Chapter 26

James Buchanan Barnes, better known as Bucky, was Captain America, Steve Rogers' closest friend. During World War II, their bond was stronger than steel, an unwavering friendship. It's said that if Steve were ever brainwashed, all you'd need to do was whisper, "Bucky and Peggy Carter are getting married!" into his ear, and Steve would immediately snap out of it, then seize one of them to be his spouse! Whoever he chose, Steve wouldn't care, and neither would the other two!

When on a mission in the battlefield, he fell from a train into a deep ravine. However, Bucky not only survived, but was found and picked up by Hydra. There, Dr. Arnim Zola brainwashed him, gaining complete control, and installed a new metal arm to replace his broken one. He transformed into Hydra's most lethal weapon, dubbed the Winter Soldier. He once carried out dark missions, including killing Tony Stark's flamboyant father, Howard Stark. Now, he simply followed the orders of Hydra's leader, Alexander Pierce, without any personal thoughts. His combat power was on par with Captain America, perhaps even slightly superior to Steve.

Now, this pure killing machine stared at Kurohane expressionlessly, as if piercing his very soul. Kurohane met the Winter Soldier's cold gaze and unconsciously swallowed.

"Chairman, who is this?!" Kurohane asked, his voice slightly strained.

"The Winter Soldier, our Hydra's secret weapon," Alexander replied casually, as if introducing a new toy. "He was injected with a serum that strengthened his body. For the next three days, he will be your close-combat instructor!" Alexander didn't introduce the Winter Soldier in detail, only briefly mentioning him. Then, he painted a grand picture for Kurohane, a prospect so tempting that Kurohane's eyes lit up!

"If you can pass the assessment in three days, I will consider injecting you with a secondary serum. Yes, this is a secondary version of the Super Soldier Serum, and it can also help strengthen your body. The effects of this secondary serum are not as good, but it is very stable and has no side effects."

Kurohane: (???)

Isn't this like winning the jackpot?! Even if I have to get beaten up for three days, I can still win the lottery. Great!

"So what are the assessment specifications?" Kurohane asked, trying to hide his enthusiasm.

"Survive for five minutes under the Winter Soldier's full attack!" Alexander patted Kurohane's shoulder again, his tone encouraging, yet with an underlying hint of mockery. "If you can't last five minutes, that's fine. It just means you won't get the serum!"

Kurohane activated his Super Vision then and there, observing everyone in the room. Crossbones' muscle and bone density were higher than his, but not as strong as the Winter Soldier. It seemed he had also been injected with this secondary serum. No wonder he could become the captain of the special rapid response team, Kurohane thought. As for the others in the room, they didn't have strong physiques. So this secondary serum should still be quite valuable in Hydra!

Survive for five minutes under the Winter Soldier's hand? I still have four character experience cards! At that time, I'll play Afu, spouting cheesy lines while pinning the Winter Soldier to the ground and beating him up. Are you Afraid of a Tornado Destroying the Parking Lot!?

"Alright, Chairman, I accept your proposal, but I hope to skip the three days of close-combat training," Kurohane said steadily. "How about we go straight to the assessment? I'm confident I can survive five minutes under his hand! Honestly, my time is precious. If I disappear for too long, Nick Fury will get suspicious!"

Kurohane decided to go straight into the assessment because even training with the Winter Soldier for three days would be futile. It was too slow for him to learn anything. Not as fast as using the system lottery! Better to fight the Winter Soldier, get the secondary serum, and then leave!

Alexander listened to Kurohane's words and fell silent for a moment. Kurohane had been acting strangely after visiting that alien spaceship. If the lie detector hadn't proven Kurohane's loyalty, he would surely suspect Kurohane of betrayal now!

"Actually, as long as you can last these three days, I will also inject you with the serum," Alexander finally spoke. "This is your initial gift; the assessment is merely to put pressure on you. But since you are so confident, let's proceed directly with the assessment!"

Alexander nodded, agreeing to Kurohane's suggestion. After all, ambitious young people like Kurohane were exactly what the Hydra organization needed right now!

"Rumlow, take Kurohane and the Winter Soldier to the training ground. You are responsible for timing them!" Alexander commanded.

"Yes, Chairman!" Crossbones accepted the task and led the way out of the interrogation room.

The Winter Soldier and Kurohane immediately followed his lead and arrived at a sealed room in less than three minutes. The room was about one hundred square meters, and besides ventilation pipes, there was only one sturdy door! Crossbones led the way to the center of the room, then had the Winter Soldier and Kurohane stand facing each other. They stood about ten meters apart, and then he looked at Kurohane with a sympathetic gaze.

"You can start fighting when the door closes. When I open the door again, that's when five minutes are up, and you can stop!" Crossbones said this while walking towards the entrance. When he finished his last sentence, he was already standing outside the room's door, then he slammed the door shut!

Bang!

The sound of the door closing was like the starting gun of a sports match. The Winter Soldier assumed a boxing stance, his eyes vacant, and rushed towards Kurohane! Kurohane was already prepared the moment he entered. When Crossbones walked to the door, he had already prepared a character card in his mind. As soon as the door closed, Kurohane muttered to himself!

"System, use [Character Experience Card: Afu]!"

[Character Experience Card: Afu (My name is Black Tiger Afu, prepare to die!)]

The Winter Soldier's mechanical arm, with a chilling whooshing sound, struck towards Kurohane's face. But Kurohane merely took a step back, then grabbed the Winter Soldier's arm. He used the force of the punch to throw him down! The Winter Soldier also didn't expect Kurohane's strength to be so great. He was thrown seven or eight meters without time to react, rolling twice on the ground before standing, sparks flying as his metal arm scraped the concrete floor!

Kurohane assumed a traditional Chinese martial arts stance, standing still in a horse stance. His eyes were razor-sharp, staring intently at the Winter Soldier, who was now standing upright again!

"My name is Black Tiger Afu, prepare to die!" After striking such a pose, Kurohane's mouth began to spew trash talk as if uncontrollably! "Witness my Black Tiger Steals Heart!"

Kurohane's left hand formed a tiger claw and seized the Winter Soldier's chest with incredible speed! Seeing Kurohane's aggressive approach, the Winter Soldier didn't retreat but instead advanced and threw a punch towards Kurohane's chest! However, Kurohane's attack was only halfway through when he suddenly pushed off with his feet and leaped, dodging the Winter Soldier's punch! In mid-air, Kurohane's hands spread wide, and his legs contracted into a ball!

"Crow Sitting on a Plane!!!"

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