As soon as the warmth on Ye Mo's fingertips subsided, he spoke, his voice low but loud enough to drown out the sound of the wind slapping against the metal, "The three reconnaissance vehicles are parked twenty meters away, unmoved. The signal source has been switched to a high-density channel, with encryption at maximum. The main force deployment will take a maximum of three minutes."
Captain America didn't turn around, slightly adjusting the angle of his shield, and asked only one question, "What do they want? To capture someone or to silence them?"
"Neither." Ye Mo stood against the wall, his right hand back in his pocket, his palm rubbing against the lining of his hoodie. "They're collecting data—our reaction patterns, the rhythm of our ability usage, our cooldown intervals. You see, I just recovered from Regeneration, and they switched signals. This isn't a coincidence; it's a strategic maneuver."
Emma Frost sat cross-legged on the ground, her eyelids still closed, her mental energy network still spread out on the ground. Beads of sweat slid down her temples to her chin and dripped onto her knees. "I was wondering... could they also monitor physiological indicators? Heart rate, adrenaline, muscle tension?" She slowed her speech. "If so, then our tense reaction just now might have been recorded."
Bucky stood by the side window, his fingers pausing on the robotic arm's control lever. "They're used to using biometrics to trigger the next command. For example, a heart rate exceeding 120, or a specific brainwave frequency—just like the program that controlled me back then."
"So we have to act," Ye Mo grinned, "To put on a fake reaction for them."
Captain America finally turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "Be more specific."
"Plan B is the primary option." Ye Mo held up one finger. "Hold the cover and wait for them to come in. But I need to leave a little 'souvenir' at the entrance." He glanced down at his hand. "When I was injured before, I brushed against some Self-Healing cells near the east entrance. If they step on them, the system can trace my movement path in reverse and mislead their data records—making them think I need forty seconds to Regeneration, when it only takes ten."
"Fake intelligence?" Emma Frost opened her eyes and glanced at him. "You really treat the system like a hacking tool."
"Otherwise what?" Ye Mo shrugged. "The system doesn't accept tasks or give rewards, so all I have left is this freedom to improvise."
Captain America nodded. "Okay. But we can't rely on you to control the tempo all by yourself. I'll take the lead, using my shield to create noise and vibrations to draw attention. You two will handle the flanks and the backup."
"A variant of Plan A." Ye Mo nodded, "Lure the enemy in, but don't let them in too far, then trap them."
"Plan C won't work," Bucky suddenly spoke, his voice low. "A proactive attack is too risky. The fact that they dared to send reconnaissance vehicles to pinpoint the coordinates means they already have backup plans. If we rush out now, it's like jumping into an encirclement."
"And," Emma Frost closed her eyes, reactivating her mental energy, "I just scanned the east side of the pipeline. Besides that tracked vehicle, there were two other abnormal airflow points. Not living people, but small drones equipped with infrared and acoustic sensors. They're building a three-dimensional monitoring network."
"Then we'll have to wait even longer." Ye Mo touched the fragment of the mirror temple in his pocket. "Let them make the first move, then we'll strike back. When they think we're still on guard against Regeneration— " He paused, "I'll use ' Regenerative Phasing ' to storm the command node through the Wall Phasing."
" Regenerative Phasing?" Captain America frowned. "You haven't quite mastered this ability yet? Last time you tried to pass through the lab wall, you got stuck for half a minute before you could get out."
"That was a cold start," Ye Mo shrugged. "Now with a warm-up, the success rate is about 80%."
"You'd probably dare to use it?" Emma Frost sneered.
" Hydra's lives aren't worth much," Ye Mo laughed even wider. "Besides, I still have you all."
Captain America ignored that question and instead turned to Bucky: "You know their command chain best. If they have a master control unit on a mobile vehicle, how much of a response delay would there be?"
"0.8 seconds." Bucky stared at the west ventilation shaft. "There's less than a one-second delay between the command being issued and the execution terminal receiving it. Especially during signal switching or encryption upgrades, the delay can stretch to 1.2 seconds."
"That's enough." Captain America's eyes narrowed. "We can use this window for a decapitation strike. Once we confirm the control point's location, we'll launch a surprise attack immediately."
"The problem is how to confirm it," Emma Frost cautioned. "They won't place the main control unit on the front lines. It's most likely a remote relay, with the signal hopping more than three times. Direct tracking makes it easy for them to reverse-engineer the location."
"Then let's force them to expose themselves." Ye Mo took out half a pair of glasses from his pocket and tapped the ground twice—the same code, but this time the rhythm changed: three short taps followed by one long tap.
"What do you mean?" Captain America asked.
"Tell them our 'internal strife' has escalated." Ye Mo smirked. "I'll pretend to have a Regeneration backlash attack and collapse, convulsing. You two will pretend to argue about whether or not to save me. If they really want to capture me alive, they'll definitely send a team in to check on my condition—then, who's leading the team, which route they're taking, and what equipment they're using will all be exposed."
"You're using yourself as bait?" Bucky looked at him.
"If I don't do it, who will?" Ye Mo laughed. "I'm not a super soldier, nor am I the Winter Soldier. I'm just an unlucky guy with some weird abilities. Low sacrifice value, but decent acting skills."
Emma Frost rolled her eyes. "Your skin is so thick, I suggest you apply for a Guinness World Record."
"Thank you for the compliment." Ye Mo nodded. "So I suggest adding a layer of 'play within a play' to Plan B. They want to see data? Let's give them a live reality show."
Captain America paused for a few seconds, then slowly nodded. "Feasible. But we must control the pace. Once we discover they've deployed their main force, immediately end the disguise and switch to actual combat."
"I'll control the timing," Emma Frost whispered. "I'll maintain a low-energy Mental Scan, focusing on their signal fluctuations. Once a concentrated wave of high-frequency commands is detected, it means they're preparing to close in."
"I'll guard the side window." Bucky raised his left hand, the mechanical arm joint making a soft click. "If any unit breaks in through the west ventilation shaft, I'll cut them off immediately."
"Okay." Captain America stood up straight, retracting his shield behind him. "That's settled. Everyone back at your posts, maintain silence. Wait for the signal fluctuation, then proceed as planned."
The four dispersed.
Ye Mo retreated to the corner of the east wall, put his right hand back in his pocket, his fingertips slightly warm. He closed his eyes, sensing the operation of the " Gene Spiral Tower " within his body— Lightning Control was cooling down, Steel Bone Transformation could last for another thirty seconds, and Regenerative Phasing was ready.
Emma Frost sat cross-legged back in the center of the room, her hands clasped together, her breathing slowed, and her spiritual energy spread out again like a spider web, extending along the cracks in the ground. Sweat began to bead on her forehead again, but she gritted her teeth and didn't wipe it away.
Captain America crouched back at the entrance to the main passage, shield held horizontally in front of him, his gaze fixed on the dust-shrouded open space outside. His shoulders relaxed slightly, but his fingers remained on the edge of the shield, ready to spring back at any moment.
Bucky stood in the shadow of the side window, his eyes fixed on the direction of the western ventilation shaft, his left hand resting on the control lever of the robotic arm, his knuckles white. He didn't adjust the system anymore, but just waited quietly.
Outside, the wind picked up again.
The sand swirled around, and the sheet metal cladding sounded like someone gently knocking on the door from the outside.
Ye Mo opened his eyes and looked at his hands.
My palms were warm, as if I had just held a warm stone.
He took a soft breath and didn't say anything.
Everyone is waiting.
Wait for that signal fluctuation, wait for that trigger point, wait for the enemy to take the first step.
At that very moment, Emma Frost's eyelashes suddenly twitched.
She didn't open her eyes, but shook her head very slightly.
Ye Mo noticed and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
"The east pipeline..." she said in a very low voice, "... the reconnaissance vehicle has withdrawn. Not retreated, it's been shut down on the spot. The signal is lost."
"It's not an upgrade, it's a personnel change." Bucky stared at the ventilation shaft. "A new signal source is being connected, at a lower frequency, with a different frequency hopping method."
"This isn't the kind of agreement Hydra usually uses." Captain America's eyes narrowed. "It's a third party."
Ye Mo narrowed his eyes. "So... the harvesters we thought we were might also be the ones being harvested?"
No one answered.
The room was so quiet you could hear each other breathing.
The wind picked up.
The corrugated iron roof rattled, as if someone was walking on it.
Ye Mo leaned against the wall, his right hand quietly pulled out of his pocket, palm up, fingertips beginning to burn.
He didn't say anything more.
He just stared at the dim light at the doorway.
There, a grain of sand is slowly falling to the ground.