Dr. Zola's weapon research had also made good progress. The NB-2 energy rifle was much smaller than the initial NB-1 model, but it was still somewhat bulky.
Energy weapons, designed by Dr. Zola, were high-tech weapons using energy extracted from the Tesseract as a power source, with immense power.
The latest NB-2 energy rifle had a single-shot power equivalent to a grenade, but with a very small blast radius. The energy would explode upon hitting the target, with poor penetration. It lacked the wide blast radius of a grenade and the penetration power of an armor-piercing round.
However, its energy was more concentrated, with greater single-target lethality. The powerful energy beam could directly incinerate a person and melt the surface of steel.
Due to current technological limitations, its firing rate was much slower than a regular rifle. The charging interval of a fraction of a second was sufficient for ordinary soldiers, but for Chen Mo, it was too slow, severely affecting his efficiency in killing enemies.
So, in Chen Mo's view, the NB-2 energy rifle was akin to a more powerful automatic shotgun. Against ordinary enemies, a regular bullet and a high-power shotgun shell made little difference to him. Its lack of penetration made it impractical for attacking armored vehicles.
The NS-2 energy pistol had similar firing rate issues and was much less powerful than the rifle, making it even less useful to Chen Mo.
Chen Mo ordered Dr. Zola to continue researching and optimizing energy weapons, hoping to see practical energy weapons upon his return.
Chen Mo glanced at the two standing below, his brow furrowing slightly as he prepared to speak. Suddenly, there was a rhythmic knock on the office door.
Hearing the familiar knock, Chen Mo's brow relaxed, and a barely noticeable smile appeared on his lips.
The office door slowly opened, and Major John and Dr. Zola turned to look. They couldn't imagine who would dare to enter Chen Mo's office uninvited.
Could it be…?
At the door, a tall, white-haired old man walked in slowly, carrying a coffee pot. His calm face showed no sign of the panic they expected; instead, he looked happy, with a kind smile.
Under their gaze, the old man walked straight to Chen Mo's side and calmly poured him a cup of coffee.
The coffee emitted a fragrant aroma, filling the room.
Chen Mo naturally picked up the coffee and took a sip.
"Thank you, Eddie."
The old man was Chen Mo's old butler, Eddie Albert.
After arriving in London from New York with a few others, Chen Mo secretly arranged for Hydra personnel to bring Albert to the secret base in Norway to take over Hydra's operations.
Chen Mo had no concerns about Albert's ability to handle the job.
Hydra was entirely under Chen Mo's control. Although Major John and Dr. Zola were temporarily in charge, it was only because of his initial orders. With just one word from him, they would obediently hand over their power.
His word was the will of God, and no one in Hydra dared to defy it.
Moreover, Hydra had long been reorganized by Chen Mo, with a well-structured internal organization and clear divisions of labor. It didn't require much effort to manage. Orders from higher-ups would be quickly and effectively executed. With Albert's capabilities, managing Hydra was more than sufficient.
"In a few days, I will leave again. This time, it will be for a long time. From now on, Hydra will be under Eddie's control. You two will assist him well until I return."
"Yes!"
John and Zola quickly responded.
They had been working under Albert's leadership, strictly following Chen Mo's orders without any disobedience. Naturally, they had no objections to Chen Mo's command.
As for Chen Mo saying he would be gone for a long time, they didn't fully understand, thinking it would be a few years. Only old Albert vaguely understood that this "long time" might be very long.
Waving the two away, Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, savoring the aromatic coffee.
"Eddie, after I leave this time, it will be over seventy years before I return. I'm leaving Hydra in your hands."
Old Albert didn't speak, just nodded slowly at Chen Mo. Chen Mo smiled reassuringly and then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Albert.
The old butler glanced at it.
"Natasha Romanoff, Soviet agent, Red Room…"
"Anton Vanko, Soviet scientist, energy and mechanics…"
It was a list containing information about important figures or scientists that Chen Mo knew.
"The people on this list are top talents. It would be best to recruit them for our use. You can try to gradually absorb them into Hydra, but be sure to control them well; they are not easy to deal with."
Chen Mo instructed carefully.
The old butler neatly folded the paper and carefully put it into his jacket pocket, nodding to Chen Mo.
"Rest assured."
Seeing this, Chen Mo said no more. He trusted Albert's steady handling of matters.
After giving these instructions, Chen Mo waved his hand and took out several clear blue vials from his space.
…
When Dr. Zola and Major John saw Albert again, they were shocked. The originally sixty-year-old, white-haired Albert now looked only in his forties, with his white hair turned to light gold.
His body was stronger and taller, and his height seemed to have increased. Paired with his deep blue eyes that seemed to see through everything and his calm, chiseled face, he exuded an aura of nobility and elegance, filled with the charm of a mature man.
Seeing the miraculous transformation in Albert, both men couldn't help but think of Chen Mo. The ability to make someone regain their youth and undergo such an astonishing change could only come from Chen Mo.
Their reverence for Chen Mo deepened, and their belief in Chen Mo's "divine" identity became even more certain. Even Dr. Zola, who had always feared Chen Mo more than revered him, completely changed his mind, truly believing in Chen Mo as a god from that moment on.
It wasn't just the two of them; everyone in the Hydra base was shocked by Albert's transformation.
It all happened before their eyes. They saw the originally white-haired old man turn into a tall, strong, and powerful middle-aged man on the day Chen Mo returned.
This led to an even stronger and more fervent belief in Chen Mo among all Hydra members.
God had bestowed his chosen representative with great power and eternal youth. Wasn't this a miracle?
But their god disappeared after performing this final miracle.