Starting from scratch, Batman crushed my dream of getting rich

Chapter 334 Getting anxious, getting anxious
As a science and engineering guy who loves books, Barry fits the stereotype quite well. He also likes science fiction or superhero movies and video games.

But he was well aware of the difference between games and reality. For example, the idea that "the red and green grass in the police station's potted plants is actually a miracle cure" or "I became the richest man in Los Santos by committing robbery and crime every day" or "a mysterious and unscrupulous businessman who can pull out a set of expensive black technology anytime, anywhere" is obviously just a fantasy that exists only in movies and TV shows.

Until a food vendor on the roadside asked him which kind of chocolate he wanted.

"What do you mean by 'the kind that supplements nutrition' and 'the kind that strengthens the body'?" Barry's eyes were a little confused. "Do you know what you're talking about?"

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?" Ma Zhaodi asked in return. "My family's chocolate is a family recipe passed down for generations, a 500-year-old brand. Is it strange to make some functional upgrades to the product?"

This statement is half true and half false; in fact, only the filling is a family recipe passed down through generations.

Barry couldn't hold back any longer when he said "five hundred years": "Fun fact: the world's first solid chocolate was made in 1847 by the Fry family in England. It's not even five hundred years old, not even two hundred years."

“What do you know?” Ma Zhaodi waved his hand: “The herbal ingredients in the chocolate are from our family’s traditional recipe, a five-hundred-year-old medicine. Everyone who has drunk or eaten it says it’s good.”

Upon hearing this, Barry immediately thought of an old friend—Green Arrow, who lived in Star City. Green Arrow had once told him that he had met a Chinese man named Yao Fei on Purgatory Island. Yao Fei possessed a rather magical herb that was considered miraculous in treating external injuries.

Is this person related to Yao Fei? Or is it that everyone at Dongda University has a magical herb? Do they have a magic academy?

He immediately asked Ma Zhaodi, "Do you know Yao Fei?"

Who is Yao Fei?

"It's nothing, it's nothing."

Barry's perception of East University was once again shrouded in mystery: "They must have a magic academy."

See, that's how stereotypes are formed.

"What do these strange chocolate functions mean?"

"Isn't this easy to understand? Nutritional supplements are of course suitable for people who exercise a lot or people who aren't in good health," Ma Zhaodi explained. "I just saw you jogging at night last time, so I'm trying to develop some clients."

"And what about strengthening the body?"

"That's for martial arts training. Research some drugs to enhance physical fitness, make people stronger and more resilient to beatings—I can see you're from the police station, and you have good muscles, you must be a trained fighter."

"Uh, no, no, I haven't learned any combat or hand-to-hand fighting techniques."

Barry waved his hand awkwardly, thinking to himself that what was shown in action movies was indeed true; all Chinese people learn kung fu.

See, that's how stereotypes get reinforced.

“Then let’s go with the nutritious kind.” Ma Zhaodi shrugged. “If any new chocolate varieties are developed in the future, you can try them too.”

"Thanks."

"You're welcome, one hundred dollars a piece, thank you for your patronage."

"what?"

"Is this chocolate made of gold?" That was Barry's first thought. But when he considered the cost of the meals arranged by the lab, he realized that this chocolate was both economical and convenient. At least a hundred hamburgers or dozens of high-energy bars would cost more than a hundred dollars, and he would need to spend a lot of time using the Speed ​​Force to eat them.

Feeling full is certainly important, but only Barry knows what it feels like to stuff so much stuff into his stomach at once.

"Okay." He sighed, "Hopefully I can get some reimbursement from the doctor when I get back."

But the doctor doesn't want reimbursement now; he wants to kill someone.

At this moment, in the secret room of the interstellar laboratory, Wells stood in front of the news report about the Flash's disappearance, his face terribly gloomy.

The AI-projected newspaper light source was clearly visible, and the headline on the front page seemed unchanged, still reporting on the Flash's disappearance, and still on April 25, 2024.

But some things have changed.

"No, no, this shouldn't have been like this before."

Wells reached out and, through the void, stroked the few small news items at the bottom of the newspaper page, one letter at a time. They seemed unremarkable, but to Wells they were incredibly jarring.

He was so familiar with this report that he had read it over and over again over the past decade that he could practically recite it word for word—or rather, he could remove the word "practically" without any problem.

"This should be Steiger Industries' bankruptcy declaration, why? Why is it gone!"

In reality, Wells didn't care much about Steiger or even the entire Steiger Industries. In fact, before the Star Labs accident, he had spoken and negotiated with Steiger as a prominent scientist. He had personally met this so-called humanitarian and philanthropist.

The two sides ultimately did not cooperate at all because his assessment of Steiger was simple: a fool, a liar, a hypocrite, and a greedy scoundrel.

For the proud and arrogant Wells, collaborating with such a person would be an insult.

He didn't care about the fate of the Steiger Group; the only thing he cared about was that every news item in this newspaper was a point in time that anchored the future, and now, one of those points had changed.

The news that "Steg Group declared bankruptcy yesterday" has now been replaced with the headline "Black Pharmaceuticals achieves another technological breakthrough, cloning therapy to reach record low medical costs."

In other words, the future that was once certain is now beginning to undergo some minor changes—and since the small news items below have changed, the headlines above are no longer safe.

"Why? What happened that prevented Steiger from going bankrupt in 24? And where did Black Pharmaceuticals come from?"

Wells frowned, his mind racing as he considered the cause and effect of the events related to Steiger, but he couldn't figure it out.

As a genius scientist, he was very clear about his goals and had the perseverance and means to execute his plans. For more than a decade, he had always been cautious and meticulous, so he did not believe that he was responsible for the change in this news.

"why why?"

"Dr. Wells? Where are you? Barry is back."

When Cisco's voice came through the earpiece, the doctor, who had been gritting his teeth, immediately regained his composure. He sat back in his chair, already having made up his mind, and his face returned to its usual calm and almost cold expression.

"Sisco, I'll be right there. Have Barry wait for me in the lobby."

(End of this chapter)