311-315

Chapter 311: Awakening 

You know, they say technology changes lives. And after spending a million asset points to get an Autobot, Cody agrees with that wholeheartedly! 

Meet Little Yu. That name's a bit too feminine for Cody, even after three months with his new Earth-born Cybertronian companion. He still can't quite get used to calling her that, so he just sticks with calling her "Tricycle". 

Tricycle is pretty much Cody's dream vehicle. Aside from her usual three-wheeled form, she can transform into an electric wheelchair, an electric bicycle, a winged jetpack, and even more forms can be added later with more asset points. 

Technology changes lives, but black technology can totally flip your world upside down. Autobot tech is undoubtedly black technology. Compared to the Earth engines the system modded for him before, Tricycle's Cybertronian power system means Cody can now ride a bike that flies across the ground at speeds over 180 mph (that's 300 kilometers per hour!)—and that's not even her limit. 

Plus, she's the most reliable driving system around, so Cody doesn't have to worry about crashing. He can just let go of the handlebars and let Tricycle take over. Even at top speed, she can weave through crowded city streets with ease. Because of this, Cody doesn't even need to buy that master-level motorcycle driving proficiency anymore. 

As for the computing power she provides for his hacker gear? Don't even get me started! Silicon-based life forms are like fish in water when they enter the cyber world. A giant array server in a tech company can't even compare to the tiny touchscreen phone in his hand. 

Of course, there are benefits, and then there are... well, consequences. 

"Stupid Cat, fry me up a couple of dishes." 

"Boss, where's my cat food?" 

"Ugh, I'll make it for you later." 

Cody sighed, heading towards the bathroom. The daily human-cat feeding routine was exhausting. He had to eat Stupid Cat's "cat food" (which was actually his cooking), but Stupid Cat got to eat the cat food he made. There was no other choice; Stupid Cat's cooking affected the bonus effects of the "cat food," so it had to practice and learn. As for the results, Cody just had to deal with them. 

Every day, smelling the delicious cat food he made while eating Stupid Cat's cooking, Cody often wished he could swap cooking skills with Stupid Cat. 

However, when he walked into the bathroom, the sight before him made his eyes nearly pop out. 

"Tricycle! Give me back my advanced automatic toilet!" 

"What's all the fuss about? I just took two swings with an alloy sword. The cut is so smooth; you can just glue it back together with egg whites." 

Ignoring Cody's wails, Tricycle casually swiped—and transferred a thousand US dollars from the stock market, then ordered a new toilet online. Any online asset was like a child's game to her computing power. 

"You should hurry up and make dinner, Master," she chuckled, slipping out of the house and transforming back into Tricycle mode. "It's best to sell today's snacks early—Barry Allen's body scan data seems to have changed." 

"He's going to wake up." 

"You say that every day, Cisco." 

In the main hall of STAR Labs, Caitlin and Cisco stood by Barry Allen's bed. Cisco, looking at the numbers on the instruments, confidently declared that Barry was about to wake up, but Caitlin disagreed. 

"Cisco, I know you're a genius, but you specialize in physics, in mechanics," Caitlin said, shaking her head as she looked at the monitoring data. "I'm in biology; my medical knowledge is stronger than yours—and I still believe Barry's data hasn't changed. He could wake up at any time, but it's not necessarily now—just like months ago." 

"No, no, I really saw his eyelashes twitch just now," Cisco insisted. "Unless I stayed up too late last night and I'm seeing things, he's definitely waking up." 

Caitlin rolled her eyes, went back to her seat, and picked up an ox tongue pastry. "The facts will prove everything." 

"The facts will prove I'm right," Cisco emphasized. He returned to his seat and turned on the speakers. 

"Can't read my, can't read my, no he can't read my poker face~" 

Music instantly filled the hall. Caitlin looked at Cisco, blinking in confusion. 

"Why are you playing 'Poker Face'? What are you doing?" 

"Oh," Cisco said with a smug bite of his osmanthus cake. "Because he likes this song." 

"How do you know?" 

"I saw it on his Facebook page—you said he might be able to hear, right?" 

"Well..." Caitlin replied, "hearing is indeed the slowest sensory organ to decline." 

Barry's head felt heavy. For a long time, there had been two little people buzzing and arguing in his mind. They argued for a while, but it seemed like they never reached a conclusion. 

"What are you doing?" 

The female voice in his head gradually became clearer. 

"Because he likes this song." 

The man's voice entered his ears. 

Realizing the voices were right beside him, Barry's eyelids slowly fluttered. His consciousness gradually cleared. The man and woman's conversation hadn't stopped—until Barry opened his eyes and instinctively sat up. 

Cisco jumped, startled by Barry's sudden movement, then immediately became overjoyed. 

"I knew it! I knew it!" 

"W-where am I?" 

Barry looked at the unfamiliar lab environment, instinctively reaching out to remove the monitoring sensors from his body and forehead. Caitlin froze for two seconds, then stepped forward to help him. 

"Dr. Wells, come to surgery immediately—Barry's awake." 

Cisco opened the intercom, taking a few seconds to briefly explain the situation to the doctor, then rushed back to the bedside. 

"Pulse over... over 110, reaching 120," Caitlin said, holding a flashlight and quickly checking Barry's condition. "Pupils are reacting to light—" 

The two of them did so many things that Barry's head was spinning. He instinctively got out of bed, stood on the floor, breathing heavily, his expression dazed. 

"Calm down, buddy," Cisco quickly tried to soothe him. "You're fine. This is STAR Labs." 

"STAR Labs?" 

The name immediately jogged Barry's memory. The night flashed in his mind: the towering flames from the particle accelerator, the loud bang, the explosion, the lightning, and the city plunged into darkness... and that golden lightning bolt that fell from the sky. 

He looked at the two people in front of him, instinctively asking his question. 

"Who are you?" 

Chapter 312: Awakening 

When Cody opened the surveillance video from the S.T.A.R. Labs on his phone, Barry, Caitlin, and Cisco had calmed down a bit. 

"Are you saying that the lightning bolt that hit me also gave me an eight-pack?" 

Caitlin explained seriously, "Your cells are in a strange state. The abs might be a result of them self-regulating to repair your body." 

Cisco chimed in, "The point is, Allen, you've been in a coma for a long time." 

"How long?" 

"Nine months," the doctor's voice echoed from the doorway. "Welcome back, Mr. Allen." 

Ten minutes later, in an outer area of the lab, a naked Barry changed into a S.T.A.R. Labs T-shirt and followed the doctor to the site of the accident. 

Barry looked around. The area was still a complete wreck. 

"My god... What exactly happened that night?" 

"That night..." the doctor replied calmly. "The particle accelerator went online as planned. For the first 45 minutes, I achieved my life's dream. Then the accident happened." 

"The electrical energy went out of control. The ring exploded, and energy shot up into the sky from the breach, which then triggered the storm." 

Barry suddenly understood. "And then a lightning ball formed and hit me?" 

The doctor nodded. 

Barry's emotions were indescribable. His idol had caused the lab accident, which indirectly led to his own. While he hadn't died and his body seemed healthy, he had indeed been on the brink of death. 

As they walked toward the main hall, Barry suddenly realized, "Why did I wake up here at S.T.A.R. Labs?" 

"After you fell into a coma, the doctors at the hospital were at a loss. I heard about your case and went to see you," the doctor explained. "Although the name 'Wells' hasn't been very popular lately, Detective West and his daughter still agreed to let you come here for treatment." 

The mention of Iris immediately snapped Barry out of his daze. 

"Iris!" 

The doctor clearly saw what Barry was thinking and smiled faintly. "She came to see you often." 

"She's very talkative," Caitlin chimed in casually. 

"And beautiful," Cisco said, raising an eyebrow at Barry with a gossipy look. 

This time, they weren't just being polite. Cody agreed in his head. At least this Iris doesn't have a doughnut for a neck; she's actually pretty. 

"I'm sorry, I have to go." The thought of Iris made Barry eager to leave. "I've been in a coma for so long—I need to go home right away." 

"You can't leave." 

"Caitlin's right. Your body has undergone some peculiar changes. Now that you're awake, we can run more tests." 

"I'm fine. I feel completely normal now. Thanks for everything, but I have to go." 

It was clear that Barry wasn't listening. He walked away from S.T.A.R. Labs in a hurry. 

As soon as Barry disappeared from the lab's camera view, Cody turned off the surveillance. 

I could've guessed who he's going to see, he thought to himself, but he didn't watch any further. 

He had a customer. 

"Mao, ten pastries, please." 

"Danton?" Cody looked at him with surprise. "You look so energized... did the research work?" 

"Almost, Mao. I'm so close to success. I'm right there." 

Danton was still unkempt, but his face was beaming with joy, and he looked much more energetic and focused than he did when he was acting like a madman. 

If he hadn't been on drugs, then something even more exciting than drugs must have happened. 

"If I'm lucky, you might even read about me in the newspaper one day—it's groundbreaking research." 

"Then I'll be waiting for the good news from you and Elizabeth." 

After handing him the bag of pastries, Cody couldn't help but ask, "Danton, what exactly is your research about?" 

"Ha, you'll find out when the time comes." Danton patted his shoulder. "When it's done, Elizabeth and I will invite you to our house for a recovery celebration party." 

But Cody grew silent. At that moment, Danton reminded him of an old general on stage, covered in battle flags. 

"Alright," he said. "I hope that moment isn't too far away." 

"Of course, my friend, that moment will be here very soon." 

"Dumb Cat, what do you think?" 

"What are you talking about, boss?" 

"I'm saying, do you think I should check in on Danton?" he asked. "Even though I just said yesterday that I shouldn't misuse this power..." 

"Did you change your mind, boss?" 

"I can't say for sure. Danton's situation makes me a little worried—very worried." 

Hearing Cody's words, data streams silently flashed in the eyes of the Three-Wheeler, which was transformed into a car-head. 

"Ahhhhh!" 

Before the Dumb Cat could respond, a man's scream suddenly came from the street. Cody turned his head and could just barely make out a blurry, high-speed blur hitting a laundry van at the entrance of an alley. 

Bang! 

Soft clothes were sent flying out of the van by the airflow and shockwave. The blur seemed to have crashed into the pile of packaged clothes inside the vehicle. From Cody's perspective, the whole thing took maybe a second. 

"Looks like we're in the main story now..." 

Cody saw the laundry van employee pull a young man out of the vehicle with a confused look. It was none other than Barry Allen. 

"Honestly, that power is pretty cool," Cody commented. "Too bad the way he got it was a little life-threatening, so I'm not going to try it myself... Three-Wheeler, are you there?" 

"Based on my calculations, Barry Allen's speed just now was 320 kilometers per hour. I'm guessing you wanted to know that," the Three-Wheeler's voice came through the earpiece. Her voice sounded a little dejected. "He's faster than me... I lost." 

"I don't really get why you're comparing yourself to him," Cody shook his head. "He's a speedster. And besides, Barry can't take me, the Dumb Cat, and a whole cart of pastries to set up a stall every day." 

Before Cody could continue, the Three-Wheeler turned its front away, not engaging in their usual back-and-forth banter. 

"Three-Wheeler, why is your hood so hot?" 

"Get off me!" 

"The tsundere robot girl trope is so outdated, Three-Wheeler," Cody complained. "Unless you turn into a human, that move isn't going to make readers think you're cute." 

"I have a name!" 

"Oh, right, Yu. Did anyone else notice Barry's odd behavior?" 

"No, but I just checked his movements. There were unnoticed abnormalities at the coffee shop where Iris works and at the Central City Police Department." 

"Tell me more." 

"At the coffee shop, it seems Barry Allen quickly turned and dodged a falling tray. Inside the police station, a criminal tried to grab a gun, but half a second later, the gun was back in the officer's holster." 

Chapter 313: Old Acquaintances, Red-Eyed Reunion 

"For a superhero, using their powers for good is like instinct, isn't it?" 

Cody watched the video feed. Even though the police station's cameras weren't high-speed, with Tricycle's image processing, he could clearly see the culprit's hand grasping an officer's gun—then the person seemed to be hit by something unseen, and the gun flew out of their hand. 

"He hasn't even learned how to use his superpower, or even realized he has powers, and he's already using them to help others," Cody said, turning off the video. "He was born to be the Flash. Only a heart like his can wield such easily uncontrollable power." 

He patted Tricycle, and after their time working together, she immediately understood, quickly transforming back into her motorcycle form. Stupid Cat, meanwhile, just leaped onto Cody's head. 

"Tricycle, let's go!" 

"Tricycle, let's go, meow!" 

"I told you to call me by my name!" 

When Cody arrived at the Golden Bank's entrance on his motorcycle, the bank was still an hour away from closing. 

"A daily deposit, huh..." Cody mused, not even bothering to lock the bike. He just walked right into the bank with Stupid Cat. 

"Hi, I'd like to make a deposit." 

"The same account?" 

"Yep, two thousand." 

The bank manager smiled warmly, her service attitude absolutely excellent—and why wouldn't it be? This customer came to deposit money every two days, two thousand at a time, for nine straight months. His account now held hundreds of thousands of dollars. Normal Americans had never seen anyone like him. In their daily lives, big-spending clients weren't unheard of, but a person who accumulated so much from small amounts was truly unique. 

"Just a moment, Mr. Ma, almost done." 

Stupid Cat was quietly perched on Cody's head. To others, it just looked like an ordinary Siamese cat. After three months, Stupid Cat's acting skills were now top-notch. At least, it looked like a cat now. 

As Cody waited quietly, Stupid Cat suddenly stirred. Its cat ears twitched slightly, turning keenly towards the bank entrance, listening intently, then gently extended a paw and tapped Cody's back of the head. 

"Boss, boss." 

"Quiet down, don't make a fuss." Cody's lips barely moved as he whispered to Stupid Cat. "So many people are watching." 

"No, Boss," Stupid Cat whispered back. "I smell something strange, meow." 

"Hmm?" 

Hearing Stupid Cat, Cody's brow furrowed slightly. Just as he was about to turn his head towards the entrance, Tricycle's voice came through his earpiece. 

"Old Ma, a blond man wearing a baseball cap and a black jacket just entered the bank. He's driving a black Mustang, and according to the car's interior camera, he's probably carrying a gun." 

"Alright... but we can't be sure he's here to rob the bank, right?" 

"Hold on—Old Ma, all the bank's security cameras just shorted out! I can't see you now!" 

Cody heard the faint hum of an engine in his earpiece and immediately stopped her. "Tricycle, don't come in yet. Hold on." 

"Old Ma, you're just a regular human right now," Tricycle said, her tone urgent, no longer bothering to argue about her name. "The battle suit form is for times like this!" 

"Forget if you just want a cool fight," Cody whispered. "You need to understand, this city is about to enter a sci-fi era starting today. If we need you for every bank robber, what are we going to do later?" 

As they talked, the man had already approached the bank counter with a note in his hand. 

"No time to argue, Tricycle, stand by—don't worry, I've got my cat with me; I won't actually bite it." 

As Cody said this, he saw the bank manager approach. 

"Your transaction is complete, Mr. Ma," she said with a smile. "Welcome back to our bank anytime." 

"Thanks." 

With his business done, Cody casually tucked Stupid Cat into his arms, then dared to activate Master-level Stealth—now, no one in the entire bank noticed him at all. 

The man had now reached the counter. The slightly plump African-American teller wore a professional smile. Although she was elderly, she exuded a warm, neighborly vibe. She asked the man, "Hello, how can I help you?" 

Cody saw the man, who had kept his head down, hand over the note. 

"This is... a robbery?" 

The teller read the message on the note, then looked up at the man, slightly puzzled—he wasn't holding a knife or a gun. 

"Is this a joke?" The teller frowned. "Kid, this isn't funny." 

The man finally lifted his head, looking directly at the teller. 

"What do you think?" 

As soon as he spoke, a thick mist suddenly permeated the bank. Within three to five seconds, Cody's vision was filled with nothing but hazy white smoke. 

"Oh crap, this isn't right. This isn't just any robber, this is that—" BOOM! 

A sudden loud roar came from the sky. Cody didn't have time to move forward as the bank's massive glass dome was instantly shattered by wind and lightning. The white mist was blown away, and strong winds and raindrops, carrying glass shards, surged into the bank, filling every corner. 

Watching all the electronics in the bank short-circuit and go black in the storm, Cody finally understood how the bank's cameras had died. 

With the disappearance of the lights, the bank plunged into darkness. The abnormal strong winds continued to blow, and even the daylight outside was obscured by thick storm clouds. At this moment, visibility in the bank was almost no different from night. 

But Cody could still see the robber's face in the occasional flashes of lightning: short blond hair, a fierce expression—and the same arrogant and violent eyes as always. 

"You've gotta be kidding me... it's an old acquaintance after all." 

Cody recognized him at a glance, because their last meeting was also in a bank, and he was also robbing it. This moment was just like that moment. 

"Clyde Mardon," he thought. "He's really a professional bank robber. I remember he was the Flash's first opponent, barely even a mini-boss, more like a beginner's experience pack." 

"Darn it, why is he so much stronger this time...?" 

Cody put the pistol he was holding back into the shop. In this high-speed storm, bullets would be blown off course by his high-velocity air currents. 

"Looks like I'll have to go hand-to-hand—Cat, hold on tight, don't get blown away by the wind!" 

"Got it, meow!" 

Cody conveniently opened the shop and found an item, as a backup plan if close-quarters combat failed, then leaped into the storm. 

"Clyde! We meet again!" 

Chapter 314: Back to the Old Ways 

"My apologies." 

At that moment, seeing Cody's face, Clyde Mardon suddenly recalled that distant afternoon when they last robbed a bank and Cody helped him pack the money. 

"What a coincidence," Clyde said, a bright smile spreading across his face as he spotted the familiar face. "You were there the last time I robbed a bank, and you're here this time too—do you work at a bank or something?" 

"Can't I just be incredibly wealthy?" 

As they spoke, Cody charged directly at Clyde. However, Clyde was quite alert. Just as Cody was about to break through the strong winds and reach him, Clyde intensified the wind. 

Whoosh! 

Amidst flying sand and stones, a powerful miniature tornado formed around Clyde, sending Cody stumbling. At this moment, Cody was indeed an ordinary human, unable to break through the tornado with sheer physical prowess. 

Bang! 

Clyde saw Cody fly backward, crash into a nearby counter, and then collapse, unconscious. He let out a disdainful scoff. 

"I thought this guy was like me." 

He turned his head away from the downed Cody and refocused his attention on the cash. 

"Guns are useless, and I can't get close. Guess I'll have to spend some money." 

Cody, feigning unconsciousness on the ground, sighed. Dealing with Clyde would be easy, but if he wanted to avoid Reverse-Flash's attention, he needed a more discreet solution. 

According to his original plan, if he could surprise Clyde and get close, he could take him down instantly. But after the plane crash and the loss of his brother, Clyde seemed to have become much more stable, actively trying to cover his weaknesses. 

Excluding the option of using the tricycle, there was only one truly discreet method left. 

Cody opened the shop, and a small, intricate bead immediately caught his eye. 

[Wind-Settling Bead (Immortal Grade)] 

Price: 300,000 Asset Points 

Note: Provides a 2% damage reduction when carried. When used, grants a 50% damage reduction for 20 seconds and makes the user unaffected by strong winds; remarkably effective against special opponents. 

Note 2: You can also use it with your energy bar, but the consumption per second is enormous. Please control your usage time. 

"Activate the Wind-Settling Bead, go in, and directly knock this guy out, then blend into the crowd," Cody thought to himself. "Anyway, it's pitch black outside, and the security cameras are all down. Nobody will notice me." 

"Wait, Old Ma, there are two other ways." 

The tricycle's voice rang out again. Hearing that he didn't need to spend money on the Wind-Settling Bead, Cody's eyes lit up. Although he still had over a million asset points saved up, Central City's current intensity made spending that much on an early-game villain a bit of a waste. 

"What ways?" 

"I've accessed the driving system of the car he's using. I can make it lose control at any time. When he tries to escape in his car, we can have him crash into the roadside without him expecting it. I've calculated it so he won't be killed." 

"Good idea, worth considering. And what's the second option?" 

"Do you remember that warehouse? The one you said you wanted to convert into a safe house?" 

"I remember, but then I saw a better option in the system and never went back to that warehouse." 

"Alright, regardless," the tricycle continued, "you once said you wanted to modify it, so I tagged that warehouse and left a backdoor. Now, I've found some unexpected gains there." 

"Unexpected gains? Don't tell me Clyde's using it as a hideout?" Cody wondered. 

"Yes, I just checked the farm system and security cameras there and found that Clyde Mardon has been active there for quite some time." 

"Got it. I'll go straight to the warehouse. When Clyde walks in, I'll give him a big smack, and he'll straighten right up." 

"Which plan do you want to use?" 

"Let me teach you something new, Tricycle." Cody watched Clyde, who was now carrying large bags of money and heading towards the bank exit, a cunning smile on his face. 

"Kids make choices; adults take everything." 

Meanwhile, at the Central City Police Department, Joe was working overtime. 

After the particle accelerator explosion, Central City first became unusually chaotic. The usual thieves and petty criminals tried to take advantage of the chaos, eager to make a quick buck. Though he wasn't sure where their confidence came from, the Central City Police Department efficiently rounded up these pests and threw them into jail. 

There was nothing they could do. When people believe they have a significant advantage, they tend to become overconfident and lose caution to some degree. Conversely, the Central City Police Department, having just lost a colleague, entered a state of unity and renewed determination, with morale much higher than usual. 

After swiftly clearing out many criminals, Central City entered a relatively peaceful period for several months, with fewer police matters. This allowed Joe to enjoy a few months of peace and quiet. 

However, this month, the city finally started to put him through the wringer. 

"There have already been two robberies." 

He rubbed his temples, flipping through the case files, still thinking about the situation Eddie had briefed him on that morning. 

"Two cases in one month, Joe, and both involved storms and heavy rain. They sound a lot like those bizarre cases Barry is obsessed with. According to consistent victim statements, both crime scenes were too dark, and the surveillance cameras short-circuited." 

"What kind of nonsensical clues are these?" he thought to himself. "There's no clear entry point for investigation." 

Just then, an officer ran over. 

"Detective Joe! Someone reported a robbery at the Gold Bank! It just happened!" 

"Just happened? A robbery?" 

Joe immediately understood. This was likely the robber who had struck twice this month, acting again. 

Of course, this time, he didn't seem smart enough, leaving a vulnerability that allowed someone to call the police. 

"Where is the caller now?" 

"She didn't disclose her location and hung up, but she provided the criminal's vehicle model, license plate, and direction of travel." 

"Excellent." 

Upon hearing this, Joe immediately became excited. He shouted, "Quick, we need to leave fast! Get all the police cars ready! If we're late, that guy will get away! Where's Eddie? Where is Eddie? Call him back!" 

And where was Eddie at this very moment? 

He was at the coffee shop. 

"You're here quickly today," Iris said, placing a cup of coffee in front of him. "Did you rush over right after work?" 

"I wanted to see you," Eddie replied, taking the coffee from Iris. "Also, can you please stop acting so displeased with me at the police station?" 

"Hmm," Iris considered it carefully, then shook her head. "No." 

"Why not?" 

"I really don't want to see my father shoot my boyfriend in the head." 

Chapter 315: The Perfect First Battle... Or Was It? 

Just as Iris and Eddie were enjoying their chat, Eddie's phone suddenly rang in his pocket. 

"Ring, ring—" 

"Hmm?" 

Eddie frowned, instinctively looking at Iris, who nodded, signaling him to answer the phone. 

"Sorry, Iris... Police call." 

"Hello?" 

"Eddie? No time to explain, get to the station now! The serial bank robber just hit a bank, and we've got a lead on him!" 

"Serial robber? Now?" 

Eddie was both surprised and helpless. He had to put down his coffee cup, stand up, and tell Iris, "Sorry, Iris, something urgent just came up at the station." 

Iris smiled helplessly. "Go, go. You look pretty cool being a hero." 

Eddie sighed, hugged Iris, then hurried towards the cafe's exit. 

Iris, however, stood frozen. Through the coffee shop window, she saw Barry standing on the roadside, his eyes looking directly at her. 

It turns out Iris's acting was pretty good. She'd managed to fool an experienced detective like Joe for months—but she couldn't fool Barry, who had only been awake for a few days. 

Three minutes later, Barry and Iris walked side-by-side down the city street. 

"Barry, don't tell Joe about this," Iris pleaded. "He doesn't know yet." 

"I didn't know about this either," Barry replied glumly. "If I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have suspected anything at all." 

"I was going to tell you—while you were in the hospital, Eddie and Joe took turns, and he helped look after you for a while." 

"And that's when you two became boyfriend and girlfriend? That's Joe's partner, Iris!" 

"This is the first time I've ever liked someone, Barry, can't you just be happy for me?" 

"You don't understand, Iris, you're asking me to help you lie to Joe now..." 

Screech! 

A black Mustang suddenly sped past them on the road, followed by the blare of multiple police sirens. 

"Is that!?" 

Barry instinctively looked towards the car window. A familiar face was in the driver's seat—Clyde Mardon? Barry clearly remembered Joe saying yesterday that both Mardon brothers had died in a plane crash that night. So what was with the face he just saw? 

He turned to look at the chasing police cars behind them and told Iris, "Iris, you go. I'm with the police too; I have to go after them." 

"Barry! You're from forensics!" 

"Never mind that!" 

Iris couldn't persuade him at all and could only watch helplessly as Barry's figure vanished down the road. 

"Old Ma, the police are almost catching up to Clyde's car." 

The crisp female electronic voice sounded again. At this moment, Cody was speeding down the street on his motorcycle, his speed incredibly fast, almost perfectly trailing just out of the Mustang's sight. 

"Good. Once the police catch up, make Mardon crash directly into the roadside. We'll handle the rest." 

"Wait, Old Ma, Barry Allen is following." 

"What?!" 

Hearing that Barry had also joined the chase, Cody was dumbfounded. "He can run into him even now? What is this? The timeline's self-correction?" 

"I don't know, but he's accelerating—he's going to catch up to that car!" 

"It's fine. Change of plans. Let him make the arrest. Crash him!" 

"Received." 

As soon as the words left her mouth, the Mustang's tires immediately began to skid, losing control. 

Screeeech— 

A blurry, invisible streak of motion sped down the road. Barry was running uninhibitedly now—after discovering his superpowers, he had already gone to STAR Labs and had Dr. Wells, Cisco, and Caitlin help test his speed. 

"I can catch him, I can catch him!" 

Muttering repeatedly to himself, Barry watched as he ran on his own two feet, surpassing police cars one by one, gradually drawing alongside the Mustang. In his world, everything slowed down. 

Flowers, trees, the sky, the breeze, the clouds—like a slow-motion scene in a movie. He could clearly see the car tires slowly turning on the road, never quite completing a full rotation; he could see sweat slowly dripping from the brows of the officers in the police cars, taking forever to fall; he could hear the police sirens becoming dull and slow, turning into strange, warped sound waves. 

When he started running, a force propelled him faster and faster, further and further. Once he took a step, the scale of time changed beneath his feet, stretching infinitely like dough, becoming a thin line. One second turned into several, then more than ten, then several minutes—time and the world almost solidified together. 

To him, at such moments, only he was moving normally; his speed was no different from usual—but in the eyes of others, his speed was like lightning. 

In this special state, he could freely draw on this almost stopped world. The feeling filled him with joy, excitement, intoxication, and even a strange sense of familiarity and closeness, as if this rushing power was born for him and existed because of him. 

It was at this moment that the black Mustang suddenly began to skid and lose control, veering towards the empty grassy area, about to crash into a roadside tree. He turned his head to look through the car window again; Mardon's expression slowly changed—surprise, disbelief, unwillingness. 

But he couldn't react in time. The car was heading straight for that tree. 

So Barry took a step. 

Whoosh— 

Breaking the window, pulling out the person, tying their hands behind their back—from Barry's perspective, these actions seemed to take dozens of seconds; but to Mardon, from his car suddenly malfunctioning, to realizing the crash was imminent, to mysteriously ending up on the grass outside the car, only a few seconds seemed to have passed. 

He had no idea what had happened. 

"I'm CCPD (Central City Police Department), and you're under arrest for robbery, Clyde Mardon!" 

Barry recited a few formulaic lines convincingly, listening as the siren sounds arrived at the roadside, letting out a long sigh of relief. 

"So? Did you get it done?" 

Cody stopped his motorcycle at the street corner, asking Tricycle about the situation. 

"It's over. Barry Allen apprehended Clyde, and the CCPD officers have also arrived at the scene." 

Hearing this, Cody simply turned his bike and rode straight home. 

"You did good, Tricycle," he said. "The money's recovered, the guy's caught, and I didn't even have to show my face." 

"The backup plan wasn't needed—let's go, we'll have an extra meal when we get back!" 

Tricycle instinctively retorted, "I can't eat human food." 

"...I'll buy you some good motor oil when we get back."