Steve suddenly remembered that his master had agreed to let him join the army!
His previously low spirits instantly lifted. Steve lost interest in the exhibition and, without saying goodbye to Bucky and the others, followed the arrow's direction and left the pavilion.
After a while, Bucky noticed that Steve was missing. He looked around and soon found the recruitment poster. Knowing Steve very well, he immediately thought that Steve must have gone to enlist.
From a distance, Chen Mo watched the two leave one after the other and followed them with Albert.
When Chen Mo arrived at the recruitment office, Steve and Bucky were arguing in the hallway.
"Are you really going to try again?"
"Well, it's a carnival, so I'll just try my luck."
"Where is it this time? Ohio?" Before meeting Chen Mo, Steve had already tried several times with false identities. It's illegal to forge recruitment documents, "They'll catch you! And if they enlist you, it'll be even worse!"
"I know you think I can't do it, but I'm not the weak person I used to be. I can beat them!" Steve was confident in his current strength.
But Bucky was worried about him. Although he didn't know how much stronger Steve had become under the mysterious and powerful Chen Mo's guidance, in his heart, Steve was still the good brother he had protected since childhood.
The battlefield is full of dangers, with bullets flying everywhere. It was enough for him to go; he didn't want Steve to take the risk too. "This isn't a fight, Steve! I know Mr. Chen is amazing, and he's made you much stronger than before, but this is war!"
"I know this is war. That's why I have to contribute!" Steve, now powerful and with his master's approval, was eager to go to the battlefield and serve his country.
"Then find something else to do." Bucky still hoped Steve would stay safely behind the lines.
"Do what? Make canned food for the soldiers? I don't want to sit in a factory, Bucky!" Steve said, somewhat agitated.
"I don't…" Bucky hadn't finished speaking when Steve interrupted him, "Bucky! Please! Everyone is fighting on the battlefield, I can't hide behind! You don't understand, I'm not trying to prove anything."
"Yes, you are. You want to prove yourself." Bucky knew Steve very well. He knew that Steve's desire to join the army was not only to serve the country but also to prove himself. His frail body had never made him give up because he had a strong and unyielding spirit.
The two stared at each other silently, neither willing to back down.
At this moment, Bucky's female companion called out from a distance, "Excuse me, are we still going dancing?"
"Of course!" Bucky turned and replied.
Turning back, Bucky looked helplessly at the stubborn Steve and said while walking away, "Don't do anything stupid, wait for me to come back."
"Be careful, I'll win the war after I get there."
Watching the two part reluctantly, Chen Mo knew it would be a long time before they saw each other again.
Chen Mo glanced at the scholarly middle-aged man with glasses standing in the corner. He had been standing nearby while Steve and Bucky were talking and had heard their entire conversation.
He was Dr. Abraham Erskine, the creator of the super-soldier serum, and Chen Mo's target this time.
After watching Bucky and the girls walk away, Steve was about to leave when Chen Mo stepped forward and called out to him.
Dr. Erskine, who had been watching Steve, also turned his attention to Chen Mo.
He was looking for a suitable candidate for the first serum enhancement experiment. His ideal candidate should be someone with a kind heart, who understands compassion and would not abuse power. The American soldiers prepared by Colonel Phillips clearly did not satisfy him.
At this moment, Steve, who suddenly appeared in his sight, caught his attention. Although thin and weak, Steve was determined to serve his country, with pure and peaceful eyes, fitting Dr. Erskine's requirements perfectly.
"Steve," Chen Mo called out as he approached with Albert.
"Master, what are you doing here? Are you planning to join the army too?" Steve joked.
"Of course, if my disciple is going to the battlefield, how can I, as his master, fall behind?" Chen Mo's answer surprised Steve. "Besides, your current strength is too weak. It's a bit difficult for you to go to the battlefield alone. If I go with you, I can take care of you."
"Master!" Steve's eyes turned red with emotion.
Chen Mo felt a bit guilty for always fooling Steve.
Steve was inherently kind and very smart, but he was too straightforward and didn't know how to be flexible. However, he was a good disciple, always respectful and trusting of Chen Mo, who genuinely treated him as a disciple.
With Chen Mo around, Steve's fate would not be as tragic as in the original storyline. At the very least, Chen Mo, as his master, would ensure that Steve wouldn't have any regrets about his life.
Putting aside the guilt of fooling his innocent disciple, Chen Mo patted Steve on the shoulder, "Let's go. If you don't pass this time, I'll have to go myself, and you'll stay at the martial arts school to sweep the floors."
Hearing that he might have to stay and sweep the floors, Steve quickly shook his head, "Master, under your training, I've become very strong. I'll definitely pass this time!"
"Let's hope so."
Watching the two walk towards the recruitment office, Dr. Erskine smiled with interest and followed them.
As expected, Dr. Erskine appeared during the medical examination.
Joining the super-soldier program was the best way to obtain the serum. Otherwise, he would have to rely on spies to steal the serum, as in the original storyline. However, without Stark's Vita-Rays, Chen Mo was unsure of the consequences of directly injecting the serum.
Moreover, Chen Mo didn't just want a dose of the serum.
"Do you want to go abroad to kill enemies?" Dr. Erskine asked, flipping through the documents as he walked in.
Seeing Chen Mo's puzzled look, the doctor introduced himself, "Dr. Abraham Erskine, Strategic Scientific Reserve."
"Chen Mo."
"Where are you from?" Dr. Erskine asked, looking into Chen Mo's eyes.
Chen Mo's identity in the U.S. was that of a wealthy immigrant from China, which was a legitimate identity. Chen Mo just needed to "tell the truth," "China. There's a war going on there. To escape the chaos, I came to the U.S. Now, I don't want to run anymore. I want to go to the battlefield."
"To kill people?" Dr. Erskine asked again. He was a peace-loving person, and if Chen Mo's answer didn't satisfy him, he wouldn't let Chen Mo join.
"No, to end this war. The ones who should die are not the soldiers, whether they are Allied or German, but the warmongering ambitious ones." This answer surprised the doctor. As a German, Chen Mo's words touched him deeply.
Yes, soldiers are manipulated and controlled by ambitious people. If Hitler and his henchmen were eliminated, his compatriots wouldn't have to be sent to the front lines, and the war might really end.
And the super-soldier serum in his hands could help achieve this goal. Thinking of this, Dr. Erskine looked at Chen Mo differently. Maybe he would be a good candidate. However, he still needed to be thoroughly assessed.
"I can give you a chance, just one chance." Dr. Erskine said as he pulled back the curtain and walked out.
"I will seize it." Chen Mo followed the doctor out of the examination room, feeling a sense of relief. The first step was successful.