Chapter 140: Director Nick Fury, the One-Eyed
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After the two agents from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division discovered Chen Mo frozen in the Valkyrie and confirmed his identity, they immediately contacted headquarters. Arrangements were swiftly made to transport Chen Mo back to Washington via aircraft.
Since Chen Mo was still in a frozen state, they placed him in a cryogenic pod as a precaution to maintain his icy condition during transport, preventing any accidental thawing that might cause complications.
However, compared to the subzero temperatures of dozens of degrees below zero within the ice, the cryogenic pod's temperature of just a few degrees below zero felt almost warm by comparison.
Removed from the extreme cold, Chen Mo began slowly reactivating his body's functions. By the time they reached Washington, his body already showed faint signs of life, ensuring his minimal brainwave activity wouldn't raise suspicions.
The fact that he could recover even in a cryogenic pod at a few degrees below zero only served to highlight his extraordinary physical constitution and cellular vitality.
Just as Chen Mo had anticipated, when the medical staff at the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division examined him and discovered he was already reviving—with even his brain showing faint electrical activity—no one suspected anything. They were simply astonished by his formidable physical resilience.
Not long after Chen Mo sat up in bed, the door quietly opened from the outside. A beautiful female soldier dressed in a World War II-era U.S. military uniform—complete with a button-up shirt and skirt—stepped inside.
"Good morning," she greeted him with a warm smile.
"Where am I?" Chen Mo turned his head toward her and asked in a low voice.
"This is a post-operative recovery room in New York," the woman replied, slightly uneasy under Chen Mo's gaze.
Despite having just thawed, Chen Mo showed no signs of weakness. His imposing presence remained, his sharp eyes instinctively making others wary.
Chen Mo glanced at the window beside him. The sheer beige curtains swayed gently in the breeze. Through the glass, he could see the neatly aligned windows of another building across the way. Outside, faint sounds of chatter, car horns, and brakes suggested a bustling street below.
But what Chen Mo *perceived* didn't match what he saw.
"Where am I, really?" Chen Mo fixed his eyes on the woman and asked again, his tone growing stern.
The woman blinked in surprise before forcing a composed smile under his piercing stare, shaking her head slightly in confusion.
"Uh... I'm not sure what you mean."
"The sounds outside are coming from ground level. That 'building' across from us is just a painting hung a few meters away. Even this room—"
Chen Mo stood from the bed and strode to one of the walls. With a light punch, his fist went straight through—revealing nothing but a flimsy layer of plasterboard.
Turning back, he slowly approached the woman, his voice grave.
"Let me ask you one last time. Where is this place?"
Chen Mo stopped right in front of her, his deep, razor-sharp gaze locked onto her face.
Looking up at the towering, intimidating figure before her, the woman's composure faltered. Her fingers instinctively pressed the alarm button hidden in her palm.
"Commander Chen Mo—"
Before she could finish, the door behind her burst open, and two soldiers in black tactical gear rushed in.
Chen Mo's sharp eyes immediately shifted to them, freezing both men in their tracks.
The two soldiers, who had rushed in upon hearing the alarm, stood hesitantly at the doorway. They knew exactly who this tall, stern-faced man was—and they'd all heard the legends of his past exploits.
Rumors said his strength far surpassed even Captain America, Steve Rogers. And though he carried no weapons now, they couldn't forget: this man was Steve's *teacher*. Every combat skill Steve possessed had been taught by him—and his own fighting prowess was even more formidable.
With his superhuman physique and masterful combat skills, they had no illusions about defeating him.
More importantly, Commander Chen Mo was an idol to every one of them. Who *hadn't* dreamed as a child of wearing that ultra-cool black armored suit, wielding sword and shield, single-handedly crushing the evil Hydra forces, and becoming a legendary hero?
Being ordered to confront this WWII veteran, founding member of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, humanity's strongest warrior—their *idol*—the pressure was unimaginable.
As for the female agent disguised as a WWII nurse? She'd been so overwhelmed by Chen Mo's commanding presence that she'd acted on pure instinct, pressing the alarm without thinking. Only now, seeing the soldiers frozen in place, did she realize—this man wasn't their enemy.
Still, their arrival at least freed her from the suffocating weight of Chen Mo's aura. Steadying herself, she met his gaze with sincerity.
"Commander, we mean no harm."
Seeing that Chen Mo did not take any further action, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They had genuinely feared that Chen Mo might lose his temper and attack them directly.
With Chen Mo's immense power, they wouldn't have escaped unscathed—injuries like torn tendons and broken bones would have been inevitable, and their lives might even have been at risk. After all, standing before them was the strongest warrior humanity had ever known, a man who killed without hesitation. If he regarded them as enemies, the consequences would have been beyond imagination.
Inwardly, they were also grateful that Chen Mo's weapon wasn't nearby. Otherwise, the same Chen Mo who had once sliced tanks apart and effortlessly cut down Hydra soldiers might have, the moment they stepped through the door, casually swung his sword and left them all in halves.
"This is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Formerly known as the Strategic Scientific Reserve."
Under Chen Mo's intense gaze, the female agent quickly introduced herself to establish a connection, hoping to prevent Chen Mo from taking action.
After she finished speaking and saw Chen Mo's expression soften slightly, she continued, "I apologize for the performance earlier. We thought it would be better for you to accept everything gradually."
Chen Mo remained silent, his face impassive, as he stared at her and waited for her to continue.
At this point, it was clear the situation could no longer be hidden. After hesitating for a moment, the female agent decided to reveal the truth.
"You've been in stasis, Commander," she said slowly, "for approximately seventy years."
---
**Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division – Director's Office. **
A bald African American man wearing a black trench coat, with one eye covered by an eyepatch, sat across from Chen Mo, narrating the events that had occurred during his seventy-year slumber.
In Chen Mo's final battle, Hydra was completely eradicated. Without Hydra's interference, the Allied forces launched a massive offensive, and after being stretched thin by multi-front combat, the Axis powers ultimately fell into defeat. Hitler committed suicide, and World War II came to an end.
Following the war, the Strategic Scientific Reserve was reorganized into today's Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. Overseen by the International Security Council, the division specializes in handling extraordinary events, such as the discovery of a massive aircraft buried deep within ice.
Seated across from Chen Mo was the bald African-American man, the current Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, Nick Fury, also known as the "One-Eyed Dragon." After roughly briefing Chen Mo on key historical events and the current situation, Nick Fury looked at him and asked:
"Commander Chen Mo, what are your plans next?"
Chen Mo feigned contemplation for a moment before raising his head and asking, "How are Steve and Howard now?"
Hearing this, Nick Fury paused before slowly responding, "They're no longer with us."
Upon hearing this, a hint of sorrow appeared on Chen Mo's face. Unwilling to give up, he continued to ask, "What about the others? Agent Carter, Bucky, Huang Quan, Han Qing, Luo Zhen?"
Nick Fury lightly shook his head. "Sorry."
After a moment, seeing Chen Mo looking somewhat dejected, Nick Fury spoke up, "You could stay here."
Faced with Nick Fury's invitation, Chen Mo shook his head. "No, thank you."
As he spoke, Chen Mo stood from his chair and headed toward the door.
"Where are you planning to go?" Nick Fury asked behind him.
"New York."
---
A flight from Washington slowly came to a stop at the end of the runway at New York Airport.
Minutes later, the cabin door opened, and passengers began to disembark one after another. Among them was Chen Mo, dressed in a black suit with a cold and stern expression, who followed the others off the plane.
The conversation with Nick Fury earlier had made Chen Mo realize that Fury was unaware of the existence of S.H.I.E.L.D. Furthermore, Fury didn't know that Steve and the others were only in a state of feigned death and hadn't truly passed away. It was evident that the current Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division was not a member of S.H.I.E.L.D.
According to the information Chen Mo possessed, the Director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division was appointed by the International Security Council, which was composed of representatives from the five permanent member countries of the United Nations. Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D. couldn't directly intervene in the appointment of the Director, nor could they ensure that each Director belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Despite this, S.H.I.E.L.D. still firmly controlled the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division behind the scenes. This was because, apart from the inability to directly appoint the Director, most of the core personnel of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division were members of S.H.I.E.L.D. They held the majority of the division's powers.
If the Director appointed by the International Security Council proved incompetent, their orders would simply go unexecuted, and all their authority would be effectively nullified.
After completing the necessary procedures to reintegrate himself into society, Chen Mo did not stay in Washington for long. With his belongings and new identification papers, he boarded a flight to New York.
After arriving in Brooklyn, Chen Mo got off a taxi on a street corner and began walking toward his destination.