Chapter 40: Secondary Enhancement, Strength Test
In the densely packed buildings of Queens, Jiang Feng's rented apartment was nestled within a bustling community.
It boasted a panoramic view of the Queens skyline.
Its prime location made it a dream residence for countless people.
He pushed open the door.
What greeted him was a spacious and well-lit open-plan apartment.
In the 200-square-meter space, warm yellow lighting spilled gently across minimalist yet tasteful furnishings.
In the innermost room—
A complex mechanical workbench stood, surrounded by an array of precision instruments and neatly arranged metal materials.
During his days working at Hammer Industries, Jiang Feng led a predictable, three-point routine.
Each morning—
He entered the towering building and spent his day in a high-tech laboratory.
When night fell—
He rushed to Hell's Kitchen to complete his daily set of street-level tasks.
And in the late hours—
Jiang Feng stayed in his apartment.
He had converted one of the rooms into a small laboratory—a secluded place where he could immerse himself in scientific exploration.
Many of the lab's devices—
Were sourced from Night City of the year 2077, and were even more advanced than those in Hammer Tower's research labs.
During the mission to plunder vibranium in Somalia, Linglong didn't let him down.
Using the detailed production data—
He successfully manufactured a batch of super-soldier serum in this mini-lab.
A slender glass tube lay quietly at the center of the workbench.
The blue liquid inside was clear and deep—
Under the stark white light, it glowed faintly, like an alchemical potion painstakingly crafted by a wizard.
It contained immense power.
Jiang Feng stepped forward, gently grasping the glass tube in his palm.
Gazing at the item description of the super-soldier serum—
His eyes grew more intense as a bold idea suddenly struck him.
"Can non-mechanical creations benefit from the Mechanic's passive talents?"
As a Mechanic—
Jiang Feng possessed the unique talent Forging Genius, which gave his creations a chance to upgrade in quality.
But so far, all of his creations had been mechanical, fitting the profession's theme.
He had never tested this on other item types.
So the question was—could the super-soldier serum also trigger Forging Genius?
If it could, the implications would be tremendous.
Not only could Jiang Feng mass-produce the serum—
He might even be able to create enhanced or even limit-breaking versions of it.
That would elevate its effectiveness by an entire tier.
At this thought—
A fiery light ignited in his eyes as he began mentally planning.
Once he had the resources, he would personally—
Conduct tests and produce super-soldier serum in bulk.
To verify this wild idea.
And if it worked—
Jiang Feng wouldn't just be a super-soldier. He would become something even greater—a super super-soldier.
Evolving from an ordinary man into a superhuman of Earth.
But he didn't let himself get lost in the fantasy for long. Jiang Feng took a deep breath and took off his shirt.
His upper body was lean and muscular, the contours well-defined.
Years of research work and the enhancement from the Heart-Shaped Herb had given him a unique aura of both strength and intellect.
Picking up a syringe—
Jiang Feng slowly drew the blue liquid into it, then, without hesitation, plunged the needle into his shoulder.
This modern super-soldier serum—
Was far more refined than that of World War II.
Back then—
Captain America required complex equipment and a massive power supply to undergo enhancement.
But the latest version of the serum only needed to be injected. Ready to use at any time.
As the blue liquid entered his body—
A miraculous process of human enhancement began.
The serum surged like a reawakened ancient beast, rampaging through his body, exerting its effects.
It darted into his veins like lightning.
Jiang Feng immediately understood the vast difference between synthetic technology and natural plant-based enhancement.
The serum's power was far more violent than the Heart-Shaped Herb.
When he had soaked in the Herb—
Its strength had felt like a spring breeze gently awakening each of his cells.
But now—
The serum roared through him like a storm, rampaging and rebuilding from within.
Jiang Feng felt a torrent of energy engulf him—strengthening his body while inflicting intense pain.
His already muscular back bulged.
Veins swelled and twisted beneath his skin, like countless crimson worms writhing madly.
The agony tore through him like a tsunami, every nerve set ablaze.
"Arghhhh!"
Jiang Feng growled, his ironclad hand gripping a steel plate from the workbench.
Crack!
The alloy groaned under the pressure, deforming like clay under his grasp.
In seconds, it was twisted into a corkscrew shape.
He clenched his teeth—
Focusing all his attention on crushing several steel plates, fingers digging deep into the metal.
No one knew how long had passed, but eventually the tide of pain began to subside.
"Phew… finally over. I hope the Despair Virus enhancement is less painful than this."
Gasping, Jiang Feng held a heavy iron ball in his palm—several steel plates forcibly molded into one.
A masterpiece forged by bare hands.
He gently set it down and staggered toward the mirrored wall.
His once 195 cm tall frame—
Now stood another centimeter or two taller.
And his muscles had grown even more defined.
He used to have a lean, streamlined figure—
But now, his muscles swelled like inflated balloons. His broad shoulders looked like they could carry the sky.
His entire physique had bulked up significantly.
His tiger-like build radiated a terrifying sense of power.
The scholarly air that once surrounded him—
Had now been completely replaced by overwhelming masculine energy. Every movement exuded dominance.
Looking at his transformed physique—
Jiang Feng quickly adapted.
As he moved his joints—
He realized that despite the massive gain in strength and muscle size, his flexibility hadn't diminished.
He was still as agile as a leopard.
"Let's see how strong I've become."
A satisfied grin spread across his face as Jiang Feng glanced at the surveillance feed provided by Linglong.
At this moment—
Hammer had yet to return to New York and was still in Monaco.
Linglong was keeping close watch and relaying every bit of intelligence to Jiang Feng.
Hammer had successfully helped Whiplash escape prison and formed a partnership. Everything was going smoothly.
Jiang Feng didn't pay it much attention.
Right now, he just wanted to test the limits of his new strength.
Later—
He left the apartment and took a cab to the outskirts of the city.
There, a derelict factory stood in eerie silence.
After confirming no one was around—
Jiang Feng took out a green set of Iron Armor from his backpack and activated it.
Linglong took control of the suit. Her soft voice rang from within the mask.
"Master, please issue your command."
Jiang Feng took off his shirt again, looked at his muscular upper body, and smiled faintly, eyes blazing with battle spirit.
"Activate melee mode. Attack with full power."
He wanted to spar with the Iron Armor—
To test his own physical strength.