One-Stick Wonder

Another morning, Lin Hao worked out in the manor's gym. He held a two-ton metal dumbbell in each hand, wore specially made weighted lining on his upper body, had metal pellets strapped to his thighs and calves, and even his shoes were weighted.

As he jogged, he raised and lowered the dumbbells in both hands.

After coming to America, Lin Hao no longer had to clock in for work every day like before. All he needed to do was remotely guide Yu Zhen, an assistant in the Technical Development Department, through a video Den Den Mushi and answer a few research problems, leaving him with much more time to train and cultivate himself.

"Old Lin, Old Lin." Unpolished Chinese rang out from outside.

A man in his thirties barged into Lin Hao's gym and said in strangely accented Chinese, "I knew I'd find you in the gym."

"Stop working out already. I've got good news."

This man was Bruce Lee, a third-generation Chinese American born in the United States. His family had settled in San Francisco shortly after World War I and possessed modest assets. Over the past thirty years, they had accumulated immense wealth by riding the wave of China's economic rise, and the family's total fortune had reached tens of billions of dollars.

Bruce was of mixed Chinese and American heritage. His father was Chinese American, while his mother was the daughter of a minor California consortium. It was a typical marriage between families.

His mother had named him Bruce, while his grandfather had also given him a proper Chinese name—Li Heng, taken from the Qian hexagram of the I Ching: "Great success, favorable perseverance."

Yes, it was also the name of an emperor.

Although Bruce Lee did not have an emperor's destiny, he had been a playboy born with a golden spoon in his mouth. The moment his equipment had become usable, he had impatiently thrown himself into real combat, with the result that before even reaching middle age, he was already showing signs of failing to keep up.

A few years ago, he had met Lin Hao, who had just arrived in San Francisco, by chance. After discovering that Master Lin knew miraculous qigong that allowed him to ride freely across the plains, he suddenly gained many, many friends.

"What? Did you land Anne Hathaway?" Lin Hao did not stop exercising.

Bruce was the type who loved playing all the more because he was bad at it. He had always relied on throwing money around to pick up women, but not long ago, he had suddenly announced that he had his eye on a certain actress and intended to pursue her properly.

When Lin Hao saw the photo, he discovered it was Anne Hathaway. You're not that Bruce from the neighboring universe who went down an alley. What makes you think you can win over Catwoman with actual ability?

You were a quick-shot who finished the moment you got in. What ability did you have?

"I'm still pursuing Anne. That's not why I came today." Bruce eagerly ran forward, intending to take the dumbbells from Lin Hao's hands, but they did not budge.

"There's a decent dinner in Los Angeles tomorrow. The hosts will be inviting Tony Stark. Stark Industries' stock has been soaring lately, so the California consortiums probably want a piece of the action."

"Will it be meat or vegetables?" Lin Hao became a little interested.

"The first half will be vegetables. They'll clear the place out for the second half. Once the reporters leave, it'll turn into meat." Bruce grinned. "To please Tony Stark, they'll spare no expense. You'll be able to pick any of Hollywood's youngest and prettiest girls."

Lin Hao stopped jogging, gently set down the dumbbells, walked over to Bruce, and held out his hand. "Where's the invitation?"

"Hehe, how could Master Lin possibly be left without an invitation?" Bruce gave him a knowing smile and pulled out an invitation card. "Your reputation has spread beyond San Francisco now. High society across California wants to invite you over to help liven things up."

"Perfect. I've recently developed something new." Lin Hao removed his weights, brought Bruce to the study, and solemnly took a jade bottle carved from the safe.

The emerald-green jade bottle was carved with exquisite cloud patterns that seemed to flow beneath the sunlight.

Lin Hao removed the cork, and a faint fragrance drifted out.

Bruce merely took one sniff, and soon felt a surge of heat rise from his lower abdomen, just like the feeling he had experienced more than ten years ago when he first saw a beautiful young maid bathing.

"Oh my god!" Bruce moved like lightning and snatched the jade bottle away. Inside was a dark-red pill.

"If just smelling it does this, what would happen if someone swallowed it?"

"I don't recommend that you eat it. This pill's effects are too strong. It's best to use an incense burner to diffuse its scent. This one pill alone can support an entire banquet."

After obtaining Stephen Chow's One-Stick Wonder, Lin Hao had immediately understood the drug's composition and subsequently analyzed how to make it.

This little pill truly lived up to Stephen Chow's appraisal. Just one sniff was enough to make someone unable to bear it.

"I'll take the medicine first. I need to discuss it with the hosts. With such a great gimmick, this banquet is bound to be a huge success." Bruce was raring to go.

"Remember, do not swallow it, or I'll have to find you in the morgue," Lin Hao reminded him.

"Got it. I'll pick you up tomorrow."

Meanwhile, on the other side of San Francisco, Phil Coulson, who had rushed over from New York, led a team to the site of yesterday evening's "black-and-white battle." They had actually arrived the previous night, but had found nothing.

Will Fortson had already been taken away by the Air Force. Jake Brian had been quick enough to avoid being captured by the military, but he had not returned to the San Francisco police department either.

The moment Coulson arrived, he brought his people straight to Brian's home, only to find nothing.

He could only send people to negotiate with the Air Force while having others seal off the scene, hoping to uncover something valuable.

This was a crucial moment in his promotion to Level Eight agent. If he returned empty-handed, what would he use to earn a promotion and raise?

As it turned out, he really did find something.

"Sir, you need to see this." Biochemical expert Jemma Simmons walked toward Phil Coulson holding a tablet.

"We found some hair at the scene. It belonged to the Black Panther and the Great White Bear Dog. After analyzing it, I found that the cells in the hair were exceptionally active. The genetic chains belonged neither to animals nor humans... no, I should say that their primary genes still belonged to humans, but they had undergone some kind of enhancement."

"Most amazingly, their genes can be damaged and reorganized again. Their cells contain a powerful energy. I tried using technological means to catalyze that energy, and their hair actually changed color. It also became far tougher. Even a sharp alloy blade couldn't cut it."

"You mean..." Coulson understood. "These two superpowered individuals can evolve again?"

"Yes. They have that potential."

Jemma Simmons handed Coulson two glass test tubes, each containing a strand of hair. The colors were no longer simple black and white, but had become dazzling.

The black and white were respectively tinged with dark red and vivid purple, blending together perfectly and appearing more elegant and noble.

Looking closely, one could even see wisps of smoky flames rising from the hair.

After personally testing the hair's toughness, Coulson looked at Simmons eagerly. "Can you crack its secrets and produce a corresponding serum?"

"Uh..." Simmons smiled modestly. "Although Professor Abraham Erskine is one of my idols, sir, I'm still very young."

Abraham Erskine was the scientist who had developed the Captain America serum. After his death, countries around the world had poured vast resources into trying to replicate it, yet not a single one had succeeded over the years. Every serum they developed had its own flaws.

The Super Soldier Serum was also a serum without evolutionary potential. Once used, its strength became fixed. Unless one encountered another opportunity, one would remain the same until death.

Captain America could grow stronger against stronger opponents because he was Marvel's favored son, possessing officially certified strongest willpower and representing the spirit of America.

Would the writers dare let the spirit of America lose?

Now that a superpower capable of evolving again had appeared, its value was beyond measure. Jemma Simmons was merely a newcomer—how could she dare boast that she could crack its secrets?

"Send more people immediately. We must find Jake Brian!"

They had originally thought it was just an ordinary big dog. Who would have expected it could evolve again? Its importance had instantly risen.

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