Everyone felt reluctant to abandon the equipment they had painstakingly captured from Hydra. These weapons were clearly more advanced than the Allied heavy weapons, and the thought of leaving them behind was heartbreaking.
Bucky looked at Steve, hoping he had an idea. Steve frowned, also at a loss. He too wanted to bring the weapons back, believing they would greatly benefit the Allies' technological advancements.
Seeing Bucky's hopeful gaze, Steve knew what he was thinking but couldn't come up with a solution. The valley was nearly two kilometers long, making it almost impossible for tanks and armored vehicles to pass through. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly.
Everyone was dejected, feeling the loss deeply. Only Chen Mo stood calmly aside, waiting for everyone to rest before preparing to set off again.
Chen Mo didn't care much about the Hydra tanks and armored vehicles. He had access to much more advanced technology within Hydra. The equipment before them was outdated and discarded, given to the abandoned rebel base as a cover.
Steve noticed Chen Mo's calm demeanor and quickly approached him.
"Master, how can we get these tanks back? It's such a waste to leave them here!"
Chen Mo glanced at the unwilling Steve, thinking, "These are just scraps, and you treat them like treasures."
But he couldn't say that out loud. After all, he was now on the Allied side, and since his disciple had asked, he couldn't pretend not to know.
"Where's the sword I gave you?" Chen Mo asked, slightly annoyed. He had hoped to save some effort, but it seemed he couldn't avoid the work.
Steve drew the Adamantium alloy sword.
"Here, Master. What's the plan?"
Seeing Steve's confused expression, Chen Mo wondered if he had really taught the wise Captain America from the movies or if this was an imposter.
Could I have made a mistake? Is the real Captain America still fighting thugs in an alley somewhere?
Chen Mo rolled his eyes at Steve and walked towards the valley.
As he walked, Chen Mo slowly drew the Sword of Kings from his back. He approached a large boulder about a meter square, and under the watchful eyes of the soldiers and Steve, he swiftly swung his sword. The dazzling blade flashed around the boulder, and when Chen Mo sheathed his sword and moved to the next boulder, only a pile of head-sized rubble remained.
When Chen Mo started cutting the second boulder, Steve finally understood. He quickly grabbed the Adamantium alloy sword and joined Chen Mo in clearing the boulders. The other soldiers, after their initial shock, were delighted and began clearing the rubble without needing any orders.
The captured Hydra tanks and armored vehicles were much larger than the current German and Allied equipment, with tanks nearly four meters wide. They needed to clear a path at least four meters wide.
Fortunately, Hydra's technology was very advanced. Even the outdated equipment was far superior to the current equipment of other countries in terms of performance, including off-road capabilities.
Chen Mo and Steve only needed to break up the largest boulders, and the soldiers could move the rubble. Smaller rocks wouldn't hinder their progress.
Even so, it took them an entire day to clear a path less than a kilometer long, just wide enough for the vehicles to pass through.
Chen Mo was fine, but Steve and the soldiers were exhausted. Fortunately, they had eliminated all the German soldiers in the area, so there was no immediate threat of a German counterattack.
After a brief rest, they continued through the valley, breaking through the German blockade and heading towards the Allied camp.
…
Chen Mo and his group, having successfully rescued the captured Allied soldiers and brought back the captured Hydra equipment, received a warm welcome from the camp's soldiers.
Chen Mo's identity quickly spread among the soldiers. They had heard of a mysterious unit fighting the powerful Hydra army, led by a commander with incredible strength who could cut through tanks and single-handedly destroy an entire Hydra unit.
Previously, they thought the rumors were exaggerated, but after hearing the rescued prisoners' firsthand accounts of Chen Mo cutting through heavy artillery and smashing boulders, they had no doubts about his legendary feats. They looked at Chen Mo with fervent admiration.
At that moment, Chen Mo stood in his black alloy armor, with a black shield, silver sword, dual guns at his sides, and a belt full of throwing knives, grenades, and pistol magazines. His stern expression and tall figure made him stand out among the ragged prisoners, commanding respect and awe.
Beside him, Steve had matured significantly through the battle. Wearing the same equipment, he stood next to Chen Mo. Although his presence wasn't as imposing as Chen Mo's, he now had a sharper edge, changing many soldiers' opinions of him.
Previously, frontline soldiers saw Steve as an actor, a celebrity who was strong but only performed.
This time, however, Steve had risked his life, infiltrating the Hydra base with Chen Mo and rescuing over a hundred captured Allied soldiers. This earned him newfound respect, even from Colonel Phillips, who had previously looked down on him.
Steve saw the stern-faced Colonel Phillips and Carter approaching and remembered that he had acted without orders. He worried that he might have caused trouble for Carter. In his haste to save Bucky, he hadn't considered the consequences, and now he felt guilty.
Striding up to the colonel, Steve saluted and said solemnly, "Colonel, I'm willing to accept any punishment."
Colonel Phillips looked at him deeply before turning away.
"There's no need."
With that, the colonel turned and walked towards Chen Mo, leaving Steve with a barely noticeable smile.
Steve, having caught the colonel's smile, felt touched. He had never seen the colonel smile before. He softly replied, "Yes, sir."
After the colonel left, Carter stepped forward, her eyes filled with deep emotion as she looked at Steve. Steve also gazed deeply at the woman before him.
It was she who had comforted and encouraged him during his lowest moments, never doubting his abilities. Now that he had proven himself, he finally had the courage to express his deep love for her.