Two days later, Cisco held something that looked like a tennis racket.
The net glowed with a faint blue light, and the handle was twice as thick as a tennis racket.
"Partners, this will open up a new understanding of the world, break our old perceptions, and lead us to progress for humanity, the universe, and the world. This tennis racket is called…"
Cisco raised the tennis racket high and shouted at Lin Li.
Before he could shout the name, Lin Li preemptively shouted it out.
"Radiation Source Detector."
Cisco said, very displeased, "Hey, you and I worked hard for two days, and I helped you design and make this tennis racket, and you actually stole my right to name it. That's so unethical."
Lin Li spread his hands and said, "I think the name you came up with definitely wouldn't be as good as mine."
"What? How can you be sure that 'Trans-Dimensional Energy Detector' isn't as good as your 'Radiation Source Detector'?"
Cisco protested strongly and continued.
"No, let's find an outsider to evaluate and decide which name to use?"
Just then, Barry appeared in the lab with a yellow electrical arc, blowing Cisco's hair back.
"Good morning, partners, I'm not late, am I?"
Barry said with a relaxed smile.
Cisco said, "Not late. We can leave after we solve the last problem."
Lin Li looked at Barry helplessly, spread his hands, and said, "Let's go, we can talk on the way. I can't wait."
Barry looked at Lin Li and Cisco with confusion, then followed them out of Star Labs.
Cisco kept chattering, "Brother, let me declare first, I put fifty percent of the effort into this 'tennis racket'. Even if we don't use my name, we can't use yours entirely. I don't think yours is that great either!"
Barry completely didn't understand what they were talking about. He asked, "What are you talking about? What name?"
Cisco held the 'tennis racket' and asked, "Barry, which name do you think is better, 'Trans-Dimensional Energy Detector' or 'Radiation Source Detector'?"
Barry looked at the 'tennis racket', took it in his hand to examine it, and said, "Is this for detecting the energy reactions in my lab? It looks like a tennis racket, why not call it 'Tennis Racket Detector'?"
Cisco said helplessly, "OK, it seems there's no way to decide on a name for this thing. Then we can only combine them and come up with one. From now on, this thing will be called 'Trans-Dimensional Energy Radiation Source Detector'."
"Why? Combined, it should be called 'Trans-Dimensional Energy Radiation Source Tennis Racket Detector'!"
Barry was indignant. Cisco hadn't included the name he came up with. This was rude and dismissive.
"NO"
"NO"
Lin Li and Cisco both rejected the name.
Cisco said playfully, "Oh, it seems Lin Li also dislikes your name."
Lin Li rubbed his forehead and said to Barry, "Barry, the name you came up with is terrible. People will think it's a detector for tennis rackets."
Cisco also shook his head, "I can already imagine what people will say. They'll definitely say, 'Who's the idiot who designed this kind of thing?' That idiot would be Lin Li and me. So, Barry, your suggestion is not going through. Lin Li wouldn't tolerate handsome Cisco being talked about like that."
The group chattered all the way, discussing various things, mainly Cisco believing he was very handsome, Barry thinking the tennis racket's name was acceptable, and Lin Li believing they were overthinking things, which was not good.
The three walked to the garage and got into a Star Labs research vehicle.
Cisco drove, Lin Li was in the passenger seat, and Barry sat in the back.
Lin Li asked, slightly strangely, "Barry, don't you always think cars are too slow?"
Barry said awkwardly, "Is… is that so? Sometimes I also want to experience the slow world."
Lin Li nodded thoughtfully.
Cisco glanced at Lin Li and said, "Lin Li, I don't quite agree with your opinion. I think I'm still very handsome. You know, my success rate for picking up phone numbers has been one hundred percent so far."
Lin Li looked out the car window.
The houses and trees flowing backward.
The bustling white and black people.
He hadn't left Star Labs for more than ten days.
Suddenly seeing the outside, it felt like a lifetime ago, and indeed it was, a world away.
Lin Li leaned against the car window, looking at everything in the European and American style outside. He smiled faintly and said, "Cisco, Barry, thank you."
"Are you using this incessant chatter to distract me from my anxiety and disappointment?"
The car fell silent for a moment. This was a strategy Cisco and Barry had discussed. They couldn't bear to see hope turn into despair again, so they could only hope to alleviate all of Lin Li's negative emotions by constantly talking.
Cisco said, "In fact, a month after the particle accelerator exploded, we started detecting that unknown energy—X-rays, dark energy, antimatter. We started detecting these theoretical energies."
"But unfortunately, we found nothing. Everything really was just theoretical. But your and Barry's awakening proved that 'it' once existed, on the night the particle accelerator exploded, but it quickly disappeared, annihilated. Perhaps our technology isn't advanced enough to detect 'them'."
Barry patted Lin Li's shoulder from behind, offering him some comfort.
"Lin Li, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I know this kind of disappointment and pain. I told Cisco to do this… I don't know how to tell you."
Barry said dejectedly. Lin Li, on his journey to find his way home, experienced hope followed by disappointment, which would eventually turn into despair.
He felt more miserable than himself. At least he could occasionally visit his father and continue searching for the truth.
But Lin Li had crossed worlds, separated from his loved ones by two universes, making meetings, calls, and all communication impossible.
Almost everyone didn't believe Lin Li could go back. The probability of such a thing happening again was truly unpredictable. Even if there was another particle accelerator explosion, no one believed he could go back.
"I've long been prepared for disappointment. I want to go back. This is an unchangeable belief, the will that sustains my survival, just as Barry, you can't give up pursuing the truth of your mother's murder, even at the cost of your life, it must be accomplished."
Lin Li showed a faint smile and continued.
"Don't worry, I'm not as fragile as you think. On the contrary, my obsession to go back will only make me stronger and more resilient. This time, whether it's disappointment or hope, I will continue to steadfastly research the way back, and that won't change."
"Also, Cisco, your one hundred percent success rate in picking up phone numbers must be because you've never actually tried to pick up anyone, which is why it's one hundred percent successful."
Cisco was startled by the truth, and the steering wheel suddenly twisted.
"How did you know?"
"Haha…"
"Haha…"
Barry and Lin Li burst into laughter!