By the time Luke and Bucky came out of Rogers's house, the sun was already setting.
The fading sunlight bathed New York in its glow, coating the surrounding skyscrapers in mottled gold.
"Stop trying to be a hero all the time. Luke and I won't always be able to get there in time."
Bucky affectionately draped an arm around Rogers's shoulders, while the scrawny little guy wore an awkward expression and said nothing.
The injuries on his face were not serious. After being cleaned up, they left only faint bruises.
The three men from Brooklyn changed into brand-new clothes.
They were preparing to attend Stark Industries' Tomorrow World Expo and see Bucky off while they were at it.
"I want to join the 107th Infantry Division too, just like you. That's where my father served."
Rogers looked miserable, still unwilling to accept that he could not enlist.
Spurred on by public sentiment and propaganda, most young people at the time longed to join the army, head to the battlefield, and earn medals that represented honor.
Rogers and Bucky were among them.
But compared to the strong and sturdy Bucky, Rogers was thin and frail. He weighed less than a hundred pounds and even suffered from mild asthma.
Forget joining the army—even running a few thousand meters would leave him gasping for breath.
So even though Rogers changed addresses every time and forged new identities to seek chances at recruitment stations, he was still rejected.
Because his physical examination rating was always 4F—completely unfit for service.
"There'll always be a chance."
Luke walked behind them with his hands in his pockets, smiling.
He was considering whether he should find a way to get his hands on the Super Soldier Serum.
Years of constant training had pushed his progress bar to ninety-nine percent. He was only one step away from activation.
An instinctive feeling told Luke that perhaps he needed a sufficiently powerful external force to reach one hundred percent.
For now, the easiest thing for him to obtain—and the thing he had the best chance of getting—was the Super Soldier Serum.
As a transmigrator who roughly knew how the plot unfolded, Luke naturally knew that tonight would be the turning point in Steve Rogers's fate.
The frail little man would meet Dr. Abraham Erskine—a german scientist who had defected to the Allied Nations and the developer of the Super Soldier Serum.
Dr. Erskine would be moved by Steve Rogers's heartfelt words, giving him a chance to enlist.
Afterward, he would enter the military's field of vision and be chosen as the recipient of the Super Soldier Serum injection.
"Should I blend in with them?"
Luke walked behind them, deep in thought.
If he could quietly grow stronger, he definitely would not choose to enlist.
After all, the battlefield was filled with bullets and danger at every turn.
Even following Captain America and the Winter Soldier would not necessarily guarantee his safety.
But his cheat had yet to arrive, which gave Luke a headache.
If there were truly no other options, he could only take a gamble.
In his previous life, many people had said he was as cautious as a defense tower.
But for a cheat gained through microtransactions, taking a little risk was not that hard to accept.
While distracted by his thoughts, Luke followed Rogers and Bucky to a small tavern at the street corner.
They ordered several beers and snacks, chatting aimlessly as they waited for Stark Industries' Tomorrow World Expo to begin.
Rogers still seemed rather downcast. Apparently, he had not given up on the idea of joining the army.
Bucky, on the other hand, noticed none of it. He was already immersed in dreams of defeating the Nazis and returning triumphantly after an Allied Nations victory.
"Let's go. I specially set you guys up with some pretty girls!"
After checking the time, Bucky pulled Rogers out of the tavern.
The streets outside were pitch-black, with only the Tomorrow Expo venue brightly lit and especially conspicuous.
World War II was in full swing at the time. Like the European nations, America stood at the center of the storm.
To conserve energy, the military had imposed a blackout.
Neon signs and colorful billboards were required to go dark after nightfall.
The city also suffered frequent power outages every night, with electricity prioritized for military bases and government institutions.
Not even New York was exempt.
Tonight, however, was Stark Industries' Tomorrow World Expo.
The military had made a special exception and allowed the restrictions to be relaxed.
Otherwise, New York City residents would not have been able to see such dazzling neon lights.
"What a crowd."
Bucky cheered.
The interior of the expo venue was extraordinarily lively.
Crowds surged everywhere, and fireworks bloomed brilliantly.
Young men and women embracing each other could be seen all around, hormones thick in the air.
Luke and his group stood beneath a massive metal globe, silently watching the couples and waiting for the pretty girls they had arranged to meet.
Before long, three youthful, lively young women arrived right on time.
They wore brightly colored cotton dresses and flat shoes, looking both enthusiastic and reserved.
"Ladies, these are my friends."
Bucky waved and pointed at Luke and Rogers behind him.
The youthful young women naturally ignored the scrawny little man and all looked toward Luke.
At this point, Steve Rogers was not yet the future Captain America with his broad chest, nor did he have that famous American ass. Naturally, he could not attract pretty young girls.
Luke, on the other hand, was different.
He looked quite good.
His neat black hair and slightly stern young face were more than enough to stir the fiery enthusiasm of young women.
"Don't look so serious! Rogers, you need to learn how to have fun!"
Bucky hooked an arm around the frail little man's shoulders and patiently lectured him.
Luke, walking in front, was surrounded by the young women as they chattered away about boring topics.
The group crossed the plaza with the metal globe, passed several secondary exhibition halls, and entered the central area.
"Welcome to the Modern Wonders Pavilion—"
The announcer paused slightly, then emphasized, "The world of tomorrow! A greater world! A better world! It all begins with Stark Industries!"
The passing visitors clicked their tongues in admiration, their eyes filled with curiosity.
Steel mannequins in glass display cases, airplane models suspended from the ceiling, glass walls continuously replaying Howard Stark's speeches...
These were undoubtedly cutting-edge new products for the era, and they were very good at drawing the public's attention.
Luke, however, did not feel much about them.
He came from the twenty-first century, and he had watched who knew how many science-fiction movies in his previous life.
The little gadgets displayed in the cases could hardly interest him.
But the young women clinging to his arms on either side acted as though they had discovered a new continent, gasping and talking nonstop.
It gave Luke a headache.
How he wished he could be like Rogers, carrying a bucket of popcorn and strolling slowly behind the group, enjoying a moment of peace.
As if he sensed Luke's mood, the unaccompanied Rogers tossed a few kernels of popcorn into his mouth, his face wearing a gleefully mocking expression.
But Luke was soon freed.
The two women around him suddenly let out screams like rabid fans and rushed beneath the stage in one exhibition area.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Howard Stark!"
As soon as the host finished speaking, the curtain opened.
Several beautiful women in fitted vests and black tailcoats made a grand appearance in front of a red car.
Then Howard Stark, sporting a small mustache, stepped onto the stage.
A burst of thunderous applause erupted from below.
Howard Stark was a young tycoon of the current era.
A gifted young genius with a brilliant mind and a seasoned playboy who drifted through a sea of women.
Rumors about his romantic exploits, along with every other kind of gossip, had never ceased.
Howard emerged gracefully from backstage without greeting the audience. Instead, he gave one of the beautiful women onstage a deep kiss, a confident and charming smile on his face.
No wonder he was Iron Man's father...
Standing below the stage, Luke silently gave him a thumbs-up.
Thinking of Iron Man's future astonishing achievement of sleeping with every cover girl from an entire year of a magazine, it seemed promiscuity truly was a Stark Family trait.
Before you continue