Zhongshan Wolf

The cold wind howled, and the blizzard turned the entire wasteland into a blinding white.

Steve crouched behind a snow slope, his black uniform standing out starkly against the snow, but his breathing was steady and slow, making him feel completely at one with the icy landscape. His gaze was fixed on Hydra Base five hundred meters ahead—disguised as an abandoned mine.

"Target confirmed," he whispered. Bucky's response came through the earpiece. "Roger that, Captain."

Bucky was lurking in the shadows on the other side of the base. His eyes scanned the patrols around the base through his sniper scope.

"Twelve guards, four sniper positions, and two automatic machine guns." Bucky's voice was calm, but the crosshairs of his sniper scope were aimed at Captain America's 'United States buttocks.' "Twice as many as the intelligence said."

Steve's lips curled into a slight smile, "Looks like they knew we were coming."

"Or maybe they're just really afraid of dying," Bucky scoffed.

"The usual?"

"The usual."

The next second, Bucky pulled the trigger.

"Bang--"

The bullet pierced the head of the outermost sniper with pinpoint accuracy. At the same time, Steve shot out like an arrow, his Vibranium Shield flashing in his hand as he slammed it down on the nearest guard.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The alarm blared, Hydra soldiers frantically raised their weapons, but their reaction was too slow.

Bucky leaped from the shadows, his mechanical arm slamming into a soldier's chest, the sound of bones cracking swallowed by the snow. He snatched the soldier's rifle, smashing the butt against another man's chin before pulling the trigger; the bullet pierced a third man's knee.

"Left!" Steve's voice came through the headset.

Without turning his head, Bucky swung his mechanical arm backward, precisely catching the shield Steve threw at him, and then swung it around, sending a Hydra agent flying.

"Thanks." Bucky grinned and tossed the shield back to Steve.

The two advanced through the snow, like two sharp blades, tearing the Hydra's defenses to shreds.

"Boom--!"

The base's automatic machine guns finally opened fire, bullets raining down like a storm. Steve rolled sharply, shielding himself with his shield, sparks flying. Bucky, on the other hand, rolled to the side, taking cover and pulling an EMP grenade from his waist.

"Cover me."

Without a word, Steve charged forward, his shield spinning rapidly in front of him, deflecting all the bullets. Bucky seized the opportunity and hurled a grenade.

"Zzz--"

An electromagnetic pulse erupted, instantly silencing the machine guns and darkening the base's power system.

"Beautiful," Steve exclaimed.

Bucky had already stormed into the base, his robotic arm crushing a guard's throat, his other hand snatching the guard's Charge, and unleashing a hail of bullets that felled all the enemies at the end of the corridor.

"They're weaker than I thought." Bucky flicked the blood off his robotic arm, his tone tinged with disappointment.

"Don't let your guard down." Steve glanced around warily. "Hydra won't be that simple."

As if to confirm his words, a deep humming sound suddenly came from the depths of the base.

"What's that sound?" Bucky frowned.

The next second, the ground trembled, the walls shattered, and a huge black shadow burst forth from the darkness—

"Damn it!" Bucky jerked back, barely dodging the thing's claws.

It was a modified armored soldier, three times the size of an ordinary person, covered in black metal, with eyes gleaming crimson.

"A modified Winter Soldier?" Bucky gritted his teeth.

"No, it's worse than that." Steve stared at the insignia on the armored soldier's chest—a twisted Hydra symbol, but also engraved with some kind of eerie runes.

"They've gotten involved with the followers of the Dimensional Demon God."

The armored soldier roared and charged again. Bucky and Steve dodged simultaneously, their shields and mechanical arms slamming into its joints at the same time.

"Bang!"

The loud clang of metal clashing echoed through the corridor. The armored soldier staggered, but quickly regained his balance and threw a backhand punch at Bucky.

Bucky was sent flying, crashing through a wall.

"Bucky!" Steve roared, hurling his shield like a frisbee, severing precisely the armored soldier's arm.

Surprisingly, instead of bleeding from the severed arm, black mist gushed out, and the limb began to slowly regenerate.

"This thing is unkillable!" Bucky climbed out of the rubble, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Then we'll dismantle it until it's immovable," Steve said coldly.

The two charged forward again.

Media Exchange Hall, Ground Floor, Malibu Arbitrator Tower Building

The light from the Crystal chandelier spilled into the spacious banquet hall, and the flashes of reporters' cameras illuminated the entire venue as if it were daytime. Chen Tian stood on the podium, his silver-white hair neatly styled by a stylist, and his impeccably tailored black suit accentuated his tall and slender figure.

"Ladies and gentlemen." His voice was not loud, but it had a strange penetrating power, and the hall immediately fell silent.

"Three years ago, when the Arbitrators were established, we made one promise—that the world would no longer tremble with fear."

A holographic projection unfolded behind him, the scene shifting to the sky above the London structure— the Dark Elves mothership tore through the clouds like a behemoth, its crimson energy cannons blasting towards the city, while the Arbitrators's fighter jets streaked across the sky like silver meteors, intercepting the artillery fire in mid-air.

"The London incident, codenamed 'Dark Dawn'," Chen Tian's voice was impassioned. "The Global Defense System was deployed within 30 seconds, with a 98% interception rate, and civilian casualties were reduced to an all-time low."

The screen switches to display a set of data charts.

"Over the past three years, the Arbitrators have prevented nearly 20 global terrorist attacks, dismantled several major Hydra strongholds, and successfully thwarted incidents of chaos perpetrated by cult members around the world."

The reporters below the stage whispered among themselves, and the flashes of cameras intensified.

"But numbers are just numbers." Chen Tian raised his head slightly, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. "The real significance lies in—every life saved, every city spared from destruction."

He paused for a moment, a very faint smile appearing on his lips.

"And today, I want to tell you all—this is just the beginning."

The holographic projection changed again, revealing a blueprint for Global Defense System, with energy nodes illuminating the world map like stars.

"The Arbitrators will not stop at defense." His voice rose, "We will establish a more comprehensive early warning network, a faster response mechanism, and—"

He gently raised his hand, and the projection switched to a silver space station suspended in near-Earth orbit.

"The 'Watcher' orbital defense platform will be officially launched next month."

The room erupted in uproar.

"It will be integrated with the Global Defense System, becoming the first line of defense for humanity on Blue Planet against extraterrestrial forces." Chen Tian's gaze was firm. "We will not wait for the crisis to Descent —we will anticipate it and prevent it."

In the audience, a reporter from the Washington District Post raised his hand and asked, "Mr. Chen, White House recently stated that as a non-governmental organization, the Arbitrators' actions should be subject to oversight by government agencies. Furthermore, the Senate Armed Services Committee is pushing for a bill requiring your organization to share at least some core technologies with governments, such as Stark Industries' armor technology. What is your response to this?"

Chen Tian nodded slightly, tapping his fingers lightly on the podium. "That's a very good question." He looked around the room. "First, I want to clarify one point— the Arbitrators have never refused to cooperate with governments. Over the past three years, we have established data-sharing mechanisms with intelligence agencies of multiple countries."

He pulled up a set of holographic data. "Last month alone, we provided crucial intelligence to major counterterrorism agencies around the world, preventing 11 terrorist attacks."

"As for technology sharing..." Chen Tian paused, a meaningful smile appearing on his lips, "Stark Industries is an independently operated commercial entity, and their patented technologies are protected by international intellectual property law. However..."

He snapped his the Snap, and the projection switched to a set of design drawings. "We are currently establishing a 'Global Defense Technology Sharing Platform,' and the first batch of 12 non-military technologies, including energy shields and disaster early warning systems, will be made available to signatory countries."

A murmur rippled through the audience. After the noise subsided, Chen Tian continued, "But please allow me to speak frankly—when an alien fleet appears in the stratosphere, when a dimensional rift opens in the city center, bureaucratic approval processes will save no one."

His gaze sharpened. "Arbitrators don't seek power; we only do what needs to be done. If anyone worries that we have 'too much power'..."

Chen Tian suddenly revealed a sly smile, "We welcome representatives from all countries to be permanently stationed on our supervisory committee."

The room erupted in commotion. The reporter pressed on, "Does this mean that Arbitrators will be subject to government oversight?"

"This means we believe in transparent operations," Chen Tian responded calmly. "But please remember—when a city needs saving, we will not wait for the government's resolution to be voted on."

His final words resonated deeply. "When the doomsday bells toll, what humanity needs are Arbitrators can immediately punish evildoers, not yet another bureaucratic institution that requires government approval."

A brief silence fell over the room, followed by enthusiastic applause. Amidst the prolonged applause, what they didn't know was that the so-called 'soon-to-be-shared' technical blueprints were actually products being commercialized by the energy company Tony and Chen Tian had founded.

What they didn't know was that, apart from the Dragon Country representative, the so-called representatives from various countries were all agents of the Red Room.

Hydra Base.

A blizzard raged outside the base, but the broken corridors were eerily quiet.

Bucky's mechanical arm slowly withdrew from the armored soldier's chest, black slime dripping down the metal's grooves.

Steve's shield was deeply embedded in the monster's knee, completely rendering it unable to move.

"Finally solved." Bucky shook his mechanical arm, splashing black liquid onto the ground. "I'm going to go inside and look for intelligence."

Steve nodded and used Hydra soldier's belt to bind the last unconscious agent. "I'll go gather the prisoners on the tarmac. Barton said his backup jet will arrive in twenty minutes."

Bucky gave a knowing gesture, then turned and walked toward the data room deep inside the base. His military boots stepped over scattered documents, and the robotic arm directly tore open the hinges of the encrypted electronic door.

The screens in the data room were still lit, Bucky quickly browsed the file directory. Suddenly, an encrypted folder caught his attention—"Stark Special Armor." He tapped an electronic component against the computer, and the encryption was cracked within ten seconds.

The screen's blue light illuminated Bucky's constricted pupils. The document detailed the data for the "Mark-2-Devil Edition" armor, stored by Tony in the underground laboratory of his Malibu villa, and included clear 3D structural diagrams. At the bottom, it was marked in red: [Current Status: Energy removed. It is recommended to cooperate with the Dimensional Demon God's followers to use the Demon's energy to restart the system].

Bucky's breathing became heavy. He glanced instinctively at the door, his finger hovering over the delete key for two seconds before finally pressing it hard. All records related to the suit were permanently erased, even the backup partition was physically destroyed by the robotic arm directly connected to the terminal.

"What did you find?" Steve's voice came from the hallway.

"Conventional weapons development data." Bucky pulled out the data chip without batting an eye; other files were rapidly transferring to his encrypted device. "Nothing special, just some outdated variants of the Super Soldier Program."

Just as Steve appeared in the doorway, Bucky closed the last file window. He casually tossed the chip to Steve: "It's all here, including their base locations in Euro."

Amidst the wind and snow, the Arbitrators's vertical takeoff and landing fighter jet slowly landed on the open ground outside the base. Bucky glanced one last time at the backup server flashing in the corner of the data room, and the robotic arm 'accidentally' knocked over a fuel tank next to it.

"Let's go." He put his arm around Steve's shoulder, his metal fingers the Snap discreetly behind his back. A sudden burst of Kakkō in the data room illuminated their backs, and all possible electronic records were reduced to ashes in the flames.

The moment the fighter jet door closed, Bucky looked out the porthole at the burning base.

He didn't see it—a figure standing silently on a ridge three kilometers away from the base.

Spot.

The Adjudicator's distinctive trench coat fluttered in the gale. As Arbitrators plane became a black dot on the horizon, he pressed his headset and calmly reported:

"2B, tell the Lord—"

"The Zhongshan Wolf has awakened."

Chen Tian spoke politely with several European and American representatives with a smile on his face, while 2B stood silently behind him.

She simply stood quietly, not interrupting Chen Tian's conversation with the others, but Chen Tian knew she wouldn't do this without reason.

"Excuse me." He nodded politely to the guest beside him, then walked with 2B to the lounge.

Upon entering the lounge, 2B's eyes flashed with data. "Master, everything here is frozen. No one can find anything amiss here."

"Hmm." Chen Tian loosened his tie, took a can of cola from the Fridge, and said, "Hey 2B, what's the news?"

2B lowered her head slightly, her voice extremely soft yet crystal clear. "Sandal sent word—'The Zhongshan Wolf has awakened.'"

Chen Tian looked up, smiled, and sat down on the sofa.

The cola was opened and released a satisfying hiss—a sound that sounded like Chen Tian's sneer.

"Very good. Have Ban keep a close eye on his situation. When appropriate, provide him with information to help him find the followers of the Dimensional Demon God."

"I'm really looking forward to seeing the scene where 'Mr. Dongguo' gets bitten by the 'Zhongshan Wolf'."

"Master, Stark has arrived." 2B interrupted Chen Tian, who was still pretending to be a madman.

"2B, you don't love me as much as you used to. You even interrupt me when I'm pretending to be a guy." Chen Tian looked at 2B speechlessly.

2B smiled but didn't reply.

Just as Tony pushed the door open and came in, Chen Tian had finished the last sip of his Coke. He crushed the aluminum can with a "crack" and tossed it aside, where it landed steadily in the trash can.

"Wow, President," Tony whistled, his gaze shifting between 2B and Chen Tian. "Ignoring a room full of politicians, you're hiding here having a tea party with your little assistant? Are you trying to get Pepper to cause you trouble?"

Chen Tian slowly tied his tie. "Chatting with 2B is much more interesting than dealing with those old foxes." He paused, "Although she's been undermining me lately."

2B's eyes flickered. "Master, your expression management just now scored 13 out of 100."

Tony laughed so hard he slapped his thigh, "Hahaha! Even your little maid looks down on you!" He took a step forward and elbowed Chen Tian in the waist, "Take this! Mamba Elbow Strike!"

Chen Tian was prepared; he dodged to the side and simultaneously delivered a backhand elbow strike. "Tony, you stole this move from me!"

The two billionaires immediately started wrestling in the lounge. Tony's nanotech armor automatically covered his arms, while Chen Tian used his suit jacket as a weapon. The dessert tower on the coffee table was knocked over and smeared with cream all over the two of them.

2B silently took two steps back, watching Tony smear half a cake on Chen Tian's face.

"You idiot!" Chen Tian accused, his face covered in cream. "You didn't even help me!"

"According to the agreement between 2B and Ms. Pepper," 2B said solemnly, "I have the right to observe when Master and Stark's childish behavior exceeds the bounds."

Tony seized the opportunity to elbow Chen Tian again. "Well said! You idiot!"

Chen Tian wiped his face, then suddenly grinned mischievously. "JARVIS, give your husband a good, thorough downpour."

Suddenly, a jet of water shot out from the ceiling, soaking Tony completely. Water dripped from his nanotech armor, and his hair clung wetly to his forehead.

"Cheating!" Tony wiped his face.

Chen Tian shook the water droplets off his hair. "That's called intelligence." He reached out and pulled Tony up. "Let's go, it's time to show the reporters what it means to be 'the radiant leader of the Arbitrators '."

Tony put his arm around his shoulder, the automatic drying function of the armor causing steam to rise around them. "Let's get this straight, I'll be the one to explain the anti-gravity system of the Watcher Platform."

"Here, take it all. I don't understand it anyway; the introduction I just gave you was from your prepared speech."

2B followed behind, secretly noting in the database: [Human Behavior Log: When Master was with Stark, his mental age was 10 years old]

As they appeared in the banquet hall, flashbulbs went off immediately. Tony raised his champagne glass. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting—I will now introduce the specific functions of our 'Watcher' platform."

Chen Tian joined in the atmosphere, clapping and cheering loudly.