Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 122 I don’t need evidence

In the early morning, Chen Shuo put down the phone, frowning, and fell into deep thought. Mao Lilan had just called and mentioned that Vermouth had disguised herself as her last night to visit him. This suddenly pulled him out of the investigation last night, and a sense of indescribable doubt welled up in his heart.

Last night, he, Maori Kogoro, and Conan stayed up all night in the detective agency, sifting through layers of black market intelligence, trying to clear the fog and find clues to the murderer. However, with little success, they were still trapped in the mystery.

Just as he entered the bathroom, while washing the tiredness off his face, he received a call from Mao Lilan. The call mentioned that Vermouth disguised as herself to visit his home, which made him feel heavy in his heart and he couldn't help but be full of doubts about Vermouth's purpose.

Especially the detail Sonoko mentioned—the look in Vermouth's eyes during her conversation with Maori Ran. That look seemed to carry a silent familiarity and pity, revealing an emotion that was difficult to understand. This left Chen Shuo somewhat baffled.

"Vermouth..." he whispered to himself, his gaze fixed on himself in the mirror, a sharp glint in his eyes. Vermouth had always been reclusive, her calmness tinged with mystery. Even within the organization, few could truly fathom her thoughts. Her unusual interest in Maori Ran perplexed Chen Shuo even more.

In his impression, Vermouth and Ran Maori's life trajectories have never intersected. She suddenly visited and even looked at Ran with the eyes of an "elder". What does this mean?

Chen Shuo shook his head, took a deep breath, and temporarily put aside his doubts. Now was not the time to dwell on these things. Given the organization's cautiousness, they would not easily attack those close to them. While Vermouth's appearance was intriguing, if she truly had any intentions, she would not have shown them so blatantly.

He gathered his thoughts and consoled himself, thinking that once everything was fully investigated, he could simply go to Vermouth and ask for clarification. There was no need to speculate further at this moment. The most important thing right now was to focus on the investigation at hand.

He calmed down and refocused on the clues they had collected in the black market, trying to regain his composure. Now, there were more urgent matters waiting for him to resolve.

---

Inside the Mouri Detective Agency, a bustling scene unfolds. Kogoro Mouri's desk, piled high with documents, appears cluttered and tense. The blackboard beside his desk is covered with photos, clues, textual symbols, and a complex interconnectedness diagram. Several clues are connected by red lines, and the relationships between different characters are highlighted with arrows of varying thicknesses, attempting to unravel the mysteries hidden beneath.

Maori Kogoro frowned, his gaze shifting between the blackboard and the documents in his hands, rubbing his brow from time to time. Conan stood before the blackboard, white chalk in hand, expertly drawing connections between the various characters, attempting to unravel every detail of these complex relationships. Chen Shuo sat nearby, meticulously flipping through each page, his gaze calm and focused.

The three of them were lost in thought, maintaining a tacit silence. Only the soft rustle of flipping documents and the sound of chalk scratching across the blackboard filled the office. They combed through and analyzed page after page, not missing any possible clues.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Conan's eyes, as if a forgotten thought had been ignited in his mind. He paused for a moment, then rushed to his desk and rummaged through the pile of documents. Finally, he pulled out a document and scanned the pages rapidly, reading the information line by line.

"Kyousuke Fudo..." Conan whispered his name, his eyes sharp and eager, as if he was rapidly connecting seemingly unrelated clues. Fudo's resume, early life experience, medical records, even the reason why he transferred to the psychology department, now became some kind of hidden hint, gradually piecing together a complete clue in Conan's mind.

Chen Shuo noticed Conan's reaction, frowned slightly, and walked forward: "Conan, what did you find?"

Conan raised his head, a rare solemnity in his eyes: "There is a record in Fudo Kyosuke's resume that he first worked as a surgeon at Touto University Hospital. He was an excellent doctor when he was young, and seven years ago he was the hospital's 'youngest top surgeon'. However, during an operation, he was accidentally cut on his left hand by Dr. Ninoho. Because his dominant hand was injured, he could no longer continue to practice surgery, so he switched to psychology."

Conan's eyes dropped slightly, the light reflected from his glasses obscuring part of his expression: "Also, according to Xiaolan's description, the murderer fired with his left hand."

"There is one more thing," Conan paused and continued in a low voice, "A year ago, there was information showing that Kyosuke Fudo and Ninobo had a meeting, and then Ninobo died mysteriously. Inspector Tomonari, who was in charge of the case at the time, died of a sudden heart attack. The police hastily ruled it a suicide, and the case was shelved." Conan gritted his teeth, obviously dissatisfied with the police's conclusion at the time.

"However, recently, Chief Inspector Odagiri has restarted the investigation into the Niinoho case, and the people in charge are Narasawa Osamu, Shibayo Ichiro, and... Sato Miwako." A glimmer of confidence flashed in Conan's eyes.

Maori Kogoro pondered for a moment, nodded, and continued, "So, the case from a year ago was most likely that Fudo Kyosuke murdered Ninobo by pretending it was a suicide. And now that the old case has been reopened, he's afraid of being exposed, so he decided to strike first and silence all the investigating police officers? Is this guy mentally ill?"

Chen Shuo sneered and stood up, his eyes piercing with coldness. "I don't care what his thinking is. Now that we have a suspect, that's enough. I'll go talk to him."

Seeing Chen Shuo walking towards the door with a murderous look on his face, Conan couldn't help but feel anxious. He quickly chased after him and said to him, "Brother Shuo! If you go to find him now, won't you alert the enemy? We don't have any solid evidence!"

Chen Shuo stopped at the door, turned around and looked at Conan expressionlessly, his tone cold and firm: "Do I need evidence?"

"This……"

Conan was stunned. In the brief silence, he felt Chen Shuo's aura condensed into an invisible sense of oppression, making it impossible for him to refute. As soon as the voice fell, Chen Shuo walked out of the office without looking back, and his figure disappeared outside the door.

The sound of the door closing brought Conan back to his senses. He quickly turned to look at Maori Kogoro, his heart full of doubts: "Uncle Maori, this..."

"That's enough!" Maori Kogoro suddenly interrupted him, his hands on the table, his expression more serious than ever, his eyes sternly looking at Conan, his tone revealing an unquestionable firmness, "Boy, you've done a good job, you don't have to worry about what happens next."

Conan was stunned. Although he was filled with worry, the words "Never mind" made it difficult for him to refute them. He was silent for a moment, and finally said unwillingly: "Shouldn't we call the police? Brother Shuo must be going to interrogate Fenghu Kyousuke. If he is sure it is him, then... he will definitely be executed by Brother Shuo himself."

Maori Kogoro curled his lips into a cold smile, his eyes showing a rare coldness. "There are some things that I can't do, but Chen Shuo can."

His gaze was firm and sharp, as if he had finally shed his usual lazy shell, revealing a side he had never shown anyone before. He stared directly at Conan, his voice low and commanding, "You know what? Kid, no matter who the murderer is, he threatened my daughter, Kogoro Mori. My faith is holding me back from doing it myself."

Conan's eyes widened. At that moment, Maori Kogoro seemed to have become a completely stranger. Conan realized that perhaps he had never really understood this usually careless detective with poor reasoning ability.

Conan stared at the closed door, a strange feeling rising within him. Logically, Chen Shuo's purpose was obvious. His former self would have desperately tried to stop him. Yet, at this moment, despite knowing it was wrong, he felt no urge to stop him.

Turning back, he looked at Maori Kogoro. Although he asked a few token questions, he knew in his heart that this elder, always so protective of his daughter, would definitely support Chen Shuo's decision. Maori Kogoro's cold and resolute expression seemed to have never appeared so clearly before him, with a determination that was unfamiliar and shocking to him.

A self-deprecating smile played at the corners of Conan's mouth. He sighed inwardly, thinking helplessly, "Perhaps... the me who once naively insisted on procedural justice will never come back."

He lowered his head, looking at the documents in his hands, a mixture of emotions flooding his mind. As time passed, and he experienced countless cases and dangers, he realized that his past self had changed in ways that were impossible to ignore.

He clenched his fists lightly, and once again acknowledged the cruel reality in his heart: procedural justice is important, but sometimes, protecting the people you cherish is more real than any justice.

---

The vintage Jaguar slowly stopped in front of the Mihua Pharmacist Hospital. Chen Shuo got out of the car with a gloomy face. He walked through the hospital corridor with firm steps and went directly to the front desk of the cardiology department.

He barely suppressed the murderous intent in his heart and calmly asked the nurse about the whereabouts of Fenghu Kyosuke. However, the nurse told him that Fenghu Kyosuke had taken a leave of absence today and seemed to have some personal matters to deal with and was not in the hospital.

Chen Shuo paused, a sneer playing on his lips, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes. "Personal matters?" He snorted inwardly, guessing that Fudo Kyosuke had hurriedly left the hospital to avoid police investigation. Perhaps Fudo was feeling guilty, worried that Ran Mouri might reveal some crucial clue, and was therefore restless.

Chen Shuo walked out of the hospital and got into the car. He looked out the front windshield coldly into the distance. His fingers tapped the steering wheel lightly, his thoughts surging: He certainly couldn't let Xiaolan face any danger unprotected during such a sensitive period. If Fudo Kyosuke dared to attack Maoli Ran, he would be subdued in an instant.

"Handling personal matters?" Chen Shuo sneered, his voice thick with sarcasm. "Very good, let this 'genius doctor' feel what true despair is."

He lightly stepped on the accelerator, and the Jaguar started its engine, driving towards Teitan High School with his bloodthirsty murderous intent. Although he had made all the preparations, he was still worried, and it would be safest to follow up in person.