Captain America

Back at The Laboratory, Old Wang immediately headed to the biochemical lab.

"Boss, while you were away, Director Fury came to see me seven times. Twice, he wanted me to persuade you to sell him Dragon Bone. He opened by asking for a ton. Once, he wanted me to return to S.H.I.E.L.D. as deputy director of the Technology Department. Of course, I refused. The last four times, he wanted me to prepare 1,000 doses of Resurrection Serum."

Simmons hurriedly stopped what she was doing, her face blooming with a brilliant smile.

Was Egghead planning to drink Dragon Bone like soda? Did he even have that much money… Old Wang snorted. "Make 100 doses. Ten million dollars per dose. Sell them to him!"

Boss, you really are a profiteer. That price is much higher than selling Dragon Bone directly… Simmons nodded, then continued her report.

"I’m mixing Immortal Dragon Dragon Bone with Red Dragon Whelp Dragon Bone. I discovered that although the two kinds of Dragon Bone are fundamentally different, their active ingredients have somewhat similar effects. Both contain longevity substances that can alter DNA and change telomere length."

"Both active ingredients are extremely potent. If too much is injected at once, they may even forcibly alter the fundamental nature of DNA. In other words, they could turn someone into another species, such as a humanoid monster with a dragon’s head and tail…"

"I plan to conduct research on animals, such as white mice, sheep, chickens, ducks, fish, and geese. I’ll use special methods to make them conceive. Who knows what they’ll give birth to… Mm, this Red Dragon Whelp is male. Though it’s a little too young, I can still extract some rather special tissue fluid. You know what I mean…"

"Don’t look at me like that. I looked it up. Whether Eastern dragons or Western dragons, they all have a particular desire for reproduction and mating. Qilin are born from dragons and elephants, Suanni from dragons and lions… Some time ago, Elektra showed me a novel with a Western dragon named Sorrowwind…"

"Actually, I’m very curious. Since dragon genes are so invasive, could they invade plants or microorganisms? I think we could launch a new research project… No, a whole series of new research projects!"

"Also, if possible, I mean, if possible… I’d like to conduct research on human subjects. I know the general public may not be able to accept it, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has many labs doing it already. Cadavers or death-row inmates would do…"

The more Old Wang listened, the wider his mouth opened and the narrower his eyes became, until they were nearly slits.

Girl, that line of thinking is dangerous!

Remember, you’re not married yet. And based on my understanding of the female body, you probably haven’t done the deed with Fitz yet. Keep this up and you won’t have a boyfriend!

Old Wang sighed. A thousand words condensed into one sentence. "Keep up the good work. I support you!"

Scientific research was sacred, pure, untainted by any impurities… Old Wang convinced himself.

At those words, Simmons’s eyes instantly lit up. "Boss, you’re so nice! Oh, right, there’s one more thing. Last time, you said you wanted to find a top biochemist… Boss, where are you?"

In the blink of an eye, the boss had vanished!

Using "Soul Split: Transfer" to return to his room, Old Wang threw himself straight onto the bed.

After all, he had gone more than ten days without sleep. Even Master Wang couldn’t take it.

But the moment he lay down, he saw a text message, followed immediately by an email alert.

After opening them, Old Wang couldn’t help blurting out, "Holy shit."

"Five Winter Soldiers have appeared?"

Old Wang rubbed his brow, worrying for Egghead and for the leaders of every country in the world.

Those five might not surpass Captain America or the Winter Soldier, but in terms of physical ability alone, they should at least be on the same level. And everyone had their specialty. They had originally been Hydra’s most elite suicide squad members, receiving the best professional training. They were proficient in thirty languages and skilled at concealment, infiltration, assassination, and destabilizing governments.

They could destroy a government and bring down a country overnight.

Old Wang wasn’t the one who said that. "Winter Soldier Bucky" had. Though it was somewhat exaggerated, there was no doubt about one thing:

Those guys were absolutely Hydra’s most dangerous figures, ticking time bombs that could explode at any moment.

If they wanted to kill someone, there probably weren’t many people in the world who could escape.

"First, they need to be tracked. Hydra definitely equipped them with anti-surveillance devices, but there are other ways to track them. It’ll be difficult, but if S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to investigate someone, there’s a ninety-nine percent chance that person can’t get away."

"To capture or kill them, ordinary Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. definitely won’t be enough. Even if Black Widow and Hawkeye team up, they could deal with at most one."

"Egghead will probably ask Tony for help. Whether it’s tracking or a direct confrontation, Iron Man is the best choice."

"As for me, I’m just more mobile and stronger. My physical abilities in every aspect far surpass Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Taking on five by myself won’t be a problem, though that’s nothing special. As long as someone can tell me their location immediately, they definitely won’t get away. And I’ll capture them alive."

"Actually, the most suitable person to deal with them should be…"

Just as Old Wang was thinking, his phone rang.

He hurriedly answered. The Winter Soldier’s slightly trembling voice came through. "Master Wang, I found him!"

Half an hour earlier.

Greenland, somewhere.

The perpetually cloaked Quinjet flew low at less than a hundred meters above the ground. The detection equipment suspended beneath its wings, powered by the Arc Reactor’s high-output energy supply, constantly scanned everything below, even penetrating dozens of meters underground.

Thick ice could not stop Fitz’s advanced technology. The power of scientists was beyond ordinary people’s understanding.

"Winter Soldier" Bucky sometimes stared at the screen and sometimes looked out at the icy wilderness beyond the window. Strangely, he felt a sense of belonging, as though this was the world where he truly belonged.

After falling from that cliff into an icy valley years ago, he had miraculously survived, only to be captured by Hydra and subjected to super-soldier experiments. Later, apart from missions, he had remained frozen. He felt he had practically become a polar bear or Antarctic penguin, only able to feel at ease in cold, lonely places.

Places with too many people were too lively. They made him uncomfortable instead.

He had been here for more than a month. The Quinjet had searched without stopping. Fitz’s advanced equipment had a considerable detection range, but Greenland was simply too vast. Even now, they had not scanned a third of it.

But Master Wang had said that the Valkyrie’s crash site should be relatively close to the coast. Otherwise, it could not have remained undiscovered for so long.

So he had continued searching along the coastline, hoping to find Steve as soon as possible—his only comrade, his friend, his only concern, his only bond in this world.

When he was hungry, he ate S.H.I.E.L.D.’s specially supplied rations. When he was thirsty, he drank water.

He had not rested properly in a long time.

It doesn’t matter. I can keep searching.

I will never grow tired.

Suddenly, an alarm sounded, indicating that something massive made of metal or a life-form had been detected.

No matter how remote and cold Greenland was, there were still metals and living things. During the past month, he had heard alarms dozens, even hundreds of times each day. He had long grown accustomed to them, even numb.

He had even stopped hoping that he could find Steve—Steve alive.

He looked up, and Bucky froze slightly.

The screen showed that the metal object detected this time was larger than anything they had found before, even larger than the Quinjet itself. Then…

He examined it carefully and quickly confirmed it.

That was right. It was the Valkyrie transport plane. S.H.I.E.L.D. had records on it. Skye had specifically "borrowed" them before, and this aircraft had backup copies as well. He had looked at them many times. He could not be mistaken.

Steve, are you down there?

Bucky’s heart, cold for more than sixty years, suddenly burned hot. He hurriedly landed.

Before him stood a huge upthrust mass of ice, dark in color because other things were frozen inside it.

It was the plane’s nose—the nose of the Valkyrie.

Bucky looked at the portable detector in his hand. There were no vital-sign readings.

That was normal. If Steve had been frozen like him, his vital signs would naturally have dropped to their lowest point. With the thick ice and the plane’s outer shell blocking the signal, it truly would not be easy to detect him.

"The cockpit should be here."

He clenched his fist. His mechanical arm aimed at the ice, and a high-powered laser cutter emerged. It made a circular cut, quickly opening a hole.

The space below was wide open. The Valkyrie’s seal had held up well.

Bucky leaped down, looked around, and quickly noticed something unusual.

There was a reflection. It seemed to be red and blue, with a little silver-white.

Unfamiliar, yet familiar.

Bucky hurried over and crouched down.

Brushing the ice with his hand, Bucky saw the shield he had not seen in more than sixty years.

Then he looked below it and saw that face—that familiar person.

"Steve…"

Bucky clenched his fist and slammed it down hard.

"I’m here."

"I’m taking you home!"