Caitlin Snow ignored Su Sheng's joke and focused on driving. "The cutting-edge laboratory isn't very convenient right now, so I'll take you to my house for some routine examinations. By the way, hypothetically speaking, if someone were struck by lightning and didn't die but fell into a nine-month coma during which their body functions remained normal with no signs of degeneration or atrophy, do you think that's possible?"
After saying that, Caitlin glanced at Su Sheng, her hesitation evident.
"You're talking about Barry Allen?" Su Sheng replied casually.
The car came to a sudden stop, and Caitlin Snow looked at Su Sheng in surprise. "How did you know?"
"I know a lot of things. Drive," Su Sheng urged, his tone light but knowing. Caitlin Snow started the car again, her curiosity piqued.
"Is he awake?" Su Sheng asked with a chuckle.
Caitlin Snow nodded. "He woke up. I wanted to run more detailed tests on him—after all, being struck by lightning and in a coma for nine months must have caused some changes in his body—but unfortunately, he left."
"Don't worry, he'll be back soon," Su Sheng said, his real purpose for coming here being to replicate The Flash's speed.
The Speed Force is a powerful, almost bug-like ability. It grants super speed, the ability to travel through time and space, and numerous other abilities. The Flash family members use the Speed Force to perform incredible feats, and Barry Allen, in particular, has altered timelines multiple times, most notably creating the "Flashpoint" event by saving his mother.
The potential of the Speed Force is vast, but Su Sheng had a lingering concern. If he replicated Barry Allen's speed, would he be dependent on Barry's Speed Force like Reverse-Flash, or would he have his own independent Speed Force? Although Su Sheng wanted the Speed Force to enjoy its advantages, he despised the idea of being controlled by someone else. The thought of being stuck in a particular era, like Reverse-Flash, seemed like a dull fate.
"If it's an independent Speed Force, that's fine. If not, I'll just throw Barry into the Speed Force as a battery. After all, it's better than getting constantly slapped in the face." Barry Allen might be the fastest man alive, but he's also the fastest to get humiliated. He's often slower than other speedsters, sometimes even unable to catch up to a car. And when he encounters a non-speedster villain, he's usually beaten up before unleashing his full power. It's like watching a Saint Seiya episode!
His speed might be impressive, but his real talent is getting slapped in the face.
The phone rang suddenly, breaking the silence. Caitlin Snow picked up her phone and answered.
"Sisko? What's up?" she asked, then glanced at Su Sheng in surprise. "I know, I'll head back right away."
Putting the phone away, Caitlin Snow looked at Su Sheng with a strange expression. "Barry's back at the lab. I need to return immediately."
"I guess it's inconvenient to bring me along?" Su Sheng asked with a knowing smile.
Caitlin Snow gave an apologetic smile.
"Just drop me off near the lab, and then give me your address. I'll find you tonight," Su Sheng said indifferently.
Caitlin Snow turned the car around and headed back to the lab, giving Su Sheng her address as she did so.
After getting off where he had originally boarded, Su Sheng watched Caitlin Snow return to the lab but didn't leave. He knew Barry Allen would likely discover his newfound abilities soon, and Su Sheng planned to wait for him to come out so he could copy the Speed Force.
About an hour later, a tall, slender man walked out from the opposite side of the cutting-edge laboratory.
It was Barry Allen.
"The king of getting slapped in the face. Let's see how he handles his first time," Su Sheng thought with a smirk as he followed Barry.
Seeing Barry's dazed expression, Su Sheng quickly approached, grabbed his shoulders, and shoved him into a nearby alley.
Barry Allen, caught off guard, almost stumbled. Regaining his balance, he turned around angrily.
"Hey, what's your problem!" Barry demanded.
"Robbery," Su Sheng said solemnly.
"Robbery? Wait, you're robbing me? You… want to rob me?" Barry was stunned, pointing at himself like he'd just won the lottery. "Are you sure? You're going to rob me? Oh god, out of all the people you could choose, you choose me!"
"Are you happy?" Su Sheng asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Of course! I mean, it's kind of funny that you picked me to rob. This… this is incredible. Where's your weapon? Knife? Gun? What are you using to rob me?" Barry asked, looking at Su Sheng expectantly.
"How about my fist?" Su Sheng raised his hand.
Encountering a robbery right after gaining super speed made Barry feel exhilarated. He stared at Su Sheng's fist, anticipating the punch.
Su Sheng moved!
The world seemed to freeze, his punch slowed down by hundreds of times.
Barry Allen, feeling invincible with his new speed, casually walked up to Su Sheng and playfully mimicked a punch, already envisioning the scene where Su Sheng was knocked out by his own speed.