291-295

Chapter 291: The Gears of Fate Begin to Turn 

Iris finished comforting Barry and then curiously looked at the blond male police officer nearby. He seemed quite young, probably in his twenties, not yet thirty. He was laughing and chatting with his colleagues, his smile bright and cheerful. 

"This is the officer who helped us catch the petty thief," Iris said. "It's all sorted out, Barry. Let's get our statements recorded and then go." 

"Him, you mean?" Barry also glanced at the blond officer. "Oh, I've seen him at the precinct. That's Officer Eddie Thawne, transferred from Keystone City a few weeks ago." 

After saying that, Barry added silently to himself: He became a detective at such a young age, and he's quite handsome too. While it doesn't make me jealous, I am a bit envious—being able to actively fight crime, that's something I can't do. 

In reality, Barry became a crime scene investigator precisely because he wanted to fight evil in his own way. 

Iris watched Eddie for a moment, then turned to Barry and asked, "Are we still going to Dr. Wells' press conference later?" 

"I'm afraid the conference will be over by then," Barry said with a wry smile. "Let's just skip it. We can watch the recording later." 

"Alright, looks like we had a bit of bad luck tonight," Iris patted Barry's shoulder. "Let's head home early." 

"Yeah." 

Rumble—! 

After a clap of thunder, lightning began to flash in the dark clouds overhead. Large raindrops poured down, washing over the ground, and moist vapor enveloped all of Central City. 

"Looks like a heavy thunderstorm is starting." 

The coffee-cup detective was driving, watching the windshield get smeared with rain. He turned on the wipers and said to Joe beside him, "We've checked three farms already, and no Mustang. Joe, I think Allen got it wrong." 

Joe was silent for a moment, then pointed to the farm in the rain curtain not far away. "This is the last farm Barry listed. We'll check it and then leave." 

"Joe, I know he's smart, but sometimes even you've said he goes off chasing wild goose chases. He's not always reliable." 

"We're already here," Joe replied. "Let's check it before we say anything." 

So, the two entered the farm, braving the rain. 

The interior wasn't as dark as they'd imagined. A few scattered lights were on, allowing Joe and his partner to vaguely make out the general surroundings, so their search was quick. 

"Hey, Joe, did you see that thing?" 

When Joe followed the coffee-cup detective's voice and turned his head, he indeed saw the outline of a vehicle covered by a tarp. This made him exchange a look with his partner; their eyes lit up, signaling they might be onto something. 

Joe quickly stepped forward and yanked off the tarp from the front of the car—the Mustang GT500 emblem was clearly visible under the flashlight's beam. 

At the same time, the coffee-cup detective also saw the damaged rear tire beside it. 

"It's the Ma Dong brothers," Joe said. 

The coffee-cup detective nodded. "Looks like they changed the tire here." 

At that moment, Clyde Ma Dong, hidden in the shadows, finally couldn't hold back any longer. 

Bang! Bang! 

Two gunshots, two bullets—unfortunately, they went wide, missing Joe and his partner completely. This only made the two officers instantly alert. They quickly ducked behind the nearest cover and pinpointed Clyde's location. 

"Damn it, it's too dark in the warehouse." 

Although his aim was terrible, Clyde immediately sensed an opportunity to escape. He quickly rolled out from behind cover, firing wildly to suppress them, and ran towards the door. 

While his aim wasn't great, in such extremely poor lighting, Joe and the coffee-cup detective's aim was also affected. Both sides exchanged fire, all missing, giving the impression of a stalemate, a signal to retreat. 

"Clyde, stop struggling! You can't escape!" 

"Oh yeah? I've got a plane to catch, Detective!" 

When Clyde ran out of the warehouse, the anxious coffee-cup detective immediately followed him. Clyde quickly spun around, raised his handgun towards the warehouse, the barrel pointed directly at the detective's neck. 

A bloodthirsty smile spread across his face—the large lights at the entrance provided ample light; the detective was a goner. 

Bang! 

A gunshot rang out, but the detective didn't fall. 

A bullet shot out from the dark warehouse first, the metal projectile piercing through the white rain curtain, precisely striking Ma Dong's right arm, causing him to miss his shot. 

"Damn it!" 

Clyde gritted his teeth and cursed fiercely, but behind him, the agricultural plane's engine was rumbling—his brother, Mark, was there to pick him up. The plane was about to take off; if he didn't run now, he really wouldn't escape. 

Reluctantly, he picked up the handgun with his left hand, then turned and sprinted into the rain. 

When the two detectives chased them out again, the small agricultural plane had already taken to the sky, carrying the Ma Dong brothers away. 

Joe put his handgun away, quite helpless. "These two were too well prepared; they got away." 

"It's fine, you've still got it," the coffee-cup detective replied. "That cover shot you made was beautiful, it hit that guy right in the arm—Joe, I saw Clyde's gun aimed right at me. Without your shot, he would've hit me." 

"What?" Joe frowned. "The shot that hit his arm? That wasn't you?" 

Their eyes met, and they both paused, surprised. 

"Wait, no," Joe suddenly exclaimed. "You have blood on your stomach!" 

The coffee-cup detective looked down. He lifted his trench coat and indeed saw a large dark red stain slowly spreading across his abdomen. 

"Oh, no," he felt a wave of dizziness. "I still got hit..." 

"Cesar, hold on!" 

Joe supported the coffee-cup detective, quickly dragged him into the car, and performed emergency first aid to stop the bleeding. Then, he floored the accelerator, speeding directly towards the hospital. 

Cody emerged from the warehouse at this point, casually putting away his handgun. He looked towards the city center. 

"So, this level of interference is acceptable, then?" he asked. "Saving someone who was supposed to die like this, it won't get me expelled?" 

[For characters not critical to the timeline, slight alterations are acceptable to this world. For characters crucial to the timeline, you cannot change their fate in this world—but you can remove them from this world, which is the only way for them to survive.] 

"Wow, so I can even help people sneak across dimensions?" 

The system offered no further reply. 

At the Central City Police Department, Barry saw the stormy weather outside his window and immediately ran to the evidence analysis lab upstairs—he realized he might have forgotten to close the rooftop window tightly. 

He hurried into the room. Sure enough, under the pouring rain, rainwater was already dripping into the room from the skylight. 

"I should have sealed that skylight." 

Barry shook his head and reached for the iron chain on the skylight's pulley control. 

"Chapter 292: My Head Itches, I Feel Like My Brain is Growing" 

Just as Barry was about to reach out and close the skylight on the roof, the voice of a news reporter suddenly blared from the television nearby. 

"Viewers, this is live coverage of the S.T.A.R. Labs press conference. We've just been informed by lab personnel to evacuate immediately because a storm has caused a malfunction in the particle accelerator's main cooling system—official personnel are currently attempting to shut down the particle accelerator, but so far, there's been no word from inside the lab about a successful system restart—" 

The live news broadcast suddenly distorted into a black screen, and the anchor's voice cut off abruptly. 

Barry, holding the chain, looked startled and uncertain. He instinctively looked up, his gaze passing through the metal shelves holding various chemical reagents, towards the window nearby—this was a high floor in the police station, offering an excellent view of the massive particle accelerator in the city center. 

If something truly major had happened at the particle accelerator, he should be able to see it from here—and indeed, he did. 

Boom—! 

A brilliant flash of fire lit up his eyes. The thunder from the sky and the flames from the ground merged, forming a terrifying yet beautiful white pillar of light. It directly blew away part of the storm clouds above the lab, then began to recklessly unleash its heat upon the surrounding area. 

The destructive energy instantly vaporized the rainwater within several hundred meters. Shockwaves and electromagnetic pulses, carrying some invisible substance, erupted and spread from the light pillar, extending for thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of meters. 

At this very moment, even Cody in the suburbs and Joe, who was speeding towards the hospital in his car, saw the anomaly in the sky. 

This book was first published on 101kan.com, providing you with an error-free, unsequenced reading experience. 

The towering pillar of light illuminated large sections of the clouds, making the city center as bright as day. But the energy storm it generated wasn't content with just that, and began to sweep even further. The dark clouds in the night sky began to glow, becoming like fiery clouds, allowing people to observe the entire process of this invisible shockwave moving at high speed through the air with their naked eyes. 

Within seconds, as the electromagnetic pulse spread, all electronic devices in the city began to fail, starting from the area around S.T.A.R. Labs, then spreading throughout the entire city center, and finally reaching every corner of the central urban area. 

Joe and Cody could both see that within seconds, the brightly lit city in the distance had plunged into complete darkness—if not for being in the suburbs, even Joe's car would have been affected. 

Unfortunately, the Ma Dong brothers weren't so lucky; their plane flew much faster than a car. 

Boom—! 

An invisible冲击 swept through the clouds, and the sky above the plane, which was about to fly into the city, lit up with fiery clouds—then, the internal circuits of this agricultural plane immediately overloaded and exploded into a brilliant fireball. 

Joe watched with his own eyes as the plane disintegrated in a flash of fire, plummeting to the ground in shattered pieces, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my God..." 

He knew that under such circumstances, the Ma Dong brothers likely had little chance of survival. 

Cody was currently taking shelter from the rain on a farm, and he stared intently at the sky, though not in the direction of the Ma Dong brothers. 

"A soaring fire... explosions and loud noises?" 

At this moment, he recalled the anomaly that appeared at the particle accelerator in Central City of another world on the day the Drake couple went missing—it was exactly the same as what was happening right now. 

"The particle accelerator in this universe exploded, then projected into another universe?" 

His mind raced with thoughts, desperately trying to comprehend the situation: "But the time I came over was completely before the explosion... and now I'm witnessing the explosion happen?" 

At this moment, Cody felt as if he was caught in a temporal rift, bewildered and at a loss. Before he arrived, the particle accelerator's explosion had already projected into his universe; yet after he arrived, the explosion hadn't even occurred yet. 

Did this mean he existed in two universes simultaneously right now? 

"System, did you intentionally move the time point of my smuggling forward?" 

"No, this is a spatiotemporal distortion phenomenon in the Flash world. The system did not interfere with your smuggling time node—please note, you have an independent timeline that is not affected by changes in the universe's timeline. Your temporal continuity cannot be broken." 

"You are unique." 

When the system mentioned "independent timeline," Cody immediately recalled a previous prompt from when he traveled to the Joker War, which seemed to say: 

"Confirming world structure based on individual 'Cody's' timeline." 

"My head itches so bad..." He scratched his head in confusion, "I feel like my brain is growing." 

When Barry saw the bright pillar of light from S.T.A.R. Labs, he froze in place. After two or three seconds, he finally realized what had happened. 

Dr. Wells' meticulously designed project had just been destroyed—the particle accelerator had exploded. 

"Oh my God..." 

As he tried to process this news, the metal shelves in front of him caught his attention. 

A peculiar and mysterious substance swept over his body along with the electromagnetic pulse, and also over the chemical reagents on the shelves. The liquids in the beakers immediately defied gravity, gently floating upwards as if in an anti-gravity environment. 

Boom—! 

The lightning's light cast Barry's shadow on the ground. When he looked up, he could only see a spherical, dazzling golden light. 

Crack! 

The arc of the spherical lightning struck down the chain, and the golden lightning bolt shattered the skylight above his head, then coursed through Barry's entire body. Barry, suffering a severe impact, was sent flying, knocking over the metal shelf holding the chemical reagents, and colorful reagents splashed all over him. 

The gears of fate began to turn at this moment. 

At this time, the police station also plunged into darkness; the electromagnetic pulse had also caused a massive power outage here. 

The police officers downstairs quickly sprang into action. They, too, had heard the booming thunder and seen the flash of fire from the particle accelerator. 

When an officer tried to call CSI personnel to the particle accelerator explosion site, Barry, lying in the reagents, was finally discovered and swiftly sent to the hospital. 

In a hospital in Central City, the corridor lights were dim—after the major power outage, backup power had to be prioritized for more crucial medical equipment, so many corners remained pitch black, giving off a somewhat post-disaster, apocalyptic feel. 

"What's wrong with this person?" 

An emergency doctor saw the police officers pushing a young man, severely burned and charred all over, looking tense and moving quickly. He asked, "What's wrong with this person?" 

"He was directly struck by lightning." 

"And he's not dead?" 

The doctor looked at the young man on the gurney; beneath his skin, a strange golden current seemed to flicker. 

"What was that?" 

He rubbed his eyes, but when he looked at the young man again, he couldn't see anything unusual. 

Chapter 293: Guess What Kind of Gourd It Is 

By the time Cody arrived at the hospital on his bicycle, the power hadn't been restored yet. 

He casually folded his bike and slipped it back into his cloak, then blended into the crowd. The hospital was in complete darkness, and that darkness brought unease, which led to chaos. Amidst the surging crowd, no one noticed the Asian man. 

He followed the flow of people through the hospital, searching for Joe and Iris. They would undoubtedly be waiting outside the hospital room of Officer Cesar, who had been shot in the abdomen, and Barry Allen. Finding them would lead him to the others. 

"Let me confirm Cesar's condition first, so I don't go through all this trouble for nothing," Cody muttered to himself, squeezing deeper into the hospital. He wasn't too worried about Barry's safety, because with Harrison Wells around, the professor would definitely not let Barry die in this incident. 

But then again, to be safe, and also to observe the situation in this universe, he still planned to check on both of them. 

However, the hospital was exceptionally chaotic tonight, and not just because of the blackout. If it were just a few lights out, the nurses and security guards in the hospital lobby could have managed to maintain order. The problem was that the blackout was only one of the collateral damages caused by the particle accelerator explosion. 

The direct damage from the explosion, however, was a massive influx of injured people. 

"Clear the way! Clear the way! Make room for the injured!" 

In the pitch-black lobby, nurses shone flashlights, anxiously shouting at the crowd. By this point, about fifteen minutes had passed since the explosion. Seriously and lightly injured victims were gradually being brought to the hospital. With accompanying family members and police officers entering, the entire hospital was flooded with people, and every floor was overcrowded. 

"Either Central City only has one hospital, or the number of injured tonight far exceeded what people imagined." 

Cody sighed as he watched one injured person after another being wheeled into the operating room. If the Horn of Plenty were still usable, he could have offered some help. 

"Considering this is the closest hospital to the particle accelerator, perhaps the situation tonight isn't as bad as it seems?" 

Cody pondered as he slowly walked upstairs. In his opinion, the medical pressure on this hospital wasn't particularly severe; it was within a normal range. During the Joker War, they had to handle this many injured people practically every day. The current overflow was their normal state back then. 

"It's because the Flash wasn't born yet in the years prior, leading to Central City not being 'hardcore' enough," he thought. "Once meta-humans ramp up the intensity for everyone, the hospital's medical standards will probably skyrocket." 

As he mused, he found Joe standing outside a hospital room—it wasn't too difficult; he just needed to find the room with the most police officers outside. 

"Joe, don't worry too much." 

A detective patted Joe's shoulder, comforting him. "You got Cesar here as fast as you could, and the doctor said the bullet didn't hit any of his organs, and the bleeding was stopped in time—he'll be alright." 

"I know, I know," Joe gazed at the operating room door, letting out a deep sigh. "That's just how it is for cops; you always run into these things. It's just that after this injury and recovery, Cesar won't have much time left. He'll have to retire—I'm a little disappointed I couldn't see his last case through to the end with him." 

"Speaking of which, you two went after the Ma Dong brothers, right?" another detective said bitterly. "You should have brought more people! Damn it, don't worry, we'll make those two jerks pay!" 

"Sigh, that was Barry's analysis. I couldn't be sure they were even there. Tonight was just a shot in the dark," Joe shook his head. "As for the Ma Dong brothers—no need to worry about them anymore. They tried to escape on an agricultural plane, but the plane was caught in the explosion. It crashed, and they're both gone." 

Hearing that the Ma Dong brothers were utterly obliterated, the other officers fell silent. No wonder Joe said Cesar's case couldn't have a proper ending; with the criminals dead, the case was destined to be closed immediately. 

"Uh, Joe, speaking of Barry, we have something to tell you." 

Seeing his colleague stammering and looking troubled, an ominous feeling rose in Joe's heart. 

"What happened to Barry?" 

"Barry..." 

His colleague opened his mouth but didn't speak. He silently stepped aside, revealing a tearful blonde beside him. 

"Daughter? What are you doing here?" 

"Dad, Barry was struck by lightning and is unconscious now..." Iris's voice was low. She sadly replied, "I came to the hospital to find him." 

"Iris?!" 

Cody, who had been silently observing, suddenly widened his eyes. "No way, buddy? Which timeline is this? How could I not know what the TV show's Iris West looks like? Her skin is just like her dad's, and in a blackout hospital, you'd only see her white teeth. If she bent her head down, she'd have a few more donuts around her neck. I was practically dying from the 'rainbow praise' she got and the two-timing tea-flavor. She was the most memorable character in the entire show." 

"And you're telling me this fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged blonde is Iris West?! How did Joe West have a white daughter? Is she adopted?" 

However, no matter how he looked, the woman before him was indeed Joe's daughter. 

"Dad, Barry, he..." 

"Barry will be fine, Iris." 

Joe hugged his grieving daughter tightly. His eyes were also filled with tears. Barry Allen was like a son to him, raised since childhood. Not by blood, but closer than blood. Hearing about his son's sudden misfortune, his heart bled. 

But as the sole pillar of strength for this single-parent family, he couldn't cry now; he had to hold it together. 

Joe West, always a resilient father and police officer, rarely shed tears. Every time he cried, it was for his family, and every time he stayed strong, it was for them too. 

"Come on, I'll wait with you until Barry wakes up." 

"Okay." 

Cody couldn't help but sigh. He knew Barry would be fine, but Joe was a good man. Even though he had saved Cesar, seeing Joe like this still made him feel uneasy. 

With that in mind, he opened the system store—he had wanted to buy a healing ability before. Although he couldn't interfere with Barry Allen's injuries, many seriously injured patients had arrived at the hospital tonight. With his help, at least fewer people would die. 

After all, everyone here had family. 

Cody scrolled through the system store list. A moment later, his eyes lit up because he saw a very suitable healing item. 

A green gourd. 

--- 

Chapter 294: Aftermath 

[Azure Field Gourd (Celestial Grade) 

Price: 90,000 Asset Points 

Note: Whether you're drinking or not, the gourd will flash once every thirty seconds. If it's not full when it flashes, it will replenish its full capacity, allowing for one sip. 

Note 2: Fate has no regrets, life has a simple charm. 

Note 3: When no special liquor is chosen, it will automatically generate coconut wine by default. Each sip restores one-third of current maximum health.]" 

Cody held the seemingly ethereal azure gourd, noticing a faint spiritual glow emanating from it. Feeling it was too eye-catching, he instinctively asked, "Can it be disguised?" 

No sooner had he spoken than the gourd's brilliant luster faded, turning into a mundane, dull dark green. 

"Good gourd, good gourd," Cody praised twice. The disguise just now wasn't done by the system; the gourd itself responded and changed. The system categorized this gourd as "Celestial Grade," meaning some of its spiritual functions were inherent properties. As the saying goes, a treasure with spirit can conceal itself, and this seemed to be that very principle. 

When he uncorked the gourd, a clear, sweet aroma of wine immediately wafted out. Cody sniffed it, detecting no pungent odor whatsoever. 

He had actually never drunk alcohol before, as he disliked getting drunk and the smell of liquor. However, if it was spiritual wine from a Celestial Grade gourd, he felt he'd be willing to try it. 

"Monkeys will still drink, huh?" he thought to himself. "If the basic version tastes this good, I can't imagine what a thirty-year aged one would be like." 

The gourd was different from the Horn of Abundance. As an initial healing item, the Horn of Abundance was convenient for daily life, with its healing effect being a fixed amount per second. This was very useful for ordinary people, but it would inevitably fall short against non-human opponents with extremely long health bars. 

Cody was relatively lucky; in his past few missions, he hadn't encountered situations requiring healing non-humans. But from a proactive perspective, the Celestial Grade Azure Field Gourd, which heals based on a percentage of maximum health, was undoubtedly a superior alternative to the Horn of Abundance. 

"But one-third healing is still a bit low..." Cody pondered silently. "Why not just lean into the whole gourd system?" 

Indeed, the reason Cody bought the gourd, a Celestial Grade item, was precisely because it was a self-contained system with quite flexible effects. 

"[Lamb Brew (Superior Grade) 

Price: 10,000 Asset Points 

Note: Each sip immediately restores 20% of current maximum health; then 5% per second for five seconds, totaling 45% health. 

Note 2: Red flowers for gifts, lamb wine and fruit platters, sincere offerings.]" 

After choosing the gourd, he then picked the wine. Different wines had different effects. In terms of healing, Lamb Brew was clearly superior to coconut wine. 

"Might as well get a brewing ingredient too." 

"[Jade Pond Lotus Seeds (Superior Grade) 

Price: 10,000 Asset Points 

Note: Restores 1% health instantly upon drinking, then 1% per second for five seconds, for a total of 6% additional health restoration. 

Note 2: The Kunlun Garden and Langfeng Garden have twelve jade towers and nine mysterious chambers, with the Jade Pond on the left and翠水 on the right.]" 

Now, one sip from the gourd could restore 51% of his health. But since it was a life-saving healing item, Cody decided to improve it further. 

"[Boshan Incense Burner (Superior Grade) 

Price: 10,000 Asset Points 

Note: After emptying the gourd, gain 15% damage reduction. 

Note 2: An incense burner for eternal longevity, a few scrolls for transcendence.]" 

Cody casually put the small, ancient incense burner into his pocket—as long as he carried it and the gourd was empty, the Boshan Incense Burner would function, without needing to burn any incense. 

This perfectly aligned with the Azure Field Gourd's特性; it could be emptied in one sip, allowing him to enjoy 29 seconds of damage reduction within 30 seconds. 

After this complete setup, Cody's asset points were essentially depleted. However, he was confident that he wouldn't need to buy any other healing abilities before leaving this universe. 

"Alright, now I need to give everyone a sip. Is there a more hygienic way to get them to drink?" 

As it turned out, the gourd's intelligence far exceeded his imagination. No sooner had Cody spoken than a stream of transparent liquid flew out from the gourd's opening, coalesced into a small liquid sphere in mid-air, and then swiftly flew into the mouth of a wounded person in the corner. 

"Huh? What was that?" 

The injured person instinctively closed his mouth, savoring the crisp, sweet taste. Lamb Brew was different from coconut wine. While the Celestial Grade gourd could elevate both to the level of exquisite fine wine, the basic coconut wine was still ordinary. The superior-grade Lamb Brew had an excellent base, and with the addition of extraordinary brewing ingredients like Jade Pond Lotus Seeds, its current taste was even more intoxicating. 

By the time the injured person finally recovered from the captivating aroma of the wine, his injuries had miraculously healed completely, and the source of that delicious liquid was nowhere to be found. If not for the lingering aftertaste in his mouth, he would have almost thought everything that just happened was a hallucination. 

Meanwhile, Cody had already walked far away with the wine gourd. The hospital's dark environment saved him a lot of trouble; he didn't even have to worry about surveillance. He utilized his master-level stealth ability to its fullest, and no one noticed the figure moving through the entire hospital. 

He hadn't yet tested how effective the 30-second healing frequency would be in combat, but outside of combat, this healing frequency was already more than sufficient. 

"Too bad Barry can't move," he thought to himself. "I don't know what impact waking him up early would have on his Speed Force and his body's integration. The best course of action is to do nothing." 

Sixty minutes in an hour, allowing him to heal 120 people. And tonight, there certainly weren't that many seriously injured people in the entire hospital; most people only had minor scrapes and bleeding. Cody stayed in the hospital for less than an hour. After ensuring all seriously injured patients were out of danger, he slipped out of the hospital and headed to the next one. 

"Just finish this quickly. Once it's done, I'll sneak my forged documents into the relevant agencies during the chaos." 

The next day, major media outlets in Central City began to compete in reporting on the massive explosion that occurred last night. The police and the Central City government jointly intervened in the post-disaster statistical assessment. 

"According to police investigations and our station's follow-up reporters, it has been confirmed that last night's fire and loud noise were due to a major error in the particle accelerator experiment. Dr. Harrison Wells' incorrect calculation of weather effects led him to issue the wrong command to continue the experiment. When the accident occurred, a major explosion happened at the particle accelerator, with its aftermath sweeping through S.T.A.R. Labs, the participating media at the nearby press conference, and numerous science enthusiasts." 

"Currently, government departments have decided to temporarily close S.T.A.R. Labs." 

Chapter 295: Time to Work! 

The next day, Cody sat in his rented apartment, watching the news on his computer. He raised a hand, and a small sip of liquor automatically glided from his gourd into his mouth. 

Taking a sip in battle could be a weakness, but if the gourd could pour itself directly, it was a tactical move worth mastering. He planned to practice it more. 

"Dr. Harrison is about to hold a press conference. He stated that he is deeply saddened and apologetic about last night's accident, and he is willing to take responsibility for the compensation." 

Cody saw Harrison, looking exhausted, frail, and a bit sorrowful in his wheelchair. In front of the media and public, he was no longer the confident, visionary scientist from last night. In just one night, he had transformed from a world-leading, future-shaping scientist into a disabled man with a heavy burden of responsibility for a major accident. 

At the press conference, he didn't say much beyond apologizing. 

However, the media had plenty to say. 

"Currently, the police have tallied all the losses from last night. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in the explosion, and those with severe injuries are in remarkably good condition. According to doctors, all injured parties have regained consciousness, except for one police officer who was directly struck by lightning and remains in a coma." 

"Despite this, the economic losses and impact of this incident are still incalculable. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has now intervened in the investigation. According to the agency's preliminary assessment, Star Labs may be classified as a Level 4 hazardous location, and all its operations will need to be temporarily suspended." 

Cody didn't want to watch anymore. The subsequent cleanup and compensation would be uneventful; Harrison Wells would likely be bleeding money. The more critical issue was that Star Labs personnel would likely leave in droves, seeking employment elsewhere. 

No one would want to stay at a lab that caused such a major accident with significant casualties. As one of the world's top labs, Star Labs naturally attracted scientific elites who had bright futures. They wouldn't waste their valuable time on a lab with no future. 

"Even though not many died, it's still a complete mess..." Cody muttered instinctively, taking another small sip of liquor. While the Lamb's Brew and Coconut Wine were both incredibly addictive, their potency was astounding. If not for the gourd reducing the alcohol content, he wouldn't be able to handle even a small sip. 

"Next, we have an interesting tidbit related to the accident. After last night's explosion, many injured individuals were sent to the hospital for treatment. Many of them claimed that, for some unknown reason, they tasted a strange, wonderful wine last night, and their minor and severe injuries rapidly healed afterward. However, after careful investigation and interviews by reporters, numerous police officers and doctors at the hospital did not see any suspicious individuals carrying alcohol into the hospital." 

"Currently, experts have determined that this claim is either due to some degree of brain concussion during the explosion leading to hallucinations, or merely an attempt to gain attention." 

"Now, for the next news story..." 

Cody was pleased with the outcome. He closed his laptop, put it back into his system, and then headed out the door. 

Central City was different from Gotham. Renting a place here was straightforward; landlords were normal people with no ties to gangs. He exchanged money for keys, and finding a place didn't take him long at all. The efficiency was unbelievably high, and the process was so normal that he felt a bit unaccustomed to it. 

"The police are at Brother Ma Dong's farm today collecting evidence, so I definitely can't set up a safe house there," he thought. "It's best to avoid that farm for a while. Once no one's around, it'll be safe." 

The housing issue was resolved, and the document problem was initially handled. Barry hadn't woken up yet, so there was only one thing left to deal with. 

"I need to find a job," Cody thought. "I remember he was in a coma for nine months before waking up. This period before that is my development phase." 

He looked at the glaring "ten times asset points" in the smuggling rules and excitedly rubbed his hands. "I must find a job immediately and start making some serious cash." 

--- 

Today was another beautiful day in Central City. 

Pedestrians came and went on the streets, moving through this calm and peaceful city. Everyone living here was bright and full of energy, hurrying about their lives. 

A blonde man in a trench coat and a blonde woman in a leather jacket casually walked down the street, their steps unhurried. As they passed, they often glanced covertly and sharply at the opposite side of the street. However, seeing them walking arm-in-arm, many passersby assumed they were a couple out for a stroll. 

But these two were actually siblings. 

--- 

Leonard Snart was in a good mood. When an armored truck stopped outside the bank across the street, he raised his wrist to check the time on his watch, then changed his pace and led his sister, Lisa Snart, out of the street. 

"Aren't we going to make a move?" Lisa's voice was low. 

"Lisa, patience. Planning requires patience; execution requires decisiveness," Snart replied unhurriedly, a smile spreading across his chiseled face. If he were truly out with a girlfriend, this smile would likely charm her instantly. 

As a criminal, he was almost too handsome for the job. 

They left the street and arrived at the city center. Lisa looked up at the location of Star Labs, which could only be described as a ruin. A team of construction workers had already begun reconstruction, clearly a long-term project. 

Citizens merely walked past on the street; no one looked at this once-global pinnacle of scientific research with worship or admiration anymore. The city's former glory had become a disgrace, a scar no one wanted to mention. In just three days, people had already deliberately forgotten about this ruin. 

"When can we pull off a proper heist?" Lisa asked. "Star Labs just exploded, and the city's police are in disarray. Shouldn't we seize the opportunity?" 

Snart replied coldly, "Quite the opposite. This is only suitable for reconnaissance—because the police's arrival time is unknown, unknown means uncontrollable, uncontrollable means risk, and I hate risk." 

"I know, I know. You're a perfectionist," Lisa sighed. "You demand absolute control over your plans, even to the point of being nitpicky. But is that really necessary?" 

"If you ask me, your efficiency is worse than working alone." 

Snart turned to look at his sister. If any other criminal partner spoke to him like that, he would have shot them in the head already. 

A tense atmosphere began to fill the air. At that moment, a shout from the street interrupted the two who were staring at each other. 

"Hamburgers for sale! Fresh hamburgers!"