Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 36 BBQ Night

As night falls, moonlight gently casts a shadow over the sea, shimmering like silver fragments across the dark ocean. A salty sea breeze, mingled with the faint aroma of barbecue, gently drifts across the beach, adding a unique touch of charm to the quiet evening.

Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan sat side by side at a barbecue grill on the beach, the flames dancing before their eyes, casting a rosy glow on their faces. The skewers sizzled on the grill, and the occasional pop of fat dripping onto the flames could be heard. They had already left Mao Li Kogoro and Conan behind, seemingly intent on immersing themselves in this rare moment together.

"What a nice day!" Mao Lilan looked up at the starry sky with a relaxed smile on her face. The night breeze blew her long hair, making her smile look particularly gentle.

"Well, compared to the hustle and bustle of the day, a night like this is more relaxing." Chen Shuo smiled faintly, looking at her with gentle eyes. Compared to the "case maniac" attributes of Maori Kogoro and Conan, he preferred this peaceful atmosphere.

Mao Lilan took a bite of the grilled skewer and squinted her eyes, as if savoring the delicious taste. "Come to think of it, Dad and Conan should still be investigating something right now, right? It's really thanks to them that I have the opportunity to land on this island."

"Well, that's Kogoro's job," Chen Shuo shrugged, casually picking up a piece of roasted meat and putting it in his mouth. "Your father is a detective. As for that brat... I guess he's going to come up with some 'The Magnificent Mystery of the Sleeping Maori Kogoro' again."

"Haha, that's true." Mao Lilan couldn't help laughing. Thinking back to the time when Conan used an anesthetic needle to knock his father unconscious and then used a voice changer to imitate his father's voice to make his deductions, she felt angry and funny. "I don't know why he always likes to get involved in those dangerous things."

"That kid probably only has the word 'reasoning' in his head." Chen Shuo teased, then glanced at Mao Lilan and changed the subject: "However, Xiaolan, you are no longer as worried about them as before, which is a good thing."

Mao Lilan blinked, a faint smile appeared on her face, and her eyes turned to the sea: "Well... maybe, I used to worry too much about them, always afraid that they would encounter danger. But now, with you by my side, I feel that even if the sky falls, I can face it calmly."

"Oh?" Chen Shuo raised his eyebrows, a hint of teasing in his eyes. "Should I be flattered?"

"Don't be so self-indulgent!" Mao Lilan rolled her eyes at him, then pouted and said with some dissatisfaction, "But it's true... you are different from them. You won't take risks casually."

Chen Shuo smiled and casually picked up a freshly roasted corn and handed it to Mao Lilan: "I just prefer a stable life now. My life before was ten times more dangerous than theirs."

Mao Lilan took the corn, lowered her head and took a bite, a satisfied smile on her face. A quiet and comfortable atmosphere fell between the two of them. There were no extra words, only the aroma of barbecue on the beach and the occasional sound of waves to accompany them.

Suddenly, Mao Lilan seemed to have thought of something, raised her head, and looked at Chen Shuo hesitantly: "Brother Shuo..."

"Ok?"

"I... actually, I've always wanted to ask you something." Mao Lilan lowered her head, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, and her voice was as light as a falling feather. "You never talked much about your past with me before... those things about when you were a killer. Do you think... the experiences during that time... were painful?"

Chen Shuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly. He looked at Mao Lilan, his clear eyes showing no trace of disgust or fear, only a hint of curiosity and concern.

"Pain?" Chen Shuo chuckled, as if pondering something. "How should I put it... If you mean the blood, death, and constant pursuit I have to face every day, I've never felt that was that painful."

"Then would you find it... interesting?" There was a hint of complexity in Mao Lilan's eyes. "I know... you are a killer and you do dangerous work, but... you always act so calm now. I don't understand why you can come out of that dark past..."

"Heh..." Chen Shuo sighed softly, his eyes becoming deep and distant. "Xiao Lan, you know what? The profession of assassin isn't as exciting as it's portrayed in the movies. Those so-called 'missions' and 'hunts' are actually mostly just boring waiting, precise calculations, and endless caution."

Mao Lilan widened her eyes slightly, listened attentively, and did not interrupt him.

"But there were also some... unforgettable experiences." Chen Shuo gave a faint smile, his tone tinged with nostalgia. "For example, I have a very powerful friend. His name is John Wick, but he's not famous in this world."

"John Wick?" Mao Lilan blinked in confusion. She didn't hear the hidden meaning of Chen Shuo.

"He's an extremely skilled assassin. There's practically no mission he can't accomplish." Chen Shuo's eyes brightened, as if recalling a fascinating past. "He once killed three people in a bar with just a pencil! Later, he practically wiped out the entire underworld."

"Wow..." Mao Lilan couldn't help but gasp, her eyes full of surprise and excitement. "You've worked with such an amazing person? That must be amazing!"

"Yes." Chen Shuo nodded gently, a hint of smile in his eyes. "However, if you met him in person, you wouldn't think he was that remarkable. He just looks like a taciturn, dull middle-aged man."

"He sounds really amazing." Mao Lilan admired him, then frowned, "But a person like him...his life must be very lonely."

"Lonely?" Chen Shuo's smile became a little complicated. "Maybe... but he had no choice. He tried to change, but unfortunately... God didn't give him a chance."

Mao Lilan was silent for a while, then raised her head and looked at Chen Shuo seriously: "What about you, Brother Shuo? What did you think back then?"

"Me?" Chen Shuo raised his eyebrows slightly, then chuckled and shook his head. "Xiao Lan, I'm different from him. I became a killer...at first it was just to survive, and later because of John Wick, I felt I couldn't live in a hail of bullets all my life. So I started trying to change. I'm luckier than him. I'm more successful and can stay out of it. Now, I prefer to be a coffee shop owner, chatting with you guys and enjoying the scenery."

"Well...that's true. You really...should be more like an ordinary person." Mao Lilan smiled and lowered her head, with a hint of tenderness in her eyes.

"So now you want to know about my 'dangerous' past?" Chen Shuo teased, with a hint of teasing in his eyes.

"Well... I guess so." Mao Lilan pursed her lips, a hint of shyness flashing in her eyes.

Chen Shuo was stunned for a moment, then smiled. He reached out and ruffled Mao Lilan's hair, saying softly, "Xiao Lan, you are braver than I thought."

Mao Lilan blushed and snorted stubbornly: "Don't think I will be happy just because of a few compliments!"

"Okay, okay, no more praise." Chen Shuo smiled helplessly.

The night was deep, and the sea breeze gently blew across the island. The waves crashed against the rocks, making a low sound. Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan sat on the beach, chatting and laughing, enjoying this moment of peace and comfort.

"Brother Shuo, do you think the residents on the island are so leisurely? I don't think I've ever seen people with such a slow pace anywhere else." Mao Lilan raised her head, blinked her big eyes, and there was a hint of curiosity in her tone.

"Yeah, but that's good too, at least it's not so noisy." Chen Shuo responded casually with a faint smile on his face.

The air was filled with the faint smell of the sea and barbecue, and from time to time a few seagulls flew across the night sky, making a few soft calls. But just then, a sudden burst of piano music came from the direction of the community center - a melodious yet heavy melody echoed in the night sky, as if carrying an oppressive atmosphere.

Chen Shuo and Mao Lilan paused in their laughter. They looked at each other, their relaxed smiles gradually fading.

"Is this... Beethoven's "Moonlight"? " Mao Lilan asked hesitantly, with a hint of uneasiness on her face.

"Yeah, that's right." Chen Shuo frowned slightly and turned his gaze towards the direction of the piano music. "But... who would play 'Moonlight' in the community center this late at night?"

Just as he finished speaking, a shrill scream pierced the night sky, accompanied by the sound of waves, which was particularly harsh. Mao Lilan shuddered suddenly, and her face turned pale in an instant: "Ah! What's going on?! Is...something wrong?"

Chen Shuo sighed and shrugged helplessly: "How should I know... But if it's "Moonlight"... won't someone die again?"

Mao Lilan's face turned pale, with a worried look in her eyes: "Brother Shuo, are Dad and the others also in the community center? Should we go and see?"

Chen Shuo frowned slightly, his gaze casting towards the direction of the community center. Although he didn't want to get involved in such a troublesome matter, seeing Mao Lilan's anxious eyes, he compromised. He waved his hand, walked over to the barbecue grill, and extinguished the flames: "Let's go and take a look."

The two walked along the path towards the community center. Mao Lilan followed Chen Shuo closely, her fingers unconsciously clutching the corner of his clothes, as if this could give her some sense of security.

"Whenever Conan and Maori Kogoro are around, there's never peace." Chen Shuo muttered softly, his brows furrowed. "Why do I feel like the number of murders has skyrocketed since Kudo-chan became Conan?"

"Don't talk nonsense." Although Mao Lilan looked a little nervous, she couldn't help but pat Chen Shuo's shoulder gently, "You must be overthinking it."

But when they walked to the door of the community center, the scene before them made Mao Lilan's heart hang in the air again.

The hall of the community center was packed with people, all looking tense, as if they had just experienced a major shock. In the center of the crowd, at the doorway of a spacious room, stood several men dressed in villager clothing, attempting to maintain order. Outside, several women trembled with fear on their faces.

"What happened?" Mao Lilan subconsciously covered her mouth, her voice trembling.

"It seems...something really happened." Chen Shuo replied in a low voice, his eyes slightly fixed. He squeezed into the crowd and led Mao Lilan into the room.

When the two finally pushed through the crowd and walked into the open door, the scene before them made them gasp.

In the room, an old piano stood quietly by the window. Faint moonlight shone through the window onto the piano, as if gilding it with a mysterious glow. Beside the piano, a man lay slumped over the keys, his body drenched in sweat, his face, eyes wide open, stained pale by the reflection of the keys.

"Sure enough...someone's dead again." Chen Shuo stood at the door, shaking his head helplessly, feeling an indescribable depression in his heart. Ever since he, Kudo Shinichi, became a child, this kind of "sudden murder" situation has almost become the norm. He couldn't help but think back to the news reports he saw some time ago, and then looked at the tragic scene before him, and couldn't help but complain: "Why do I always feel that these murders are inseparable from the Mori family? Is it because of Kogoro or because of Conan?"

"Wow... this... what the hell is going on?!" Mao Lilan grabbed Chen Shuo's sleeve tightly, her voice filled with anxiety, "Why is it the piano again this time..."

"I think we'd better stay away from that piano." Chen Shuo muttered softly, with a hint of ridicule in his tone, "Don't you think this piano looks like a 'death prop'?"

Mao Lilan subconsciously took a step back, carefully maintaining the same distance from Chen Shuo, and tightly grasped his arms with both hands: "But...where are Dad and the others? They are now..."

"Your father is over there." Chen Shuo raised his chin and pointed not far away.

Ran followed his gaze and saw Kogoro standing beside the piano, staring at the corpse with a serious expression, as if he was thinking about something. Conan stood aside, his hands in his pockets, his brow furrowed, his small figure looking very solemn.

"Dad! Conan!" Ran Mouri shouted hurriedly and walked towards them.

"Oh? Ran? Why are you here?" Maori Kogoro turned around immediately when he heard Maori Ran's voice, with a hint of surprise on his face: "Didn't you say you were going out for a barbecue? Why are you back so suddenly?"

"Because we heard screams, we..." Mao Lilan looked at the miserable corpse helplessly, "What on earth is going on? Why..."

"Hmph, someone's dead," said Kogoro Mouri with a serious tone.

At this moment, the man who had kicked them out of the piano room during the day suddenly squeezed out from the crowd, his face pale and filled with fear. He glanced at Maori Kogoro, then unconsciously looked in the direction of the corpse: "Curse! This is... Keiji Aso's curse!!"

Chen Shuo, who was standing next to him, scratched his ears impatiently. It was so annoying...