Guns and Coffee in the World of Science

Chapter 15 Xiaolan's Game

Chen Shuo walked out the door and was about to leave when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him: "Hey, isn't that Brother Chen! Are you going to the competition too?"

Chen Shuo turned around and saw that it was Maori Kogoro. He was wearing his usual suit, an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, and his signature confident smile on his face.

"Kogoro, are you going too? Together?" Chen Shuo greeted with a smile.

Maori Kogoro waved his hand, with a matter-of-fact expression on his face: "Of course, Xiaolan is my daughter, how could I miss her game? Shall we take a taxi there?"

Chen Shuo shrugged: "That's not necessary, I'll drive."

Maori Kogoro was stunned: "Ah? You have a car? Why have I never seen you drive one?"

"I live in the cafe and rarely go out. I usually don't have the opportunity to drive. Wait for me and I'll drive over."

After Chen Shuo finished speaking, he walked towards the underground parking lot. Maori Kogoro lit a cigarette, and soon he heard the sound of an engine roaring. From the sound, he could tell that the car that came must be no ordinary car.

Sure enough, a black vintage car appeared in Kogoro Mouri's sight.

It was a Jaguar XK120, a classic sports car from the 50s. Its low, streamlined body gleamed in the sun, like a beast waiting for the order to start.

The car's lines flow like flowing water, extending from the rounded front to the slightly upturned rear, creating a sense of elegant fluidity. An oval grille graces the front, delicate chrome trim outlines elegant curves, while twin round headlights gleam softly, like a pair of sharp yet steady eyes.

The car stopped in front of Maori Kogoro. Chen Shuo opened the door with a gentle click. The metallic texture unique to an old car made Maori Kogoro's heart flutter. The interior layout was simple and clear, and the leather seats, though worn by the years, still maintained excellent condition. The dashboard was inlaid with a series of classic mechanical instruments, the needles lying there quietly, as if ready to jump, proclaiming their power and speed.

"Get in the car, Kogoro. Don't be late."

Maori Kogoro was so stunned that he almost dropped his cigarette. He quickly held the cigarette holder firmly in his mouth and exclaimed in amazement: "Good boy! This treasure is rare! After all this time, it has been maintained so well!"

After saying that, he patted the car door, a hint of envy in his eyes, "Your car... is really a rare classic. Driving this kind of classic car makes me feel like a big star in a movie."

Chen Shuo smiled and pointed to the passenger door. "Get in! I'll let you experience the level of British industry in the 50s."

Kogoro Mouri's eyes lit up and he got into the car without any hesitation, "Hey, then I won't be polite! I will never have the chance to drive this kind of car in my life, it's fun to just sit in it!" Kogoro Mouri did not put forward any conditions for wanting to drive it. They were all men, and everyone knew that this level of car could not be allowed to be driven by others.

Chen Shuo started the car, and the Jaguar XK120 slid lightly out of the street. The low engine roared like a beast, yet the driving was incredibly smooth. The car shuttled through the streets of Tokyo, and the autumn breeze flowed in through the window, bringing a bit of coolness.

"It's really nice..." Maori Kogoro leaned back in his seat, feeling the retro yet modern feel of the car, and couldn't help but sigh, "Chen Shuo, I really envy you. Driving a car like this, living in the quietest corner of this city, you're living a life like a god."

Chen Shuo smiled and said, "If you could show some real ability, you wouldn't be in this situation now. I don't know what you were thinking..."

"Come to think of it, there should be a lot of people going today, right? Eri also said she was going." Maori Kogoro did not respond to Chen Shuo's words, but changed the subject and suddenly spoke with a complicated tone.

"Of course she would be there. Eri is Ran's mother, so of course she'd be there," Chen Shuo raised an eyebrow. Kisaki Eri was Kogoro Mori's wife, and although they had been separated for many years, their relationship remained ambiguous. Chen Shuo had also interacted with Kisaki Eri before and greatly admired her intelligence and demeanor. The two were also very close friends.

"Yeah, she said she was coming to support Xiaolan." Maori Kogoro curled his lips, seeming a little unhappy about the news: "Every time she comes, she has nothing good to say and always mocks me."

Chen Shuo couldn't help laughing out loud. The Maori couple's sarcasm had long been a well-known "daily routine" for the couple.

The car drove smoothly into the parking lot of the competition venue. As soon as Chen Shuo parked the car, he saw a familiar figure standing not far away - Kisaki Eri.

She was wearing an elegant women's suit, and her slender figure and delicate features made her stand out in the crowd. Kisaki Eri also saw Chen Shuo and Maori Kogoro, smiled slightly, and walked over.

"Chen Shuo." She ignored Maori Kogoro and instead greeted Chen Shuo beside her, as if Maori Kogoro didn't exist.

"You woman..." Maori Kogoro got angry and started the "intimate interaction" between the couple.

Chen Shuo watched the two exchange sarcastic remarks and shook his head helplessly. He interrupted them: "Alright, the game is about to start. Stop arguing and go in."

The two of them stopped talking and followed Chen Shuo into the competition venue.

---

The arena was bustling with activity. The crowd was bustling, and the air was filled with tension. Chen Shuo, Maori Kogoro, and Kisaki Eri found their seats together. Shortly after they sat down, they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Oh! Uncle Mori, Auntie Hime, you're here! Brother Shuo! You're here too!" Suzuki Sonoko excitedly greeted the three of them with a bright smile on her face. "It's really rare to see Uncle Mori and Auntie Hime appear on camera together!"

Kogoro Mouri and Eri Kisaki shouted at the same time: "I don't want to appear at the same time with this man (woman)! It's just for Xiaolan!" Then the two looked at each other, snorted and turned their backs.

Chen Shuo looked at the awkward two people and smiled helplessly. He turned around and responded with a smile: "Yuanzi, long time no see. Of course I can't miss Xiaolan's game."

Suzuki Sonoko was beaming with joy, and beside her stood Kudo Shinichi. Kudo Shinichi, seeing Chen Shuo, was clearly unhappy, his brows furrowing slightly. The relationship between him and Chen Shuo had always been somewhat delicate. Kudo Shinichi had felt from the outset that Chen Shuo was no simple character, and this suspicion grew deeper as time went on.

"Chen Shuo, are you here to join in the fun too?" Kudo Shinichi said with a sour face and an unhappy look.

Chen Shuo smiled faintly and looked at Kudo Shinichi calmly: "If you really don't want to pay attention to me, you don't have to pay attention to me. I don't really care."

The atmosphere between the two of them suddenly became tense. Suzuki Sonoko noticed that the atmosphere was not right and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Okay, okay, Kudo, stop making such a sour face! We are all here to watch Xiaolan's competition today, so don't make things unpleasant."

Kudo Shinichi glanced at Chen Shuo and said nothing more. Obviously, he still hadn't relaxed his vigilance against Chen Shuo.

After they sat down, they talked about the competition. Suzuki Sonoko excitedly talked about Ran Mouri's training recently: "Ran is really working hard! For this final, she practiced almost every day, rain or shine, and never slacked off!"

Kisaki Eri nodded slightly, a hint of approval on her face: "Xiaolan is indeed working hard, I believe she will achieve good results."

---

A clear announcement rang out: "Next, the women's karate semi-finals will begin! Blue team player Mao Lilan will face red team player Ayanami Asuka!"

Hearing this familiar name, the noisy group instantly straightened up and looked towards the center of the field. Wearing a white gi, Mao Lilan was doing her final warm-up exercises. Her movements were clean and sharp, and each stretch was full of explosive power, appearing both graceful and powerful.

Standing in the middle of the field, Ran Maori suddenly looked up and saw her parents and friends in the stands. She glanced at Maori Kogoro and Kisaki Eri. Though her parents had already begun bickering, they remained seated in their chairs, their expressions complicated. She couldn't help but smile slightly, then her gaze fell on Chen Shuo, a warmth and reassurance filling her. She gently raised her hand in a greeting, then her gaze grew firm as she turned and walked toward the center of the field.

With the referee's order, the game officially started.

Just as the game whistle sounded, Mao Lilan suddenly shouted: "Hah!" She rushed out like an arrow, instantly shortening the distance between the two of them. Her movements were as fast as the wind, and her fist was pointing directly at her opponent's chest.

Before Asuka Ayanami could react, she was hit by the punch and stumbled back a step. She obviously hadn't expected Ran Mouri's attack to be so fierce. A trace of panic flashed across her face, and she quickly adjusted her posture to prepare for defense.

However, Mao Lilan didn't give her a chance to breathe. Then, she spun around, raised her right leg high, and slashed at her opponent's shoulder. Nakagawa Asuka's eyes flashed with shock, and she quickly raised her hands to block. However, the difference in strength was obvious—the powerful impact knocked her back several steps, and she almost lost her balance.

"Hah!" Mao Lilan's third move came faster. She landed steadily with both feet, and a low-posture sweeping kick quickly swept across the opponent's knees, knocking Asuka Nakagawa to the ground cleanly!

The whole process took only three steps, clean and neat, without any drag.

The stadium fell silent, then erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Ran Maoli stood in the center of the arena, her breathing steady and her expression unwavering. Without a trace of smugness, she stepped forward, politely extended her hand to Asuka Nakagawa, and helped her up from the ground.

Asuka Nakagawa was a little dazed, obviously not yet fully recovered from the lightning-fast game, but she still forced a smile and nodded to Maoli Ran to express her gratitude.

The referee raised Mao Lilan's hand and announced loudly: "Blue team, the winner!"