Arrangements and Enhancement

Although there were HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D., seventy years was a long time. No one could predict what might happen in that span, nor could anyone guarantee that everything would develop as expected. So Chen Mo decided to make several more preparations.

Forming the Seven Precepts Gang and taking control of Brooklyn's underworld had been a spur-of-the-moment decision by Chen Mo. Unlike HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D., which he had gained control of through careful planning and maneuvering.

One operated openly and the other in secret, backed respectively by ** and the Allied Powers—the two sides in World War II, a conflict that swept across most of the globe, and the two most powerful factions of the age.

As the organizations controlling the strongest high-end forces of those two major factions, HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D. were undoubtedly immensely powerful. Compared to them, the Seven Precepts Gang, which controlled the tiny Brooklyn underworld, was as weak as a child. But who could say what that child might grow into in the future?

Although all four wanted to continue following Chen Mo, someone had to remain behind to manage the Seven Precepts Gang.

Chen Mo slowly swept his gaze over them before giving a slight nod.

"You are willing to continue following me, and naturally, I won't treat you poorly. But one of you still needs to stay behind and develop the Seven Precepts Gang properly on my behalf. I will have use for it in the future."

The four looked at one another. While staying behind would allow them to command a powerful force, it held little appeal for them. They would rather continue following Chen Mo.

They were all pure martial artists. What they pursued was greater strength and advancement in martial arts. They had little desire for material things. As long as their basic survival was ensured, they did not care even if the conditions were harsh.

That was precisely why, when they had first arrived in the United States and lived in poverty and hardship, they would rather labor at the Dock than rely on their strength to commit evil deeds.

They were true practitioners of martial arts, with their own principles and aspirations. Their actions never went against their hearts.

Just like now, the power and status countless people dreamed of had become a hot potato. No one wanted to take it. Fortunately, Chen Mo had already made plans.

Seeing that no one volunteered to stay, Chen Mo directly called out a name.

"Wang Kun."

Though Wang Kun looked thoroughly unwilling, he still answered.

"Master!"

"You will stay behind and manage the Seven Precepts Gang. You have a wife and children to consider. Remaining here will be better for them."

"Yes, Master." Though he dearly wanted to follow Chen Mo to Europe with the others, Chen Mo had given the order, so he could only obey. Besides, his master was right. Staying in Brooklyn would allow him to care for his wife and children better, giving them a better life and a better environment to grow up in.

And so, Wang Kun—the future renowned leader of the Seven Precepts Gang and king of Brooklyn's underworld—reluctantly took over the entire Brooklyn underworld as though he had been abandoned.

With the arrangements settled, Chen Mo reached into his coat and pulled out a syringe filled with a transparent azure-blue liquid.

Handing the syringe to Wang Kun, Chen Mo directly instructed him to inject the medicine into his body.

Though puzzled, Wang Kun did not hesitate. Taking the syringe, he immediately plunged it into his arm.

The azure medicine slowly entered his body and spread throughout him with his blood. Intense pain erupted from every part of his body, as though every cell was being destroyed and reassembled.

Fortunately, although the pain was intense, it remained within the limits of what he could endure.

As a martial artist, Wang Kun possessed exceptionally strong willpower. Unlike Howard, he did not cry out in pain. Instead, he clenched his teeth and endured in silence.

Sweat continuously poured from his body, and every muscle trembled uncontrollably. Yet he still struggled to remain standing. He believed Chen Mo would not harm him.

Huang Quan, the others, and Old Albert stood quietly to one side and watched. They had long grown accustomed to Chen Mo's mysterious ways, and they knew he would not harm Wang Kun. Still, they were full of questions, wondering what exactly that azure liquid was.

Only after the pain gradually eased and disappeared did Wang Kun's muscles finally relax. Feeling that nothing seemed wrong with him, he looked at Chen Mo in confusion.

A faint smile hung at the corner of his mouth as Chen Mo said, "Take a good look at your body and mind."

Upon hearing that, Wang Kun first clenched his fist. Feeling the change in his strength, his expression immediately shifted. Then he began practicing punches on the spot. He felt power coursing through his entire body, and every move was faster and stronger than before, his fists whistling through the air.

As he grew accustomed to his strength, Wang Kun's punches became faster and faster. Fist shadows overlapped, and sharp gusts of wind sounded continuously. Before long, Huang Quan and the others could barely make out his movements.

They had personally witnessed Wang Kun's enhancement process just moments ago, so they naturally noticed the changes in his body. His build had become slightly more robust, and his muscles were more defined than before. Though the changes were not especially obvious, their sharp eyes caught them clearly. Combined with the strength and speed he was now displaying, far beyond his usual level, their expressions became increasingly animated.

Soon, Wang Kun stopped. After sensing the changes in his body, he looked at Chen Mo with a face full of shock.

"Master! I feel like the strength in my body has increased several times over! My mind is incredibly clear, and my reactions have become faster too!"

Everyone else turned to Chen Mo as well. They had heard of stimulants that could greatly increase a person's strength for a short period after injection, but the changes Wang Kun had undergone in such a brief time were simply too drastic.

Unaware that they had mistaken the enhancement serum for a stimulant, Chen Mo slowly explained.

"This is the Improved Super Soldier Serum. It can enhance every aspect of a person's abilities, including strength, speed, endurance, cellular vitality, bone strength, memory, reaction speed, and more. All of them will improve significantly."

"After enhancement, an ordinary person can reach three times the physical capability of a normal human. Your bodies are already strong, so you should be able to reach nearly four times that level."

Wang Kun was completely stunned. Like the others, he had initially assumed Chen Mo had injected him with some powerful stimulant. He had never expected it to be a miraculous enhancement serum capable of permanently strengthening every physical attribute. For a moment, he did not know what to say.

"Master, something this precious..."

A substance that could permanently multiply a person's physical capabilities several times over—Wang Kun could not imagine how valuable it was. Yet his master had given him an entire dose.

In their daily lives, they had no idea how much grueling training they had to undergo just to gain a little more strength. Once their abilities reached a certain level, even the slightest improvement became extremely difficult. Yet now, his strength had increased severalfold in an instant.

Feeling the surging power within his body, Wang Kun felt as though he were dreaming.