Captain America

A wisp of smoke still curled from the muzzle.

Dozens of meters away, the man in the crater watched Chu Hang quietly.

That gaze was like a knife, slicing through the air and slicing through him. Chu Hang felt as though he had been seen through completely by that man from the inside out.

That was Captain America, Steve Rogers.

He was right there, in the flesh. Not the moral compass from the movies, nor the icon on a propaganda poster. This was a soldier who had just fought his way out of a hail of bullets.

His face was covered in gunsmoke and mud, and his blonde hair, soaked with sweat and melting snow, clung to his forehead. His chest rose and fell violently, every breath trailing large plumes of white mist. There was exhaustion in his eyes, and vigilance, but even more of an iron will.

This guy was the real deal.

Only a single thought remained in Chu Hang's mind. Before, watching through a screen, he had only felt that the man could fight. Now, face to face, he truly felt the aura of a single person who could hold an entire frontline.

"Hey! Rookie! What are you staring at? You want to die?!"

Captain America's roar smashed Chu Hang out of his daze.

A new round of gunfire covered the area. More Hydra soldiers rushed down from the ridge, their firepower fiercer than before.

Chu Hang gave a start, instantly pulling his head back behind the rock. He cursed under his breath, almost forgetting he was on a battlefield.

"Gabe! Cover me!" Chu Hang roared toward his rear, throwing himself into a roll and sliding out from the other side of the rock.

He could not hide anymore. Captain America had drawn the frontal fire, and he had to seize the opportunity. The combat instincts in his body were also urging him to fight, to tear the enemy to pieces.

The desire for survival overwhelmed everything else. If he wanted to live, he had to take down the people who wanted him dead.

As Chu Hang rushed out, he was already half-kneeling on the ground, raising his gun, aiming, and firing. His sequence of actions was impossibly fast.

Tat-tat-tat!

The MP40 submachine gun roared again. He paid no attention to the grunts hiding behind cover, his brain instantly calculating the greatest threat—a newly erected MG42 machine gun in the left-forward position. If that thing opened fire, they would all be finished.

Chu Hang pinned the muzzle down hard, pouring an entire magazine of bullets straight across.

Dense bullets drew a dashed line of death, several blooms of blood bursting from the chest of that Hydra machine gunner as he fell backward. The assistant gunner beside him was also hit, clutching his leg and howling on the ground.

One down!

He rolled immediately, dodging the bullets fired from the flank. The rounds flew past his scalp, bringing a wave of excitement mixed with terror.

Just as Chu Hang rolled, Captain America moved.

He leaped out of the crater, holding his star shield high and charging straight into the rain of bullets.

Madman!

Only this thought remained in Chu Hang's mind. A firepower network made up of dozens of guns, and he was just charging right in like that?

The next second, Chu Hang knew he was wrong.

Captain America's charge route zigzagged left and right, always managing to dodge the densest trajectories. Most of the bullets were blocked by the shield, making crisp clanging sounds without leaving even a dent. That was the Vibranium Shield.

Occasionally, a few rounds struck his body, only making him sway slightly without stopping his pace at all.

This was a Super-Soldier, a human weapon.

Chu Hang felt his blood burning. This was it! The ability he had dreamed of!

"Left side! Rocket launcher!"

Out of the corner of Chu Hang's eye, in the woods to the left, a fellow was hoisting a dark iron tube and aiming it right at Captain America. The front of the tube glowed with a faint blue light; it was a Hydra energy weapon.

If that thing scored a direct hit, even an iron man would shed a layer of skin.

Chu Hang raised his weapon and fired.

The distance was too great, and the bullet only struck the tree trunk, bursting a cloud of wood chips.

But it was enough.

Captain America, currently charging forward, seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. The instant Chu Hang's gun went off, his left hand jerked upward, and the shield left his hand!

Whoosh—!

The shield spun with terrifying force, flying not toward the rocket launcher operator, but smashing into a person-sized rock beside him.

Clang!

A loud crash echoed.

The shield rebounded at a bizarre angle, striking the rocket launcher operator squarely in the head.

With a muffled thud, the fellow slumped over limply without even making a sound.

The shield traced an arc through the air, flying steadily back into Captain America's hand. He snatched it out of the air without breaking his stride.

Beautiful! Fucking beautiful!

Chu Hang cheered in his heart. He had only fired a shot as a warning, and Captain America had understood instantly, resolving the threat in the most efficient manner possible.

This feeling was too exhilarating.

With Chu Hang providing fire support and spotting on the flank, Captain America charged straight into the Hydra lines, unleashing a massacre.

He blocked with his shield, smashing the edges hard into the enemy's throats and joints. His punches and kicks carried tremendous force, and anyone hit head-on flew backward with broken bones and tendons.

Chu Hang's task became very simple. Using his positional advantage, he provided suppressing fire for Captain America and picked off any fish that slipped through the net trying to sneak an attack.

A wordless tacit understanding formed between them.

A short burst from Chu Hang was enough to tell Captain America that at three o'clock, behind the rock, someone was about to throw a grenade. And Captain America could always react the moment he fired, executing a shield toss that sent that unlucky bastard and his grenade up together.

One on the attack, one providing cover.

The rhythm of the battle was completely controlled by the two of them.

The Hydra soldiers finally broke. Their bullets could not pierce that damn shield, and their flanking maneuvers were always snuffed out by bullets coming from who knows where.

Panic spread among them.

Someone let out a strange scream first, dropping their gun and turning to run. This action was like toppling the first domino, and the remaining soldiers completely lost their will to fight, crying out as they fled in all directions.

The battle was over.

Only the sound of the wind, the smell of blood, and a ground full of corpses remained by the riverbank.

Chu Hang leaned against a tree, almost exhausted. He panted heavily, the barrel of the MP40 hot enough to fry an egg.

He looked at the tall figure not far away, also leaning on his knees and panting, a sense of unreality washing over him.

Just like that... they won?

At that moment, the man moved.

Captain America slowly straightened up, strapped the shield back onto his back, and walked toward Chu Hang step by step. His pace was steady, but carried vigilance.

Chu Hang subconsciously raised the emptied submachine gun, the muzzle canted slightly downward to signal no hostility.

"Don't be nervous, soldier." Captain America's voice was somewhat raspy, but still steady. "The battle is over. I'm not your enemy."

He walked to within a few meters of Chu Hang and stopped. His gaze swept over Chu Hang's ill-fitting Hydra uniform, then bypassed him to look at Gabe behind him.

"Are you members of the Howling Commandos?" he asked.

"Yes, sir!" Chu Hang answered, snapping to attention instinctively.

Captain America's gaze returned to Chu Hang's face, those blue eyes carrying scrutiny and a trace of approval.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Chu Hang, sir! From D Company!"

"Chu Hang..." Captain America murmured in a somewhat stiff tone, then revealed an exhausted yet sincere smile.

"You did a good job, Chu Hang. Very good." He paused, adding in a more solemn tone, "It's been a long time since I've seen a soldier as excellent as you. Welcome to the war, soldier."