Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 22: The Roller Coaster Murder Case (Part )

Since the murder had occurred right before their eyes, Chen Shuo and his group, as the closest people to the scene, naturally couldn't easily leave. The police asked them to remain and cooperate with the investigation. They waited outside the crime scene. Fortunately, everyone had experienced more serious scenes, and since the three girls hadn't witnessed the bloody scene firsthand, their emotions remained relatively calm, creating a surprisingly relaxed atmosphere.

"Phew, luckily we didn't see it..." Yuanzi couldn't help but sigh, looking up at the busy policemen not far away, with lingering fear in her heart.

"Yeah," Mao Lilan nodded. After hearing some fragments, she could imagine the terrible scene inside. Fortunately, Brother Shuo reacted quickly and didn't let us see the scene. Anyway, Shinichi is in there, so the case should be solved soon."

As Ran Mouri had said, while Kudo Shinichi's emotional intelligence was often frustrating, his IQ was impeccable. While everyone else chatted casually, Shinichi had already been completely absorbed in the investigation. With his sharp deductive reasoning, he quickly uncovered the murderer's methods. Before long, the case was solved.

Having solved the case, Shinichi seemed particularly excited, with an unconcealable look of pride on his face. He ran over excitedly, as if eager to show off his reasoning results in front of everyone, especially in front of Mao Lilan, hoping to gain her praise and admiration.

"Hey, everyone, I've solved the case!" Shinichi smiled broadly, his tone clearly boasting, "The truth is actually very simple. The murderer took advantage of the speed of the car and actually-"

However, his excitement wasn't met with the response he'd hoped. The group didn't particularly care for the details of the case. After all, the horror of their current experience was enough; who needed to hear gory reasoning? Mao Lilan didn't even glance at Kudo Shinichi, her thoughts already preoccupied with her parents' long-awaited reconciliation. Chen Shuo, Sonoko, and the Maori couple also clearly had no interest in the case itself; they were simply grateful to be able to leave the scene.

"Yeah, that's good." Chen Shuo responded casually, turning and waving to Officer Megure. "Officer Megure, can we go now? Is everything all right?"

Megure Jusan nodded, his face full of fatigue but his tone still serious: "It's okay, thank you for your cooperation. Let's go, I'm sorry to trouble you."

The few who had received permission turned around and prepared to leave without hesitation, completely ignoring Shinichi's unfinished boasting. Mao Lilan didn't even spare him a glance, turning around and chatting and laughing with the others as she headed for the exit, a relaxed smile on her face. Her mood had improved thanks to her parents' relationship, and she had long since forgotten Kudo Shinichi's "achievements."

Kudo Shinichi's initial elation was instantly extinguished, and the smile on his face gradually faltered. He stood there awkwardly, watching everyone leave. Ran Mouri's cold attitude towards him was particularly frustrating. Ran, usually the first to agree and encourage him, seemed completely unconcerned with his performance.

"What's wrong?" Kudo Shinichi was puzzled, "Why is she ignoring me?" He had low emotional intelligence and did not realize that Ran Mouri's mind had long been occupied by family matters and she had no time to care about the case.

With no other options, Kudo Shinichi could only lower his head in frustration and silently follow the others. Although the case had been solved, the loneliness within him only grew more pronounced. He suddenly felt as if he had been left far behind by everyone. Neither Maori Ran nor anyone else seemed to be paying attention to his "heroic moment."

"I don't understand..." Shinichi sighed, looking at the back of Mao Lilan happily walking away with her parents with a frustrated face. He couldn't help but feel a little lost, and the loss in his heart was like the gradually leaving crowd, leaving him far behind.

---

As the sun set, the sky gradually stained red with the fading glow, and the bustle of the amusement park gradually softened. Suzuki Sonoko had an important family reception and was picked up early by her family's driver. Though Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki kept quiet, the tension between them, having spent the entire day together, had eased somewhat. As the sky grew darker, Chen Shuo suddenly decided to give the long-separated couple some time alone.

As everyone was wrapping up their fun, Chen Shuo quietly approached Maori Kogoro and said in a low voice, "Kogoro, don't waste this great opportunity tonight. I see your relationship with Eri has improved a lot. Why don't you go out for dinner alone tonight and chat? You can even go home late or... not go home at all!" He deliberately stretched out his words and winked, his words full of hints. "I can promise that Xiaolan will get her home safely. Don't worry."

When Kogoro Mouri heard this, he still looked stubborn on the surface. He stroked his beard and pretended to be indifferent and snorted: "Hmph! I don't need you to worry about me!" Having said that, a hint of pride and hesitation flashed in his eyes: "But... since you said so, it's not impossible." The corners of his mouth rose slightly, as if he was looking forward to it.

Chen Shuo chuckled inwardly. Knowing Maori Kogoro's tsundere nature, he stopped talking and gave him a knowing look. He then turned and walked over to Maori Ran, saying softly, "Xiaolan, your parents' relationship seems much better today. I think there's hope they can reconcile."

Upon hearing this, Ran Mouri's eyes lit up with hope. She looked at her father, who had left with Eri Kisaki not far away, and her heart was filled with warmth. She had always hoped her parents would reconcile, and now seeing this scene brought her great joy.

After a brief farewell, the Maori couple left hand in hand and gradually disappeared into the night of the amusement park.

"Brother Shuo, thank you so much." Mao Lilan said sincerely, with gratitude shining in her eyes. "If it weren't for your help, they don't know when they will have such an opportunity to be alone together again."

"You're welcome, Xiaolan. I also hope that your family will be happy." Chen Shuo smiled, his tone full of gentleness and concern.

As the lights of the amusement park gradually brightened and the crowds thinned, Mao Lilan, Chen Shuo, and Kudo Shinichi decided to continue their ride. Just as they reached the Ferris wheel, ready to embark on this final romantic attraction, Kudo Shinichi's gaze suddenly sharpened. In the distance, a tall, dark figure flashed by. Though it was only a fleeting glimpse, Shinichi immediately recognized the figure—one of the men in black who had appeared at the roller coaster that day!

"This is really suspicious." Shinichi frowned, his heart full of doubts. His intuition told him that something must be going on.

Just as the three of them were about to board the Ferris wheel together, Kudo Shinichi suddenly stood up and said to Lan and Chen Shuo with a serious expression: "You wait here for me, I have something to take care of." After that, he chased in the direction of the man in black without looking back, leaving no chance for Maori Ran to speak.

Ran Mao Li was stunned in place, the anticipation on her face gradually disappearing, replaced by disappointment and helplessness. She had been looking forward to spending this day with everyone, but Kudo Shinichi once again left her without any warning. She should have been used to such scenes, but she couldn't help but feel heartbroken every time.

"Why...why is he always like this..." Mao Lilan's voice began to choke, and her eyes were filled with tears. She bit her lip, trying to suppress her emotions, but the tears still flowed uncontrollably.

Chen Shuo felt sorry for her when he saw her. He didn't understand Kudo Shinichi's thoughts at all, nor did he want to understand. At the moment, he needed to worry about Mao Lilan. Standing beside Lan, Chen Shuo gently patted her shoulder and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be sad, Xiaolan. Kudo must have something urgent to do, otherwise he wouldn't be like this."

Mao Lilan wiped her tears and whispered, "But...it's always like this. He always has something urgent to do and always has to leave. There always seems to be an unbridgeable gap between us..."

After hearing this, Chen Shuo could only sigh helplessly and said softly: "I don't quite understand his thoughts, but you don't need to be sad for him, at least I'm still here."

Although Chen Shuo's words brought some comfort, Mao Lilan still couldn't erase the feeling of loss in her heart. Looking at the Ferris wheel in the distance at night, she couldn't help but whisper to herself, "Maybe one day I'll understand why he's always like this... Fortunately, you're here, Brother Shuo, thank you!" Her voice dissipated in the wind, and only Chen Shuo was there, silently accompanying her and protecting her fragile heart.

---

As the night deepened, Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan stood beneath the Ferris wheel, awaiting Kudo Shinichi's return. As time passed, Lan's mood gradually calmed, but deep worry remained in her eyes. Chen Shuo comforted her for a long time, but Shinichi still didn't return, and the anxiety of waiting gradually made them impatient.

"Why hasn't Shinichi come back yet?" Ran Mouri muttered softly, with a hint of loss in her tone.

Seeing this, Chen Shuo knew that waiting any longer was not a solution, so he suggested, "Why don't we go look for him? Kudo hasn't come back in such a long time, I wonder what's going on."

Mao Lilan nodded, and the two of them immediately searched in the direction where Kudo Shinichi had disappeared. They walked through the crowds of people in the amusement park, around several alleys, and passed through many hidden corners, but they still couldn't find Shinichi. It wasn't until they arrived behind a remote public restroom in the amusement park that they were surprised to find Kudo Shinichi lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, and he was unresponsive.

"Shinichi!" Ran Mouri's heart stopped suddenly. She rushed over instantly, squatted beside him, and anxiously checked his condition.

"Shinichi, wake up! What happened?!" Lan's voice was full of tension and fear. Her hand gently patted Shinichi's face, trying to wake him up.

Chen Shuo had calmed down considerably. He walked over, squatted, and reached out to feel Kudo Shinichi's pulse. It was still beating, but it was beating extremely fast. Even more surprising was that Shinichi's body was incredibly hot, as if he had a fever.

"Xiaolan, his pulse is very fast and his whole body is hot...Call an ambulance!" Chen Shuo frowned, feeling vaguely uneasy.

Hearing this, Mao Lilan hurriedly took out her cell phone and planned to call the ambulance. However, at this moment, Chen Shuo suddenly said in astonishment: "Wait a minute! Uh... What's going on?"

Upon hearing this, Mao Lilan immediately turned her head and her eyes fell on Kudo Shinichi. She was surprised to find that Shinichi's body was slowly shrinking! The once tall boy's skin, bones, and limbs gradually shrank, as if transformed by some mysterious force.

"This...what's going on?" Ran Mouri exclaimed, her eyes full of shock and disbelief.

Chen Shuo's face was filled with disbelief. He stared at the scene with eyes wide open, unable to believe it. A few minutes later, Kudo Shinichi's body had shrunk to the size of a seven-year-old child. He lay on the ground, his childish face a stark contrast to his previous appearance.

"He...how did he become a child?" Ran Mouri's voice trembled, and she obviously couldn't understand what was happening in front of her.

"This is impossible...but this is true." Chen Shuo shook his head gently. He tried to calm himself down, but the miracle before him made it impossible for him to remain calm.

The night breeze blew gently, Lan's mind was still in turmoil, while Chen Shuo stood silently by, staring closely at Shinichi, who had turned into a child, trying to sort out the mystery before him. But there was no doubt that Kudo Shinichi's fate had been completely changed, and the secret behind this might be far more complicated and dangerous than they imagined.