Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 21: The Roller Coaster Murder Case (Part )

Just as Chen Shuo was beginning to doubt himself for thinking that Kudo Shinichi could win Xiaolan's heart, perhaps because he was too engrossed in the conversation, or perhaps because he was eager to show off in front of his childhood friend, he actually walked up to the girl in front of him and grabbed her hand.

"Miss, is this a former gymnast?" He smiled confidently, completely ignoring the confused look on the face of the girl he held.

The girl's brain also went blank. Instead of pulling her hand away in a hurry, she asked, "How do you know?" Her companions next to her were also very surprised, thinking that Kudo Shinichi was the girl's friend. The girl hurriedly denied it.

Ran Mouri didn't expect Kudo Shinichi to be so reckless. She didn't know what to say for a moment. The others also turned around and looked at Kudo Shinichi in confusion.

Kudo Shinichi looked at everyone's eyes looking at him, thinking that everyone was shocked by his reasoning, and felt great satisfaction in his heart, so he continued his reasoning.

"Because she had a lot of blisters on her hands..."

"Let's not talk about the blisters for now, Kudo boy, you are very rude." A faint voice interrupted Kudo Shinichi's reasoning. It was Chen Shuo. He never expected that Kudo Shinichi would be so selfish and not care about other people's feelings at all?

Hearing Chen Shuo's words, the girl was startled at first, her head whipping around, her eyes wide open as she stared at Shinichi. Her companions were instantly furious, with one of the boys immediately defending the girl and shouting angrily, "What are you doing? You're so clumsy! Do you think just guessing someone's identity is an excuse? You rascal!"

Shinichi was stunned by the scolding, realizing that he was too impulsive, and hurriedly tried to explain: "You misunderstood! I just figured out her identity through reasoning, and I didn't mean anything else."

But his words were obviously unconvincing. His female companions were still full of anger, their eyes looking as if they wanted to eat Shinichi. Mao Lilan, standing aside, was also very dissatisfied with his abrupt behavior. She frowned and whispered, "Shinichi, you are really going too far. We are all here to have fun, not for you to hold a reasoning competition."

Shinichi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, his smile a little stiff: "I... I just want to prove it..."

"Prove what?" Kisaki Eri interrupted him coldly before he could finish. "Prove you can just grab a stranger? That's a crime!" Her tone was full of blame, and Shinichi's face flushed. He muttered to himself, "It's just a deduction. It's all Chen Shuo's fault. If I could tell everyone, I would definitely shock them."

The unpleasant incident ended in an awkward silence. The line slowly moved forward, and finally it was Shinichi and his group's turn. However, due to the large number of people, they could not ride the same roller coaster together. Although there were still empty seats, the group decided to wait for the next one.

"Don't worry, we'll go together next time." Chen Shuo comforted.

The roller coaster roared into the air, carrying screams and shouts as it careened into the wind and high-altitude track. A few minutes later, the roller coaster roared back to its starting point, and everyone thought it was just a normal time to get off. However, the atmosphere suddenly became strange.

"What's going on?" Chen Shuo, who was in the next line, was the first to notice something was wrong. He frowned and looked towards the stopped roller coaster.

"What's going on..." The tourist behind Chen Shuo also whispered, "Why is everyone so motionless? Are they scared and fainted?"

Chen Shuo narrowed his eyes, and before anyone could react, he quickly covered Sonoko's eyes. He then pulled Ran Maori into his arms and blindfolded her, saying calmly, "Don't look. It's not for you. Come with me slowly." He then hugged the two women and left the crowd. Maori Kogoro and Kisaki Eri also left the crowd. Maori Kogoro also hugged Kisaki Eri to prevent her from looking back. As for Kudo Shinichi...

He was long gone.

"Oh my God...someone's dead!" When the group walked out of the crowd and came to a wide area, the other tourists who reacted started screaming and the whole scene suddenly fell into chaos.

The onlookers were talking about it all, describing the terrifying incident on the roller coaster. Some covered their mouths, their faces pale, while many more were filled with fear and anxiety, whispering to each other non-stop.

"I heard someone died, and... his head was missing!"

"It's horrible! Who would have thought that riding a roller coaster would lead to something like this?"

"Is this not an accident? This is too weird..."

As these fragmented conversations reached their ears, the women standing nearby gradually realized the seriousness of the situation. Kisaki Eri frowned, but her inner turmoil seemed unnoticed, and she appeared remarkably calm. At that moment, Maori Kogoro had quietly stepped beside her, offering to shield her from the throng of tourists, carefully protecting her from the crowd.

Kisaki Eri looked up at him, a rare tenderness flickering in her eyes. Although she wouldn't admit it, she was actually quite pleased with Maori Kogoro's thoughtfulness. She snorted softly and said proudly, "Hmph, it's rare for you to have such awareness. Keep working hard, and maybe I'll force myself to praise you a few more times."

Maori Kogoro obviously didn't expect to be praised, and a blush instantly appeared on his face, but he quickly straightened his back and replied arrogantly: "Don't, don't get me wrong! This is just a subconscious behavior, it's no big deal!"

Kisaki Eri couldn't help but chuckle, her eyes softening slightly. Although the two of them continued to bicker, their feelings seemed to be quietly warming with these trivial interactions.

On the other side, Suzuki Sonoko also looked at Chen Shuo with gratitude. It was he who had protected her during the chaos, making sure she wasn't bumped into by the panicked tourists. She patted Chen Shuo on the shoulder and said gratefully, "Brother Shuo, thank you so much. You're always so reliable."

Chen Shuo smiled, waved his hand, and said modestly: "No, it's just a small favor. After all, we are friends."

"How gentle," Sonoko sighed, then changed the subject and couldn't help but complain, "Unlike some people who mysteriously disappear every time something like this happens, completely disregarding the feelings of those around them!"

Although she didn't mention anyone by name, she was obviously referring to Kudo Shinichi. Whenever a case occurred, Kudo Shinichi was always the first to rush to the front line, completely abandoning his companions.

Ran Maoli couldn't help but feel a little complicated when she heard this. She subconsciously looked into the distance. Sure enough, Kudo Shinichi disappeared from everyone's sight again, not even his back could be seen. Ran sighed slightly, and couldn't help but think of the details of the past few years.

Her gaze returned to Chen Shuo, the contrast becoming increasingly stark. Chen Shuo was gentle and considerate, always thinking of her and their friends; while Kudo Shinichi, though intelligent, always chose to act alone at the most crucial moments, even forgetting the feelings of those around him. Although she understood Shinichi's own hobbies, she couldn't suppress the feeling of loss.

"It's always like this..." Mao Lilan thought silently in her heart, with mixed emotions, "What else can I expect from him?"

As the roller coaster incident unfolds, the relationships among the group begin to shift. Ran Maoli's disappointment with Kudo Shinichi grows, while Chen Shuo's attentiveness gradually sparks new feelings in her. Changes in people's hearts can sometimes occur in such unnoticed moments.

---

The police quickly arrived at the scene, and Megure Juzo led several officers to quickly cordon off the entire roller coaster area of ​​the amusement park. A tense atmosphere spread among the crowd, but when Officer Megure noticed Maori Kogoro and others standing nearby, he forced a relaxed smile and walked over to greet them.

"Brother Maori, Lawyer Hime, Boss Chen, why are you all here too? What a coincidence." Megure Jusan said as he glanced around, as if to confirm whether they were witnesses who happened to be present.

Several people smiled and nodded, and responded politely: "Yes, we just came here for fun, and we didn't expect to encounter such a thing."

Megure Juzo exchanged a few words with them, then, upon hearing they had immediately evacuated the scene, apologized and left. Interestingly, however, Kogoro Mori, who usually actively participated in solving cases, behaved very differently this time. He stood aside, seemingly completely uninterested in the investigation, his gaze occasionally glancing at Eri Kisaki beside him, a look of surprising tenderness on his face.

Chen Shuo keenly observed this scene, a smile playing on his lips. He noticed that the Maori couple, who usually loved bickering, were now quietly holding hands. The long-lost intimacy flowing between them seemed even more striking than the tense atmosphere at the crime scene.

Chen Shuo couldn't help but chuckle, and deliberately nudged Mao Lilan with his arm, motioning her to look in the direction of her parents. "Lan, look at your parents," he said, a hint of teasing in his tone, "it seems their relationship has healed well."

Ran Maori was still feeling upset about Kudo Shinichi's "disappearance," but when she followed Chen Shuo's gaze and saw her parents' tightly clasped hands, she was stunned. Her mother, Kisaki Eri, had softened considerably, while her father, Maori Kogoro, had shed his usual playful smile, his eyes filled with tenderness that brought a slight tear to Ran's eyes.

"Really... they shook hands." A long-lost warmth welled up in Ran Maoli's heart, and the anxiety and confusion in her eyes instantly turned into joy. Her parents had been separated for many years, and although she had always hoped that they would reconcile, this scene still made her feel extremely surprised. The corners of her mouth involuntarily raised, and a relaxed and happy smile appeared on her face.

"It looks like there's hope for them to reconcile," Lan whispered, a huge weight lifted off her chest. At that moment, Kudo Shinichi's problem was temporarily forgotten, and all her worries seemed unimportant because of her parents' closeness.

Her gaze lingered on her parents for a long time, her eyes gleaming with hope and emotion. The long-standing separation and cold war seemed to have been resolved at this moment, and Mao Lilan couldn't help but imagine a warm family scene, and the day when her parents reconciled might be in the near future.

"That's great..." Lan whispered with a gentle smile on her lips. She looked at her parents softly, her heart full of anticipation.