The C-47 transport plane landed at a makeshift airfield in New Jersey.
This was Lehigh Camp.
The secret training Base of the Strategic Scientific Reserve.
It was vastly different from the chaotic, filthy atmosphere of the European front, constantly shrouded in the shadow of death.
Everything here appeared orderly.
Soldiers in neat uniforms.
Clean barracks.
Even the air permeated with the tranquility that belonged to the rear.
Dr. Abraham Erskine had long been waiting anxiously on the tarmac.
Seeing Lynn, he trotted over to meet him.
His scholarly face was brimming with excitement.
"You're finally here!"
"Dr., it seems your project is proceeding very smoothly."
"Smoothly? It's more than smooth! It's practically a gift from God!"
Dr. Erskine gripped Lynn's hand tightly.
This near-fanatical excitement formed a sharp contrast with Lynn's calmness.
At this moment, a crisp, capable female voice sounded from the side.
"Dr. Erskine, I assume this is the Mr. Morris you've been mentioning?"
Lynn turned his gaze over.
A woman in an officer's uniform with a tall, upright posture was standing not far away.
Her hair was pinned up meticulously.
Her red lips were striking.
Her eyes were full of scrutiny.
Peggy Carter.
"Yes! Peggy Carter, come over here!"
Dr. Erskine introduced them enthusiastically: "This is Mr. Lynn Morris, the one who recommended Steve to me!"
Peggy Carter stepped forward and extended her hand to Lynn.
Her grip was firm when they shook hands.
"Agent Carter. I've read your reports, Mr. Morris, and I have to say, you are quite skilled at creating legends."
There was a distinct sting in this compliment.
She held reservations about the "Soldier Boy" who was hyped to the heavens by the newspapers.
"I am merely a recorder, Agent Carter."
Lynn's expression did not change in the slightest.
"And sometimes, reality itself is more legendary than a story."
He released her hand, his tone becoming professional and grave.
"I returned this time specifically for the matter of Soldier Boy. Dr., you should be aware that he is an extremely powerful yet highly unstable weapon."
Dr. Erskine's excitement cooled slightly, and he nodded.
"Yes, Phillips mentioned in the telegram that he is like a powder keg."
"A powder keg needs a bucket of cold water, or a sturdier safe."
Lynn took the opportunity to present his core argument.
"I have witnessed with my own eyes how power amplifies the desires within a person's heart. If it were someone else—someone whose heart was filled with hatred or cowardice—what would they become if they obtained the same power?"
These words garnered a hint of approval from Agent Carter.
She had seen too many people lose themselves in the war.
"Therefore, we need success."
Lynn looked directly at Dr. Erskine.
"Our project is not just about creating a super soldier; it is also about forging a rein for that uncontrollable power."
"A role model who can guide that power with morality and willpower, rather than violence and desire."
These words perfectly catered to Dr. Erskine's ideals.
The birth of a legend requires a sufficiently significant villain to set it off.
Lynn looked at the lively soldiers on the training ground in the distance and silently added a sentence in his heart.
The works of art transformed by Professor Pyg are the best stepping stones.
Under Dr. Erskine's guidance, Lynn met all the candidates for the "Strategic Scientific Reserve."
The atmosphere in the camp was tense.
On one side were a dozen or so elite soldiers with brawny builds, developed muscles, and impressive resumes.
Standing together, they exuded a strong sense of hormones and superiority.
Their eyes were aggressive when looking at others.
On the other side.
A thin, weak figure stood in the corner of the squad.
Steve Rogers.
His military uniform looked empty on him, appearing completely out of place among his robust companions.
The elite soldiers looked at him with undisguised contempt.
A colonel with a chest full of medals and a fleshy face was lecturing the candidates.
His voice was as loud as a bell, each word hitting the ground with impact.
"Listen up, rookies! I don't care what kind of bullshit elites you were before; here, you're just a pile of trash!"
"Dr. Erskine's damn project needs the strongest warriors! Not softies here for a Boy Scout summer camp!"
Colonel Miller Davis.
The person in charge of selection.
His gaze lingered on Steve for a full three seconds.
His disgust was written all over his face.
"Some people, I don't understand how they snuck in. Maybe relying on sympathy? But bullets on the battlefield won't sympathize with you!"
Lynn keenly sensed that this Colonel Davis was the biggest obstacle to the plan.
His brain only contained muscles and obedience.
He couldn't understand Dr. Erskine's philosophy at all.
"Everyone! Twenty-kilometer cross-country run with a load! The last one gets no lunch! Now, move out!"
Following Colonel Davis's order, the soldiers charged out like tigers descending a mountain.
Steve Rogers, unsurprisingly, fell to the back.
He gritted his teeth, his thin body carrying the pack.
Every step exhausted all his strength.
His asthma made it difficult for him to breathe, and his face grew paler.
There was a stretch of swamp in the middle of the training.
Sure enough, Steve took a misstep and fell face-first into the mud.
He struggled a few times but couldn't get up.
A burst of undisguised laughter came from all around.
Colonel Davis, riding on horseback, looked down at Steve in the mud, letting out a contemptuous sneer.
"What did I say? A little girl trying to pass by relying on sympathy! Better go back to your mother's arms as soon as possible!"
Dr. Erskine was trembling with anger.
Just then, Lynn, who had been silently watching, suddenly stepped forward and gave Colonel Davis an "approving" smile.
"The Colonel is right; physical fitness is indeed the primary standard for a soldier."
His remark not only stunned Colonel Davis, but even Dr. Erskine and Agent Carter cast puzzled looks.
"However, this kind of training is still too slow."
Lynn pointed to the tall flagpole standing not far away.
"How about a more intuitive test?"
Colonel Davis narrowed his eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"Very simple."
"Whoever can climb that flagpole and take the flag at the top will receive the honor of riding back to the camp in a jeep with Agent Carter."
The eyes of those muscular soldiers lit up.
Their gazes swept hotly over Peggy Carter's slender figure, then looked at the towering flagpole.
One by one, they rubbed their hands and were eager to try.
Peggy Carter frowned and was about to object, but was stopped by a look from Lynn.
Colonel Davis found this proposal interesting.
It could display strength and humiliate that overconfident Steve.
He immediately laughed and agreed.
"Good idea! Boys, here's your chance!"
The first to rush up was a soldier whose muscles were as brawny as a bear.
He hugged the flagpole and pushed with his legs.
But the smooth metal surface gave him no leverage, and he slid down after trying several times.
Everyone who joined in failed without exception.
The flagpole was too high and too slippery; it simply couldn't be conquered by brute force.
Colonel Davis's expression was ugly.
He felt that he had also been played by this young reporter.
He cast his gaze toward Steve Rogers, who had just climbed out of the mud, covered in a mess.
"If even my strongest soldier can't climb it, do you expect that little runt to?"
He waved his hand and, feeling disinterested, led the main force away.
Soon, only Lynn, Dr. Erskine, Agent Carter, and the silent Steve Rogers standing under the flagpole were left on the training ground.
Steve Rogers walked silently to the Base of the flagpole.
He bent down, carefully observed the fixing structure of the flagpole, and then reached out to pull out the two metal pins at the Base.
"Creak—"
The flagpole, having lost its support, fell toward the ground under his push.
Steve Rogers calmly walked to the top of the fallen flagpole and untied the flag.
He walked up to the three of them holding the flag.
His face was stained with mud, but his eyes were clear and bright.
A flash of undisguised shock and admiration crossed Peggy Carter's eyes.
Lynn walked to Dr. Erskine's side and patted his shoulder.
"Strength and technique can be trained, but wisdom and character are innate."
Dr. Erskine nodded heavily.
His eyes were even a little moist.
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