At the Chinese restaurant, Luke delicately tasted the lychee pork, a dish meticulously prepared by the head chef.
This restaurant specialized in the Fujian style of Chinese cuisine, but the flavors were heavily adapted to the sweet-and-sour preferences of Western palates. Luke didn't care for it; the lychee pork was the only dish worth his attention.
His lack of enthusiasm did not reflect Barry Allen's experience.
Westerners love sweet and sour, and Barry was no exception.
Luke wouldn't even look at the sweet-and-sour Kung Pao Chicken, but Barry was devouring it with gusto. He had already finished four plates and still wasn't full.
When the fifth plate arrived, Barry Allen seemed to realize his excessive appetite and apologized awkwardly.
"Sorry, the food is too delicious. I didn't realize I ate so much."
"Don't worry about it."
Luke waved his hand dismissively. He asked the server for two more plates of Kung Pao Chicken and one plate of Beef and Broccoli soup, adding,
"I have a friend who can eat even more than you. A few days ago, we went out for Brazilian barbecue. He ate seventy pounds of grilled meat and five kegs of beer all by himself."
Barry Allen was astonished. "That much?"
"He's a metahuman. The kind that can transform."
Barry's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't press for details, as the food had just arrived.
The two ate and talked. Luke subtly probed Barry for information about his background. Barry answered every question, completely unaware of the conversational traps.
As the information increased, Barry's personality traits became clearer.
Nervous, poor communicator, kind-hearted, slightly shy...
To be honest, it was a little disappointing. Stripped of the Speed Force, the current Barry Allen was just an ordinary, sunny boy with nothing else remarkable about him.
Sensing this, Luke dropped the subtle games and went straight to the point.
"So, you came to see me because you want a job."
Barry Allen put down his cutlery and stated seriously,
"I have the ability to be a ShowMe technician. I need a stable income."
"I understand."
Luke nodded and continued, "However, I am surprised by one thing. With your skills, you could certainly find a programming job in Central City. Why come to Metropolis?"
Barry looked embarrassed.
"I tried. They wouldn't hire me."
"Why?"
"I'm too young, and I haven't been to college. The interviewers only want to hire professionals with a university background, and some demand work experience. I don't have either of those, and also..." He paused, lowering his voice.
"My father."
At the mention of his father, Barry's face betrayed complex emotions.
"For some reasons, he became a murderer. That incident has also affected me."
"Mr. Shaw, please give me a chance. I will prove myself."
"You already have."
Luke smiled. "ShowMe is different from other companies. We don't care about degrees; we only care about ability. Your ability was verified this afternoon. You are fully qualified to be a technician. However, before that, I have a few things to warn you about."
Barry immediately straightened up.
"Please tell me."
Luke waved his hand. "Don't be so stiff. ShowMe isn't a traditional industry. There's no hierarchy between staff and boss. We are all creators and workers; you'll understand in time."
"What I must tell you is about our rules. ShowMe is a social networking platform, and our core content is the users. The company absolutely forbids any employee from leaking, tampering with, or erasing any data related to users. Once discovered, we will pursue legal action against you according to the contract."
Barry Allen stated earnestly, "I would never do anything like that."
"Good."
Luke added, "One more thing: the company is currently in its start-up phase, and we're short-staffed. You'll need to work overtime sometimes. I hope you understand."
"I completely understand."
"That's good."
Luke stood up and extended his right hand. "I should thank those interviewers who passed on you. If not for them, ShowMe wouldn't have recruited a technical talent like you. Welcome, Barry Allen. Welcome to ShowMe."
Barry Allen suppressed his excitement and spoke with the utmost sincerity.
"Thank you, Mr. Shaw. I won't disappoint you."
Luke waved him off. "Don't use the honorific 'Mr.' It's awkward. Call me Boss in public and Luke in private."
"Okay, B-oss!"
"That's better."
Luke smiled contentedly, like a cat that just caught a mouse.
"Bring your personal documents to the company tomorrow morning to sign the contract. You'll officially start in the afternoon. If you need any help finding a place to rent, let me know now, and I'll arrange it for you."
"N-no, thank you. I can handle it myself."
Barry had no intention of moving to Metropolis. He planned to run to work every day.
It's only 1,800 kilometers. It won't even take a few minutes.
A Visit to the Prison
After the meal, the two went their separate ways.
Thinking about starting work tomorrow and meeting his new colleagues, Barry Allen suffered a rare bout of insomnia.
He finally drifted off to sleep around two or three in the morning, only to wake up at 8:30 AM.
He skipped grooming, quickly ate something to fill his stomach, grabbed his personal file, and sped to the prison entrance.
He filled out the required documents, verified his identity, and waited.
There weren't many visitors today, only an old woman ahead of him. Barry still felt the time dragging. Once the old woman left, he rushed into the visitation room.
The back door opened, and Henry Allen appeared, wearing handcuffs.
After two months, his father had aged considerably. His temples were gray, and his forehead had many new wrinkles.
Barry picked up the phone, trying to suppress his joy as he spoke.
"I found a job! A technician at a social networking company. I'm going to sign the contract today."
As a father, Henry Allen knew how much hardship his son had endured over the years. Hearing that he had found a job, Henry's eyes immediately reddened.
"Congratulations, Barry! I knew you would succeed."
"Thank you, Dad."
Henry Allen said, "Can you tell me how it happened?"
"Of course!"
Barry wiped the corners of his eyes and smiled.
"The company's name is ShowMe. It runs a social networking platform. You know what that is, right? It's the kind of..." Barry gestured as he explained.
"Software that lets people chat and make friends freely online. It's very popular now, and the boss is a very interesting guy. He's even younger than me. When I first met him, I thought he was just the owner's son."
Henry Allen worriedly said, "Barry, you're not even twenty yet. Your boss is younger than you?"
Barry knew what his father was worried about and dismissed it.
"It's fine, Dad. The boss isn't an ordinary person. He's a true genius. He built the company from scratch to a market value of one hundred million dollars in just over two months. He's really amazing, and he's good to me. He treated me to dinner the first time we met. The food at that Chinese restaurant was really good. When you get out, I'll take you to try it."
At this point, the atmosphere suddenly became silent.
Henry Allen's case had been classified by the judge as first-degree murder. Under Central City law, first-degree murder carries a life sentence. This meant it was impossible for him to ever leave prison.
"Barry, keep going. I want to hear more about your work."
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