.

"She will be caught up in the chaos..." This thought flashed through Chen Shuo's mind, and he realized that if the bomb was detonated, Mao Lilan would also be in danger. This made him feel a trace of pain and struggle that he had never experienced before.

She always appears in his life in some unexpected way, like an inevitable sunshine, making his originally cold heart feel warm and uneasy. Even though he knows that he is in darkness, Chen Shuo still cannot ignore her existence.

Chen Shuo's brow furrowed. To him, Mao Lilan's safety had never seemed so important. He even realized that deep down, he actually hoped that this girl would be away from this massacre.

"She will be caught up in the chaos..." A thought flashed through his mind, and the innocent and bright smile of Mao Lilan and her gentle care every time appeared in his mind.

Chen Shuo's finger stopped on the trigger, and his inner hesitation made him feel for the first time that this simple action became so difficult.

The conflict between mission and emotion prevented him from pulling the trigger.

"Can't take the risk."

The detonation of the bomb would cause chaos, and the sniper's precise moment would also cause unrest. Dixon's death would be the fuse, and an inevitable riot would sweep through the crowd under the Statue of Liberty, and Mao Lilan and the others would be caught in the middle of it. The scene made Chen Shuo's heart tighten, and even felt a hint of unbearable pain.

His eyes fell on Mao Lilan again, the girl who was smiling and talking to her friends. Her world was so pure, completely different from the dark world he lived in. If he pulled the trigger today, that world would be destroyed, and he could not tolerate such destruction.

Chen Shuo slowly released his finger from the trigger and looked deeply at Mao Lilan. He knew that today's mission was doomed to fail.

He quietly put away his sniper rifle, turned around and left, went downstairs and blended into the bustling crowd.