The next morning, under Howard's lead, the two of them arrived at Dr. Myron MacLain's laboratory — which also happened to be his home.
Ever since he had accidentally created the original Adamantium alloy shield, Dr. MacLain had been obsessed with replicating that miracle, trying to uncover the secret behind its creation.
Unfortunately, no matter how many times he tried, he could never reproduce that first accident. His experiments stalled; after consuming a vast amount of precious vibranium with no results, the government finally shut down the project. Dr. MacLain returned home, frustrated and unwilling to give up.
The invitation process went smoothly.
Dr. MacLain was a pure scientist, uninterested in fame, power, or wealth.
His only passion lay in metallurgy — in finding new alloys. After creating the "sound-absorbing steel shield," he had become utterly consumed by his research on Adamantium. Even after the project's termination, he continued working on it privately, inside his home.
But without access to vibranium — a rare and highly controlled element — progress was painfully slow.
With his old friend Howard vouching for him, and Chen Mo promising to provide ample vibranium as experimental material, Dr. MacLain happily agreed to join S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret laboratory project.
And while visiting his home, Chen Mo discovered something amusing.
The doctor's laboratory — or rather, his living room — was covered in shields. Dozens of them, hanging on the walls, all nearly identical to the vibranium shield Chen Mo himself used.
Seeing Chen Mo's curious expression, Dr. MacLain chuckled.
It turned out he was a passionate admirer of medieval weaponry.
His fascination with metallurgy had actually begun from his obsession with ancient weapons. He dreamed of creating stronger materials — to forge the ultimate weapon.
Among all the weapons of history, the one that captured his heart most was the round shield.
"To me," Dr. MacLain explained proudly, "the circle is the most perfect and most resilient shape. A round shield can block, strike, even be thrown — both offense and defense in one design. It's the most complete weapon ever conceived."
Every new material he invented needed to be molded and tested, so he personally designed what he called "the perfect kinetic form" — a round shield — and made every experimental alloy into one.
"Hanging them on the wall as decoration doesn't look too bad either," he said, smiling at the rows of polished shields.
Chen Mo could only sigh inwardly. Scientists… their sense of aesthetics really is something else.
Dr. MacLain had no family. His experiments were his life.
After agreeing to join S.H.I.E.L.D., he immediately packed up and moved into the secret underground lab beneath Brooklyn.
There, Chen Mo and Howard were reunited with a long-unseen figure — Dr. Abraham Erskine.
To their astonishment, the doctor looked far younger than before.
Once a man in his fifties, his hair streaked with gray and his face lined with age, he now appeared to be in his early forties. His posture was straight, his complexion healthy, and even his once-gray hair had turned black again.
If not for his familiar features and that gentle, kind smile, they might have thought he was someone else entirely.
"Doctor… what on earth happened to you?" Howard asked, circling him in disbelief.
Dr. Erskine smiled mysteriously. "All in good time. Aren't you going to introduce me to our new colleague first?"
Only then did they remember the man standing beside them.
After a round of introductions, Dr. Myron MacLain officially joined S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret research division.
Once settled, MacLain immediately turned to Chen Mo, unable to hide his impatience.
"Where's the vibranium? Bring it in — I need to start right away!"
After the extensive government trials years ago, followed by his own continued private studies, MacLain was closer than ever to recreating the original Adamantium. He was at the very brink of success — only lacking the material itself.
Without vibranium, his progress had been stalled for years. But he hadn't wasted the time.
Through tireless research based on metallographic studies of the original "sound-absorbing steel," he had created a new alloy — not as indestructible as the original Adamantium, but far superior to any existing special alloy.
It was extremely hard, yet flexible and corrosion-resistant, with outstanding impact absorption. And best of all — it didn't require vibranium.
This alloy could be produced with existing materials, though it demanded large quantities of rare metals, making it expensive. Still, compared to true Adamantium, it was far cheaper and feasible for mass production.
Dr. MacLain named it Alpha Alloy.
Chen Mo was pleasantly surprised. It was an unexpected bonus — this alloy could have many future applications.
But his true focus remained on Adamantium — the ultimate metal.
From the day he first acquired the vibranium shield and learned of Dr. MacLain's existence, Chen Mo had ordered Colonel Phillips to spare no expense in collecting vibranium — funding the effort himself, while Hydra's agents gathered it in secret as well.
Now, seeing the eagerness in MacLain's eyes, Chen Mo smiled helplessly.
"Alright, Doctor. The vibranium's stored in the warehouse — I'll have someone bring it over."
The vibranium collected by the Strategic Scientific Reserve had already been delivered to the lab days earlier.
"No need," MacLain said excitedly. "I'll go myself!"
He could hardly wait to see how much Chen Mo had prepared. In the past, even obtaining a small fragment had been nearly impossible.
If Chen Mo had truly brought him a large supply, he might finally achieve success.
Inside the secure materials vault of the secret lab, Dr. MacLain stared at the crates in front of him — each packed full of gleaming metal. Dozens of kilograms of vibranium.
His face flushed red with excitement; his hands trembled.
"Perfect! This is enough! With this much vibranium, I will create the true Adamantium!"
Without another word, he threw himself into his research.
With the doctor completely absorbed in his work, Chen Mo finally had a moment to visit Dr. Erskine.
Aside from handling the Martial Hall and recruiting MacLain, there was another major reason for his return — the serum project.
Dr. Erskine had sent word that there had been a major breakthrough.
When Chen Mo arrived, Howard was already there — and clearly irritated.
"Finally! What took you so long?" Howard complained. "I've been waiting forever. The doctor refuses to say a word until you got here!"
Erskine simply smiled.
"Of course. Important news should only be shared when everyone's present."