A man wearing a black trench coat and with long silver hair pushed open the door and stood in front of Lynn's desk.
"BOSS."
Lynn pointed to the file folder on the table.
"Please personally deliver this 'gift' to this address; the person receiving it is the person in the photo."
Gin picked up the file folder and pulled out a photograph.
The photo shows a middle-aged man wearing a bowler hat and sporting a signature mustache, his eyes revealing the toughness of an old-school soldier.
"Clear."
He was a man of few words, and turned to leave.
"Remember."
Lynn's voice came from behind him.
"Make sure the gift is received safely, but don't let it... arrive at its destination intact."
Gin paused for a moment.
He didn't turn around, but simply nodded slightly, and his figure quickly disappeared outside the door.
In one of Hydra's secret communications networks, a report marked "for Alpha-level members only" is quietly circulating among several of the highest-ranking members.
This report bypassed the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.., Alexander Pierce, who is also the highest-ranking leader of Hydra within S.H.I.E.L.D..
The report's author is their most relied-upon and most feared ideological weapon— Professor Pyg.
"A race that can freely change its form..."
"The perfect penetration testing tool..."
"By controlling the queen bee, one can control an entire undetectable army..."
"If a Vought hero becomes uncontrollable, a substitute can be prepared for him..."
Every word in the report was like a devil's whisper, stirring the deepest desires of these ambitious individuals.
A race that can transform into anyone!
what does that mean?
This means they can take over a country without bloodshed!
This means they can turn their most stubborn enemies into their most loyal pawns!
Is the news reliable?
An aged voice rang out, filled with impatience.
" Professor Pyg's reports are never wrong. Moreover, our informants have confirmed that the Vought International did indeed capture the carcass of such a creature."
" Vought... what are they planning to do?"
"According to intelligence, they are preparing to hand the body over to S.H.I.E.L.D.., and the recipient is a retired S.H.I.E.L.D.. consultant, a veteran of the Howling Commandos, and one of Peggy Carter's men."
A deathly silence fell over the channel.
Handed over to S.H.I.E.L.D..?
Doesn't that mean handing it over to Pierce?
They don't trust Pierce.
It's not that I don't trust his loyalty, but rather that I don't trust his "vision."
Pierce was too cautious; he was used to manipulating power within the rules, a politician sitting in an office.
Faced with such a "divine creation" capable of overturning the world order, he would choose to preserve and study it, rather than weaponize it!
This is a waste!
It's a crime!
"We cannot let this gift fall into the hands of S.H.I.E.L.D.., nor can we let it gather dust in Pierce's lab."
We must take it!
"Utilizing assets is the highest priority."
"What about Pierce...?"
"By the time he finds out, the assets will already be back in our hands. He'll understand."
A long-forgotten command was quietly activated through top-secret channels.
The instruction consists of only one word.
"Start up."
An abandoned cargo terminal in the suburbs of New York City.
The cold wind whipped up the scraps of paper on the ground, making a rustling sound.
Gin leaned against a black sedan, a cigarette between his fingers, its crimson glow flickering in the night.
In front of him was an inconspicuous van.
Inside the truck bed, a specially designed low-temperature insulated box was emitting a faint blue light.
Inside the box was the Skrulls corpse.
Headlights pierced the darkness, and three cars stopped not far away.
The car door opened, and a man wearing a bowler hat stepped out.
Dum Dum - Dugan.
He looks exactly like the person in the photo.
Gin looked him up and down.
An old man who should be in his seventies or eighties still maintains the physique of someone in his fifties.
His gait was steady, and his muscles were firm.
In Gin's mind, the data on the decay and enhancement of the " Super Soldier Serum " in Dr. Horton's laboratory flashed through his mind.
Super Soldier Serum.
interesting.
S.H.I.E.L.D.. has a deeper foundation than I imagined.
Dugan walked up to Gin, and behind him, several elite agents stepped forward to take over the truck.
Did you bring the things?
Dugan's voice was hoarse and steady.
Gin didn't answer, but simply gestured with his chin toward the truck, his posture languid and arrogant.
The technicians behind Dugan stepped forward, opened the compartment, and scanned the insulated box with professional equipment.
"Vital signs absent, internal structure consistent with report. Target confirmed."
"Very good."
Dugan nodded and looked at Gin.
What does your boss want?
Our boss doesn't want anything.
Gin exhaled a thick white smoke ring, watching it dissipate in the night wind.
"He's just a peace-loving businessman who doesn't like seeing things... that shouldn't exist on Earth, polluting the air here."
He threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stubbed it out with the tip of his foot.
"Take your things; what you do with them afterwards is your business."
Dugan gave him a deep look; the man gave him an extremely dangerous feeling.
That kind of coldness comes from the very core of one's being; it's a complete disregard for life.
Tell your boss we owe him a favor.
"Unnecessary."
Gin opened the car door and got in.
S.H.I.E.L.D.. agents acted swiftly, transferring the entire insulated container from the truck to their own bomb disposal vehicle.
Soon the S.H.I.E.L.D.. convoy turned around and drove away from the dock, disappearing into the night.
Gin did not leave immediately.
He sat quietly in the car, watching the three cars disappear into the distance.
The real show is just beginning.
On the highway under the cover of night, a S.H.I.E.L.D.. vehicles sped along.
Dum Dum Dugan sat in the passenger seat of the middle munitions transport vehicle, his expression serious.
He always felt things were going too smoothly, so smoothly it felt unsettling.
Would Vought International, that ruthless business empire, really be so kind as to give them such a vital strategic resource for free?
This doesn't make sense.
"Maintain maximum alert!" he ordered in a deep voice through the internal communicator. "Be aware of all surrounding vehicles!"
The words had barely left his mouth.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, the tire of the SUV at the front of the convoy suddenly burst!
The car went out of control, spinning wildly on the road like a runaway iron top, before finally crashing hard into the roadside guardrail!
"Enemy attack!"
Dugan's pupils contracted.
At the same time, a grenade whistled through the air and struck the fuel tank of the last SUV in the convoy!
"Boom--!"
The burning wreckage of the vehicle tumbled into the air before crashing back down.
Only the most important explosion-proof transport vehicle in the middle remained, trapped between the two piles of rubble and unable to move.
"Get out of the car! Establish a defensive line!"
Dugan roared as he pushed open the car door and raised his assault rifle.
The well-trained agents quickly got out of the vehicle, using it as cover, and pointed their guns at the surrounding darkness.
A deathly silence.
The only sound was the crackling of the Flame.
Suddenly, a dark shadow descended from the sky!
He landed on the roof of the explosion-proof transport vehicle with a dull thud.
It was a man wearing goggles and a black mask, with one metal arm that was particularly conspicuous.
Winter Soldier.
Stop him!
The agents on the ground opened fire wildly, raining bullets down on the roof of the vehicle.
The Winter Soldier moves extremely fast.
He turned and rolled, using his metal arm to deflect all the bullets aimed at his vital organs.
Sparks flew everywhere, but they couldn't harm him in the slightest.
He jumped off the roof of the car.
Before an agent could react, he grabbed him by the neck and threw him out like trash, sending him crashing into the burning wreckage of a car.
Another agent attempted close combat, but the Winter Soldier's metal arm grabbed the gun barrel and twisted it!
He then delivered a powerful elbow strike to the agent's chest.
Dugan's eyes turned red. He roared and raised his gun, firing wildly at the Winter Soldier.
The Winter Soldier neither dodged nor avoided the bullets, letting them hit him, only using his metal arms to protect his head.
Standard caliber bullets simply cannot penetrate his specially designed combat suit!
Dugan emptied his last magazine.
The Winter Soldier was already standing in front of him.
The metal arm swung out, Dugan instinctively parried with his rifle.
"Snap!"
The specially made gun barrel was smashed into two pieces.
Dugan felt a numbness in his arms and was sent flying backward, crashing heavily to the ground.
The battle is over.
The Winter Soldier tore open the door of the explosion-proof transport vehicle and easily lifted out the huge cryogenic insulated box.
With a few leaps, he disappeared into the night.
The scene was a mess, littered with wounded S.H.I.E.L.D.. personnel.
Dugan struggled to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and pulled out his communicator.
" Peggy... the mission failed."
"The stuff... was stolen."
In the distance, Gin put down his military binoculars, his face expressionless.
He took a small remote control out of his pocket, which had only one red button.
Then, I pressed it down gently.