As the Guardian of the Time Stone, Ancient One highly valued the timeline, as it not only concerned the safety of the entire Earth but also her ability to find a successor.
"New York…"
With a profound gaze, Ancient One pondered for a moment, then opened a portal to Brooklyn, New York.
Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, a chase was unfolding: the spy Kremmson sped away in a car, while Steve, barefoot, pursued him on foot, and surprisingly, the distance between them was constantly shrinking.
Steve could leap ten meters far and two to three meters high with ease, moving faster than a car. This peculiar sight immediately attracted the attention of many citizens.
"Click!"
"Click!"
Several reporters, holding cameras with the Vought logo, began to snap pictures of Steve.
These, of course, were the people Fang Yuan had arranged. He certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity to make both Vought Corporation and Steve instantly famous.
During the pursuit of the spy, Steve also successfully acquired the second shield of his life—a taxi door—and subsequently, as expected, apprehended Kremmson.
However, the Super Soldier Serum was shattered during the fight, and Kremmson refused to surrender, even unto death.
He bit down on the poison hidden in his mouth and, before dying, uttered the words that would influence Steve's entire life.
The greater the power, the greater the responsibility… oh, no, that's not right.
"Cut off one head, two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA!"
Steve didn't understand what this meant and could only wait blankly for backup.
However, upon returning to the secret Base, Fang Yuan, who was already waiting at the door, gave him good news: "Dr. Erskine isn't dead; he's being resuscitated."
"Really?"
"That's great!"
Steve was pleasantly surprised. When he left, Dr. Erskine had only managed to tap his chest twice, signaling Steve to stay true to his heart, before falling unconscious. Due to the gunshot wound near his heart, Steve had truly believed Dr. Erskine had died on the spot.
The surgery lasted several hours. During this time, Steve also underwent a series of blood draws and physical tests. Because Fang Yuan kept him updated on the surgery's progress, Steve was able to maintain his composure.
Finally, the operating room doors opened, and the Doctor delivered the latest news to the anxiously waiting Steve, Agent Carter, and Colonel Phillips.
"The injured person is out of critical condition."
Steve and the others were overjoyed.
However, the Doctor hadn't finished: "But the injured person is currently in a coma, and the awakening time cannot yet be determined. If the coma lasts longer than six months, the hope of waking up becomes very slim."
Everyone's mood sank again. Steve was still alright; he had initially thought Dr. Erskine was dead, so the possibility of him waking up was already a huge gain.
But Colonel Phillips's face completely fell.
With the front lines in an urgent state, neither he nor Congress could pin their hopes on someone whose awakening time was unknown.
Dr. Erskine was the core figure of the Super Soldier program, and only he knew the serum formula. Now, it could almost be declared that the Super Soldier program was about to be put on hold.
But while Colonel Phillips was disappointed, Fang Yuan was very happy.
Because the news about Steve in New York, capturing a spy on the street and saving citizens, had completely sold out.
"New York's New Hero: You-Know-Who Saves Children!"
Vought Corporation, with the intelligence Fang Yuan provided beforehand, captured a large number of on-site photos. Coupled with Stark Industries' resource support, its subsidiary, the 'Vought Daily,' though newly established, rode the strong wind of Captain America and its circulation could already rival that of veteran newspapers.
"Since this report came out, the recruitment centers in New York have been packed, and the purchase of U.S. bonds in New York has also significantly increased. This is our capability."
At a faction meeting attended by Councilor Brand, Fang Yuan held a copy of the 'Vought Daily' in one hand and photos of the recruitment centers in the other, speaking eloquently to a group of high-ranking officials.
"After our cooperation, Vought Corporation can quickly establish itself, and you can also gain a large number of soldiers, as well as national bond income. All of these will be political achievements for your faction—a win-win!"
Although Fang Yuan could directly control them, he was too lazy to bother; in such an advantageous situation, Telepathy was simply unnecessary.
At this point, another councilor asked: "We also have our own propaganda agencies, why should we cooperate with you?"
"Oh?" Fang Yuan revealed a subtle smile, "Are you referring to a propaganda agency that can cultivate spies capable of killing Agents and successfully infiltrating secret experiment sites?"
The councilor's words caught in his throat. The attack on the Super Soldier program's experiment site not only gave Phillips a headache but also left them somewhat flustered.
After all, the spy came from their faction, and when the attack first happened, political rivals were already using it to attack them.
Now, Fang Yuan's words were a killing blow, because even they themselves no longer dared to trust their own public opinion resources.
After all, if another spy incident occurred, even they might be subject to investigation.
However, Fang Yuan was right; if that Super Soldier could bring them soldiers and national bond income, it would absolutely be a huge political achievement for them, not only easily erasing the impact of this incident but also bringing immense prestige.
The councilors were intelligent people. He didn't bring up anything about Steve being official property and needing to be controlled by them.
Because Fang Yuan was brought in by Councilor Brand, it meant that the cooperation had definitely already been accepted.
Brand was their leader, so this councilor's thought wasn't to object, but to gain more initiative, but he didn't expect Fang Yuan to block him off right away.
The subsequent discussions went smoothly. Under Brand's leadership, Fang Yuan's Vought Corporation successfully connected with the official channels, making Steve their recruitment benchmark and national bond sales tool.
No one asked Steve for his opinion, but there was no need to.
Because Phillips had already received an order from the President: the Strategic Scientific Reserve was to immediately head to the front lines to deal with HYDRA, led by Schmidt.
Steve also wanted to go with them, but Phillips preferred him to stay in the laboratory so that researchers could quickly find the Super Soldier Serum formula.
Steve, of course, didn't want to be a guinea pig, but Phillips, with his decisive manner, left with Agent Carter and Howard, not even allowing Howard one last night of freedom.
At this moment, Fang Yuan and Councilor Brand found Steve.
"Phillips is just a brute; he can't see your value, but I can," Fang Yuan said. "Councilor Brand and I have discussed it, and there's a more important battlefield waiting for you, which might be a bit challenging."
"Are you willing to join?"
"Of course!" Steve nodded and replied without hesitation.
So Fang Yuan handed him an invitation letter.
[Vought Corporation cordially invites your participation.]
[Inviter: Fang Yuan.]
[Signatory: Blank]
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