Experimental Candidate

"Here I come!"

Carter shot Steve a glare, let out a sharp cry, and rushed forward, swinging her pale fist in a quick straight punch at Steve's chest.

Caught off guard, Steve had no time to dodge and took Carter's punch to the chest, stumbling back two steps involuntarily.

Rubbing his aching chest, Steve immediately gathered his thoughts and turned serious, raising his head to watch Carter warily.

Seeing Steve get into the zone, Carter nodded in satisfaction and threw another punch at him.

Once Steve got serious, his fighting skills were no weaker than Carter's, and their strength was evenly matched. He raised an arm to block her punch, then, before she could pull back, seized her wrist with his other hand and gave it a hard tug, trying to throw her off balance.

Carter had also received professional combat training, and her practical combat experience was even richer than Steve's. She immediately saw through his intentions and followed the pull, spinning with the momentum and driving an elbow toward Steve's abdomen.

Steve still had a firm grip on Carter's wrist with one hand, while his other hand pressed down swiftly, defusing her elbow strike.

Their fighting abilities were evenly matched, and there was little difference in their strength. For a while, they exchanged blow for blow in a fierce, evenly balanced fight.

Watching the two of them brawl before him, Chen Mo smiled with satisfaction.

Steve, Master could only help you this much.

In the end, their sparring match concluded with Carter successfully throwing Steve over her shoulder. Wisely, Carter did not bring up sparring with Chen Mo again. Instead, she asked him to make sure he included her whenever he trained Steve in the future.

For the sake of his disciple's lifelong happiness, Chen Mo readily agreed under Steve's expectant gaze.

And so, Steve gained another "junior sister" he had long dreamed of.

Chen Mo discovered that Carter's talent for combat was no less than Steve's. After a period of training, Steve lost more often than he won whenever the two sparred.

However, Carter did not look down on Steve. She knew what he had been like before and how hard he had worked. She felt nothing but praise and recognition for him, without the slightest contempt. She believed he would only grow stronger in the future.

But I won't let you surpass me so easily either, Carter silently encouraged herself.

As the research progressed day by day, Chen Mo gained an increasingly thorough understanding of the Super Soldier Serum and was able to offer Dr. Erskine greater and greater assistance. At last, the new generation of serum, optimized and improved, was successfully developed, and the human trials that had been delayed for several months were finally about to begin.

The issue of selecting a test subject once again lay before them.

Colonel Phillips was dissatisfied with the scrawny Steve. Though Steve was not as weak as he looked, in the Colonel's eyes, a true soldier should be like Chen Mo—tall and strong, swift and powerful, with formidable combat ability.

Dr. Erskine, however, was still wavering between the two. He thought highly of Steve, whose kindness and integrity had moved him, but Chen Mo's performance had also been exceptional.

Unlike Colonel Phillips, the doctor cared more about a person's inner character. Chen Mo had done well in that regard too, and he had his own ideas. His views on the war also deeply resonated with the doctor, leaving him unable to make a decision.

That day, the two argued over the matter again.

Unable to persuade the doctor, the Colonel decided to prove through facts that his own view was correct.

"Fighting a war depends on courage." After saying that, Colonel Phillips threw a fake Grenade into the crowd.

"Grenade!" the Colonel shouted as a warning.

The moment they heard there was a Grenade, the soldiers scattered at once, each seeking cover. But Steve charged forward without hesitation, using his body to firmly shield the Grenade.

Just then, an arm suddenly reached out.

Chen Mo yanked Steve away, swiftly picked up the Grenade from the ground, and hurled it with all his strength into an open area more than a hundred meters away.

Agent Carter, who had been a beat too slow, stopped in her tracks. Looking at the two men who had both acted without regard for their own safety, a faint smile appeared on her cool, beautiful face.

The surrounding soldiers watched the Grenade vanish into the distance, exchanged looks, and were all left speechless. Chen Mo was such a freak—he had thrown it way too far.

When no explosion came for a long time, they realized it had been a Training Grenade.

Colonel Phillips and Dr. Erskine exchanged a glance. Both were somewhat gratified, yet also helpless. The problem still had not been resolved.

That night, Chen Mo came to Dr. Erskine's room.

"Chen Mo? Why are you here? Is something wrong?" Dr. Erskine was somewhat surprised when he opened the door and saw Chen Mo. "Come in first."

After inviting Chen Mo in and having him sit down, the doctor asked, "Is this about the experiment?"

"Yes, Doctor," Chen Mo said directly.

"I hope you'll choose Steve."

The answer took the doctor somewhat by surprise.

"Why?" the doctor asked, looking at his assistant in confusion.

"Steve needs this opportunity more than I do. Going to the battlefield has always been his dream, and this is his only chance. As for me, I can wait for the next one." As Chen Mo finished speaking, the doctor's gaze grew gentler. He had already thought highly of Chen Mo, but those words further increased his fondness and approval.

"I've actually been hesitating all along. The two of you truly make it difficult for me to choose."

The doctor got up, took out a bottle of wine from the cabinet, and poured each of them a glass. "Since you've made your decision, all right. Tomorrow, you'll still attend the trial as my assistant. I think Steve will need your encouragement too."

"Thank you, Doctor." Chen Mo raised his glass.

"No, I should be the one thanking you. I finally don't have to worry over whom to choose. You're both far too outstanding." The doctor raised his own glass as well.

As they drank, Dr. Erskine, who trusted Chen Mo more and more, began telling him about his past.

Dr. Erskine was German. After Hitler came to power and learned of his research, he sent him to HYDRA's research division at its headquarters and ordered him to create Super Soldiers.

HYDRA's current leader, Schmidt, was wildly ambitious and, like Hitler, obsessed with superhuman powers and mythology.

He wanted to become Superman and obtain the power of a god.

So, after Schmidt discovered the serum's capabilities, he forced the doctor to enhance him. However, the serum at the time was still immature, and its side effects disfigured Schmidt, turning him into Red Skull.

The serum enhanced every aspect of a person: the good became better, and the bad became worse. Thus, Schmidt became even more evil, and his ambition grew greater and greater.

"He wants to rule the world," the doctor said heavily at last.

"Does Schmidt know you're here?" Chen Mo asked naturally. The conversation that followed was very important.

The doctor's hand holding the wineglass paused. "Given HYDRA's intelligence network, it's very likely."

"Then, Doctor, I believe tomorrow's experiment may be in danger," Chen Mo warned. "Schmidt won't just stand by and watch us create a large number of Super Soldiers."

"You're right. But..." Before the doctor could finish, Chen Mo interrupted him.

"And even if the experiment goes smoothly, what happens afterward? We hand the formula over to those politicians and let them create a superhuman army—then what? What if the formula leaks and falls into the hands of Schmidt or other ambitious people?"

Without waiting for the doctor to deny it, Chen Mo continued.

"All right, even if the formula doesn't leak, the politicians will have this powerful force and win the war. Afterward, will they willingly surrender or simply disband a force capable of overturning the world? And what will a group of iron-blooded soldiers with superhuman strength bring to this world?" Chen Mo's words left the doctor stunned. He had never imagined his research could lead to such consequences. He had always hoped it would end the war and preserve peace.

He had previously worried only that HYDRA might steal the serum, but he had never considered the reaction of the Allied Powers' leadership. Imagining the terrible consequences of the serum being abused, the doctor broke out in a cold sweat.

"What should we do?" Recovering himself, the doctor looked eagerly at Chen Mo, hoping he could provide an answer.

Chen Mo pondered for a moment.

"Perhaps we should speak with the Colonel and Agent Carter."