Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 138 The Strange Arai Tomoaki

The violent explosions gradually subsided, and the smoke slowly dissipated. In the distance, Conan's small figure tucked away in a safe corner, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He had been happily preparing to go skiing, but unexpectedly, he was involved in a thrilling bus hijacking incident.

"Oh! Cool kid!" Teacher Judy's exaggerated voice came from the side. With familiar enthusiasm, she looked at Conan with an admiring smile on her face, "You are really amazing! You can actually guess that the woman is also an accomplice of the robbers. You are so smart!"

Conan pushed his glasses up on his nose, a faint smile playing on the corners of his mouth. His tone was humble but confident: "No, it's Teacher Judy who is amazing. I saw you trip the robber at the critical moment and took the opportunity to turn off the safety on his gun."

Judy smiled smugly, with a hint of mischief in her eyes: "Oh yes! This is a skill I learned from a movie. I didn't expect it to come in handy." As she said that, she shrugged slightly, as if she was quite satisfied with her performance in the emergency.

Conan listened to her slightly exaggerated tone and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Teacher Judy is really... But this time, we finally got away with it." He was about to continue saying something when suddenly, a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Conan? Are you okay?" The voice was filled with obvious worry and anxiety, which made Conan slightly startled. He turned around quickly and saw a familiar figure in his sight - Mao Lilan was walking towards him quickly, her face full of concern.

"Sister... Xiaolan?" Conan was a little surprised, and then he saw several people following her. Chen Shuo, Sonoko, and Huihara Ai also walked over together. The three of them looked at him with strange expressions, which made Conan feel a little uncomfortable.

"Why are you here?" Conan raised his head and glanced at Mao Lilan and Sonoko with a complicated look, with a hint of inexplicable emotion in his tone. Although he had reluctantly accepted the change of his childhood sweetheart, he still felt a little uneasy.

"We were originally going to go skiing." Mao Lilan sighed softly, with a hint of shock in her tone, "We didn't expect that the road ahead would be closed, and then there would be an explosion." She lowered her head and looked at Conan worriedly: "Were you just... on that bus?"

Conan was about to open his mouth to explain when Sonoko next to him interrupted him, her tone full of obvious complaints and ridicule: "What's wrong with you? The incidents you encounter are getting more and more exaggerated! In the past, it was homicides, but now you even encounter things like bus explosions? Murders can't satisfy you anymore?"

Sonoko's words were like a cold arrow, piercing Conan's heart. His expression froze instantly, and he was stunned for several seconds before reacting. Then his face flushed red, and his voice was filled with weak excuses: "No way! This is all coincidence! I didn't go out of my way to cause trouble!"

However, Conan suddenly noticed that Judy, who had been smiling and acting so calm during the bus hijacking and explosion, was now completely out of character. Her expression had become stiff and terrified. Her eyes were fixed on Chen Shuo, who was not far away, and there was a hint of fear and even a hint of panic in her eyes.

Conan noticed this and immediately had doubts in his mind. He asked tentatively: "Teacher Judy? What's wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Judy was visibly startled when she heard his voice, as if she had been suddenly awakened. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Nothing... just a little uncomfortable. Maybe I'm a little tired from what happened just now. I'm going to go over there and get some fresh air."

Before she finished speaking, she turned around and left in a hurry. Her steps seemed a little unsteady, as if she was eager to get away from here.

Conan looked at Judy's back, his eyes becoming sharp as he stared straight at the direction she had left. His mind quickly recollected the details of what had just happened. "Her expression... clearly shows fear of Chen Shuo. Could it be that she knows Chen Shuo's identity? But isn't she just an ordinary English teacher? How could she be related to Chen Shuo?"

Thoughts surged like a tide, and the more Conan thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong, but at the moment he didn't have enough clues to support his guess. Before he could think about it, Professor Agasa and several children from the Junior Detective League came over and greeted Chen Shuo and his group. Conan could only put aside his doubts for the time being.

---

Chen Shuo, along with Ran Maoli, Sonoko, and Ai Haibara, stood there in silence as they watched Conan and his companions leave in the police car. Up ahead, the bus, destroyed by the explosion, still lay across the road. The intersection was completely blocked, and the thick smoke had not yet completely dissipated.

Yuanzi looked at the scene in front of her, curled her lips in disappointment, and sighed dejectedly: "Oh... I was thinking of having a good time today, but now it's all ruined." She crossed her arms, shrugged her shoulders, and looked a little depressed.

Mao Lilan was also a little disappointed. She nodded slightly and agreed, "Yes, today's plans have been disrupted..." There was helplessness in her tone, and there was still some worry on her face. It was obvious that the explosion just now made her feel scared.

Haibara Ai stood aside with her arms folded. Although she did not express her emotions like Sonoko, it could be seen from her slightly drooping brows that she was very unhappy about this sudden incident.

Chen Shuo looked at the three girls, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and then he said softly: "Who said this is the only way to the ski resort? Don't worry, I have other ways..." He had just said half of his words when his expression suddenly changed, his eyes froze, and he turned his head to look to the side.

Not far away, a refined young man was walking slowly towards them. He wore rimless glasses and had a gentle smile on his face, appearing both refined and composed. Upon seeing them, he spoke with a hint of surprise, "Mori-san, Suzuki-san, you're here too? I didn't notice you in the car just now."

Mao Lilan and Sonoko were stunned for a moment, then smiled and shouted almost in unison: "Teacher Arata! So you are on the bus too?"

Dr. Xindi smiled gently and nodded slightly: "Yes, the situation was a bit chaotic just now, and I quickly avoided it far away. I didn't expect to meet you here."

Mao Lilan breathed a sigh of relief, her tone full of genuine concern: "Ai De teacher, are you okay?"

"Thank you for your concern. I'm fine." Dr. Xinchu said gently, pushing his glasses. He glanced at Chen Shuo, then turned to Lan and Yuanzi, "But you guys, weren't scared?"

Sonoko waved her hands and pretended to be nonchalant, saying, "I'm not scared, I'm just a little disappointed that today's skiing plans have been completely messed up."

Chen Shuo didn't immediately respond to Dr. Xinchu's arrival. His eyes narrowed slightly, casually examining him, as if he were pondering something. His brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly regained his usual calm demeanor. He smiled faintly and said, "Dr. Xinchu, what a coincidence to run into you in a place like this."

"Yes, what a coincidence." Dr. Xinchu nodded, his gentle smile remained unchanged and his expression was calm, but the moment he looked at Chen Shuo, a barely perceptible light seemed to flash in his eyes.

Ran Mouri and Sonoko did not notice the brief confrontation between the two. They were only busy talking about what had just happened. However, Ai Haibara, who was standing aside, was silently staring at Dr. Akai. There was a hint of fear in her eyes and her whole body was trembling slightly.

Chen Shuo noticed the unusual emotion in Haibara Ai's eyes. He calmly adjusted his position slightly, cleverly standing between Haibara Ai and Aida Tomoaki. His movements were so natural that it seemed as if he had no deliberate intention.

He wore a meaningful smile, looking directly at Aida Tomoaki, his tone calm but revealing a hint of elusiveness: "Doctor Aida, if you are interested, would you like to go skiing together?"

Upon hearing this, Arai Tomoaki's expression paused slightly, but he quickly regained his usual elegant smile, his eyes flickering slightly behind his glasses. He shook his head, his tone still gentle and calm, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Chen, but I just came by to say hello. I have to go to the Metropolitan Police Department to take a statement later, so I'm afraid I won't have time to join you all."

"Is that so? That's a pity." Chen Shuo nodded slightly, with a faint smile still on his lips, but his eyes were still fixed on Aida Tomoaki, as if he was examining every detail of the other person.

Arata Tomoaki smiled slightly, as if he was completely unaware of the deep meaning in Chen Shuo's eyes: "I won't disturb you all anymore, I wish you happy skiing." As he said that, he nodded slightly, then turned and left, his steps as elegant and calm as ever.

Chen Shuo watched him leave, his eyes deep, as if he was thinking about something. Only when Aida Tomoaki's back completely disappeared from his sight did he slowly withdraw his gaze and turn to look at Haibara Ai. Ai still lowered her head, her expression calm, but her clenched hands revealed her inner anxiety.

"Don't worry, they dare not do anything to you." Chen Shuo's voice was low and firm, as if he was comforting her, or confirming something.

Ai Haibara raised her head and looked at him, the corners of her mouth moved, but she didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.

Ran Mouri and Sonoko on the side were obviously unaware of this brief undercurrent. They were discussing their skiing plans, trying to make up for their previous disappointment.

"Okay, let's go." Chen Shuo said with a smile, his voice relaxed, as if nothing had happened just now.

---

In the distance, Aida Tomoaki paused, his gaze slightly lowered. The elegant smile on his face had long since vanished, replaced by a mysterious aura. His eyes, hidden behind reflective lenses, seemed unfathomable, and his entire being was shrouded in an indescribable, eerie aura.

"That little girl..." he muttered quietly, his tone calm yet tinged with a subtle hint of danger. He pondered for a moment, then pulled a cell phone from his pocket, his fingers swiping rapidly across the screen. After dialing the number, his voice suddenly changed to a completely different one—a charming yet cold female voice, a stark contrast to his previous elegant persona.

"Calvados..."