Joining

Joe knew Lin Li was right; ordinary people truly had no way to deal with meta-humans.

He asked, "Can you handle Mardon? I don't want Barry's new friend from another world to die in front of me."

Lin Li smiled and said, "Perhaps you should ask Cisco how I saved Barry from Mardon and made Mardon a one-armed man."

Joe's heart skipped a beat. "You cut off Mardon's arm?"

"I did. It's just that Barry's life was in critical condition at the time, and to maintain his bodily functions, I couldn't intervene, which allowed Mardon to escape," Lin Li stated the facts.

"I'll investigate when I get back. If it's true, I'll notify you when I find Mardon. I hope you'll be ready at any time."

Joe was a bit skeptical, but it didn't matter. As long as he checked the on-site reports back at the precinct, he'd know if Lin Li was telling the truth. If it was true, then Lin Li would be their main combat force.

The reason Lin Li was so anxious to catch up and persuade Joe was that, in the TV show, Joe was the first to find Mardon. He needed Joe's police experience to locate Mardon's hideout.

"Check Mardon's previous hideouts. If you find anything, don't act rashly; call me, and I'll go with you," Lin Li suggested. He only knew from the TV show that Mardon would hide on a farm, but he didn't know the exact location.

"OK, I'll be in touch."

Joe left after saying that.

While cooperating with Joe, he couldn't ignore STAR Labs' technological power. If they could reset STAR Labs' satellite to track weather anomalies, they would know Mardon's location when he used his abilities.

When Lin Li returned to the main hall control room, Cisco and Caitlin were staring at him with bright, piercing gazes.

He frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Dr. Wells controlled his wheelchair and approached him. "Mr. Lin Li, we need you to become a hero, a hero like Barry."

Lin Li didn't know what Dr. Wells was planning, but he had a clear goal and couldn't become a superhero in Central City to save people.

He said without hesitation, "I refuse."

"Why?" Cisco asked in surprise. After all, whether it was helping him build The Flash Suit, directing Barry from behind the scenes to save people, or driving away Weather Wizard and saving Barry and the others today, Lin Li had shown himself to be a hero figure embodying kindness, righteousness, and courage. Cisco couldn't understand why Lin Li would refuse.

Of course, Cisco couldn't imagine that helping build The Flash Suit and directing Barry from behind the scenes was just because he liked watching The Flash TV show and wanted the novelty of participating in Flash-like heroic actions. Being able to participate in the TV show's scenarios and watch them live was an interesting experience, but he didn't plan to continue like this; he just wanted to try it out.

"I didn't come to this world to be a superhero. This was an accident. My goal is to return to where I belong, not to maintain justice and save citizens in a strange world," Lin Li stated righteously. He had to make this clear. Getting involved in superhero actions like saving citizens would take up too much of his time. He'd rather stay in his room reading more physics, particle physics, and quantum mechanics knowledge than engage in such activities. Coming here was a beautiful accident, and he only wanted to return to his own place.

Lin Li was not easy to get along with; the obsession with returning home dominated his mind.

Dr. Wells thought to himself, but his hostility towards Lin Li lessened. As long as they didn't get in each other's way, Lin Li and he could basically coexist peacefully; they weren't enemies.

Caitlin said, "Didn't you step up today? We really need someone like you to help us control meta-humans and prevent worse consequences."

Lin Li didn't strongly agree or disagree. "I will help Barry deal with some difficult meta-humans, like today, but not as a full-time job."

Dr. Wells had originally intended to groom Lin Li into a hero, making him exhausted and trapped in the great undertaking of saving people. However, he hadn't anticipated Lin Li's strong will and lack of interest in being a hero, so he had to compromise.

"OK, how about this, Lin Li? STAR Labs will hire you as a consultant. When meta-humans appear, you'll help control them. When there are no meta-humans, you can use STAR Labs' equipment freely. We will also help you find your way home. What do you think?" Dr. Wells proposed.

Although Lin Li seemed to be able to do whatever he wanted at STAR Labs, that wasn't the case. At STAR Labs, Lin Li could only go to a few places: his living quarters, the main hall, and the basement. That was it. Other areas required fingerprint and iris scan verification. Without Caitlin and Cisco, he couldn't go anywhere. Therefore, for the past period, he had been following Cisco and Caitlin in various research projects, lacking the equipment and authorization for independent research.

The offer of using STAR Labs' equipment freely was very tempting. Research on particles, threads, collision reactions, quarks, atoms, protons, energy, wormholes, and other physics studies required high-end instruments for experimentation. Just reading and absorbing knowledge wouldn't reveal certain reactions. Only through experimentation could he turn theory into reality and find his way home.

Lin Li pondered for a moment and felt it was very beneficial to him, so he directly said, "Yes, I really need your help."

Dr. Wells smiled and said, "Welcome to STAR Labs, Consultant Lin Li."

Lin Li responded with a smile, "It's my honor, Dr. Wells."

Both understood each other's needs. If Dr. Wells weren't a villain and a bit too unpredictable, Lin Li felt they could have cooperated well, as both were people who would stop at nothing to achieve their goals.

And people with the same personality tend to repel each other, especially when they have similar personalities, making them even more likely to distrust each other, unless they are both foolish.

Both understood each other perfectly, each with their own agenda, and shook hands.

Cisco said, "Welcome to STAR Labs."

Caitlin said, "Welcome to STAR Labs."

By joining STAR Labs, Cisco and Caitlin's sense of recognition towards Lin Li increased significantly.

Lin Li joked, "OK, joining STAR Labs means I'll get a salary. I can finally pay Cisco back the $7 and Barry the $100. And I can finally buy some other food to eat, instead of eating Cisco's disgusting energy bars every day."

Cisco looked indignant. "Hey... hey, I worked really hard on those, you know?"

Dr. Wells chuckled, "Of course, the salary will be enough for a big eater like you. But let's deal with your first objective first."