Reasons and Remaining

The Speed Force.

The ultimate Speed Force.

At this moment, Lin Li was extremely envious of Barry. Possessing such speed made him practically invincible. He couldn't imagine anything that could defeat him.

Of course, in many TV shows, The Flash lost for inexplicable reasons. Even a gun or a tranquilizer dart could defeat him. Lin Li didn't believe it; was this speed truly a joke?

Lin Li licked his ice cream cone, smooth and sweet. Then, he quietly listened to Dr. Wells explain. Seeing The Flash in person was incredibly exciting.

"That night, when the particle accelerator exploded, it didn't just create a storm. A spatial barrier fractured, releasing unknown energies into our world: antimatter, dark energy, Element X. We don't know what else."

"Antimatter? Dark energy? Element X? That's impossible. These are all theoretical."

Barry objected.

"Then how 'theoretical' are you yourself?"

Dr. Wells continued, "The unknown energies spread out. We've mapped the scattering patterns for Central City and its surroundings, but we can't know for sure what or who was affected by the radiation. For eight months, we've been searching for other meta-humans like you."

"Meta-humans!"

Barry asked.

"Yes, meta-humans transformed by unknown energies."

"Have you found any other meta-humans like me?"

Barry inquired. He felt such abilities were incredibly powerful. If used for evil, ordinary people would be defenseless, just like when he was eleven.

He spaced out, recalling the situation when his mother was murdered at age eleven.

"Yes, Lin Li, a meta-human from another world who controls lightning."

Dr. Wells said.

Lin Li, who had been slowly enjoying his ice cream cone, finished it in a few bites.

"Hello, Barry. I can call you that, right? I believe we'll become good friends. My name is Lin Li."

Barry looked at Lin Li suspiciously.

"You... you're the person who suddenly appeared that night? Who are you?"

Lin Li helplessly spread his hands and said sadly, "That night, when the particle accelerator exploded, I don't know how it happened, but in my world, a bolt of lightning struck a black energy sphere, forming a vortex that sucked me in. Then I appeared near you, and after that, we were both struck by lightning and became meta-humans."

As Lin Li spoke, his hands crackled, and silver arcs of electricity flickered on them.

Barry's eyes widened in shock as he looked at Lin Li.

"Oh my god! My heavens! Goodness gracious, goodness gracious."

"You're a meta-human, and from another world?"

"Parallel universes truly exist in this spacetime? My god, this is insane! This will change humanity's entire understanding of the world."

Barry paced back and forth, unable to suppress his excitement and elation. If landing on the moon was humanity's first step into space, then the confirmation of parallel universes would be tens of millions of steps.

"I don't care about parallel universes or changing humanity's understanding. I just want to go back to see my lover, to bicker and laugh with her, to live with her again, to finish my uncompleted proposal."

Lin Li said sadly. If he had a choice, Lin Li wouldn't want to come here and gain superpowers; he'd rather return to his real world.

The room fell silent.

Barry said apologetically with a look of shame, "I'm sorry, I didn't know..."

"I will help you. We all will help you. You will definitely be able to return to your world."

Barry directly hugged Lin Li, showing that he meant no harm.

The scene was very touching, and everyone watched warmly.

"What are you guys doing?"

Joe walked in, seeing Barry and Lin Li hugging, his head full of questions.

"I'm thanking Barry, Detective West."

Lin Li said with a smile. His super-speed thinking ability gave him extreme cognitive abilities and strong emotional control, allowing him to quickly quell the surge of sadness.

He knew why Joe had come.

Joe said suspiciously, "You can speak English?"

Lin Li replied, "Yes, I forgot a lot of things when I woke up last night, but I gradually remembered."

Joe's suspicion deepened. He asked consecutively, "Why were you in the police lab the night the accelerator exploded?"

"To thank Barry for saving my life. I was bringing him a gift that night."

"You know Barry?"

"Yes, a month before the incident, Barry saved my life. Before the incident, I was a fisherman in a fishing village in the East. While at sea, my ship was accidentally sunk by a storm. I drifted at sea, clinging to driftwood, barely surviving. Barry unexpectedly rescued me, and I've been living in the suburbs since. Thanks to Barry, otherwise, I couldn't have survived."

Joe didn't believe a word of it.

As for Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin, they stared at Lin Li with wide eyes, as if to say, 'You've got to be kidding me, who would believe such a lie?'

Having been a police officer for so many years, Joe could tell that the story was full of holes. He didn't even bother pointing out the many flaws; he simply pulled Barry aside.

Turning to the doorway, Joe quietly asked Barry, "What gift did he give you that night?"

This was the wisdom of an old cop. He didn't need to find fault with Barry's words; if the gifts they spoke of didn't match, it wouldn't matter even if Barry talked about the Statue of Liberty collapsing.

How could Barry possibly know? He stammered, "It was... it was STAR Labs clothes. I'd wanted them for a long time, but unfortunately, I was struck by lightning that night." Barry cleverly mentioned the clothes, which at least explained why the item was missing. As for the rest, he could only wish Lin Li luck. Otherwise, this visitor from another world would be sent to the East by Joe on grounds of being an illegal immigrant.

Joe watched Barry with his characteristic fatherly gaze – the kind that says, Child, you've done something wrong, I know, but I won't expose you.

Back in the main hall's control room.

"What gift did you give Barry that night?"

"Clothes, STAR Labs clothes. I know Barry really likes them, and I especially wanted to give them to him."

Lin Li smiled, everything under control.

Could it really be true? Joe couldn't help but have this thought. However, this Easterner was just too suspicious. In the end, Joe brought out his trump card.

"I've already applied for an deportation notice. You'll be sent home soon."

Joe said earnestly, feeling that Lin Li was being rather evasive.

Those present felt their hearts leap, their expressions unnatural. It would be a total joke if a dimensional traveler were deported right in front of them.

As a few of them prepared to speak, Lin Li interrupted.

Lin Li continued to smile and said, "No need. Barry has already recommended me as a talented individual to join this country. Once my assessment is approved, I can stay here permanently."

"What kind of talent are you?"

"I know eight languages."

"What! You're not a fisherman?"

"That's a hobby."

"Why don't you have any identification?"

"The place is too remote; the country doesn't reach there."

"Then how did you learn eight languages?"

"I learned them after coming here. It took a month. I'm a genius."

The two exchanged dozens of rapid-fire questions and answers. Barry watched as the situation began to turn a little unusual.

He quickly grabbed Joe and said to Lin Li, "Lin Li, let me talk to Joe. It's okay, no problem."

Lin Li smiled and nodded. It wasn't his head about to bulge with veins, so he didn't care.

"Joe, let's talk..."

With that, Barry pulled Joe outside.