Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

"Kogoro! Get down!"

It was Chen Shuo who spoke. Although he had been astonished by Xiyi's amazing skills, he remained vigilant. He knew the killer well, and when everyone was captivated, it was the perfect time to strike.

As everyone was sighing, a red dot quietly appeared on Maori Kogoro's body and slowly moved towards his right eye. Chen Shuo's heart tightened when he saw it, and he instantly realized that it was a laser sight!

"Get down quickly!" Chen Shuo blurted out without thinking, and at the same time quickly snatched the flashlight from Shiratori Renzaburo's hand and threw it at Maori Kogoro.

Maori Kogoro was stunned, and before he could react, he saw a ball of light flying towards him. He subconsciously dodged the light. Then, sparks erupted from the wall behind him, and the explosion was deafening.

His pupils suddenly contracted. Having been a police officer for many years, he instantly realized that someone had just shot him. He quickly ducked, looking for cover, and yelled to the crowd who hadn't yet reacted, "Everyone, take cover! Someone's shooting!"

Hearing Maori Kogoro's reminder, Maori Ran reacted immediately, her eyes as sharp as an eagle, and she drew a short knife. She quickly lowered Kosaka Natsumi's head and whispered, "Ms. Natsumi, lie down and hide behind me! Hold the egg well, I will protect you!"

"Hmm!" Though flustered, Kosaka Natsumi felt a little more at ease under Ran Mouri's protection. She clutched the "Egg of Memory" tightly, crouching on the ground, looking around anxiously. However, since the triggering of the mechanism had extinguished all light sources, the scene was now completely dark. The only flashlight that remained was broken by Chen Shuo's actions.

Although Mao Lilan's vision was limited, she still kept her eyes wide open, nervously scanning her surroundings, afraid of missing any movement. She silently said to herself: "I must stay calm and protect Miss Xia Mei."

There was a tense atmosphere in the air, and everyone held their breath, waiting for the next move.

In the darkness, Ran Maoli's heartbeat became clearer. Suddenly, a gust of wind broke through, and her intuition told her that an attack was coming. Without hesitation, she gripped the short sword in her hand, ready to meet the coming attack.

A figure flashed from the darkness, aiming directly at Kosaka Natsumi behind her. Ran Mouri's eyes instantly sharpened like a knife. She leaned over to block the man's path, her short knife flashing a cold light in the darkness, ready to strike.

"Get out of my way!" Mao Lilan shouted angrily, her voice sounding unusually firm in the dark space.

The man didn't answer, his eyes gleaming with coldness and fierceness. His movements were like those of a cheetah, swift and precise, as he advanced directly towards Kosaka Natsumi. Mouri Ran swiftly struck, swinging her short knife against the man's wrist, forcing him to pause.

"No way!" she growled, her defenses tense.

The man, with a look of disdain on his face, suddenly struggled to break free, his force so strong that it almost stung Ran. She quickly adjusted her center of gravity, using the force to counterattack, her short knife slashing in an arc, directly at the man's face. The man dodged sideways, a narrow escape.

"Don't get close to her!" Mao Lilan was anxious and fought with the other party with all her strength. Every fight was accompanied by the crisp sound of metal clashing, the flash of swords, the flying of sparks, and the suffocating sound.

In the darkness, she could sense the opponent's growing aggression, constantly changing his angle to bypass Ran's defenses and charge towards Kosaka Natsumi. Ran's eyes flashed, and she reacted almost instantly, her short knife stabbing out like a snake, pressing directly into the opponent's ribs and forcing him to retreat.

"You can't escape!" she whispered, her will as firm as steel.

The opponent was forced to retreat and seized the opportunity to attack again, but Mao Lilan was flexible and decisive. She quickly adjusted her position and continued to deal with it.

During the fight, she felt increasingly exhausted. The opponent had a gun in his hand, and although she didn't know why he didn't use it, she would never let him get past her! In every confrontation, she tried her best to dodge flexibly, seize every flaw of the opponent, and never give in.

Just as the opponent tried to bypass her again, Mao Lilan secretly exerted her strength and thrust the short knife out with lightning speed, finally cutting through the opponent's defense in an instant. The blade was extremely accurate and hit the target directly. The man groaned in pain, his face suddenly changed, and he was finally forced to stop.

Ran Maori's dagger pierced the man's flank with pinpoint precision. She could feel the blade slice through flesh and hear the man's grunt of pain. A surge of excitement surged through her heart, the intensity of the battle not diminishing, but only making her more determined. She quickly withdrew the dagger, and with a deft flick of her wrist, it flashed a cold light in the darkness.

"Do you still want to continue, Miss Qinglan?" Mao Lilan shouted coldly, her eyes as sharp as a knife, leaving the other party no chance to resist. After hearing the muffled groan, she confirmed that the person who came was Pu Si Qinglan.

A flash of anger and pain crossed Pu Siqinglan's face. She had clearly not expected to be subdued so quickly. She tried to retreat, hoping to regain her chance to attack, but Mao Lilan didn't give her a chance to breathe. She ducked, leaped into the air, and launched a fierce kick, striking Pu Siqinglan squarely in the head.

"Ah!" With a scream, Pu Siqinglan was kicked and staggered backward, his face distorted, fear and despair flashed in his eyes, and finally he fell heavily to the ground, completely losing the ability to resist.

The battle ended in an instant, the tense atmosphere dissipating. Ran landed safely and took a deep breath, her heart still pounding. Her dagger trembled slightly in her hand. Though she had won the battle, she also felt a tinge of fear.

"Ran! Are you okay?" Kosaka Natsumi's voice rang in her ears, revealing a hint of worry. Mao Lilan turned around and saw Kosaka Natsumi tightly holding the "Egg of Memories" with a nervous expression on her face, and her heart was filled with warmth.

"I'm fine, Miss Natsumi, I'm glad you're okay!" She smiled with relief, her heart at ease when she saw that Natsumi Kosaka was safe and sound. It seemed she had successfully protected Natsumi Kosaka and the "Egg of Memory." She hadn't let her brother down, after all.

The candle flame was re-ignited by Maori Kogoro's lighter, and the faint light gradually spread, dispelling the shadows in the tomb. The light returned to everyone's eyes, and everyone saw the scene before them clearly.

Mouri Ran, bloodied dagger in hand, stood resolutely in front of Kosaka Natsumi. Her expression was filled with vigilance, and she didn't let down her guard just because she had subdued the assassin. Not far away, Pu Siqinglan slumped to the ground, her right hand clutching her abdomen, blood slowly seeping through her fingers, her eyes filled with resentment.

Maori Kogoro already knew the identity of Deura Siqinglan, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart: "What a pity, such a beauty..."

The clerk only then realized the seriousness of the situation. His expression changed and he hurried forward, his voice mixed with anger and confusion: "Pu Siqinglan, why are you doing this?!"

However, Pu Siqinglan smiled coldly, quickly pulled out a pistol, and aimed it at the clerk's head: "Don't come over! Otherwise, I will not be polite!"

"you--"

"Shut up!"

The clerk was stunned for a moment, then realized the urgency of the matter. He raised his hand, wanting to continue questioning, but was interrupted by Pu Siqinglan's threat. Everyone's hearts tightened, staring intently at the scene, and the air was filled with tension again.

Pu Siqinglan took the opportunity to stand up and slowly backed away, with a hint of madness in her eyes: "I'm doomed this time! But I won't give up!" Her voice was low and harsh, as if hinting at her determination.

Under her threat, the clerk was forced to retreat, his face solemn and filled with anxiety. Pu Siqinglan quickly ran towards the tomb's exit, the gun in her hand making no one dare to stop her.

As her figure gradually disappeared from everyone's sight, the tense atmosphere eased slightly. Ran Mouri sheathed her dagger and hurriedly turned back to check on Natsumi Kosaka. Seeing that both she and the "Egg of Memory" were unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief. "That's great, Miss Natsumi, are you okay?"

Kosaka Natsumi nodded gently. Although her heart was still trembling, she felt much more at ease when she saw Mao Lilan's concern: "I'm fine, thank you, Ran."

Mao Lilan turned around and looked around in confusion: "Dad, where is Brother Shuo?"

"Yes! When did this guy disappear?" Maori Kogoro also realized that Chen Shuo had disappeared in the chaos, and his brows frowned.

"Hey, Ai, do you know where Shuo has gone?" Ran Mouri turned to the other side and saw Haibara Ai leaning against a pillar with her arms folded, and asked hurriedly.

Huiyuan Ai shrugged: "After seeing you deal with Pu Siqinglan, he asked me to wait here and walked out of the tomb first. He must have gone to block someone."

"what?!"

---

Pu Siqinglan clutched her bleeding abdomen and trembled as she walked towards the tomb's exit. Every step felt like a struggle against her body, blood streaming down her fingers and blurring her vision. She cursed herself for her miscalculation. She had never imagined that the seemingly fragile Mao Lilan could be such a formidable master, and her attacks so ruthless. She had truly underestimated her!

However, she couldn't help but smile bitterly. How could that man's woman be just an ordinary person? It was ridiculous that she had made such a low-level mistake in such a situation.

Pu Siqinglan endured the dizziness from excessive blood loss and finally reached the door. The moonlight on her face made her feel a little relieved. But at this moment, she saw Chen Shuo, standing in the moonlight, looking at her calmly.

Her heart trembled, and she gave a bitter laugh. In an instant, she had no strength left. Her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground. She looked up at the blue sky, her heart filled with helplessness and despair, and whispered to herself, "It seems like I won't survive..."

Chen Shuo walked slowly to Pu Siqinglan and looked down at her. Moonlight streamed down from above, illuminating his calm face, making him appear exceptionally composed. He calmly asked, "Why didn't you use a gun?"

Pu Siqinglan looked up, a wry smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and complex emotions flashed in her eyes: "My target is also the 'Egg of Memory'. If I accidentally hurt it when I shoot, it will be more trouble than it's worth." Her voice was low and firm, but with a hint of helplessness.

She knew in her heart that Chen Shuo was definitely watching her. In that level of darkness, someone of Chen Shuo's level would not be greatly affected at all. She was afraid that if she drew her gun, she would be killed immediately.

Chen Shuo nodded slightly, as if to acknowledge her answer. After a moment's silence, he suddenly asked, "Do you want to die, or do you want to live?"

Pu Siqinglan was stunned, a complex mix of emotions welling up within her. She realized that the answer to this question might have a bearing on her life. She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and struggled to speak, "I... want to live."