Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 10 Dangerous Intersection

As night falls in Manhattan, neon lights illuminate the streets, adding a touch of mystery and danger to this bustling city. The assassination mission on the Statue of Liberty has come to a temporary end, but Chen Shuo is not relaxed. The unexpected appearance of Mao Lilan and her group disrupts his plans, forcing him to reconsider his next move.

After evacuating the Statue of Liberty, Chen Shuo quickly blended into the crowd, passing through a rigorous anti-reconnaissance route and returning to an unnoticed underground warehouse deep in the city. His steps were steady, and he was constantly formulating a new plan of action.

"Dixon's itinerary indicates he'll be returning to his hotel near Central Park to rest tonight." Chen Shuo sat on a simple wooden chair, his laptop open. The screen displayed the target's latest movements. Chen Shuo murmured softly, "If direct action on the spot doesn't work, then we'll try another method."

He quickly opened the backpack beside him, revealing a complete set of infiltration equipment: night vision goggles, infrared detectors, jammers, and even several forged ID cards. Chen Shuo knew that Dixon's hotel had tight security and would not easily allow outsiders to approach, but Wu Chen was never afraid of a challenge.

"Tonight, the hotel will be his grave." He muttered to himself, his eyes cold and his thoughts as sharp as the dagger in his hand.

Chen Shuo gathered his equipment and quickly analyzed the hotel's security layout. Through underground channels, he had already obtained a detailed floor plan of the hotel and the security patrol schedules.

"Dixon's room is on the fifth floor. Although there are bodyguards, the cameras in the elevator area, which fire every three seconds, can cover a certain blind spot. As long as we use a jammer to block the surveillance signal at a critical moment, we have a chance to sneak into his room unnoticed."

He expertly adjusted his equipment, ensuring everything was in working order. He then put away his QBU-191, which wasn't suitable for indoor close combat. While it wouldn't necessarily lead to discovery and a shootout, Chen Shuo never fought an unprepared battle. He holstered his Remington in Uchimura's and donned his suit jacket, looking like a white-collar worker who'd just gotten off work.

After everything was ready, Chen Shuo looked down at his watch. It was still two hours before the target returned to the hotel. This was plenty of time for him to sneak in and set up everything.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side of Manhattan, Kudo Shinichi, Mao Lilan, and Kudo Yukiko have returned to the city from the Statue of Liberty. Although they participated in a lively speech event, the murder that had just occurred in the theater still made the atmosphere a little heavy, especially Mao Lilan, who was in a very low mood.

Sharon Wynyard said goodbye to Yukiko and the other two on the street: "It was a really pleasant day. Although there was a little incident, I hope you can continue to enjoy the good times in New York."

Mao Lilan smiled gratefully and said goodbye: "Ms. Sharon, thank you so much for today!"

Kudo Yukiko jokingly said, "I hope it won't be so scary next time. It's so scary to watch an opera and then encounter a murder or something like that!"

Sharon shrugged, a mysterious smile flashing in her eyes: "Who knows? Maybe you will see something more interesting next time."

After saying goodbye to Sharon, Kudo Yukiko received a call from the NYPD asking her to go to the police station to take a statement about the Golden Apple Theater murder case. So, she decided to go alone, wanting Kudo Shinichi and Mao Lilan to go back to the hotel first.

"You guys go back first. I'll come to you after I finish taking the statement." Kudo Yukiko waved her hand and drove away in her sports car.

Kudo Shin nodded, then hailed a yellow taxi, and the two of them got in side by side. The New York nightscape came into view through the car window, and the hustle and bustle of the city formed a sharp contrast with the quietness inside the car.

The taxi driver was a middle-aged man with a scruffy face. He glanced at the two people in the rearview mirror and said, "Are you tourists? You'd better be careful these days. I heard that there's a Japanese serial killer committing crimes all over New York, specifically targeting tourists."

"Japanese murderer?" Mao Lilan immediately became nervous when she heard it.

"That's right, this guy is very scary, and the police haven't found his whereabouts yet. You two'd better not wander around outside." The driver's tone was gloomy, as if he was deliberately scaring them.

Mao Lilan's face turned pale instantly. She turned to look at Kudo Shinichi: "Shinichi, what should we do? Is it really that dangerous?"

Kudo Shinichi looked at her nervous expression and couldn't help laughing: "Xiaolan, you are not really scared, are you? Aren't you usually very brave?"

Mao Lilan puffed up her face in dissatisfaction: "But I feel... it's terrible. Can't you comfort me?"

"Comfort?" Kudo Shinichi shook his head helplessly. "If you're so scared, why not just call Chen Shuo if you're in danger next time? He'll definitely come running to protect you."

Mentioning Chen Shuo, Mao Lilan's face turned slightly red, but she stubbornly retorted: "Brother Shuo will never laugh at me like you do, he will definitely comfort me."

Kudo Shinichi felt uncomfortable after hearing this, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared: "Chen Shuo...how much do you know about him? He looks like a good person, but who knows if he has other motives?"

Mao Lilan retorted unconvincedly: "How can you say that about Brother Shuo? He has always been very good to me and would never be as cold as you!"

The two started arguing with each other, and the atmosphere gradually became tense. At this moment, the handkerchief in Mao Lilan's hand was suddenly blown away by a gust of wind and floated out of the car window.

"Ah! Handkerchief!" Mao Lilan shouted hurriedly: "Driver, please stop the car!"

This is the handkerchief given to me by the famous star Sharon Wynyard. I must not lose it!

After hearing this, the driver instinctively stepped on the brakes and stopped the car on the side of the road.

"Wait, I'll pick it up." Mao Lilan quickly opened the car door and ran out.

Kudo Shinichi looked at her back, feeling a little unhappy: "Brother Shuo, Brother Shuo, why does he feel so good about this guy Chen Shuo? Obviously I..." He muttered to himself, feeling that he seemed a little stingy.

The taxi driver turned around and saw Mao Lilan running away. He said lightly: "Your girlfriend is quite troublesome. Fortunately, my wife is not so troublesome."

"She's not my girlfriend!" Kudo Shinichi was even more upset by the driver's words. He simply leaned back in his chair and ignored him, thinking that he would continue on his way after Xiaolan picked up the handkerchief.

Mao Lilan jogged along, following the trail of the handkerchief. The handkerchief Sharon Wynyard had given her was floating in the wind towards the top of a tall building not far away. She frowned, thinking to herself, "How could it have floated so high?"

She stood downstairs, looking up at the handkerchief hanging on the railing on the roof, hesitated for a moment, and decided to go up and get it back. After all, it was a gift from Sharon, and she was unwilling to give it up.

Mao Lilan walked to the door of the building and found it ajar. She was about to push it open when she suddenly saw a tall figure suddenly appear at the intersection and slowly approach her. At this moment, Mao Lilan's mind flashed back to the driver's words about the "Japanese killer". She couldn't help but feel a little nervous, but she forced herself to calm down.

Ran Mao Li took a closer look. He was a tall, stern-looking Asian man. He was dressed in black, with deep eyes and an icy aura. The moment she saw him, Mao Li Ran felt her heart beat faster, and the terrifying thought of "Japanese murderer" flashed through her mind.

What was even more terrifying was that this man actually stopped in front of him, staring at him with cold eyes.

"You... who are you?" Ran Mouri asked subconsciously, her voice trembling slightly.

The man did not answer immediately, but just looked at her quietly, with a hint of helplessness and complexity in his eyes. At this moment, the roar of a car engine came from the distance, and Mao Lilan turned her head.

When I looked, I saw the taxi speeding away, leaving behind a cloud of dust.

"What?" Mao Lilan was stunned.

The taxi driver was obviously frightened. The moment he saw the man, he thought he had met the "Japanese murderer". He stepped on the accelerator and quickly left the scene with Kudo Shinichi.

"Shinichi..." Ran Maoli looked at the taxi going away, and a sense of helplessness suddenly surged in her heart. The man in front of her was still standing there motionless, as if examining her.

Her heart beat faster and faster, her hand tightly grasped the handkerchief, and all kinds of possibilities began to emerge in her mind - would she be the next victim?

---

At the same time, in the taxi, Kudo Shinichi looked at the driver in confusion: "Hey! What are you doing? Stop! Stop!"

The driver, sweating profusely, said nervously, "There's no time to explain! That guy is the Japanese killer they were talking about in the news! We have to leave quickly, or he'll kill us too!"

Kudo Shinichi's heart instantly jumped into his throat. He looked through the rearview mirror and saw Ran Mouri, who had been abandoned, and they were already driving further and further away. He was instantly filled with great worry and guilt: "Oh no... I shouldn't have let her get off alone!"

The driver was still stepping on the accelerator frantically. Kudo Shinichi grabbed the car door, feeling extremely anxious: "Xiaolan..."