Chapter 58: The Flash Arrives
Barry Allen encountered an unprecedented level of resistance.
The person on the other side seed to have precognitive abilities, anticipating his next move and laying traps specifically to counter it.
The encirclent tightened relentlessly.
He felt like prey caught in a spider's web: the harder he struggled, the tighter the threads bound him.
What was even more devastating was his opponent's speed. It was impossibly fast. Before Barry could even adjust his strategy, his data panels were wiped clean.
He lost!
It was a swift, complete defeat that left him speechless.
Barry Allen stared blankly ahead, his eyes glazed over. Since gaining the Speed Force, this was the first ti he had failed at a speed-related task.
Is there really soone with faster hand speed than in the world?
He couldn't comprehend it. Just then, a security alert popped up.
INTRUSION DETECTED.
It's that guy!
Barry Allen instantly reacted, frantically deploying defensive programs. In hacker battles, the attacker is at a disadvantage, and the defender has the upper hand. Before, Barry attacked, and Luke defended. Now, the situation was reversed, and Barry was the one with the advantage.
"I'll teach you a lesson this ti. I am the fastest man in the world!"
Barry Allen gritted his teeth, his concentration absolute.
Two minutes later!
The man who claid to be the fastest in the world lifted his hands from the keyboard and slumped in his chair like a dead fish.
The computer screen turned deep blue, with two words centered on the screen.
YOU FAIL!
The black letters took up most of the screen, radiating intense mockery.
He lost again, even faster than the last ti!
Why?
Am I not the fastest man in the world? Is there really soone faster?
No, I refuse to believe it.
Barry Allen pressed his lips together, silent. Staring at the constantly flickering black letters, a wave of deep unwillingness surged through him. He clenched his right fist, wanting to punch through the screen, but thinking of his bank balance, he resisted the urge.
The black letters slowly faded, and a string of text appeared: Your skills are impressive. If you are interested in Show, call this number.
Below the text was a phone number.
Barry Allen remained silent for a mont, then wrote the number down in a notebook.
He had to know who the person who defeated him was.
A Quick Nap, A Quick Call
On the other side, after dealing with the Flash, Luke closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, much to the awe of his employees.
Zachs gave a thumbs-up, completely defeated.
The boss is the boss. You can't deny it.
His skill and judgnt are absolutely insane. Even cheating couldn't reach this level.
After the show was over, work resud.
Unbeknownst to them, the three-hour hacking window ended.
Aside from Barry Allen, no one else had managed to impress Luke. Out of the over three thousand intruders, not a single one was worthwhile.
Online, there was an eerie silence. Nothing had happened.
Spectators watching the monitors were deeply disappointed. Before the challenge began, many computer experts had vowed to teach Show a harsh lesson and curb their arrogance.
Instead, they were slapped down hard by the Show technical departnt. They were hurting badly with nowhere to turn for justice.
The atmosphere was odd.
In a hidden private hospital in Gotham City, Barbara Gordon frantically refreshed her computer screen, looking for anyone who claid to have breached Show's defenses.
The silence ant that all three thousand-plus intruders had failed.
"Is Show's defense system really that strong?"
Barbara asked herself, her eyes gradually shining with intense fighting spirit.
Barbara wasn't the only one thinking this. Many top hackers were still observing.
When a war begins, the first ones into the battlefield are always the cannon fodder. The strong stand back, only intervening when the situation becos critical, to decide the final outco.
This was the so-called "Reserve of the Strong."
Luke clearly understood their ntality. The only one he hadn't anticipated was Barry Allen. Why is this guy playing social networking instead of being a superhero?
But, if I could recruit him into Show...
Luke considered the possibility, then shook his head.
Barry Allen had a deep attachnt to Central City. It would be difficult to convince him to leave his hotown and move to tropolis.
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang. Luke answered it.
"Hello, I'm Luke Shaw. Who is this?"
Luke Shaw!
The owner of Show!
That's actually his number.
Barry Allen's deanor instantly beca tense, and his voice was nervous. "H-hello. I'm Barry Allen. I signed up for Show's hacking challenge earlier, and you left a contact number on my desktop."
Luke was stunned. What the hell? Is this guy missing a screw? How long has it been, and he's already calling so eagerly?
He composed himself and spoke calmly.
"I rember you. Your skills are very good. Of the three thousand hackers who attacked Show today, you were the only one who broke through the outer firewall."
"R-really?"
The short reply was filled with undisguised excitent.
"It is, indeed."
Luke's tone was asured. From this brief exchange, he could tell that the current Flash was likely a small novice with no social experience.
Perhaps I can take him in as a subordinate.
Thinking this, his tone beca even more steady.
"Your skills are excellent. If you're interested in social networking, we can talk."
On the other end, hearing this, Barry Allen excitedly punched the air. The job was in the bag.
"Mr. Shaw, are you free?"
"Of course."
"Could we et?"
Luke raised an eyebrow. This guy is too impatient. He wants to et after just a few words? Even for an online relationship, you shouldn't rush the first eting!
Wait!
Luke suddenly rembered sothing and turned to walk out.
"Where are you right now?"
"Right outside your company building."
Luke: "..."
Sure enough, the fastest man in the world cannot be judged by common sense. Central City is nearly two thousand kiloters away from tropolis, and he just shows up without a word of warning.
Luke hung up his phone and walked to the main entrance.
A young man wearing a plaid shirt and jeans stood by the elevator, holding a phone and looking around.
He didn't look older than twenty, had brown hair, a baby face, and bright eyes, giving him the appearance of a sunny boy. However, his hair was too long, and his clothes were a bit sloppy, making it easy to mistake him for a vagrant at first glance.
"Barry Allen?"
Barry quickly nodded, sizing up Luke. He said in surprise,
"Luke Shaw? No, Mr. Shaw!"
"That's ."
Luke smiled and nodded. He glanced at his watch.
"We're about to close. Would you like to go for a drink?"
Barry looked embarrassed. "I'm not old enough. I can't drink alcohol."
Luke: "..."
Are you kidding right now?
Fine!
As a boss, he needed to have so asure of tolerance.
"Then let's go get so food and so juice."
Support on Patreon: /c/MistaQuartz
Explore up to 20 chapters in advance!
Reviews
All reviews (0)