Frozen Memories

The Winter Soldiers from the Siberian Base, along with the broken Zemo, were swiftly escorted by the Phantom Shadow forces back to the Myriad Realms Secret Society's floating city and sent directly to the deepest-level biochemical research laboratory, protected by both magical secrecy and technological lockdown.

Li Wei stood before the observation room's enormous one-way glass, calmly watching the Winter Soldiers lying within several sophisticated medical pods, especially Bucky Barnes. The Crimson Sovereign projected all known data concerning the Winter Soldier before Li Wei—Hydra's brainwashing records, Soviet Union-era modification files, and fragmented information seized from the S.H.I.E.L.D./Hydra databases.

"Analyze the situation, Crimson," Li Wei ordered.

"Target: James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes. Status: Deep coma. Physiological functions stable. Highly complex conditioned mental-control shackles have been detected in the cerebral cortex, activated by specific Russian trigger words. The remaining seventy-one Winter Soldier soldiers are in similar condition, with simplified control programs." The Crimson Sovereign reported calmly. "Recommendation: Execute the standard 'asset recovery and reoptimization' procedure."

Memory extraction and archiving—cold dissection.

Li Wei did not, like Wakanda in the original story, attempt to cautiously "repair" Bucky's damaged brain and memories. His approach was more direct, and more... cruel.

He wielded immense telekinesis, combined with the telepathic genetic enhancement techniques seized from Professor X and Kamar-Taj's knowledge of the soul, to perform the deepest possible "scan" and "data extraction" on Bucky's brain like a master neurosurgeon.

This process was not reading, but "stripping." He forcibly separated every false memory, combat command, and brainwashing program Hydra had implanted into Bucky's mind from his original memory structure, like peeling away layers of adhesive tape. At the same time, he made a complete backup and sealed away Bucky's genuine memories—the memories of a Brooklyn kid and a member of the Howling Commandos.

These stripped "Hydra programs" and "false memories" became pure streams of data, fully recorded by the Crimson Sovereign as valuable samples for researching mind control and consciousness alteration.

After these "foreign objects" were removed, Bucky's brain had become "clean," but it was also left with a vast blank space spanning decades of experiences, along with neurological trauma. He had become like a canvas forcibly erased clean; the stains were gone, but so was the painting that had once been there.

Physical enhancement and loyalty imprint—merciless reforging.

With the memory processing complete, it was time for the body.

Residual removal: Using the Extremis Virus's energy-manipulation properties, Li Wei precisely located and dismantled every backdoor and self-destruct device in the neural connections of Bucky's metal left arm.

Metal arm upgrade: The original Soviet Union-made metal arm was removed and replaced with a high-mobility tactical prosthetic called the "Phantom Shadow-Winter Soldier Model," forged from Vibranium, Kree memory alloy, and Terminator endoskeleton technology. This new arm was stronger, lighter, more smoothly connected to his nerves, and integrated multiple built-in weapons and energy-conduction interfaces.

Comprehensive enhancement: He was injected with a gentler version of the Super Soldier Serum, reoptimized by Li Wei based on reverse-engineering Dr. Erskine's original formula and stripped of its side effects. Combined with the T-virus's stimulation of cellular activity, it elevated his physical strength, speed, and regenerative ability across the board, stabilizing them at a level far beyond Captain America's.

Finally came the most crucial step—loyalty imprinting.

Li Wei did not implant false memories into Bucky again. He considered that too inefficient and unstable. Instead, he used a foundational consciousness-restructuring technique similar to the one used to create the Shadow Guards and the Crimson Sovereign, but far more precise.

Using Bucky's emptied brain as a foundation, he implanted unshakable core directives:

Absolute loyalty to the interests of Li Wei and the Myriad Realms Secret Society.

Protect the assets and members of the Myriad Realms Secret Society.

Carry out the lawful orders issued by Li Wei or the Crimson Sovereign.

These directives were carved into the deepest reaches of his subconscious, fused with his combat instincts and physiological drives, and became his new "nature." At the same time, Li Wei turned the backup of Bucky Barnes's real memories into an "encrypted file" that could only be unlocked with specific authorization, held by Li Wei or the Crimson Sovereign, and sealed it within a secure area of his brain.

Awakening and rebirth—the birth of Winter Wraith.

When Bucky opened his eyes again, his gaze no longer held the cold emptiness of the Winter Soldier, nor the confusion of a Brooklyn kid. Instead, it was calm, focused, and edged with a mechanical efficiency. He remembered how to fight, remembered every piece of tactical knowledge, remembered that he was called "Bucky," but his past experiences and his feelings for Steve Rogers were completely blank.

He sat up, adjusted to his new metal left arm, then looked toward Li Wei in the observation room, though he could not see him. Dropping to one knee and bowing his head, he spoke in a clear, steady voice:

"Commander. Winter Soldier One is online and awaiting your orders."

Li Wei looked at this newly reforged ultimate warrior, one who combined the foundation of a Super Soldier with the most advanced technology, and nodded in satisfaction.

"From today onward, your codename is Winter Wraith. You will serve as the Phantom Shadow force's tactical instructor and vanguard commander."

"Order confirmed. Codename: Winter Wraith. Position: Tactical instructor and vanguard commander of the Phantom Shadow force." Bucky—now Winter Wraith—replied without a ripple of emotion.

Li Wei handled the seventy-one ordinary Winter Soldiers even more efficiently. He erased their brainwashing programs in batches, implanted simplified loyalty directives, and incorporated them into the Phantom Shadow force as elite rank-and-file soldiers. Their individual memories had already been scarce, and now they had completely become war machines of the Myriad Realms Secret Society.

Bucky Barnes's fate as an individual had been completely rewritten. He was no longer the Winter Soldier struggling amid painful memories, nor was he the White Wolf trying to reclaim his past. He had become one of Li Wei's sharpest and most loyal blades—Winter Wraith. He possessed the combat skills of his past, yet bore a new mission of absolute loyalty.

When Captain America learned of Bucky's "whereabouts" someday, he would face a comrade both familiar and unfamiliar—one who remembered him yet felt nothing for him; one who was incomparably powerful yet loyal to another being. Perhaps this was an ending even more painful and complicated for Steve Rogers than death or complete loss of control.

And Li Wei had gained an even more terrifying phantom force led by a legendary warrior. His treatment of "assets" once again revealed his raider nature—one of pure utilitarianism, beyond conventional morality.