361-365

Chapter 361: The Glory of Journalism 

As Cody spoke, Wade Erling's hand instinctively went to his sidearm. News of an "American military general gunning down an innocent Asian civilian in the street" would certainly put him in a very difficult position. But this son of a gun, with two squads of his men present, was practically in his face, mocking him and the entire military. General Erling, accustomed to things going his way, to being in charge and intimidating people with his authority, finally reached his breaking point. 

Especially considering that the woman who escaped from the military base had suddenly vanished without a trace and might be about to break through their search perimeter, Erling's unignorable rage intensified. Any further delay, and if she truly escaped again, it would be incredibly difficult to recapture her. 

"I'm going to say this one last time; I won't repeat myself." He spoke with a cold, severe tone, his sharp gaze fixed directly on Cody. "Tell me which way she went." 

"Sigh." 

Cody sighed, slowly lowering his head to pet the cat before letting it scamper back into the food truck. 

"Erling, Erling," he lamented. "What have I done to make you disrespect me so much?" 

Colonel Erling lost control in an instant. He drew his pistol and pressed it directly against Cody's head. 

"I said, tell me where she is." He flicked off the safety. "Otherwise, you'll be considered an accomplice to her defection and arrested as such." 

However, Cody merely looked at him as if he were an idiot. 

"Do you know who I am?" 

The man's defiant attitude, even with a gun to his head, made Erling frown. His composure suggested he wasn't an ordinary person. 

"Who are you?" 

"Since you don't know who I am, then you don't know where I live, do you?" 

"I don't give a damn where you live, even if you live in the White House—" 

Erling's words were cut off by a sudden burst of powerful music. 

"Oh, life, can you please let me off this once~" 

"Huh? What's that sound?" 

"Sometimes, I'm so tired but don't know why I keep going~" 

The sound grew louder and louder, so much so that both squads couldn't help but turn their heads to look at the street corner. 

"Cruel reality, shattering the strong fortress within~" 

The ground tremors intensified. Now, even Erling cautiously glanced over. 

At that moment, the source of the sound finally appeared: an unmanned, oversized semi-trailer truck. From its roaring engine, terrifying sound waves, and immense size capable of crushing a person, it was clear this was a prime candidate for an "isekai" transport. 

"Wiping away tears, facing the petty struggles of daily life—" 

"Run!" 

Seeing the semi-trailer barreling straight towards the crowd, someone screamed. The soldiers from both sides scattered to the roadsides in a flash, terrified of being sent to another world. Erling did the same, ignoring Cody and sprinting towards the wall on the side of the street. 

"One spoonful of sauce~" 

As the music reached its climax, the roaring semi-trailer truck sped off, disappearing down the street. 

"Was there anyone in the driver's seat of that truck just now?" 

"Where did that big truck come from?!" 

"Don't ask, chase it!" Colonel Erling shouted urgently. "Anyone who dares to attack us like this isn't just a regular reckless driver. We need to hit them hard! Squad A, pursue immediately!" 

After giving his orders, he immediately turned to continue his interrogation, but when he looked towards Cody, the man had vanished from his spot. 

"Where did he go?!" 

"Reporting, sir, I didn't see him!" 

"Damn it, search for him immediately!" 

At that moment, Erling's mind replayed the two questions Cody had asked him. 

"Do you know who I am?" 

"Since you don't know who I am, then you don't know where I live, do you?" 

"Damn! That scoundrel played me!" 

In that instant, Colonel Erling swore to himself that he would find this guy and make him regret it. Even if the man hadn't technically broken any laws, the military, especially someone of his rank and department, didn't need to consider legalities. That's why he was so used to being in charge. 

--- 

Meanwhile, Cody had stopped his tricycle in an alley. He watched Erling's enraged and helpless display on the monitor, a cold smirk on his face. 

"I hate it when people point guns at my head." 

"Stop pretending now," the tricycle couldn't help but quip. "My 3D projection is just a projection. Once they realize the semi-trailer vanished, that squad might just come back for you. While they haven't noticed you, hurry up and get somewhere far away to lay low." 

"Me, avoid his wrath?" Cody rolled his eyes. "We've been running for ten minutes. I'm tired. Now, pull up that video." 

"Which one?" 

"From when Erling chased me to when he pointed the gun at me. Cut out the semi-trailer and the woman getting into the food truck." 

"Got it. Journalism's shining moment." 

"I told you to lay off the internet—and anyway, can you even call this journalism? If I released a bombshell like 'Military Human Experiment Subject Escapes,' that news would never see the light of day tomorrow." 

"What do you want to do?" 

"Grab the video and audio, then directly edit the record of this street, erasing the woman's footage." 

"What about the semi-trailer?" 

"Don't worry about that part." 

"Finally?" 

"Finally, send it directly to the email of a major newspaper reporter, then post it online tomorrow with the headline: 'US Military Colonel Pulls Gun on Innocent Civilian in the Street, What Has Our Country Become?'" 

"Not mentioning 'Asian'?" 

"If I were Black, I could add that in, but Asian—let's skip it for now. Let them dig it up themselves." 

At this point, the woman inside the food truck, hearing the dense footsteps outside seemingly disappear, peeked her head out. 

"No need to hide," Cody opened the small partition for her. "Come on out. I've got spicy snacks in here, don't want them getting a weird smell." 

After the woman emerged, she looked around, confirmed the area was safe, nodded at Cody, then turned to run. 

"Hold on a second," Cody immediately stopped her. "Why are out-of-towners so impolite? Did you say thank you?" 

"...Huh?" 

"Say thank you." 

"...Thank you." 

"Good. Now, tell me your name." 

"I really can't tell you that. What happened to me is very important, very dangerous, and a high-level secret." 

"You disrespect me. I saved you, but you're not being honest enough." Cody shook his head. "I at least need to make sure I didn't save a bad person." 

The woman bit her lip. After a moment, she let out a sigh of defeat. 

"My name is... Betty Sans Souci." 

Chapter 362: The Mutation 

"Betty Sans Souci..." 

Cody repeated the name, tapping Sanbunzi's hood. 

"Checking, checking!" Sanbunzi responded instantly, almost immediately accessing the military's database. 

Meanwhile, Souci continued, "I'm with the military. A... former soldier." 

"Good," Cody smiled. "Now we're getting somewhere." 

Souci, however, didn't continue. She crossed her arms, glanced at both ends of the alley, and asked, "Do we have to talk here? I feel very insecure in this alley." 

"Then get back in the truck. I'll take you to a safe house." 

"You have a safe house?" 

"I... had a slight run-in with the local gangs in Central City, back in the day." 

Souci frowned, hearing Cody's reply. She vaguely sensed that this food truck owner wasn't as simple as he appeared. He might have a story, or perhaps a past accident, trailing him. 

But at this point, she wasn't in a position to be picky, so she reluctantly curled up again and squeezed back inside the food truck. 

Cody hopped on, riding Sanbunzi towards his cheap rental house. He wasn't lying; the house itself had been vacant for a long time, he rarely went there, and its location was remote, with no large commercial streets or shops nearby. It was quite inconspicuous. Plus, with Sanbunzi's remote surveillance, the security was high. 

"What about business today?" Sanbunzi asked as they drove. "Not selling spicy strips anymore?" 

"No big deal. We'll sell them tomorrow. There's no end to making money, and one day won't kill anyone." 

Even so, on the way back, they still encountered Snart, Cisco, Joe, Denton, Felicity, and others. Over the past few months, they had developed a habit: whenever they saw Cody's food truck on the road, they'd almost always stop to buy something. And so far, Cody's food truck had never produced anything unappetizing. Even items like spicy strips, which completely went against their usual eating habits, were made irresistibly delicious by his master-level cooking. 

Felicity even made a wild claim about it. 

"Every time you serve up some kind of 'dark cuisine,' my taste buds get... invigorated. I can eat almost anything now!" 

Felicity slurped on a spicy strip. "You should try making some British food sometime!" 

"Such a pretty girl, but what a mouth," Cody sighed. "Where do you learn all those crude jokes? Barry and the others have complained about your speaking style; it's nothing like a normal highly-educated, top-tier expert." 

"Too bad, I am a top-tier expert," Felicity chuckled. "There are only a handful of hackers in the world better than me." 

Cody spread his hands. 

"Leaving all that aside for a moment, Old Ma, I've got to head back to Star City. Train tonight." 

"Oh? Done with everything here?" 

"Not really. I mainly came to check on Barry this time because I heard he got... oh, I can't tell you that yet. You'll have to get your memories back first." 

"Alright, have a safe trip." 

"Thanks. Old Ma, come visit Star City when you get a chance." 

"Next time, for sure." 

Cody rode his small vehicle, selling spicy strips along the way, stopping for a few minutes now and then. Inside the truck, Souci was having a terrible time. She was already forced to crouch in this cramped, dark space, feeling utterly helpless and miserable. Now, she had to listen to Cody casually chatting and laughing with customers from under the truck, while the scent of spicy strips wafted down, making her instinctively swallow. Thinking about it, she hadn't dared to eat anything since escaping the military base. 

When would he finally reach the safe house? 

After a long ordeal, Sanbunzi finally wobbled to a stop. Cody walked to the front door, effortlessly twisted the doorknob, then pressed the wallpaper dimension door against the rental house's door, the two doors merging into one. Then, he returned to the food truck. 

With a creak, the small side door of the food truck opened. 

"Come on out, we're here," Cody's voice came from outside the truck. "Get in quickly." 

Souci immediately scrambled out of the food truck, exhaling a long sigh of relief, grateful that her torture was finally over. Cody casually opened the house door. He folded and shrunk the food truck slightly, then actually pushed it directly through the doorway. 

"Remember to close the door when you come in." 

Seeing Souci's troubled expression as she entered, Cody asked, "What's wrong? Afraid I'm not a good person? You escaped a general's search party, and you're scared of a food truck owner?" 

"Not scared... it's just, I can't close the door with my hands. Actually, I can't touch anything but myself right now." 

Cody raised an eyebrow. He didn't say anything more, simply turned, walked to the door, and closed it. Outside, countless tiny nanobots worked again, concealing the wallpaper dimension's wall attached to the door, leaving only the rental house's original door. The doorknob was reinserted. If anyone opened the door now, they would only enter the empty rental house. 

Inside, Souci breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped into the rather small, old rental room, scanning its condition with her eyes. The room itself wasn't messy, it was quite tidy. Although the spots and stains on the walls weren't pretty, the furniture and floor seemed to be regularly cleaned. 

The windows were tightly shut, the curtains drawn. The surrounding streets were very quiet. But there didn't seem to be any hidden compartments, or security systems, communication systems, or even emergency supply reserves. Structurally, it didn't appear to have any special protective capabilities. 

"This counts as a safe house?" she sighed to herself. An ordinary food truck owner probably couldn't have a very professional safe house. She was expecting too much. 

"So, ready to talk now?" Cody sat opposite her. "What's your situation?" 

"What... what happened to me, you might not believe." 

"Go on, tell me." 

"It was about nine months, no, ten months ago." 

Souci recounted her experience: "At that time, I returned from the war in Afghanistan. There was a terrorist in Central City who had planted a bomb on the roadside." 

"I was sent to defuse it, but the bomb unexpectedly exploded. Shrapnel wounded me, but I was lucky enough to survive and was sent back to my unit for treatment and recovery." 

"I stayed at the base for several months, finally recovering from my injuries. But then they told me that the bomb didn't explode due to a defusal error. In fact, it was never even activated." 

"What almost killed me was a mutation that happened to me." 

Chapter 363: That's What Friends Are For! 

"Got it, you're a metahuman." 

After listening to Susie's general description of her situation, Cody instantly understood. 

"You believe me? You're accepting this science fiction-like concept of metahumans so easily?" Susie's eyes were wide as saucers. "Why? Aren't you surprised at all? Don't you doubt it?" 

"Hmm... You're not from Central City, are you?" 

"No, I'm not. Actually, my home is in Inglewood, Los Angeles, California. Coming to Central City, Missouri, was purely for a work assignment. Why do you ask?" 

"Six hundred sixty-six, and even across state lines. That makes it even easier to understand." 

Cody patted her shoulder reassuringly. "You're an outsider, just arrived in Central City, and you're not quite familiar with our situation here. That's why you find metahumans unreal. But actually, if you've been keeping up with the recent news in Central City, you'll find these things aren't so rare here anymore." 

"Huh?" 

Seeing Susie's "I don't understand, but I'm utterly shocked" expression, Cody spread his hands. At that moment, he recalled his own initial arrival in Gotham. This moment was precisely like that one. 

He just hadn't expected Central City to have a similar effect on people from other non-superhero regions as Gotham did. Since arriving here, he'd felt like it was paradise. No daily gunfights, no insane citizens, no beautifully deranged criminals, no big bat-guys hanging people every night, and even the justice system seemed to function normally. 

However, Susie's "shocked my mom for a whole year" expression told him that, in her eyes, just the fact of "publicly acknowledged metahumans" was already enough to make her question this world. 

"This is our DC, after all," Cody thought. "The best matchmaking system delivers the ultimate experience: ethical Rogues matched with the conscientious Flash, cosmic villains matched with the cosmic police, the Green Lantern, underground organizations matched with the underground vigilante, Green Arrow, and ridiculously overpowered, world-ending numerical threats matched with Superman, whose powers also possess a numerical aesthetic. Oh, and of course, the lunatics in Arkham Asylum are matched with Batman—the Big Bat-guy's true nature is clear for all to see." 

As for other states without superheroes, they miraculously had no permanent super-criminals. If Cody were to visit those states, he might write a "Tale of the Peach Blossom Spring" overnight. 

"Ten months ago, Central City had an incident. You were in Central City at the time, you might have read about the whole story in the newspaper—" 

"Yeah, I later found out it was the particle accelerator explosion." 

"Exactly. Roughly after that night, strange urban legends started appearing in Central City." 

"About a month ago, a madman named Clyde Mardon came to Central City to rob and attacked police officers on the street. The media and police captured his fighting style—summoning wind and rain, changing the weather. From then on, everyone realized that Central City had changed." 

"Later, Clyde tried to wipe out Central City with a massive tornado. Although he was eventually stopped by the police, the news of metahumans had spread throughout the city. It was from that day on that the Central City Police Department formed a Metahuman Task Force." 

"Now, everyone knows about a metahuman criminal in Central City, and they also know about an extremely fast metahuman vigilante we call the Flash. And I've seen even more—a few days ago, a metahuman who could turn himself into a toxic mist almost killed me on the street." 

Nibbs, who had been completely triggered by Cody's distorted account, silently "disliked" that statement. 

Who almost killed whom, exactly? 

"In short," Cody concluded, "metahumans are not some fantasy creatures, at least not in this part of Central City. Later, you might even need to give a little demonstration of your abilities." 

--- 

Susie seemed unable to grasp it all. It took her a while to recover before she continued. 

"It was then that the military discovered I possessed a special ability: I could turn anything I touched with both hands into a bomb. But the ability was completely uncontrollable." 

"Except for myself, anything I touched could potentially turn into an equal amount of explosives. My hands couldn't touch a gun anymore, couldn't hold a knife and fork to eat, couldn't get new clothes to dress, couldn't pull door handles. I was afraid to touch anything, like a disabled person who had lost their hands, and a terrorist who could turn into a bomb at any moment." 

"King Midas's touch?" Cody scratched his head. "The cautionary tale for greedy people is just a fairy tale, but when it comes true, it's really tragic." 

Susie sighed, "It was also then that I saw General Airlin's true colors. He treated me like a guinea pig, saying my ability had enormous war potential. Whether for assassination or mass-producing explosives, it could bring huge changes to America's combat model." 

"Airlin is absolutely not a good person. He's a complete hawk, a combat fanatic. He tried every possible way to research new weapons, even performing human surgical experiments on me with several doctors. I didn't see any sign of him advocating for peace—his actions made me start questioning this Afghan war I was involved in..." 

"Alright, alright." Cody made a "hold on" gesture. "About Uncle Sam's global interventions, I've had more than enough. You haven't seen the future of my timeline... you don't know what a true living hell is." 

"Now, let's get back to the main point—Airlin is leading the pursuit for you, and you used your ability to escape the experimental facility, right?" 

"That's right." 

"You were in a state where anything you touched would explode, and you're still like that, right?" 

"If I try hard to control it, there's a chance it won't explode, but I don't dare to gamble... Right now, I can only release the ability and make everything I touch explode one hundred percent." 

"Then I guess you're in desperate need of a pair of hands that can function normally again." 

"Something like that... is that even possible?" 

"For me to do this alone, it might be a bit difficult, at least it would come at a cost. But then again, having more friends means more options, and I, Ma, happen to have a few friends in Central City who usually help without expecting anything in return." 

"Alright, let's head to S.T.A.R. Labs and freeload!" 

A bewildered Susie was ushered out the door by Cody, placed back into her small car, and the two—one person, one car, one cat—sped off towards the center of the city. 

Chapter 364 A Favor for a "Friend" 

"So, you're telling me you helped a military deserter, a fugitive, escape from a top-ranking U.S. General's direct pursuit, right out on the street?" Dr. Harrison Wells asked, his voice a chilling monotone. 

"Yep." Cody nodded. 

"And now you've got a General on your back?" 

"Yep." 

"And you brought her here, to Star Labs, based solely on her word?" 

"Uh… yeah?" 

"Mr. Cody, do you even know what you're doing?" Wells' face was like stone, his gaze unwavering as he stared at the two unexpected guests in the Star Labs. His tone carried a unique severity. "If this woman is lying, then what you've done is harbor a criminal, become an accomplice, and now you're trying to drag us down with you." 

"If this woman is telling the truth, then what you've done involves top-level military secrets and their dark underbelly. This side of things cannot see the light of day. Everyone knows it exists, but no one is ever allowed to expose it. General Elling will never allow anyone to tarnish his reputation; he'll do everything in his power to ensure you can't reveal any of this." 

"You've stirred up trouble, Old Ma, big, big trouble. You're not safe now. And by extension, neither are we." 

"My apologies… but I just felt that if what she said was true, then Star Labs was probably the only place that could help her. After all, she's a metahuman, and the police themselves said Star Labs would act as a special consultant for metahuman cases. I don't trust the police's ability to keep secrets or stand firm against the military, but I do trust Star Labs' conscience and capabilities." 

Naturally, when you're asking for a favor, you need the right attitude. Cody immediately launched into a sincere, over-the-top compliment, and it clearly worked. Caitlin, who had looked hesitant moments before, now fell into thoughtful silence, clearly considering the feasibility of helping them. 

As for Cisco, he didn't hesitate at all. From the moment he first laid eyes on Susie, his beaming, peacock-like smile hadn't vanished. He eagerly declared his willingness to fully assist this persecuted, valiant beauty. He'd probably already picked out names for their future children and was moving on to planning their wedding anniversary. 

"Mr. Cody, you can't even confirm whether what she's saying is true or false!" Wells, seeing Caitlin and Cisco's changing attitudes, felt utterly exasperated with these two naive, guileless individuals. While their innocence was often beneficial, when it obstructed his path, Wells found himself simmering with frustration. 

"That's easy, Dr. Wells," Cisco confidently raised his hand. "I can just check and find out if she's telling the truth." 

He didn't wait for the doctor's reaction, rushing straight to the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "Perfect! The VA (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs) just recently digitized their archives. Let me check this name..." 

"Betty Sun Susie – Ha! Got it! She's not lying. She really did come back from Afghanistan, and her family genuinely lives in Inglewood." 

"Cisco." Dr. Wells' gaze was almost murderous. "Could you put your initiative to use in more... reliable areas—" 

"Doctor..." Caitlin spoke softly from beside him. "If she really did get her powers ten months ago in Central City, then perhaps we really should help her. We have a reason to get involved in this. Plus, the military has already experimented on her. Standing by now would be a bit cruel..." 

Her words subtly hit the core of the issue: the particle accelerator accident was responsible for Susie's predicament, directly linking it to Dr. Wells' past mistakes. 

Just as the doctor was temporarily speechless, Cody was about to say something else when Barry, transformed into a bolt of lightning, appeared in the lab. 

"Guys, you have to see this video! Old Ma's in trouble... Old Ma?! What are you doing here?" 

Cody's expression was utterly bewildered. "I'm here because I'm in trouble and I came to the lab for help. Wait, how did you get in just now?" 

"Uh... I ran in." 

"You just looked an awful lot like that 'Flash' guy from the newspaper!" 

Barry, realizing he'd probably just blown his cover, stammered, unable to speak. He wasn't good at lying to begin with, and now, having been seen using his super-speed firsthand, he had no idea how to explain himself. 

Wells, Caitlin, and Cisco all sighed in unison. 

"Mr. Cody," Wells said, his face softening into his usual gentle smile, but his tone carried a warning. "We're telling you this because you have a good relationship with the lab, with Barry, and you saved Joe's life last time. We trust you enough, and we hope you prove worthy of that trust." 

"You don't have to worry about that," Cody patted his chest. "You know my reputation, friend. If I say my lips are sealed, they're sealed. Do you ever see me gossiping?" 

The lab members exchanged glances, thinking hard. It was true, the food cart owner rarely mentioned information about other customers, or even himself. They subconsciously felt they knew him well, with plenty of casual conversations, but upon closer thought, they realized they didn't even know where he lived or what his hobbies were. 

Wells narrowed his eyes. He had already looked up information about Cody in the lab and knew everything about him. He was only just realizing now that Cody's ability to keep secrets was too strong, almost on par with his own. 

He came to a conclusion about Cody in his mind. 

This man must be an expert at feigning ignorance, and especially good at lying. 

Chapter 365: The Power of Social Media 

Wells observed Cody's natural expression, growing even more wary of the unassuming food truck owner. "This kid definitely has secrets." 

Cody noticed Wells's gaze and his lips twitched slightly. He sensed a hidden malice. "The old bat's brewing trouble again." 

Suddenly, they exchanged a knowing smile. 

"Let's talk about Susie," Cody said with a smile. "According to Barry, when the particle accelerator exploded, it produced some kind of—dark matter?" 

Wells also smiled. "Indeed. Let's get down to business. Yes, Susie was likely affected by dark matter, which led to her current condition." 

"I wasn't like this because of Erling's experiments?" Susie interjected. 

Hearing Susie's question, Wells smiled and shook his head. Cody, with his master-level acting skills, could keenly detect the disdain and contempt within that smile. 

"Erling—I once collaborated with him on a project, about ten years ago. We were researching gene therapy. He was seeking telepathic abilities to aid military interrogations, and I chose to terminate our cooperation after getting a close look at the project." 

"Believe me, Erling's intelligence isn't sufficient to create a metahuman like you. At most, he'd only see the immense wartime potential in your abilities." 

Wells stated these facts calmly, more like he was simply stating the truth rather than intentionally trying to humiliate General Erling, though this was precisely his greatest insult. 

"But he's still a military general, and for someone of that level of authority, he can freely search S.T.A.R. Labs." 

Cisco raised his hand. "But we have Barry. Erling won't catch her." 

Barry, who had just heard Susie's story, also firmly voted to help her. "I nearly died in that lab accident that night," he said. "Nearly lost my life, my friends, and my family." 

Cody glanced at him, thinking that while Barry Allen might die in a lab accident, it was highly unlikely that a lab accident would cause Barry Allen's death. Barry Allen becoming the Flash was almost a law, an inevitability. Not to mention the Speed Force needing to ensure its own existence by making this happen, even Reverse-Flash wouldn't allow him to remain a normal person. What Barry thought was a twist of fate was actually an inescapable logical loop. 

"Now Susie is facing the same situation as me. If everyone helps her like they helped me, we'll have another companion, won't we?" 

The Doctor shook his head. 

"Barry... your situation and hers are not the same. You need to know that as a metahuman, your power is an almost limitless speed. Her ability is pure explosion. I'm sorry, but on this point, General Erling is right." 

Wells stated coolly, "Your ability can rescue countless people from danger in critical moments. Her ability is purely destructive. The most suitable place for her to excel is truly the battlefield. There are far fewer scenarios where she can be used to save people than you." 

"But," Cody interjected, "I have something to say. Setting aside whether Susie should join the team, she hasn't had a proper meal in over thirty hours, and there are other inconveniences..." 

"Let's not even talk about bringing her into your joint operations yet. At least make sure she doesn't accidentally blow up the lab doors or walls. The S.T.A.R. Labs dome is still under repair. You wouldn't want another repair point because of a mishap, would you?" 

Wells paused, remembering his hidden door and secret room in the corridor. "That's a practical idea," he said. "We can discuss Erling's matter later. For Ms. Susie's well-being, let's test and analyze her abilities, then see what we can do to suppress them." 

Everyone in the lab breathed a sigh of relief. Dr. Wells agreeing to provide Susie with some help was a good start. 

"Oh, and one more thing," Cody suddenly asked. "Barry, what were you running in such a hurry about earlier? Am I in trouble?" 

"Oh! Right! Right, I almost forgot about that!" Barry quickly pulled out his phone and showed it to everyone. "Did you see this? I saw it while scrolling through 'Chirp' (TikTok equivalent) on the way here. Old Ma got into trouble with General Erling on the street, and it was caught on video! It's going viral online right now. I've seen the video on 'Bluebird' (Twitter equivalent), 'TubeYou' (YouTube equivalent), and 'Tweet' (another Twitter equivalent). It already has tens of thousands of views!" 

A voice from the video clip could be heard: "I am General Wade Erling of the military. I was just looking for a deserter from inside the military. Tell me, where did she run off to?" 

And then another voice: "So, you want to ask for my help?" 

"I am demanding you fulfill your duty as an American citizen." 

On the screen, a man pushing a food truck stood on the street. Opposite him was a burly old man in a military uniform, with an imperious, high-and-mighty demeanor. Behind him stood a dense crowd of soldiers, their guns casually pointed at the food truck. 

The scene of a high-ranking American military official leading a team, wantonly using his authority to oppress people, was presented in this secretly filmed video. It was clear that this official had little respect for ordinary citizens. 

After the next few sentences, the intensity of the scene was directly pushed to its extreme. 

"I'll say this one last time; I don't want to repeat myself. Tell me which way she ran." 

"Sigh, Erling, Erling. What have I done to make you disrespect me so much?" 

In the video, the old man, who called himself a general, suddenly raised his pistol and pressed it directly against the food truck vendor's head. 

"I said, tell me her whereabouts, or you will be considered an accomplice to her defection and arrested as a co-conspirator." 

"Holy Mackerel!" 

Cisco exclaimed at the video, "It's the most classic example of a powerful bully and scumbag oppressing a low-level citizen! Though, Erling seems to be that kind of person anyway. But what I mean is, if you hadn't brought Susie out, in this video, you would have just been a pure victim!" 

"I am!" Cody replied. "Am I not a victim? I saved an innocent soldier who was persecuted and subjected to human experimentation by the military!" 

"Seems like it... By the way, what's the title of this video?" 

"Uh..." Barry looked down and fumbled with his phone. "Oh, the title is here—'US Military General Attempts to Gun Down Innocent Asian Citizen in the Street, Minority Lives Matter Too!'" 

Cody's eyes instantly widened like brass bells.