So Now, Are We Kind of the Same?

The pressure coming through the shoulder was steady and carried a reassuring warmth.

Captain America Steve Rogers's palm was just like the man himself: broad, strong, and filled with a sense of reliability.

Chu Hang was pulled up from the snow by him and stood firm. To be honest, his legs were still a bit weak, not because of injury, but mainly because of the series of maneuvers just now—gambling with his life and acting—which had kept his nervous system at high tension. Now that he relaxed, the lingering fear finally surged up.

Fortunately, he had won the gamble.

He could now clearly feel earth-shattering changes happening inside his body. Waves of hot currents, like boiling water, were darting around in every corner of his body. Muscles, bones, internal organs, everything was being reshaped and strengthened in an incredible way.

This feeling was like throwing your entire body into a furnace, smashing it, and then piecing it back together—both painful and exhilarating.

He knew that this was the Super-Soldier Serum taking effect.

The surrounding Howling Commandos looked at him one by one as if staring at a monster. They had just seen with their own eyes a knife thrust into Chu Hang's body, but now, aside from a slightly pale face and a torn hole in his clothes, this guy looked completely fine.

"Hey, kid, are you made of iron?" Dugan puffed on a cigar, walked over, and poked him in the ribs, only to find him rock-hard and full of muscle.

Chu Hang grinned and said nothing. He certainly couldn't say that he had just activated a cheat and was currently leveling up, could he?

His gaze passed over the crowd and landed on Logan.

He saw Logan standing not far away with tightly furrowed brows, his beast-like sharp eyes fixed unblinkingly on him. His nose kept twitching, as if trying to identify some scent.

Chu Hang's heart skipped a beat.

He had forgotten about this detail. A guy like Logan was not comparable to ordinary people like Dugan. His senses, especially his smell, were as sharp as a dog's... no, sharper than a dog's. With both a Healing Factor and the Super-Soldier Serum inside his body, these two powers clashing meant his scent must have undergone a massive change.

This matter might fool others, but it might not fool him.

Sure enough, Logan strode over, stopped right in front of Chu Hang, and looked him up and down. That gaze was like looking at some creature wearing human skin.

"You kid, something's off." Logan's voice was low, carrying an unquestionable certainty.

The surrounding atmosphere instantly became somewhat subtle.

"I... what's off about me?" Chu Hang felt guilty inside, but still put on a baffled expression on his face.

"The smell." Logan was concise and to the point, pointing at his own nose. "The smell on you has changed. Just now, after you got stabbed by that guy. It became... kind of like the captain's, but different. Wilder... much wilder."

Chu Hang's eyelids twitched.

Good grief, was that nose installed with radar? Could he even smell wildness?

His brain operated at high speed, pondering countermeasures. Dealing with such an intuition-driven powerhouse meant any complicated lie could be seen through at a glance. The only way was to be half-true, using a reason that sounded absurd yet irrefutable to muddle through.

"Maybe... I've awakened." Chu Hang sighed, a melancholic expression appearing on his face as he gazed forty-five degrees up at the sky, his acting skills instantly maxed out.

"Awakened?" Logan's brows furrowed even deeper.

"Yeah." Chu Hang wore a world-weary look. "I heard the elders in my hometown say that we have a saying in the East called 'pushing someone onto a dead end and bringing them back to life'. When some people experience a close brush with death, things hidden deep within their bodies get triggered. Just now... that was probably the case for me. After all, not everyone gets the chance to experience having their stomach pierced by a knife."

He delivered these words so convincingly that even he almost believed them. Mysterious Eastern forces, bloodline awakening—using this sort of stuff to fool foreigners worked like a charm every time.

Logan looked at him doubtfully, the expression on his face shifting constantly. Although he felt this sounded absurd, Chu's—Chu Hang's miraculous resurrection just now had happened right before his eyes. Aside from such a ridiculous reason, he could think of no other explanation.

"All right, Logan."

Just as the atmosphere remained at a stalemate, Captain America Steve walked over, placed a hand on Logan's shoulder, and shook his head.

"No matter what happened to Chu Hang, he is our comrade. Besides, he just saved my life."

Steve's words acted like a reassuring anchor, instantly easing the tense atmosphere around them. His authority as captain was still quite high.

Logan gave Chu Hang a deep look and said nothing more, merely snorting and turning away to check Gabe's injuries. Though he no longer pursued the matter, Chu Hang knew the suspicion in this guy's heart was definitely not gone. In the future, he had to stay away from this fellow to avoid having more things sniffed out.

Having resolved the trouble with Logan, Chu Hang finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned his gaze toward Steve.

He found that Steve was also looking at him, his gaze as complex as an incomprehensible philosophy book.

"Captain, we..." Chu Hang wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

"Let's find a place and talk alone." Steve interrupted him, then turned back to tell Dugan, "Dugan, take the men to check the surroundings, clear the battlefield, and prioritize the wounded. Chu Hang and I will go scout ahead."

"Understood, Captain." Dugan gave a crisp salute.

Steve nodded, then signaled to Chu Hang and took the lead, walking deep into the mountain forest.

Chu Hang knew the real test was only just beginning.

The two walked one after the other in the snow-covered woods, neither speaking. The surroundings were quiet, with only the crunch of boots stepping on the snow breaking the silence.

Chu Hang could feel the hot current inside his body slowly calming down, replaced by an unprecedented sense of power. His senses became incomparably sharp. He could hear the sound of accumulated snow sliding off distant tree branches, smell the fresh fragrance of mixed pine needles and soil in the air, and even clearly see the tiny footprints left by a hare in the snow dozens of meters away.

Strength, speed, endurance, reflexes... everything had undergone a qualitative leap.

Is this what a Super-Soldier feels like?

Chu Hang couldn't help but clench his fists, feeling that explosive power. This sensation was simply too intoxicating.

"Your body... what on earth is going on?"

Finally, Steve, walking ahead, stopped. He turned around, his azure-blue eyes gazing at Chu Hang with absolute seriousness.

Here it comes.

Chu Hang sighed inwardly, though a somewhat helpless wry smile appeared on his face.

"Captain, if I said that even I am not quite clear about it, would you believe me?"

Steve didn't speak, just quietly looked at him, waiting for him to continue.

Chu Hang knew this question had to be answered flawlessly. He sorted through his thoughts, reworking and polishing the excuse he had just used to fool Logan.

"I can only say that I might... naturally be a bit different from others." Chu Hang slowly said, "Since I was a child, my body has always been very good, and I healed faster than others when injured. I always thought I was just sturdy. Until just now... when that knife stabbed into my body, I felt something inside me go 'snap' and shatter. Then, it turned into what you see now."

As he spoke, he observed Steve's expression.

No emotional fluctuations were visible on Steve's face, but the probing in his gaze hadn't diminished in the slightest.

"Just like Dr. Erskine said?" Steve suddenly asked.

"Dr. Erskine?" Chu Hang was taken aback.

"Yes, Dr. Abraham Erskine, the creator of the Super-Soldier Program." A trace of nostalgia and sorrow flashed in Steve's eyes. "He once told me that the serum's effect isn't just about strengthening the body. It's more like a key that infinitely magnifies what is already inside you. The good becomes better. The bad becomes worse."

He paused, fixing his burning gaze on Chu Hang. "So, you mean that inside your body, this... powerful healing ability was naturally dormant? And this near-death experience acted like a key, completely opening that lock?"

Inside, Chu Hang practically wanted to applaud Captain America.

What a divine assist, Captain!

He had been wondering how to round out his lie, but unexpectedly, the other party had completed the logic all by himself, and so seamlessly and reasonably at the same time!

"I... I suppose that must be it." Chu Hang went along with his words, appropriately showing an expression of "Ah, I see, I finally understand."

Steve looked at him for a long time in silence.

He wasn't a fool; he knew Chu Hang's words definitely contained concealment. However, the other party's terrifying healing ability and his reckless act of saving his life had both genuinely happened.

Moreover, Dr. Erskine's words gave him an acceptable explanation.

Perhaps miracles that science could not explain truly existed in this world, just like himself.

"All right." Steve finally nodded, as if having made some decision. "I understand. I'll keep this matter confidential for you. This is your own secret."

He reached out and once more heavily patted Chu Hang's shoulder.

"But, Chu Hang, remember this. Greater power also means greater responsibility. I hope you will use it well."

Looking at Steve's face filled with integrity and sincerity, Chu Hang felt a sudden touch at his heart. He nodded and solemnly said, "I understand, Captain."

At this moment, an unspoken tacit understanding seemed to form between the two of them.

They were of the same kind now.

"All right, we should head back." A smile reappeared on Steve's face. "We still have a factory to destroy and a bunch of brothers waiting for us to rescue."

Chu Hang smiled as well.

That's right, the story was only just beginning.