The War Situation

As time passed, midnight arrived. Watching Steve talk endlessly with Agent Carter at the airfield, Han Lin shouted, "Steve, you should retire and marry Carter. The rest of us are leaving."

Steve turned and shouted back, "Lin, you're an asshole."

Han Lin winked at Agent Carter. "Beautiful, I'll bring this lifelong virgin back safely. You have to wait for him! Otherwise, I think you'll fight me to the death."

Han Lin raised a hand and caught the shield flying toward him, then said to Carter, "See? He wants to knock me out so the team can't depart. You should keep him in line."

Carter pulled Steve over. "Lin, you really are an asshole."

Amid everyone's laughter, the team boarded the plane and flew through the night toward Hydra's Research Base. Four hours later, over Norway, Han Lin's transport plane was spotted by the enemy. Two enemy fighter planes swept in from behind. Seeing that they had no intention of giving up, Han Lin decided to parachute early.

Looking at the plane's right wing smoking from cannon fire, Han Lin shouted, "Get ready at the hatch! Assemble quickly after landing! Prepare to jump!"

As the team members jumped out of the hatch one by one, Han Lin turned back and shouted at the pilot, "Good luck. I hope you make it back alive." Then Han Lin leaped from the plane and glided toward his team.

After landing, Han Lin organized the team and moved out stealthily. Following the colonel's map, Han Lin led ten men in a lightning assault through Hydra Research Bases behind enemy lines. But they gained little. After sweeping through four or five bases, they had not found a single scientist.

Through battle after battle, Han Lin continuously accumulated combat experience. His fighting skills grew increasingly refined and masterful, his techniques constantly honed by real combat. Whenever he fought, he became faster, more savage, and terrifyingly lethal.

During that time, Han Lin reached Level 3 (520/64000) and gained another two skill points. However, he was in no hurry to use them. His current abilities were already more than enough for World War II, and saving two skill points could help if problems arose.

When attacking enemy bases, Han Lin did not choose to fight head-on. He still preferred to infiltrate first, sabotage the target, launch surprise attacks and assassinations, then join the battle openly only after eliminating threats. Only by minimizing casualties could he lead this team on more missions.

Unless absolutely necessary, Han Lin would not easily launch a direct frontal assault.

As far as he was concerned, victory was all that mattered. How the enemy was defeated was not something Han Lin needed to worry about. His job was to open the battlefield for his team.

Most of Nick Fury's soldiers were elites among elites, but they were still ordinary people. Frontal assaults could easily cause casualties, so Han Lin usually tore through the enemy's defenses alone before having Nick Fury lead the team forward to support him.

As Han Lin led his team across the battlefield, whenever the troops discovered a Hydra Research Base, it would be reported to him. By now, Congressman Brand was extremely satisfied with Han Lin's unit.

Han Lin gave all the credit to Steve, allowing Congressman Brand to successfully shape an American national hero: Captain America.

Within the United States military, there was also someone on the same level as Captain America: Shura.

Han Lin liked operating at night, and every time he struck, he left the enemy in complete disarray. He showed them no mercy.

Stories about Han Lin circulated throughout the military: as long as you did not raise a white flag, even if you offered no resistance, Shura would take your life without hesitation.

The purchase rate of government bonds across the states rose by twenty percentage points. Because Han Lin's team had completely disrupted the German Army's deployments, every Hydra Research Base was now guarded by large numbers of German soldiers. This greatly eased pressure on the Allied front lines, and the Allies' repeated victories gave the United States hope of winning the war.

Meanwhile, Han Lin rapidly accumulated military merit and rose through the ranks. In just ten months, he went from corporal to captain. Steve was the same, because he was the face of the team. The military brass was therefore happy to award Steve extra merit.

The team members received some subsidies as well, because if Fury were promoted, a field-grade officer could no longer be led into battle by Han Lin. He might have to serve as a commander elsewhere.

Time came to October 1943.

Han Lin brought Steve and the others back to the base to rest and refit. Before he could even sit down, Agent Carter called him over, saying there was something important to discuss.

When they arrived at the conference room, Colonel Phillips spoke gravely. "Yesterday, Agent Carter received a secret message from a spy planted within Hydra. It was sent by Betthold Stenberg. He said he was at a Hydra Research Base behind the Italian lines.

"Recently, he completed a serum called the Infinite Formula. After taking it, it can enhance a person's physical constitution and greatly slow the body's aging. He knows Schmidt is still searching for a way to strengthen the human body, but he does not want the Infinite Formula to fall into Schmidt's hands. Therefore, he hopes to receive the Strategic Scientific Reserve's protection."

Han Lin heard of an event that did not belong to the original plot. What was meant to come had come after all.

Because Han Lin had brought Steve and himself onto the battlefield early, the German Army on the European front, suppressed by Han Lin and Steve, did not dare make any rash moves. Hydra's research division was therefore desperately squeezing every last bit of ability from its scientists. Under the threat of death, there would always be one or two people capable of extraordinary breakthroughs.

Now that the Infinite Formula had appeared, Han Lin felt that events had slipped beyond his control.

Han Lin looked at Colonel Phillips with a headache and asked, "Is the intelligence accurate? Could this be a smokescreen Hydra released? Last time, we acted on inaccurate intelligence, and two of my men are still lying in hospital beds."

"The information is accurate. Agent Carter is the only one who knows this contact, and this person has never been exposed before. This is the first time he has sent a message, so the intelligence is highly reliable."

Han Lin looked at Carter, who had been standing silently to the side. After seeing her nod, he said, "Do we have intelligence on the enemy base? The number of stationed personnel, as well as their weapons and equipment?"

Agent Carter nodded and placed several photographs before Han Lin. "What we know is that there are over three thousand personnel stationed at this base, including five hundred Hydra elite troops. The energy weapons you mentioned have appeared there."

Looking at the familiar-looking base in the photographs, Han Lin suddenly remembered it. Though the pictures were unclear, the facilities, equipment, and armored vehicles carrying those massive blue cannons made it unmistakable. This was the base where Steve had gone to rescue Bucky. There were roughly four hundred prisoners inside, and if Han Lin remembered correctly, this was where Bucky had first been brainwashed.

Han Lin asked, "The 107th Infantry Regiment suffered heavy losses here, right?"

"Yes. Did you see something else?" Colonel Phillips quickly stood and asked.

Han Lin nodded, rose to his feet, and said, "We leave tonight. Have the suicide squad transport us. This time, only Steve and I will go. It should not be far. We need to obtain the energy weapons and the Infinite Formula."

Han Lin quickly returned to his team's camp and said to Steve with a grave expression, "Steve, tonight we're heading behind the Italian lines. The 107th Regiment suffered devastating losses there, and Bucky's whereabouts are unknown.

"Our mission is to rescue Dr. Betthold Stenberg, but now we can rescue Bucky as well."

Without waiting for the anxious Steve to ask anything, Han Lin explained that night's operation.

"Fury, I won't be taking you with us this time. The base has unknown energy weapons, and I can't take you into that kind of danger. So only Steve and I will go. You will follow Colonel Phillips's deployment. Stay safe," Han Lin said.

Fury said nothing more. He knew just how terrifyingly capable his powerful captain was. Han Lin would never gamble with his comrades' lives.

Han Lin and Steve put on the masked uniforms of Hydra's elite forces. Only after boarding the plane did they discover that the sudden thunderstorm had replaced the pilot in the cockpit with Howard. Agent Carter was also aboard. Han Lin smiled bitterly and shook his head. "Aren't you afraid you won't make it back?"

Howard proudly lifted his chin. "I'm the best pilot. I can bomb anywhere in the world. Trust me, buddy."

Agent Carter pulled Steve aside and whispered to him.

Han Lin teasingly glanced at Carter, only to receive a glare in return.

Amid the banter, the plane lifted off the ground.

Han Lin knew the final battle was not far away.