"Have you heard of Hydra?" Robert asked Jackie Chan and the Bull Warrior, who had just regained their vision. He was initially told that the attackers were Valon's subordinates, but now it seemed they were part of the crazed Hydra organization. Robert wanted to clarify their identity.
"I mean, next time you use a flash grenade, can you warn us first? I almost got blinded..." Jackie Chan complained as Robert approached, but he paused when he heard Robert's question, pondering with a hesitant look, "Hydra? Why do you ask? I think I've heard of it, let me think..."
"Hydra? The monster from Greek mythology?" The Bull Warrior scratched his head awkwardly, "I heard about it in Greek mythological stories from my mom when I was a kid..."
"Greek mythology? That might not be far off, considering those guys seemed brainwashed, completely indifferent to life or death..." Robert nodded in agreement, but Jackie Chan suddenly interjected.
"You heard about Hydra from those people just now? Weren't they Valon's subordinates? Isn't Valon part of the mafia? How did it become Hydra?" Jackie Chan asked with a serious look, furrowing his brows.
"The last guy, before he died, he shouted something like 'Hail Hydra.' Was he crazy or something? If he hadn't shouted, I wouldn't have known their origin. What exactly is Hydra?" Robert couldn't help but mockingly ask.
"Maybe it's a matter of belief..." Jackie Chan shook his head, explaining softly, "I don't know much about Hydra, but I know they were an evil organization during World War II, even more malevolent than the mafia. They caused a lot of chaos and war around the world, with the ultimate goal of ruling the entire world!"
"However, from what I know, Hydra should have been eliminated long ago. How could they reappear? And what's their connection with Valon?"
"A centipede dies but never falls down," Robert quickly understood Hydra's role – a group similar to the Red Ribbon Army in this world. It's not easy to completely destroy such organizations, not to mention Hydra's strange motto of "cut off one head, two more shall take its place."
"This is getting complicated. If Valon is really connected with Hydra, or if Valon is Hydra, then their targeting of the talismans might have a deeper meaning," Jackie Chan said, worried.
"The enemy is in the dark, but we are in the light. No need to rush. They are after the talismans, so they will show up again. When they do, we'll defeat them and find their lair," Robert shrugged. He was all too familiar with this method of dealing with villainous organizations – wait for the enemy to show up, then directly strike their lair and annihilate their forces, finally waiting for the remnants to retaliate.
To Robert, Hydra's soldiers seemed to rely more on their laser weapons. If Hydra had some real powerhouses, Robert would be even more eager to face them. "Here, take back your talisman. I'll remember the favor you did for me just now," the Bull Warrior said seriously, tossing the Bull Talisman back to Jackie Chan.
"There's no favor involved. You're much more powerful with the Bull Talisman than I am. Without your help, I might not have been able to handle those guys," Jackie Chan smiled and shook his head as he took back the talisman.
After learning about Hydra, Jackie Chan hastily left with the talisman. Dealing with the mafia was troublesome enough, and now Hydra added to the difficulty of collecting and guarding the talismans.
Fortunately, Jackie Chan's role was to collect the talismans. Guarding them wasn't his concern, as they would be placed in what was claimed to be the safest location in the world.
...
Meanwhile, at Valon's base, Valon received news from Baron Strucker, learning that his subordinates had been completely wiped out, even with their possession of laser weapons.
"Strucker! Are you sure you're not joking?!" Valon's eyes flashed coldly as he sternly questioned, "So many sophisticated weapons and soldiers, all gone? Is the Bull Talisman that powerful, or do you want to monopolize it?"
"Valon, calm down. We're partners in this talisman business; I wouldn't hide anything from you..." Baron Strucker sighed helplessly, speaking softly.
"This talisman operation was your initiative, and I was cooperating with you in researching the talismans, as agreed from the start. You asked to borrow my equipment, and I didn't hesitate; those were some of my scarce stock. I wouldn't want my treasures destroyed like that..."
"So, it's the power of the Bull Talisman? Is it really that strong? And you haven't made any progress with the Monkey Talisman you've been studying?" Valon frowned. Just as he couldn't monopolize the talismans, Baron Strucker, no matter how greedy, couldn't dream of monopolizing them either, not to mention that the secret of the Holy Master's statue was always in his hands.
"My men detected energy fluctuations at the scene, not from our laser weapons. So, there might have been intervention from another force. I'm still investigating..." Baron Strucker explained softly.
"As for the Monkey Talisman, I've made progress. It can turn the target into an animal. I'm researching how to extract the power of transformation, keeping the animal's abilities permanently in our soldiers' bodies..."
"By then, we could create an army of animal warriors, far surpassing those so-called super soldiers!"
"What about the success rate? Various forces have parts of the super soldier serum formula, and everyone is researching. Although everyone has some successful super soldiers, the mortality rate is too high..." Valon's eyes lit up slightly at Strucker's grand vision but he quickly composed himself and asked.
"Hmm... The success rate isn't low. I prepared five hundred people, and less than three hundred have died..." Strucker paused, trying to sound nonchalant.
"And the successful ones?" Valon asked quickly, frowning.
"Maybe among the remaining two hundred?" Strucker said softly, then quickly changed the subject, "In my research, the Monkey and Rat Talismans seem to be related. Forget about the Bull Talisman for now. Help me get the Rat Talisman first, and then my plan should work!"
"You make it sound easy. Without the Bull Talisman, do you think the Holy Master will be so easy to talk to? It's not you who gets mocked and insulted by him every time, right?" Valon said with a hint of anger.
"If you're willing, we can swap roles. Introduce me to the Holy Master, and I'll deal with him!" Baron Strucker said with a cunning smile.
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