No one knew where Barry had gone, but the next day, he walked into STAR Labs as if nothing had happened, as though yesterday had never occurred.
"Dr. Zhang, I've thought it over. What you said makes some sense, but I hope you can help me catch the Reverse-Flash." Barry came to Zhang Tianran's side and spoke slowly, word by word.
Seeing Barry approach, Zhang Tianran quickly freed himself from the overly curious Cisco. That guy was too difficult to deal with. Zhang Tianran would rather research another artificial intelligence than face Cisco when his curiosity was running wild.
"No problem, if that's what you want. I can help you, but unfortunately, I don't know much, and the Reverse-Flash isn't easy to catch." Zhang Tianran agreed without hesitation.
Receiving that affirmative answer, Barry secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had truly been afraid—afraid that Zhang Tianran might have something to do with the person who killed his mother.
Last night, Barry had carefully recalled every word Zhang Tianran had ever said to him and suddenly realized that Zhang Tianran truly understood him very well.
That training plan, viewed from another angle, had practically listed all of his weaknesses, in every aspect.
"Dr. Zhang, thank you!" Barry thanked him sincerely. What had happened yesterday had dealt him a heavy blow, but it had also made him understand many things.
"You don't need to thank me. If anything, I was worried you might blame me for replicating your abilities." Zhang Tianran smiled faintly.
Hearing that, Barry seemed to remember something and spoke with some unease.
"Dr. Zhang, if possible, I hope you can keep your research confidential for a while."
"It's not that I don't want to see other Speedsters like me appear, but this kind of power is too easy to..."
At that point, Barry felt a little embarrassed, as though he were being petty.
Zhang Tianran looked at Barry speechlessly. He had originally thought that even if Barry did not mind him researching his powers, he would at least get angry.
But he had not expected Barry to lower his stance so much...
Come to think of it, this situation was quite normal. Barry and STAR Labs were in a cooperative relationship now, and Barry was not the leader of this team. Wells was.
Besides, Barry had originally just been providing STAR Labs with physical data. Only later had it gradually developed into something like a superhero team.
"Barry, you're overthinking it. My situation is somewhat special. Although all the information is still in my head, the materials have been exhausted. There isn't a second set anywhere on Earth."
Zhang Tianran explained casually. He did not want to casually create a whole bunch of Speedsters, and besides, he did not have the ability to do so.
Zhang Tianran becoming a Speedster did not cause much of a stir within STAR Labs. Although he was still forced to go out and test his speed, Zhang Tianran stopped after running for less than three minutes, saying that his body could not endure it.
Zhang Tianran's excuse was that this was simply the experimental result. There was no way for him to become a Speedster like the Flash.
As for the method of becoming a Speedster, aside from Cisco showing some interest, no one else asked much about it.
And even Cisco, who was the most interested, did not want to become a Speedster.
Inside STAR Labs, Zhang Tianran was training Barry Allen. Although he could "only" maintain it for less than three minutes, for a Speedster, three minutes was already a long time.
"Barry, didn't you want to become stronger? Why are you being so slack?" Zhang Tianran wore a stern expression, looking every bit like a drill instructor.
"Dr. Zhang, I really don't understand how you do it. Your speed clearly isn't as fast as mine, so why can't I beat you every time?" Barry rubbed his swollen body, already close to his limit.
"What I taught you is only the most basic application of speed. It hasn't even involved the use of the Speed Force yet. Use your brain in a fight. You need to grasp the timing of mental acceleration and physical acceleration properly. In battle, if your mind can't keep up with your body, or your body can't keep up with your mind, either one is fatal." Zhang Tianran sighed helplessly.
Sure enough, Barry was still better suited to breaking out in desperate situations.
Learning was simply too difficult for him. He had clearly been an excellent student when he was an ordinary person, so why was learning how to fight so difficult for him?
"I really do admire you. You only just gained this power, yet you're already doing so much better than I am." Barry was somewhat discouraged.
Seeing this, Zhang Tianran could only give up on continuing Barry's training and instead said, "Perhaps it's because I've researched the Speed Force more, so I feel very compatible with this power. But the duration is too short. Otherwise, I should be able to help you in many situations."
Hearing this, Barry asked with concern, "Is it because you just gained your abilities? I couldn't control my speed properly at first either."
Zhang Tianran shook his head. "No. The way I obtained my powers is different from yours. My current state is already the limit. Unless something unexpected happens, there should be no way for me to continue growing."
Hearing that, Barry did not know whether he felt joy or regret. Realizing how complicated his feelings were, Barry lowered his head in shame, somewhat afraid to look Zhang Tianran in the eye.
"Alright, that's enough training for today! Central City has been very safe recently, with no metahuman criminals appearing. It's time to deal with Professor Stein and Ronnie's problem." Zhang Tianran stood up, then used the Speed Force the next second to return directly to his private laboratory.
Because he had exposed his use of the Speed Force, he no longer needed to disguise it in daily life. It saved him plenty of travel time every day and made things much more convenient.
Zhang Tianran's private laboratory was completely empty now. All kinds of expensive equipment had vanished in the explosion, and traces left by electrical arcs still remained on the walls.
But when Zhang Tianran opened the box in the corner, a "model" almost identical to the original laboratory appeared inside.
Taking a headset from the box, Zhang Tianran put it on and asked, "Is the state of the miniature laboratory still stable? How are its functions?"
"Everything is normal. Energy consumption has increased slightly, but it can be ignored." The artificial intelligence's voice came through, bringing a satisfied smile to Zhang Tianran's lips.
"For now, get used to this place. Search online for some information on your own. Decide for yourself what your hard drive needs." After giving the artificial intelligence an order, Zhang Tianran removed the headset and closed the cardboard box.
For the first time in a long while, Zhang Tianran left STAR Labs and returned home.
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