Conspiracy

Dr. Erskine fell silent, lowered his head in thought for a while, then got up, took a bottle of liquor from the cabinet, and poured Han Lin a glass as well.

As the two drank, Dr. Erskine, who had come to trust Han Lin more and more, began recounting his experiences.

Dr. Erskine was German. After Hitler came to power and learned of his research, he sent him to Hydra's headquarters research division and ordered him to create Super Soldiers for NC.

Hydra's current leader, Schmidt, was wildly ambitious and even more obsessed with power and strength than Hitler.

Originally a genius scientist, he wanted to become a superhuman and gain the power of a god.

Hitler used words to incite his followers, but for Schmidt, this was not a fantasy. To him, it was real.

He believed that the power of the gods remained in the human world.

So, after Schmidt discovered the power of the Super Soldier Serum, he could not resist it. He wanted to become a superhuman and forced the doctor to enhance him. But the serum had not yet matured, and its side effects disfigured Schmidt, turning him into the Red Skull.

The serum enhanced every aspect of a person. The good became better, and the bad became worse. Thus, Schmidt became even more evil, and his ambitions grew ever greater.

"The strength of the strong is innate. Only the weak hold power in awe."

"I hope that after Steve is enhanced, he won't merely become a good soldier, but a good man!"

"Schmidt knows you're here," Han Lin said, following the flow of the conversation. What came next was important.

The doctor's hand, gripping his glass, paused. "With Hydra's intelligence network, he surely knows. I know tomorrow will be dangerous too."

"Then, Doctor, what are you planning to do tomorrow?" Han Lin asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

"I had originally planned to die tomorrow. Only then would Schmidt stop looking for me, and the Super Soldier Serum formula would disappear with me." Before the doctor could finish, Han Lin interrupted him.

"I won't let you die, Doctor. Tomorrow's experiment will succeed. What I need is for you to die in front of them. Of course, not for real."

"Perhaps we should speak with Colonel Phillips, Howard, and Agent Carter."

By the time Howard, Colonel Phillips, and Agent Carter arrived, it was already midnight.

Seeing the two men drinking before the fireplace, the three did not know what had happened, but since they all knew Han Lin's abilities, they sensed a grave atmosphere.

Han Lin himself was not too concerned. After all, what he called his ability was not seeing the future, but merely the plot he had seen in his previous life. With his current abilities, changing this was easy.

But the question was how to make Dr. Erskine appear to die tomorrow.

Howard spoke first. "What's wrong, Lin? Why does the atmosphere feel so serious?"

"I saw the future," Han Lin said. "Tomorrow, the doctor will die, Steve's enhancement will succeed, and then Steve will go on a nationwide tour to raise funds for the war. I have the ability to change all that, but I don't want to!"

Han Lin deliberately made the situation sound dire in order to keep control of the conversation.

"Why? You can clearly change this outcome. You can make the world more peaceful. The honor of an early victory will all belong to you!" Colonel Phillips supported the American military and regarded dying on the battlefield as an honor.

Han Lin gave a soft, cold laugh. "Yes. If I save Erskine, then Steve will lead a group of huge muscle-bound men onto the battlefield, sweep across Europe, and kill Schmidt. But do you know what happens afterward? Spies from every country will swarm in, all to capture the doctor.

"Then America will become a second Germany, an enemy of the world. War will rage, countless people will be displaced, and those Super Soldiers will become the butcher's blades in politicians' hands. Then the serum formula will be lost, Super Soldiers from every country will emerge one after another, and a devastating war will erupt. Nuclear weapons will be used without restraint, leaving Earth scarred beyond recognition. War pollution, disease, and famine will leave the world in ruins. Is that the peace you want? I would rather sacrifice the doctor than let the politicians you keep talking about get their hands on it!"

Han Lin's mixture of truth and fiction filled the four people present with fear. They had never imagined that their research could bring about such consequences. They had always hoped it could end the war and preserve peace.

Yet they had thought only of guarding against Hydra and had never considered how the higher-ups among their allies might react. No one wanted to see America become a second Hitler by dominating alone. That would bring an even greater disaster upon the world.

Dr. Erskine shook his head and sighed. "If there is no better way, then I think letting me die tomorrow is the best choice. Only then will Schmidt's side stop paying attention to this place."

Agent Carter sharply rejected the idea. "No. You cannot be sacrificed."

Howard and Colonel Phillips nodded in agreement as well. "The doctor cannot die, even for victory."

Howard said, "I have a new kind of bulletproof vest. If the assassin uses a pistol, I can guarantee that as long as he doesn't shoot the head, we can put artificial blood on the vest and create a scene of apparent death. The only concern is if the assassin aims for the head."

Han Lin's eyes lit up. "If that's the case, I think it's worth trying. As for a shot to the head, I can prepare for that. I can see the trajectory of bullets. If anyone aims for the doctor's head, I can block it for him."

Because Dr. Erskine had to die convincingly, Howard hurriedly got up to prepare what they needed for tomorrow. The best method would have been to find a disposable stand-in for Dr. Erskine, but the doctor strongly objected, saying that it would be best only if he personally watched the experiment through to completion.

At the same time, in Hydra's base deep in the mountains of Germany.

Dr. Zola looked at Schmidt. "I heard we found him."

As he spoke, he walked over to the table and looked at several photographs lying on it.

Zola asked, "Do we need to issue the order?"

Schmidt replied, "I already have."

The next day, Steve followed Agent Carter to the secret laboratory.

Han Lin met Steve at the entrance to the laboratory and looked at him. "How do you feel? Nervous?"

"Not bad. A little nervous."

"Relax. Don't worry. Today, you'll change!" As he spoke, Han Lin led Steve to the enhancement chamber. "Get in."

Lying inside the spacious enhancement chamber, Steve's thin body shifted uneasily.

"Are you all right, Steve?" Han Lin looked at the fidgeting Steve.

"It's a little big." After seeing Erskine and nodding to Dr. Erskine, Steve visibly relaxed.

"You'll think it's small soon enough," Han Lin said with a smile.

"Remember, no matter what happens, you must endure it. The serum's effects have grown stronger, so the pain caused by the enhancement will be greater as well," Han Lin solemnly instructed.

"I can do it." Steve nodded firmly. He had finally earned this opportunity, and he would never give up.

After clearing out the irrelevant personnel, the doctor picked up the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen."

"Today is the first step on our road to peace."

"First, we will perform a series of minimally invasive injections."

"We will inject the serum into the muscle groups."

"After the serum is injected, it will trigger rapid cellular changes."

"Afterward, it will stimulate growth."

"Then, the Life Ray will penetrate the subject."

As Dr. Erskine explained, the experiment began. Once the serum had been injected, the enhancement chamber closed.

The Life Ray irradiation began, and intense blue-white light shone through the chamber's window.

As the ray's intensity increased, Steve lost control and began screaming in agony.

Seeing this, Agent Carter anxiously shouted, "Turn it off, quickly!"

"Steve!" Dr. Erskine pounded on the enhancement chamber and called out. When Steve did not respond, the doctor quickly shouted, "Turn it back, Howard! Shut it down!" Howard was about to turn off the rays when Steve suddenly cried out hoarsely.

"No! Don't turn it off! I can do it!"

Howard paused at those words and looked toward Dr. Erskine, who in turn shifted his gaze to Han Lin.

Han Lin could only trust Steve now. The child of destiny always had some privileges. "He can do it."

At Han Lin's words, the doctor nodded to Howard. Seeing that, Howard slowly turned the switch all the way up.