Armament and Team Building

Kyle guessed that Carter and the others had nearly finished dinner, so he left the basement ballroom bar with Howard.

"Kyle, after closing such a huge deal tonight, shouldn't you be the one treating?" Howard teased. After their brief discussion, they had preliminarily established a partnership, and their relationship had grown much closer and more familiar.

"Sure." Kyle smiled and blinked. "But you know I'm still broke right now. I haven't even received my officer's salary yet. I wonder if the big boss could advance me next month's Stark Industries dividends."

"You really are..." Howard shook his head speechlessly, feeling like he had dug a pit only to bury himself in it. Still, he took an exquisite gold card and a check with credentials printed on it from his wallet and handed them over.

"This card is a permanent VIP card for the Charming Hotel. It has a twenty-thousand-dollar deposit on it, so use it for now. And this is a hundred-thousand-dollar check. You can withdraw cash at central banks in major cities, though it's best to make an appointment first. Otherwise, they may not have that much cash on hand."

An ordinary American soldier only earned an average of sixty dollars a month. The hundred and twenty thousand dollars Howard had casually thrown out was a genuine fortune.

Kyle accepted them without ceremony and added with a teasing smile, "I didn't expect a month's dividends to be this high. Thanks, boss."

"Forget the thanks. Just get the second investment item to me soon," Howard urged. "I'll have my lawyer prepare the share-transfer agreement for you. Once you sign it, you'll be a partner in Stark Industries."

"No problem." Kyle nodded. Wasn't the second item carded up and already on him? It simply wasn't convenient to take it out in front of others.

What was that second investment item? It was, in fact, the system program chip of a supercomputer.

It was a green Item Card Kyle had drawn, even more useless than a cellphone—a scattered component part from a single unit. But if one wanted to enter the field of Artificial Intelligence, it was undoubtedly the perfect stepping stone.

As soon as Kyle and Howard returned to the hotel's first-floor lobby, they saw Carter hurrying toward them.

"Finished dinner? Where's Steve?" Kyle asked in surprise.

Unexpectedly, Carter shot him a glare and asked, "Where did you two run off to? I sent Steve to find you, but he couldn't."

"Well..." Before Kyle could answer, Howard gave a laugh and said, "Don't ask. Men naturally have places where men go to relax and spend money."

That answer makes it way too easy for people to get the wrong idea, doesn't it?

Kyle grumbled inwardly, but Carter did not think much of it. She said seriously, "General Chester just sent orders. He asked me to relay them to the three of you. We'll head back to the Training Base first."

"Before we even got to relax properly, we're already going back to work." Howard helplessly slapped his forehead.

"This is about the Intelligence Map, isn't it?" Kyle looked thoughtful. He had long expected that once the map was reported, higher-ups would issue operational orders. He just had not expected them to decide so quickly.

"Kyle!" Steve's voice came from behind them as he returned at that moment.

"Everyone's here, so let's settle the bill and go." Kyle smiled and casually handed the VIP card from his pocket to a hotel employee. "Put the four of us on this tonight."

With money on him, he felt far more confident.

"Kyle, I didn't know you were so rich." Steve was astonished. Even without looking, he knew the hotel's expenses were beyond what ordinary people could afford.

Carter was even more surprised. She had seen Kyle's personal file too, so where had this hotel VIP card come from?

What exactly had these two been doing just now?

Carter eyed Kyle and Howard suspiciously, unable to figure it out.

They had flown to the big city for dinner that day, then returned to the Training Base that same day.

On the plane, Carter solemnly explained General Chester's mission to the three of them.

"Kyle and Steve, you will serve as team leaders. Select soldiers from the Training Base to form an armed team, then launch attacks on the six Factory Bases operated by the German army across the combat zone. Once the Factory Bases supplying weapons and materials fall, Germany will no longer be a threat to Europe!"

"Steve, from now on, you are a corporal." Carter's gaze then fell on Kyle. "As for you, your merits will continue to accumulate. There will be no promotion this time."

"Doesn't matter." Kyle nodded. His Second Lieutenant credentials had not even had time to warm up. Building up military merit before suddenly rising several ranks was a rhythm he was used to—and liked.

Carter continued sternly, "Stark, provide scientific strategic armaments for the two Super Soldiers."

"Oh." Howard was flying the plane and answered casually. Then, as if he had suddenly realized something, he whipped around in shock. "Two Super Soldiers?!"

"That's right. Kyle has become a Super Soldier too," Steve answered. He had specifically reported that information after returning from the battle.

Carter stared directly at Kyle and said seriously, "From now on, I'll also be responsible for supervising and recording you, in order to gather data on Super Soldiers."

"Okay." Kyle replied listlessly, then muttered under his breath, "I'm at least a Second Lieutenant. Being supervised by a woman—what happened to my dignity? Isn't Steve enough as your lab rat?"

Carter pretended not to hear him and maintained her cold elegance.

Steve immediately offered a suggestion. "For the men needed to form the armed team, we can gather the soldiers we rescued last night. They've fought on the front lines for a long time, and they have experience using New Energy Weapons against the German army."

"No problem. As prisoners, they must be holding back a lot of frustration. They didn't fully let it out last night. But on top of that, I want to transfer one talented person from the 102nd Regiment," Kyle said thoughtfully.

"Who?" Carter asked. She had the authority to transfer one person from the front lines.

"His name is Nick Fury. He's a sergeant with an excellent mind and strong command ability," Kyle said with a smile.

This was a chance to quickly rack up military merits. He was doing Fury a favor, after all.

"Achoo!"

Inside a temporary tent on the front lines, a one-eyed Black noncommissioned officer sneezed. He touched his bald head in surprise, somewhat confused.

"It's not even cold. Why do I have such a bad feeling?"

Fury muttered to himself. There were clearly no major battles on his section of the front anymore, yet for some reason, a chill ran down his spine.