Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 73 Mao Lilan's Troubles

After leaving the hospital, Chen Shuo took a deep breath, trying to calm his rage. He knew he couldn't let his anger cloud his mind. While he didn't have Conan's intellect, he had his own strengths. Right now, calmness, planning, and execution were paramount.

Two hours later, in the fanciest private room of a luxurious bar in the red-light district, Chen Shuo held a glass of whiskey, gently swirling the amber liquid. The door gently opened, and a beautiful woman in a kimono sauntered in, followed by a tall bodyguard. She smiled seductively, sat down across from Chen Shuo, and nodded slightly.

"It's truly rare that the renowned Mr. Wuchen would actually visit our humble abode. It truly brings honor to us." The kimono-clad beauty chuckled softly, then her eyes grew serious as she got back to the point: "So, how can I help you?"

Chen Shuo downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. His voice was calm and low. "Ms. Shihezi, you should have heard about the two incidents that happened today. I'd like to know who is behind this, or if there are any valuable clues?"

Towako reached out to the bodyguard behind her, who handed her a briefcase, which she then passed to Chen Shuo. Chen Shuo took the briefcase, opened it, and perused it. The information within was impressive, encompassing every detail of the scene, from the model of arrow to the brand of pesticide. It was undeniably detailed, surpassing even the work of the Metropolitan Police Department in its thoroughness. Chen Shuo scoffed inwardly: No wonder the Metropolitan Police Department is full of good-for-nothings; the real talent lies among the common people.

"We're also keeping an eye on this matter. After all, it involves a Metropolitan Police Department inspector and a well-known lawyer. However, so far, we haven't received any substantial leads..." Towako was just saying this when a girl dressed as a maid suddenly walked in. She bowed slightly, handed over a new document, and then quietly withdrew.

Shihezi took the information, glanced at it for a few seconds, then handed it to Chen Shuo with a smile, a hint of inquiry in her eyes: "Mr. Wuchen, please take a look. Just now, another person was attacked... and it's someone you know."

Chen Shuo's eyes instantly turned cold, and murderous intent surged from his body like a wave. The strong murderous intent made the bodyguard behind Shi Hezi subconsciously put his hands on his waist and looked at Chen Shuo vigilantly. However, the bodyguard's action was quickly stopped by Shi Hezi's eyes.

Chen Shuo flipped through the file, and seeing the name, his murderous intent subsided slightly. He breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out the person who had just been attacked was Dr. Agasa. While he had a good relationship with Dr. Agasa, it was clearly not as close as the Mori family. Furthermore, Dr. Agasa had only been shot in the buttocks and was not seriously injured, which made him feel a little relieved.

The document mentions that a paper object was also left at the scene of Professor Agasa's attack—a twisted paper ornament. Based on the inferences in the document, these paper artifacts mimic the objects held by characters in playing cards. For example, the paper sword left by Inspector Megure is the sword held by the King of Spades; the paper flower left by Eri Kisaki is the flower from the Queen of Spades. And this time, the one left by Professor Agasa is the "Sword of Mercy" wielded by the Knight of Spades.

Even more interesting, the document indicates that the names of three of the victims all contained numbers corresponding to playing cards. If this is true, ten more people could have been attacked. Furthermore, these individuals are likely connected to Maori Kogoro. Just a few days ago, Murakami Takeru, who was assaulted and arrested by Maori Kogoro ten years prior, was released from prison. As a former dealer, Murakami Takeru's thinking is perfectly normal, making him a strong suspect.

Chen Shuo flipped through the documents, his gaze resting on the last page, detailing Kogoro Maori's arrest of Murakami Takeru. His brow furrowed slightly, a hint of confusion forming in his heart, but after a moment, his brow relaxed. For now, these details were unimportant; the most important thing was to find Murakami Takeru.

Chen Shuo closed the file and turned his gaze towards Shihezi. He said calmly, "It seems like things are a bit tricky. If you have any more information, please let me know."

Shihezi smiled slightly and nodded gently, with an inexplicable glint in her eyes: "Mr. Wuchen, don't worry, we will tell you any latest news as soon as possible."

Chen Shuo stood up from the sofa, his deep gaze fixed on Towako's face. "Ms. Towako, please help me pay more attention to this matter, especially everything related to Murakami Takeru. Also, I need to know his current hiding place."

Shihezi suppressed her smile and nodded solemnly to Chen Shuo: "It is our honor, Mr. Wuchen. We will do our best."

Chen Shuo glanced at the bodyguards behind Shihezi, then turned back to her and said calmly, "There might be some trouble this time, so be careful. If the target is Kogoro, he might also attack you. After all, as far as I know, Kogoro and you have a very good relationship."

Towako pursed her lips and smiled, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. "Thank you for the reminder, but we're not easy to deal with. Besides, we haven't seen each other for a long time, ever since you told us a few months ago not to welcome Detective Mori on the entire street."

Chen Shuo smiled coldly: "I hope you can reply to me as soon as possible and keep in touch." After that, he took out a few gold coins from his pocket and gently placed them on the table, then turned and left.

He pushed open the door to the private room and slowly walked out, leaving the room in silence. Shihezi watched Chen Shuo leave, a look of awe and helplessness in her eyes. The bodyguard behind her looked at the gold coins on the table and whispered, "Sister, he's really terrifying..."

Towako nodded slightly and whispered to herself, "'Wuchen'...it lives up to its reputation..."

She poured herself a glass of wine and stared at the gold coins on the table, silent and thoughtful for a moment.

---

After leaving the red light district, Chen Shuo carefully looked at the information in his hand and decided to take a picture of the important information and send it to Maori Kogoro and Conan. He never denied his shortcomings. Although his mind was not as bright as Conan's, he was good at finding the right person to handle things.

As soon as he returned to the cafe, his phone rang. Maori Kogoro's voice was tinged with seriousness: "Chen Shuo, I've read the information you gave me. Do you think Murakami Takeru's next target will be Ms. Towako? There's a 'ten' in her name."

Chen Shuo thought for a moment, then responded, "Think about it. Who else among your acquaintances has the character '十' in their name? As for Shi Hezi, her abilities don't require our protection. On the contrary, if she were attacked, it might even save us a lot of trouble."

On the other end of the phone, Maori Kogoro was silent for a moment, as if digesting this idea: "Is that so... That's right, Towako is not someone to be trifled with. Have you met her?"

Chen Shuo smiled slightly. "Who in Tokyo knows more about news than her? Where do you think I got that information from?"

Maori Kogoro couldn't help but laugh: "That's true."

Just after hanging up the phone with Kogoro Mouri, the phone rang again, and this time it was Conan's voice.

"Brother Shuo, there is a suspicious point here." Conan said directly.

"Go ahead." Chen Shuo put down the coffee in his hand.

"According to the information, Murakami Sho had just spent ten years in prison and was released a week ago. How could he have found out so much information about the people around Mr. Mori in such a short time? And why did he deliberately leave clues that led to me? He even found out about Auntie Hime's favorite chocolate. None of this makes sense."

Hearing Conan's question, Chen Shuo also fell into deep thought. Indeed, although all suspicions pointed to Murakami, Conan's doubts were also objective. If Murakami had obtained the information through an intelligence dealer, Towako would definitely tell him immediately. After all, she controlled the entire Tokyo underground intelligence network. Moreover, information about a well-known figure like Maori Kogoro was worth a lot of money, and Murakami, who had just been released from prison, had no way of being able to buy it.

"Continue to investigate this suspicious point." Chen Shuo instructed Conan and then hung up the phone. He picked up the coffee that Enomoto Azusa handed him, took a sip, and looked at the empty counter, feeling irritated. At this time, Amuro Toru actually asked for leave, which was really frustrating...

He couldn't help but shake his head, thinking about the complexity of the matter, and decided to put aside his annoyance for the time being and seriously think about his next move.

---

At night, Chen Shuo stood by the window, a glass of whiskey in hand, his gaze fixed on the deserted street. His mind was blank, seemingly free from any thought. He could recite the information by heart, but no matter how hard he looked, he could find no clues. Towako's men were professional, their deductions comprehensive, and Conan's questions offered him new perspectives.

Logically, he should have waited patiently for news from Towako and Conan, but he couldn't fall asleep tonight and was as restless as the surface of disturbed water.

Suddenly, the wind chimes at the door rang softly. Chen Shuo turned around and was surprised to see Mao Lilan push the door open and walk in. She looked a little depressed. She walked silently to Chen Shuo, put her arms around his waist, and gently rested her head on his chest, silent.

Chen Shuo thought Xiaolan was still worried about the three incidents that happened today, so he gently stroked her hair and comforted her, "Don't worry, things will soon have a result. I will find the murderer."

Yet, Ran Mouri's mind was swirling with memories awakened just hours earlier: she couldn't forget the moment her father, Kogoro Mouri, shot and wounded her mother, Eri Kisaki. She began to wonder if this was the reason her mother had left her. She couldn't accept that her father had shot her without regard for her mother's safety.

She raised her head, tears welling up in her eyes, and asked in a low voice: "Brother Shuo, if it were you, would you shoot in that situation?"

Chen Shuo looked at her fragile appearance, his heart aching. He gently kissed her forehead: "Xiaolan, don't worry, there are no ifs. I will never let you fall into such a dangerous situation, believe me."

He held Ran Maoli in his arms, took her to sit on the sofa, and said gently: "Ran, I hope you can understand that although it is true that Kogoro fired the gun that year, the truth of the matter may not be what you think. His love for Eri is obvious. In his heart, catching the criminal is definitely not as important as Eri's safety!"

Xiaolan's heart trembled at Chen Shuo's words. She pondered the relationship between her parents, and gradually calmed down. Although she still didn't fully understand the deeper meaning of Chen Shuo's words, she unconsciously developed a slight anticipation for the truth. She nodded slightly, a glint in her eyes, as if she understood something.