On the streets of the Central City, the roadside trees swayed gently in the breeze.
Barry, with his hands in his jeans pockets, had already forgotten the beating he had just received and even started humming a tune.
As he led the way, he kept stealing glances at the man beside him out of the corner of his eye.
"Speaking of which, buddy, you just said you were traveling in the sky when a plane crashed into you?"
Barry cleared his throat and tentatively began the conversation, "Which airline's planes are so accurate that they can hit you so precisely?"
Chen Mo stood with his hands in his pockets, his tone exceptionally sincere.
"Although I didn't look closely, it's probably Boeing. After all, apart from them, aircraft parts don't usually fall off so randomly."
"... Ha, you quite understand aviation industry humor."
Barry's lips twitched, and he continued to subtly probe Chen Mo's background.
"So, which city did you fly from? Metropolis City? Star City? Or the Coast City? I know quite a few friends from other places; maybe we even have mutual friends."
"I come from the demolition office at the edge of the universe. Our main business is to carry out harmless demolition of illegally constructed structures in other dimensions."
Chen Mo lied without batting an eye, "I occasionally do end-of-life care for certain people on a part-time basis."
Barry rolled his eyes again, speechless. "Why don't you just say you're a wandering alien?"
There was no way to continue the conversation.
He recognized every word the man uttered, but when put together, they sounded exactly like a routine ward round conversation in the intensive care unit of Arkham Asylum.
"Alright, just turn that corner up ahead, and you'll find the best coffee shop in Central City. Their caramel macchiato will absolutely... I mean, it'll lift your spirits."
As Barry spoke, he subconsciously reached into his pocket and pulled out his constantly vibrating phone.
He initially thought it was the police station pressing for the lab results again.
As soon as the screen lit up, the dense array of red missed call notifications hit him like a heavy hammer blow to the top of his head.
[Missed calls (42) - Iris ]
[Unread Messages (18) - Iris ]
Barry's eyes widened instantly.
etc!
What's the date today?
Number seventeen.
9:30 PM.
A high-end Western restaurant.
Anniversary dinner.
Snap!
Barry slapped his thigh hard, jumping half a meter into the air.
"Grass!!!"
A bloodcurdling scream echoed throughout the entire street.
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow at the sudden shout, "What's wrong, is your crotch on fire?"
"It's a million times worse than Little Barry catching fire!"
Barry was so anxious that he spun around three times on the spot, his hair became a mess, and his face turned deathly pale.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no! Iris waited for me at the restaurant for a full forty minutes! I'm going to be turned into a specimen and hung up in Times Square in the Central City!"
He took a deep breath, and the red arcs of electricity on his body began to overflow uncontrollably.
"Bro! I'll definitely buy you coffee next time! I have to go save the world now—no, I mean save myself!"
Barry turned and waved urgently at Chen Mo, "You just stand here and don't move! Wait for me for ten minutes! I'll come back to you as soon as I've dealt with my family conflict!"
Before he could finish speaking, the red Speed Force erupted with a deafening roar.
Barry transformed into a streak of crimson light that tore through the air, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Chen Mo stood there, watching the trail of flames stretching to the end of the street, and laughed in exasperation.
"You want me to wait here for ten minutes? You've got some nerve!"
Chen Mo flexed his wrists.
The next second, dark red arcs of electricity crackled from his fingertips, then instantly coiled around his entire body like raging lightning snakes.
"You want to race? Today I'll show you what a seasoned driver is all about."
boom!
Two blinding red lightning bolts tore through the night sky of the Central City, one after the other.
Barry was running at breakneck speed, the wind pressure violently distorting his face.
He was rapidly drafting eight hundred different ways to admit his mistakes in his mind, and was preparing to squeeze out a little more of his Speed Force to accelerate.
Suddenly, a familiar whooshing sound came from beside me.
Barry instinctively turned his head to look.
Chen Mo was walking beside him with his hands in his pockets, as if he were strolling in his own backyard.
She even turned her head and gave him an exceptionally bright smile.
"Hey, you've got plenty of battery life now. Want to race to the finish line?"
Barry nearly choked on his breath.
Two violent bolts of lightning streaked across several blocks in the night before crashing into the revolving door of the upscale Western restaurant.
Sizzle--!
A burst of visible static electricity sparks erupted in the air.
The two money trees placed at the restaurant entrance were instantly charred and smoking from the electric shock, their leaves curling into clumps of charcoal ash.
The waiter carrying a tray froze on the spot, the wine glasses on the tray shaking violently.
The waiter rubbed his eyes, stared at the green plants emitting black smoke, and fell into deep thought.
"Uh... oh, boss! Your money tree has spontaneously combusted!"
In the deepest booth by the window, the terrifyingly low pressure had almost solidified into a tangible form.
Iris crossed her arms and stared blankly at Barry, who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in front of the table.
The two steaks on the table had long since gone cold, and a thin layer of white fat had even formed on their surfaces.
" Iris... let me explain!"
Barry was drenched in sweat, his plaid shirt completely soaked. He stammered as he raised his hands, "Police station! The police station has received an urgent call-up for a major transnational case! All officers in Central City have been called up to work overtime! I swear I absolutely didn't mean to be late!"
Iris sneered and slowly picked up the dinner knife on the table, twirling it between her fingers.
"Overtime? Barry Allen, you're just a forensic lab technician. Did Central City suffer an alien invasion or was ravaged by biological weapons? Do you, a lab technician, need to be on the front lines for an emergency investigation for forty minutes straight?"
"Well... because... the evidence at the scene was extremely complex..."
Barry's brain completely shut down, and cold sweat dripped down his chin.
Just when he felt his death was imminent.
Goodbye, world! Goodbye, Central City!
Sizzle--
A chair was pulled out without any ceremony.
Chen Mo swaggered down next to Barry and casually picked up an untouched napkin from the table to wipe his hands.
"Alright, Agent Barry, that's enough acting. Don't embarrass the organization."
Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and looked arrogant.
Iris frowned, her icy gaze immediately piercing the uninvited guest. "And who are you?"
"I?"
Chen Mo raised an eyebrow, casually making up a story with an air of seriousness, "I'm the Special Security Advisor of the National Special Service Section Nine stationed in the Central City. You can think of me as a senior instructor specifically tasked with cleaning up the messes of these idiots."
He pointed to Barry, who was standing next to him, completely terrified.
"Tonight's event was actually a secret, impromptu psychological stress training session for Agent Barry."
"When extremely urgent private matters conflict with national security, it tests whether he can withstand psychological pressure and remain at his post to complete core laboratory test indicators."
"Unfortunately, his mental fortitude was clearly lacking. During the special training, he checked his phone a full forty times, his mind filled with thoughts of his girlfriend."
Chen Mo sighed, revealing a heartbroken expression.
"Although his job performance was subpar, his loyalty to you received a perfect score in the Secret Service's internal evaluation."
Barry, who was listening nearby, almost dropped his jaw into the steak plate.
What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If she believes me, I'll write her name backwards from now on!
Then he saw Iris's slightly wavering eyes, and the instinct for survival instantly overcame his vow.
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes!"
Barry nodded frantically, his eyes red as he continued, "The officer is right! Iris, I've actually been under the officer's strict interrogation the whole time! You're all I can think about, but I just can't leave!"
Iris looked suspiciously at Chen Mo's calm and composed face, then at Barry's pathetic state that looked like he was about to cry, and her expression finally softened a little.
"Is that so?"
"Absolutely true!"
Chen Mo snapped his the Snap quite naturally and beckoned over the waiter who was standing there in a daze.
"Waiter, remove these two lumps of cold meat and bring this beautiful lady a new serving of top-grade Wagyu beef. Also, bring out all of your restaurant's most expensive signature dishes."
Chen Mo turned to look at Barry and gave him a kind smile.
"After all, our Agent Barry passed the emotional loyalty test. All expenses tonight will be paid out of his own pocket, Little Barry Barry?"
Barry clutched his aching wallet, watching Iris's gentle smile return, and could only force a smile while swallowing his grievances.
"Yes... Sir is absolutely right... Add more dishes! Order whatever you like today!"