Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 118 Chen Shuo fled

After a few laughs and jokes, Maori Kogoro suddenly caught sight of Inspector Megure hurrying by. He immediately abandoned the others and hurried after him, wanting to inquire about the details of the police officer's murder. However, the usually easygoing Megure Jusan was unusually cold today. He frowned, tersely rejected Maori Kogoro's question, and turned away.

Maori Kogoro stood there unwillingly, his eyes turned, and immediately grabbed Takagi Wataru who was standing nearby. He grabbed Takagi's collar with a serious expression and whispered in a low voice: "Takagi! Tell me something quickly! Just a little bit, okay?"

Takagi Wataru was obviously a little flustered, looking at Conan beside him at a loss. Conan pretended to smile innocently, leaned in and whispered: "Officer Takagi, you seem to like Officer Sato, right?"

Maori Kogoro understood and smiled evilly: "Really? Then I will go and help you express your feelings to Sato right now!"

The young Takagi Wataru couldn't stand this and quickly grabbed Maori Kogoro. Under the double "coercion and inducement" of Maori Kogoro and Conan, Takagi finally had no choice but to lower his voice and quietly revealed a little information: "The second police officer who was killed...actually died holding the police manual."

This news shocked both Maori Kogoro and Conan. Maori Kogoro was about to ask further questions when he was interrupted by Shiratori Jinzaburo next to him. He put away his joking expression and said calmly and seriously: "Mr. Maori, I advise you to stop here. Need not to know! Do you understand what I mean?"

As an old detective, Maori Kogoro naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Shiratori's words. But precisely because of this, he was even more shocked, realizing that the case was far more complicated than he had imagined.

Yuanzi stood beside Chen Shuo, pouting and complaining in a low voice: "What... didn't you say anything?"

Chen Shuo shook his head and chuckled softly, "Actually, Bai Niao has already said everything."

"Huh?" Mao Lilan and Sonoko immediately looked at him in surprise, not understanding what he meant. Seeing their puzzled expressions, Chen Shuo continued to explain, "This 'need not to know' warning means that the case is extremely sensitive and has touched upon the forbidden zone of the police."

Mao Lilan whispered in surprise: "Could it be... Could it be that the murderer in this case is someone related to the police? And..."

"And it's not just an ordinary person, it should be a high-ranking police official, or even an important figure who can affect the entire police organization?" Suzuki Sonoko also reacted immediately, and continued softly, with a bit of uneasiness in her eyes.

Chen Shuo nodded, revealing a reassuring smile, and gently patted Mao Lilan and Sonoko's shoulders: "Okay, don't think too much, this matter has nothing to do with us. Today we just need to enjoy the banquet and leave the case to those detectives to worry about."

At this moment, Kisaki Eri also came over with a smile and agreed, "Yeah, why don't we go talk to Sara and the others, today is her important day."

They looked at each other, breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded in agreement, temporarily putting aside all their previous doubts and re-immersing themselves in the warm atmosphere of the venue.

---

"So, he didn't say anything romantic about proposing to you?" Sonoko looked at Shiratori Sara and her painter husband with a somewhat disappointed look on her face, a "That's it?" expression on her face. As a self-proclaimed "love expert," she had expected to hear some sweet and touching stories from the newlyweds, but there seemed to be no romantic lines at all.

Shiratori Sara smiled and shook her head, saying, "Yeah, he's the last person to say those things."

The groom scratched his head and smiled innocently, offering no explanation. Kisaki Eri chuckled softly, folding her arms across her chest, and commented, "That's the kind of man you can trust. Those sharp-tongued guys... aren't any good."

As soon as these words came out, everyone turned their attention to Maori Kogoro, who was thinking about the case when he suddenly sneezed and looked over here with some confusion. Sonoko smiled awkwardly, turned her eyes to Maori Ran, and suddenly asked excitedly: "Ran! Did Shuo say anything touching to you? Romantic, gentle, anything is fine!"

As soon as the words fell, Kisaki Eri and Shiratori Sara couldn't help but cast their gazes towards Maoli Ran and Chen Shuo. Kisaki Eri's eyes were filled with curiosity, wanting to see if the usually calm Chen Shuo would say sweet words to his daughter. Shiratori Sara was filled with interest, wanting to see what this legendary figure was like in private.

Mao Lilan blushed, glanced at Chen Shuo secretly, and whispered shyly: "Brother Shuo...he doesn't talk about these things very often."

Chen Shuo hadn't expected this "gossip war" to actually reach him. He felt a bit overwhelmed and quickly coughed to cover up his embarrassment. He then turned around and made an excuse to get out of the situation: "Ahem... I think I saw an old client. I'll go say hello to him."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Shuo hurriedly slipped out of the banquet hall and escaped from the "circle of women" full of curiosity. He silently apologized to Mao Lilan in his heart: Sorry, Xiaolan, you should try your best to deal with it!

Looking at her boyfriend who left her behind and ran faster than anyone else, Ran Mouri couldn't help but reveal a resentful look. However, before she could complain, she was surrounded by Sonoko, Kisaki Eri and Shiratori Sara with great interest.

"Tell me quickly, Xiaolan! Did he say anything particularly touching?" There was a gossipy gleam in Sonoko's eyes.

Looking at their excited expressions, Mao Lilan couldn't help blushing slightly. She wanted to make some excuses, but found that these three people didn't give her any way out at all.

After escaping the banquet hall, Chen Shuo stood at the door and breathed a long sigh of relief. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "The only ones who can make me flee now are probably those women."

He looked down at the champagne in his hand, smiled slightly, and decided not to rush back for the time being. Since he had already escaped, he might as well relax here for a while and take in the night view.

The banquet hall was located on the fifteenth floor of the Beika Hotel. Through the large windows in the corridor, one could see the unobstructed nightscape of Beika Town. Neon lights flickered softly in the distance, and the streets were bustling with traffic. The dim streetlights painted the city a soft orange. Chen Shuo took a sip of champagne, gazing at the city shrouded in darkness, feeling a rare sense of tranquility.

"That's fine, I'll have some peace and quiet for a while." He smiled, leaned against the window, and enjoyed this short moment of solitude.

Chen Shuo's quiet moment didn't last long. Suddenly, a commotion erupted from the banquet hall. Puzzled, he looked over and saw a purple-haired young man storming out of the door, guitar in hand. He was dressed in a punk style and looked rebellious.

The young man hurried to the door, his face etched with anger, clearly in a very bad mood. Chen Shuo recognized him: Odagiri Toshiya, Odagiri Toshiro's son. His gaze shifted to Odagiri Toshiro, still cursing at the banquet hall entrance, and he couldn't help but grumble inwardly: How could you call your own son a "wild dog"? Genetically speaking, it doesn't seem to be good for you either...

Chen Shuo shook his head and sighed helplessly in his heart, it seems that this kind of "father and son hate each other" drama is really common. The rebellious son and the high-ranking father are so bloody.

Watching his son disappear at the end of the corridor, Odagiri Toshiro sighed deeply. Then, he glanced coldly at Chen Shuo, who was standing by the window, snorted slightly, revealing an unhappy look, and then turned and walked back to the banquet hall.

Seeing this, Chen Shuo showed no concern, instead offering a faint smile. Odagiri Toshiro knew Chen Shuo's identity. He was a serious, upright police officer, and he had always been wary and resentful of people like Chen Shuo. His rejection of Chen Shuo wasn't surprising, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, the other party probably believed in "out of sight, out of mind."

Chen Shuo chuckled softly, and inwardly sighed: Odagiri Toshiro's principles are indeed admirable, but he's also a bit too stubborn. In this respect, he's not as tactful as Hattori Heizo, who knows when to ease up.

A little later, Chen Shuo saw Sato Miwako walk out of the banquet hall and head towards the restroom. Within two minutes, Mao Lilan also walked out of the door, her cheeks slightly flushed, and glared at Chen Shuo with a look full of anger.

She walked over to Chen Shuo and grumbled in a slightly blaming tone, "Humph, you just run away at the critical moment. You're really unreliable!"

Chen Shuo felt somewhat helpless under her glare. He rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly, but didn't dare to reply. Being besieged with gossip was indeed a bit overwhelming for him, and this explanation would only make things worse. Mao Lilan, seeing his innocent look, snorted in annoyance, then turned and walked towards the bathroom, leaving Chen Shuo there rubbing his nose and continuing to pretend to admire the night view.

---

In the bathroom, Miwako Sato was facing the mirror, meticulously applying her makeup when she suddenly saw Ran Mouri push the door open. She was impressed by this gentle and polite girl and greeted her with a smile. The two exchanged a few pleasantries, and the atmosphere was relaxed and natural.

Mao Lilan suddenly thought of the recent shootings of criminal police officers. Her brows knitted together slightly, and there was a hint of worry in her tone: "Officer Sato, there have been a series of police shootings recently. You must be extra careful."

Sato Miwako waved her hand carelessly and said with a bright smile, "Don't worry, I'm very strong! That guy has to think twice before he can deal with me!"

At that moment, the lights in the restroom suddenly flickered, then went completely dark—the power had gone out. The entire space was instantly shrouded in darkness. Both Maoli Ran and Sato were stunned for a moment, and silence fell around them. In the darkness, they could hear each other's soft breathing, and for some reason, a sinister aura hung in the air.