Strategic Scientific Reserve

Han Lin watched Dr. Erskine emerge from the medical examination booth, his face full of smiles. "Dr. Erskine, what do you think of Steve?"

Dr. Erskine was clearly taken aback. Then he remembered what Howard had told him six days ago, and surprise appeared on his face. "He's the person you mentioned? You really can see the future?"

Han Lin shrugged innocently. "Of course. I never lie. If you hadn't recruited him into the Strategic Scientific Reserve, I wouldn't even admit that I knew him!"

Dr. Erskine looked at Steve as he came out of the booth and pointed at Han Lin. "Soldier, do you know him?"

Steve had not noticed Han Lin at first. Only when Dr. Erskine asked did he spot Han Lin standing across from him. "Lin, why are you here? You know Dr. Erskine? Then tonight was...?"

Steve's expression shifted from delight to gloom as he wondered, Do I need connections just to join the army?

The moment Han Lin saw Steve's expression, he knew this mentally tough man was overthinking things. "Hey... Steve, you weren't accepted into the army because I asked Dr. Erskine for a favor. Brother, I never said anything about you to Dr. Erskine. I'm Dr. Erskine's laboratory assistant now!"

Watching Steve's expression change again, Dr. Erskine became even more certain that Han Lin's prediction was true. Such a powerful humanoid beast had no reason to deceive him.

"By the way, Dr. Erskine, after I forced you to rest today, I looked through your experimental data. I know you were growing my body tissue, but I destroyed it—the lump of flesh."

The instant Dr. Erskine heard this, he was about to speak, but Han Lin cut him off. "I don't think that was a good experiment, Doctor. I sensed that lump of flesh slowly developing consciousness. If it wasn't destroyed beforehand, I think you would have lost control of it."

Dr. Erskine stared at Han Lin in horror. "Is that true?"

"It is. I even felt the urge to devour it. It was a very bad feeling. It made me think that maybe I really am a monster." Han Lin nodded. "So it's best not to cultivate life forms for now."

Dr. Erskine nodded solemnly, then suddenly looked at Han Lin. "You can understand my experimental data? How did you do that?"

Han Lin smiled and nodded. "I read all the biology and genetic engineering books in your study. When I saw that experimental data today, I realized I could understand it."

Dr. Erskine looked at the humanoid beast capable of learning so quickly with some delight. Perhaps he would make a good assistant. After greeting Steve, he left first.

Han Lin chatted with Steve for a while. After telling him they would see each other again at the training camp, he parted ways with him.

A few days later, at a U.S. Army recruit training camp in New Jersey.

On the camp parade ground, a row of soldiers stood lazily in the field.

Steve was among them.

"Recruits, attention!"

At the sound of a clear female voice, a cool and valiant female officer strode before the soldiers.

She had long, wavy auburn hair, seductive red lips, and a hot, sexy figure that radiated wildness.

"Gentlemen, I'm Agent Carter." Seeing the soldiers hurriedly stand at attention, Peggy Carter spoke loudly.

"I am responsible for overseeing all affairs within this division."

Perhaps dazzled by Agent Carter's charm, one soldier made a flirtatious remark and was promptly knocked to the ground.

"Agent Carter!" At that moment, an elderly officer in a leather jacket stepped out of a jeep alongside Dr. Erskine and Han Lin.

"Colonel Phillips!" Carter quickly turned and saluted.

The colonel looked at the soldier on the ground and joked, "Looks like you've really gotten along with our recruits. Not bad."

Then he looked at the soldier on the ground and said sternly.

"Get your ass off the ground, return to formation, and stand there until someone tells you to stop!"

The soldier, his nose bleeding, scrambled to his feet and sniffed. "Yes, sir!"

"General Patton once said." After a pause, Colonel Phillips declared loudly, "War depends on weapons, but victory depends on soldiers."

"We will win this war because we have the finest... soldiers..." As the colonel spoke, he happened to spot Steve, short and skinny, standing out conspicuously in the formation. His voice unconsciously lowered.

He turned and gave Dr. Erskine a speechless look. The doctor stared straight ahead as if he had seen nothing, so Colonel Phillips helplessly glanced at Steve and continued.

"And they will get better. Much better."

"The Strategic Scientific Reserve is made up of an alliance of nations, gathering the finest people of the free world. Our goal is to build the greatest army in history. And every army needs a pioneer. After this week, we will choose that person. He will be the first of our new generation of super soldiers."

The Super Soldier Program was intended to mass-produce super soldiers and build a super-soldier corps.

Now that the serum had been successfully developed, they would choose one man from this group of outstanding soldiers a week later to undergo the first enhancement experiment.

What Colonel Phillips did not know was that Han Lin and Dr. Erskine had already shelved the super-soldier corps plan. Han Lin was now merely one of Dr. Erskine's researchers.

When Han Lin noticed Steve glancing at him, he nodded back.

Physical training, obstacle courses, hundred-meter sprints, ten-kilometer cross-country runs—every harsh training exercise was practically a nightmare for Steve.

Almost everyone believed that this short, frail little man could never complete the training. Yet he astonished them all. He completed every exercise. Though he always came in last, he endured through sheer willpower, greatly exceeding everyone's expectations and successfully drawing Agent Carter's attention.

Steve's physical condition was far worse than that of an ordinary person. Compared to the other elite recruits, the difference was like heaven and earth. Yet his powerful will allowed him to complete every training session.

To complete the training, Steve gave everything he had every time. After each session, he was utterly exhausted, collapsed on the ground, and completely drained. In order to stay, Steve was burning away his life.

Han Lin silently watched it all. Wanting to help Steve, he could only give him more high-energy food and medicine. For everything else, he could only wait for the opportunity that would let Steve soar to new heights!

Han Lin spent every day with Dr. Erskine. His powerful body was excellent research material, so Dr. Erskine began studying it and comparing it with the theories behind the Super Soldier Serum, optimizing and improving the serum.

Before this, the doctor's research had been based entirely on theory and animal experiments. The only human enhancement had been Red Skull Schmidt, who suffered severe aftereffects after being enhanced. Moreover, the doctor had never had a chance to study that failed subject. Therefore, Dr. Erskine was not fully satisfied with the completed Super Soldier Serum either, but he had no way to improve it further.

Han Lin's appearance gave him hope. A perfect body that had never been enhanced yet was already nearly equal to the physical abilities he had calculated for someone enhanced by the serum undoubtedly gave his serum the possibility of advancing even further.

The experiment originally scheduled for a week later was postponed, and Dr. Erskine threw himself back into serum research.

The Reserve's training period was also extended. The Super Soldier Program that was originally supposed to begin after one week was delayed by two weeks.

Rather than saying the Super Soldier Program had been delayed, it would be more accurate to say that the four leaders of the Strategic Scientific Reserve needed to conduct a thorough investigation into Han Lin's identity. Han Lin was too dangerous. Of all his abilities, Colonel Phillips believed he was a monster who needed to be captured and dissected for research.

However, under Howard Stark and Dr. Erskine's repeated assurances, Colonel Phillips decided to observe him a while longer.

During that time, Han Lin and Dr. Erskine intensified their work on developing a new Super Soldier Serum. In his spare time, Han Lin studied combat skills, strategic analysis, battlefield leadership, and other abilities with Agent Carter.

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