With a casual wave of his hand, Chen Mo instantly dispelled the psychic power binding Steve.
With a bang.
Steve lost his balance and crashed heavily onto the metal floor.
He quickly braced himself with his hands on the ground, rolled backward to his feet, and held the Stars and Stripes shield in front of him.
Seventy years of freezing temperatures did not dull his senses.
Steve, panting heavily, huddled behind his shield, watching Chen Mo warily.
That force was invisible and intangible, yet it rendered him unable to move even a single finger.
Whether it's Red Skull or the weapons created by Hydra, at least there are traces to them. But Chen Mo simply raised his hand and completely suppressed the power granted to him by the Super Soldier Serum.
This Asian man is dangerous.
But Steve did not back down.
His gaze passed over Chen Mo and landed on the blue-glowing cube, his expression turning serious once more.
Tesseract.
Hydra used it to create countless energy weapons, and war engulfed half the world. To stop that catastrophe, it fell into the Arctic Ocean and slept for seventy years.
Seventy years later, this thing was not only not destroyed, but it also became a S.H.I.E.L.D.. in a deal.
That thing can't stay here!
Steve gripped his shield tightly, his voice hoarse with anxiety.
"You have no idea what kind of power you are touching!"
Fury didn't speak.
Steve stepped forward and continued, "This thing will incite new wars and inspire unhealthy ambitions in many. We must seal it away and send it somewhere no one can find it. If necessary, we can sink it back into the Arctic Ocean and seal it completely with steel."
His tone grew increasingly firm.
It seemed as if he would immediately rush up and snatch the Tesseract back if anyone refused.
After a brief silence.
"Pfft."
Tony laughed out loud without any hesitation.
He stepped out from beside a suit of Iron Man Armor, his arms crossed, and looked at Steve with a strange expression.
"Sorry, veteran. I didn't mean to interrupt your pre-battle pep talk, it's just that your plan for sealing off resources is too outdated."
Tony reached out and tapped the armor shell beside him.
"Sink it into the sea and seal it with steel? Should we also prepare to have several soldiers take turns guarding it and checking every day to see if it swims back up on its own?"
Steve frowned.
"Young man, this is not funny."
I know you're right.
Tony rarely admitted anything, then pointed at Chen Mo.
"From any perspective, it shouldn't have fallen into the hands of an ordinary person, but the question is, is this guy an ordinary person?"
Steve looked at Chen Mo.
Tony spread his hands, his tone quite sincere.
"See that? That's him. He himself is an ultimate monster capable of tearing the earth apart with his bare hands at any moment."
Chen Mo glanced at Tony, but didn't interrupt him.
"If he really wanted to destroy the world, he wouldn't need the Tesseract at all; he could have just done it directly. So, we should be thanking our Tesseract is in his hands."
Steve's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
"What's the meaning?"
"Was my wording complicated? It was exactly what I said."
Tony shrugged. "This isn't about condoning dangerous individuals; it's about avoiding redundant construction."
Steve remained silent for a few seconds.
He couldn't understand this logic at all.
These guys in front of me, facing dangerous items that could trigger a world war, not only show no sense of crisis, but are even joking about the destruction of the world.
Degenerate, arrogant, and utterly irresponsible.
Is this what the world will be like seventy years from now?
Steve straightened up, his muscles taut again beneath his blue uniform.
"Justice and human life are never bargaining chips to be played with. I don't care what deals you made behind the scenes, nor do I care how powerful he really is."
He raised his shield and said firmly, "Since I'm standing here, I can't just stand by and watch you hand over the Tesseract to a dangerous person."
"I will stop this disaster unless I fall."
Coulson stood behind Fury, his expression somewhat stiff.
This is his vision of Captain America.
Seventy years have passed, and we have experienced a completely unfamiliar era, but the beliefs in our hearts have remained unchanged.
For a fleeting moment, Coulson wanted to stand up and loudly support his idol.
But he held back.
Reason told him that if he rushed out now, he would only end up hanging in mid-air with his captain, serving no purpose whatsoever.
Fury was clearly much calmer than him.
He squinted his remaining right eye, but never interrupted Steve.
The deal has been finalized.
Captain America belongs to S.H.I.E.L.D.., Tesseract belongs to Chen Mo; this will not change.
Fury is more concerned about now is the information Chen Mo had previously revealed.
Does the Tesseract really emit coordinates?
What kind of alien army could open a teleportation portal from the other end?
The value of this intelligence is no less than that of the Tesseract itself.
Steve continued to question him, but Chen Mo was already getting impatient.
He looked at the old soldier, who was ready to die a heroic death at any moment, and sighed helplessly.
Courage certainly deserves respect.
Unfortunately, courage cannot bridge a seventy-year information gap.
"I said, veteran."
Chen Mo casually tossed the Tesseract into the air and caught it steadily.
The blue cube flipped up and down in his hand, making Coulson's eyelids twitch.
"You can save your patriotic speech for the S.H.I.E.L.D.. welcome ceremony. Have them set up a stage for you then, and prepare a few national flags; the publicity effect will definitely be great."
As for today...
Chen Mo weighed the Tesseract in his hand.
"Considering you just came out of the Fridge and your mind is still stuck seventy years in the past, I can be magnanimous and not hold it against you."
Steve said in a deep voice, "This isn't a difference of times, it's a matter of principle."
"Clear."
Chen Mo nodded. "You're in charge of upholding principles, and I'll be in charge of silencing them. It's a reasonable division of labor."
Tony's lips twitched, and he almost burst out laughing again.
Steve, however, showed no sign of smiling.
He gripped his shield tightly, preparing to begin another round of preaching.
"If the power of the Tesseract gets out of control..."
"Stop."
Chen Mo raised his right hand.
"The theory is sound, but you may have misunderstood something."
He looked down at the blue cube in his hand.
"This thing has never been a Tesseract."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Mo closed his five fingers and grasped the Tesseract in his palm.
There were no protective suits.
There were no isolation facilities either.
He touched with his hand the immense energy that was capable of altering space itself.
Coulson's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back.
Steve also stopped giving his presentation.
Tony's smile gradually faded, and his gaze became fixed on Chen Mo's right hand.
Chen Mo glanced at everyone's reactions and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
The next second.
His five fingers suddenly exerted force.
Click!
The ear-piercing sound of crystals shattering instantly echoed throughout the entire underground laboratory.
The Tesseract, which S.H.I.E.L.D.. had studied for many years but could never destroy, suddenly cracked open with countless fissures in Chen Mo's palm.
A deep blue light burst forth from the crack, instantly enveloping the entire laboratory in its glow.
A massive burst of spatial energy erupted instantly.
The surrounding precision equipment vibrated continuously, glassware shattered one after another, and documents on the table were also swept into the air by the energy impact.
Steve quickly raised his shield to block the oncoming attack.
The two agents beside Fury staggered back several steps, their faces turning deathly pale.
Chen Mo stood still, his right hand motionless.
A soft thud.
The outer shell of the Tesseract shattered completely, turning into numerous blue crystalline fragments that fell through his fingers.
The energy of the riot gradually subsided.
A deep blue gemstone lay quietly in Chen Mo's palm.
The light within the gemstone flowed slowly, and the surrounding space was slightly distorted under the influence of the energy.
Space Stone.
The laboratory was silent.
Only a faint resonance of energy remained.
Fury's single eye suddenly contracted.
He tried his best to remain calm, but the bulging veins on his forehead betrayed his inner turmoil.
Chen Mo knew what was hidden inside the Tesseract.
Moreover, he knew exactly how to retrieve the gem.
This is not speculation.
Chen Mo's understanding of the Tesseract and the unknown forces in the universe far surpasses that of S.H.I.E.L.D..
On the other side.
Tony clearly hadn't considered these things.
The moment the Space Stone appeared, the genius inventor was completely captivated by it.
He strode to Chen Mo's side, lowered his head, and stared intently at the dark blue gemstone.
What material is this?
Tony swallowed hard, his eyes gradually turning fervent.
" Chen Mo, could you make a copy of this thing so I can study it?"