After the knocking sounded, Wang Kun couldn't help but look at Chen Mo.
"Open the door. They're looking for me."
Hearing this, Wang Kun nodded and instructed Wang Jin to open the door.
Of those seated, all were his great-grandparents' generation. Opening the door naturally fell to him, the junior.
As Wang Jin walked toward the door, he wondered in his mind—the martial arts school rarely had visitors. The patriarch had just returned a few days ago, and now someone was at the door again. He didn't know who this visitor might be.
With curiosity, Wang Jin opened the door. Standing outside was a capable-looking man around forty wearing a sharp suit.
Didn't look particularly special. Wang Jin examined the man, thinking somewhat disappointedly.
Without saying much, Wang Jin gestured for the man to enter and invited him inside.
Looking at Chen Mo sitting on the sofa in the room, the man's eyes couldn't help but flash with excitement. Then his expression became serious as he said solemnly.
"Commander, I'm Agent Phil Coulson from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division."
Seeing Chen Mo nod, Agent Coulson continued.
"I've come this time with two matters to announce to you."
Chen Mo said nothing, raising his hand in a gesture of invitation.
"First, in recognition of your outstanding contributions to the Allied nations during World War II, nominated by the President and approved by the Selection Committee and Senate, it has been decided to award you the rank of Major General."
"The Strategic Scientific Reserve you originally belonged to has now been reorganized as the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. By resolution of the Security Council, you are appointed as Commander of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division Special Forces Unit, Agent Level Ten."
Chen Mo knew his "awakening" would certainly be reported to all nations. His strength and position had no issues—his illustrious military achievements in World War II were the best proof.
Now with Steve and others having successively faked their deaths, they urgently needed new high-end combat power to deal with various threats. Chen Mo appearing at this time was naturally the best candidate—Strategic Scientific Reserve veteran, Special Forces Commander, Hydra's destroyer, humanity's strongest warrior. They had no reason to let Chen Mo be buried.
Although Chen Mo hadn't heeded Nick Fury's attempts to retain him after awakening and had left the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division directly, they hadn't given up. They pulled a fait accompli move, using the nation's and Allied nations' names to directly appoint him as Special Forces Commander.
After all, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division was reorganized from the Strategic Scientific Reserve that Chen Mo originally belonged to. Appointing Chen Mo as Special Forces Commander again also had the purpose of playing the emotional card.
According to Chen Mo's speculation, this was all Nick Fury's handiwork, because Chen Mo joining the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division benefited him most. Of course, that didn't mean he had selfish motives—he was also doing it to strengthen the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division's capabilities to better respond to various sudden threatening incidents and ensure all humanity's safety.
So although he'd been calculated, Chen Mo didn't feel repulsed.
Moreover, although Nick Fury was the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division director, completing such a major military rank and position appointment in such a short time was still somewhat difficult, even if Chen Mo truly qualified and was worth them doing so.
Behind this was actually Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D. exerting force in the shadows.
These two massive organizations hidden in the shadows for over seventy years controlled extremely shocking power. With their covert promotion, Nick Fury's plan could smoothly pass in such a short time.
Though he found it somewhat strange things went too smoothly, unable to think of other possibilities, he understood it as the military and politicians being unprecedentedly united with his thinking—all seeing Chen Mo's powerful strength and huge future role, so the entire plan went so smoothly.
Chen Mo returning to New York wasn't just to see Wang Kun and the martial arts school. The most important reason was that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters was in New York.
On the evening of returning to New York, Chen Mo avoided secretly monitoring agents, quietly left the martial arts school, relied on acute perception and agile skills to dodge various surveillance, traveled all along rooftops and back alleys, finally arriving at an abandoned factory in New York's outskirts.
This factory occupied a vast area. The abandoned workshops, office buildings, thick pipes and towering large equipment all bore mottled traces. All steel surfaces were covered by thick rust. Large swaths of vines grew wildly everywhere, climbing brick walls and pipes. The entire factory appeared dilapidated and desolate. In the night it had an even more sinister, terrifying feeling.
Seventy years had passed. This place was far more dilapidated than in Chen Mo's memory. Who would think that controlling the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division from behind the scenes with extremely powerful strength, S.H.I.E.L.D. was hidden in this dilapidated abandoned factory.
Of course, this was all just surface appearance. Under this dilapidated exterior hid heavily defended layers of checkpoints.
Chen Mo walked to the tall, thick steel door whose surface was covered in rust and stopped. An invisible beam of light slowly swept across Chen Mo's body.
"Click!"
As the light scan finished, a small door on one side of the steel door slowly opened.
Chen Mo entered the abandoned factory through the small door. The opened small door slowly closed again behind Chen Mo.
After entering the factory, Chen Mo didn't continue forward but turned right, walking into a large abandoned workshop on one side of the main gate.
The workshop at night was silent and dark. Moonlight shone in through windows on the ceiling, vaguely allowing one to see the situation inside.
Besides a huge expanse of space in the workshop, against the wall were several connected rooms that looked like offices or storage rooms.
Chen Mo's footsteps didn't stop. He walked directly into the middle room.
Although nighttime light was very weak, it didn't greatly affect Chen Mo. This appeared to be a changing room. Besides one door, there were no windows. Against the wall inside was a row of heavy old-style iron lockers.
After Chen Mo entered the room, he closed the door again. The entire room instantly fell into complete darkness.
Chen Mo was completely unaffected. He walked forward two steps and stood before the iron lockers.
Another invisible beam of light like at the main entrance appeared, sweeping across Chen Mo's body. Hidden cameras in surrounding corners also activated, clearly capturing Chen Mo's image in the darkness.
Soon, the iron locker before Chen Mo silently slid open to both sides. A soft light transmitted from where the iron rails split. A smooth, flat silver metal door was revealed.
The metal door slowly opened. Behind the door was a narrow square space like an elevator. White light shone down from above, illuminating the entire space brightly.
Chen Mo passed through the passage formed by the split locker and entered the elevator. The elevator door automatically slowly closed.
There were no buttons inside the elevator. After the elevator door closed, the elevator automatically began moving downward.
After over ten seconds, the elevator smoothly stopped. The elevator door opened. A bright, spacious, highly futuristic hall appeared before Chen Mo. A shield-shaped logo with a longsword in the center hung high on the wall above the hall.
A man who looked in his thirties with a short beard was standing in the hall. Seeing Chen Mo appear, he quickly strode toward him.
"Hey! Boss! We haven't seen each other in a long time!"
The person was none other than Howard Stark, currently in charge of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Though his words were still flippant as ever, his tone carried excitement difficult to suppress.
A smile couldn't help but appear on Chen Mo's cold face. He stepped forward and gave Howard a big hug, then pushed him away.
"Won't you show your boss around properly? Seventy years—the changes are really huge."
Originally this had just been a small secret base used by the faked-death Abraham Erskine to research super soldier serum. Later the joining Myron MacLain had also successfully developed Adamantium alloy here.
But compared to seventy years ago, the changes here were truly too great. If before it was just a crude underground bunker, now it was an advanced large base full of technological feeling.
Over these seventy years, S.H.I.E.L.D. had always controlled the situation from the shadows. From the initial Strategic Scientific Reserve to the current Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, the entire situation had always been under their control. The vast majority of core personnel holding power in these two organizations were S.H.I.E.L.D. members.
Since the director was always directly appointed by the World Security Council, over seventy years there had been directors with selfish motives, ambition, or incompetence. But they couldn't stir up any waves. Some were completely undermined, unable to interfere in organizational affairs at all. Some who went too far were even secretly executed, dying in accidents.
One could say S.H.I.E.L.D. behind the scenes ensured the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division's purity and stability, and even covertly assisted them in completing many arduous missions, handling large numbers of threats to international security.
Chen Mo didn't stay long at the S.H.I.E.L.D. base. After roughly touring the base and learning about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current situation, Chen Mo informed Howard of his plans and left.
Howard originally planned to awaken Colonel Phillips and Steve and others, but was stopped by Chen Mo. He still had important matters to handle. Now obviously wasn't the time for reminiscing.
With Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s joint promotion, Nick Fury's plan to recruit Chen Mo progressed smoothly.
When Agent Phil Coulson placed the Major General rank insignia, shoulder boards and uniform on the table, his heart was anxious, fearing Chen Mo would refuse. However, he'd obviously worried too much. Having schemed so hard, how could Chen Mo refuse?
Glancing at the Major General uniform on the table, Chen Mo's expression showed no change. Under Agent Coulson's somewhat worried gaze, Chen Mo stood up, looked seriously into Coulson's eyes and slowly said.
"Agent Coulson, you've been conscripted!"
"Congratulations on joining the Special Forces!"