At the temporary frontline camp, inside the command tent.
"After last night's battle, which lasted through the night, we have lost 987 soldiers. The German enemy suffered more casualties than us; the current count is close to two thousand."
After hearing the report from his subordinate, Colonel Marcos frowned deeply.
Nearly three thousand soldiers had died, and countless more had been wounded beyond combat capability. It was easy to imagine just how brutal last night's battle had been!
"Nazi Germany was so determined to seize this area last night because they must want to use it as a strategic zone, then break straight into the heart of European territory. Though they have temporarily withdrawn, they will not give up so easily. After regrouping, they will soon return. Communications officer, how many troops can our rear send here as reinforcements?" Colonel Marcos's brow remained tightly furrowed.
The communications soldier answered, "The other frontline areas are also severely short on manpower and military supplies. Only three units, three hundred men, can come reinforce us. One of those units consists entirely of fresh recruits temporarily assembled from the Training Base."
"Recruits?" Colonel Marcos could not help roaring when he heard that. "What use are recruits? This is the front line, not a nursery!"
Just then, a soldier's voice came from outside the tent. "Report! A soldier named Kyle is here. He says he has urgent information for the colonel."
"Soldier Kyle?" Colonel Marcos froze. No matter how he thought about it, he could not recall such a person suddenly appearing in his camp. After considering it for a moment, he still allowed Kyle in.
The moment Kyle entered the tent, Colonel Marcos was slightly taken aback when he saw him. "Aren't you the recruit who reported in last night?"
"Yes, Colonel Marcos." Kyle nodded, recognizing him as well. The colonel before him was the officer who had received him at the airfield last night and sent him directly to the frontline combat zone.
"What are you here for?" Colonel Marcos asked coldly, clearly unimpressed. Kyle had not even cleaned himself up yet; his Combat Suit was covered in blood-stained grime.
"Last night, I obtained important intelligence materials from a German elite squad. I believe they could be of great help to the battle, so I came straight to see you after it ended." As Kyle spoke, he took two parchment scrolls from his pocket.
"A German elite squad? Intelligence materials?" Colonel Marcos was startled. He immediately became alert as he took the parchments, while asking, "How did you get them?"
"By killing them and finding these on their bodies, of course." Kyle shrugged and briefly recounted how he had encountered the German elite squad on his way to the combat zone.
"An enemy elite squad lurking in the rear area behind our main force was wiped out by you alone?" Colonel Marcos found it difficult to believe. Then, with a slight sense of dread, he spread open the parchment and saw that it contained a map, along with countless German code words.
"It really is German intelligence code." Colonel Marcos's eyes widened as he said in surprise and delight, "The intelligence they gathered on the combat zone should all be on here! Communications officer, immediately bring in specialists from the rear who can decipher coded language!"
"No need. That won't be necessary." Kyle waved his hand lightly.
"No need?"
Colonel Marcos and the communications soldier both looked at Kyle in confusion.
A faint smile appeared on Kyle's exhausted young face. "I happened to learn German code language from specialists at the Training Base."
Three days later.
It had been three days since Kyle had been dispatched to the front line.
Meanwhile, in the underground laboratory.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the training area, an oversized sandbag hanging from above was repeatedly sent flying by the forceful blows of a fist.
A blond young man with an exceptionally tall, muscular build stood firmly before the sandbag, wearing a sweat-soaked tank top. Every ordinary punch he threw unleashed unimaginable power, battering the sandbag back and forth.
Watching from the side, Carter's beautiful eyes showed concern as she reminded him, "Steve. You should rest for a while. You've been going at this for an hour already."
Bang!
As if he had not heard her, Steve continued punching the sandbag with even greater force, sweat constantly splashing onto the ground.
"Steve!" Carter raised her voice sharply. Only then did Steve slap the sandbag, finally bringing the pendulum-like bag to a stop.
Steve gave a bitter smile. "What am I supposed to be now? A Super Soldier? Or an experiment hidden in an underground lab? I don't want to become this."
"Steve, your battle has not arrived yet," Carter comforted him.
"Then when will it arrive? How much longer do I have to wait?!" Steve's handsome, righteous face was filled with pain as he said dejectedly, "My brother—Kyle—has already gone to fight on the very front line! Yet I, Steve Rogers, entrusted with his highest hopes, remain here living peaceful days without the sound of war."
"Kyle." Hearing that name, Carter could not help falling silent as well.
"I should be able to do more, instead of wasting my time here," Steve said.
"Of course. Soldier Steve, you can certainly do more."
A strong, resonant voice suddenly cut in. Steve and Carter turned to look, only to see a middle-aged man in a suit and tie.
"I am a senator. I have abundant stage resources and opportunities, more than enough for you to display your extraordinary abilities before the people of the entire nation. It would also be a powerful aid to the current war." Smiling, the senator took a business card from his pocket and handed it over. "I call it the Captain America Propaganda Plan."
"Captain America?" Steve froze. After hesitating for a moment, he finally accepted the senator's business card.
At the same time, at the frontline camp.
"Kyle, the colonel wants you at the command center."
"The command center?" Kyle, who had just returned from battle, was slightly taken aback. Still, he handed his weapon to the communications officer delivering the message and headed straight for the white command tent.
"Soldier Kyle, reporting!"
"Come in."
As Kyle stepped into the tent, he discovered it was filled with officers in uniform, nearly a dozen of them.
Colonel Marcos, the highest-ranking officer in the command center, sat in a chair. When Kyle entered, he raised his voice in introduction. "Everyone, this is the soldier who brought back two Intelligence Maps three days ago and completed their decryption—Kyle."
The dozen officers immediately turned their eyes toward Kyle. Seeing how handsome and young he was, they showed expressions of astonishment.
"Soldier Kyle, you've truly rendered great service this time!"
"Yes. I heard one of the maps contained intelligence gathered on our camp. If those damned Nazis had brought it back, this place would probably have been blasted apart by bomber shells by now."
"Oh, come on. The second map is the more important one."
"They are both important, both important. Being able to bring back the Intelligence Maps and decipher them completely—recruits these days are getting more and more capable."
"A rare talent. Our army needs fresh blood like this."
Kyle found himself surrounded by verbal praise until Colonel Marcos cleared his throat, causing the people in the tent to restrain themselves.
"Soldier Kyle. As for your major contribution to the army, I will submit a unified report once we have secured the results of this operation," Colonel Marcos said solemnly.
Kyle's pupils contracted as he asked in surprise, "The results of this operation? Could it be..."
"That's right." Colonel Marcos nodded and spread the decrypted information from the second parchment across the table. With authority and vigor, he said, "Thanks to you, the second decrypted map marked several German military camps outside this combat zone."
"With it, the general has issued the latest order—tonight, we will launch our first large-scale counterattack!"
Before you continue