Carter couldn't help but laugh.
"It depends on when our commander returns."
"That brat is taking so long this time. If it were before, he would have already wiped out the Hydra base and come back for me to treat him."
Colonel Phillips seemed to be complaining, but anyone could see that he was extremely pleased with Chen Mo. He was essentially praising him.
Agent Carter looked at the colonel, who was exceptionally fond of Chen Mo, and thought about his attitude towards Steve. She felt a bit unfair for Steve.
She knew that Steve's strength wasn't as great as Chen Mo's, but with the enhancement of the super soldier serum, he was definitely powerful, far beyond ordinary people. He wasn't as weak as the colonel made him out to be.
Moreover, Steve was upright, kind, smart, and brave, willing to risk his life for his comrades. She believed that Steve just hadn't had the chance to prove himself yet. She hoped that this time, he could change the colonel's opinion of him.
As the two were discussing the missing duo in the temporary command post, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the tent. Many soldiers were shouting and running past the tent entrance.
"They're back!"
"I can't believe it!"
…
"What's going on outside?" Colonel Phillips asked sternly, looking at the chaotic soldiers outside.
Without waiting for Carter's response, he got up and walked out of the command post, heading towards the gathering crowd.
Carter, curious about what was happening outside, followed the colonel.
The soldiers had gathered at the camp's entrance. A dense sound of footsteps and engine roars came from the road in front of the gate. As the noise grew louder, the soldiers blocking the entrance automatically parted, revealing the scene outside.
On the road outside the gate, a group of ragged soldiers holding weapons were marching towards the camp, led by two tall figures in identical special black armored combat suits.
The colonel quickly recognized them as nearly a hundred soldiers from the 107th Infantry Regiment, who had been captured by Hydra. Leading them were Steve and Chen Mo, who had gone deep behind enemy lines to rescue the prisoners and had been missing for several days.
Although the rescued soldiers looked very disheveled, their expressions were full of confidence and pride. They walked with firm steps and high morale.
Behind them, a dozen black-painted tanks, trucks, and armored vehicles with Hydra symbols followed closely. They had captured a significant amount of Hydra's mechanized equipment.
That night, after Chen Mo rushed out of the base at full speed, he quickly caught up with Steve and the Allied prisoners a few kilometers away. However, they were in high spirits, looking more like a victorious army returning from battle than fleeing prisoners.
In fact, that was the case. Under Steve's cover and assistance, they had seized a large number of unguarded tanks, armored vehicles, and other heavy weapons, overpowering the Hydra soldiers who lacked heavy firepower. They had beaten the outer Hydra soldiers so badly that they couldn't fight back. If Steve hadn't been focused on leading them to retreat, they might have taken down the entire Hydra base.
Steve didn't know the full extent of Hydra's forces and wasn't aware of how many soldiers and weapons were inside the base. Additionally, Chen Mo had instructed him to evacuate immediately after rescuing the prisoners.
Steve always followed Chen Mo's orders, so he strictly adhered to his master's command, focusing solely on leading the prisoners to safety without thinking of counterattacking the base.
The other prisoners, just rescued from captivity, also wanted to escape as quickly as possible. They followed the powerful Captain America closely, retreating rapidly until they were several kilometers away from the base, where they finally stopped at Steve's call.
Fortunately, they did. Otherwise, when the base exploded, only Chen Mo and Steve, with their superior physical strength and strong defenses, would have survived. The others would have had little chance of survival.
Just as Chen Mo caught up with them and was about to speak, a violent explosion occurred in the direction of the Hydra base. A dazzling fireball shot into the sky, forming a small mushroom cloud.
They first felt the intense ground tremors, like an earthquake, causing the armored vehicles and tanks to shake. Many people couldn't stand and fell to the ground.
Before they could get up, a deafening roar and a powerful shockwave swept over them.
Even several kilometers away, with layers of trees blocking and absorbing the impact, the powerful shockwave still blew them back, making it hard to stand. Except for Chen Mo and Steve, almost everyone was knocked to the ground.
If the explosion had such power several kilometers away, one could only imagine the devastation at the Hydra base's center.
The explosion's immense power was evident. If they hadn't evacuated in time according to Chen Mo's orders, their fate would have been grim. Steve and the prisoners couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
After the shockwave passed, it took a while for everyone to dare to get up. They stared blankly at the distant firelight that lit up half the sky.
"Master, how did you know the base would explode?" Steve asked fearfully as he approached Chen Mo.
During the battle in the base, he had felt invincible with his enhanced physique, the armored combat suit, and the alloy shield Chen Mo had given him.
He fought without hesitation, bravely facing the enemy, taking countless bullets that shredded his combat suit, now exposing the cool black armor underneath, just like Chen Mo.
Participating in his first real battle, successfully rescuing over a hundred captured Allied soldiers, and being unstoppable in the subsequent fight, Steve had gained a new understanding of his strength and felt a bit proud.
It wasn't until he experienced the explosion's aftermath that Steve sobered up. He realized he might not have survived such a violent blast and understood that no matter how strong or well-defended, one must always have a sense of awe and caution.
Chen Mo didn't know Steve's thoughts but saw the confidence and sharpness in his eyes, now tempered with steadiness, and felt very satisfied.
"The two Hydra bases I previously destroyed both had self-destruct devices. This one was no exception," Chen Mo explained, knowing Steve's character and trusting him to follow his instructions without needing further explanation.
At that moment, Bucky, who had been following Steve, suddenly exclaimed, looking at Chen Mo.
"You're the commander of that mysterious special forces team?!"