Chapter 153: Skye's Disappearance (Part 2)

Older memories meant deeper and harder-to-reach layers, while a longer lifespan implied a larger volume of memories.
Combined, the two meant a longer mapping time.
Naturally, Old Wang was not going to cooperate with the Five Fingers; people could lie, but memories could not.
There were two purposes for the resurrection:
First, to obtain more detailed and lossless memories in order to better take over the resources, wealth, and knowledge controlled by the Hand. Second, the living Five Fingers should be much easier to use when knocking open the gates of Kun-Lun than dead ones.
Having already waited for a few months, Old Wang did not mind waiting a few more days. According to Fitz's estimation, it would be completed in two weeks at most.
The standards and efficiency of top American laboratories were indeed impressive, which was also related to Nick Fury's status, authority, and personal charisma. With sufficient materials and abundant personnel, the secondary Adamantium components were manufactured rapidly and delivered to the laboratory via a Quinjet.
Before that, Fitz had already finished crafting the other parts.
As soon as the secondary Adamantium arrived, assembly began immediately, and debugging was completed in under an hour.
A brand-new mechanical arm, worth tens of millions of dollars, appeared before everyone.
According to Fitz, this gadget was essentially an upgraded version of the titanium alloy gauntlet, boasting more functions than the Black Widow's Widow's Bite set and a higher tier of capabilities in every aspect, which naturally demanded higher physical fitness.
Simply put, even if the Black Widow's arm were severed and this mechanical arm grafted on, she would still be unable to use it. The burden it placed on the flesh alone was more than she could endure.
Having spent so long living in his own isolated world of three, the Winter Soldier finally emerged from the biochemical laboratory.
"Is this for me?"
Seeing Old Wang nod, he quickly picked it up, attached it, and began testing while listening to Fitz's explanation.
"Uh... aside from the inherent electromagnetic shielding and weapon systems, the primary focus is a comprehensive enhancement of the mechanical arm's defensive and offensive capabilities—mostly offense. Vibranium leans toward defense, while Adamantium leans toward offense."
"Secondary Adamantium can keep your mechanical arm intact under an impact force of one hundred tons. Unless you go toe-to-toe with a twenty-car freight train or take a direct hit from a meteorite over ten meters in diameter, the mechanical arm won't have any issues at all. Who in this world has that kind of strength anyway... well, except for the Hulk."
"If you run into him, run as far as you can. Even though he might not be able to break the mechanical arm, your body definitely wouldn't be able to take the shock, and the secondary Adamantium might not even be able to harm him—the material itself is strong enough, but your strength is far too lacking."
"In addition, the strength amplification system has been enhanced."
"Powered by the micro-Arc Reactor provided by Mr. Stark, the propulsion system can boost your arm's strength up to five tons... Not that we couldn't go higher, but your physical constitution isn't strong enough to bear it..."
Before he could finish speaking, a startled gasp was heard.
"Mr. Stark?"
Hearing this title, the Winter Soldier froze entirely: "Which Stark?"
"Tony Stark, CEO of Stark Industries, Howard's son," Old Wang stated truthfully.
The Winter Soldier was completely stunned.
Scene after scene from the past surged back into his mind.

December 16, 1991. He would remember that day forever.
HYDRA received intelligence that Howard Stark had secretly restarted the Super Soldier program in an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier serum, and had already succeeded.
He received orders to intercept the serum.
On that stretch of road returning to the Stark estate, he killed Howard and his wife.
At the time, Howard recognized him, but he had already been brainwashed.
An old friend had died by his own hands.
How was he supposed to face the big nephew after this?
"Even though it wasn't of your own free will, I still have to say... this is a very difficult situation." Old Wang shrugged.
The Winter Soldier remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a muffled voice: "I've killed many people, and I remember every single one of their names, every single one of their faces."
Apologies were meaningless.
Hatred could not be dissolved so easily.
What had to be faced would eventually have to be faced.
"We'll talk about it later." Old Wang felt a headache coming on.
The blood debt of a father's murder was irreconcilable. If something like this happened to him, regardless of whether it was voluntary or not, he would put the killer down first.
Blood must be paid for with blood.
Whoever dared to stop him shouldn't blame him for showing no mercy.
No one was qualified to interfere in such matters; they could only resolve it themselves.
Regardless of the final outcome, Old Wang could understand.
Neither Tony nor Captain America nor the Winter Soldier were whiny cowards, and the final outcome wouldn't be like some domestic television drama where everyone smiles and lets bygones be bygones. They were all adults, and everyone had their own persistence and choices.
"Captain America is still waiting for you in Greenland."
Old Wang pointed to the plaza outside and said, "A Quinjet has already been modified. The detection equipment and other necessary gear are all prepared for you. If your power runs low, contact me anytime... You can go now."
In a heavy mood, the Winter Soldier nodded and departed in silence.
The Quinjet took off, and he flew alone to Greenland to search for the good brother he had been separated from for many years.
That was a bond flowing in the blood and engraved upon the heart.
Eternal and unchanging.
Old Wang shook his head slightly, then suddenly frowned.

A powerful surge of energy emanated from the virtual laboratory not far away, accompanied by a familiar spatial shift.
The laboratory, which had previously held only one person, now contained two lives.
Too late to open the door, fly over, or even project his soul out of his body, Old Wang's thought flickered, and the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak wrapped around his waist lashed out like red lightning toward the virtual laboratory, shattering the glass and arriving in an instant.
As swift as his thoughts, so were the magical bands.
Yet the energy fluctuation vanished abruptly, and everything fell silent as if nothing had happened at all.
Only, a person was gone, leaving no trace behind.
The Crimson Bands flew back and coiled around Old Wang's waist, rubbing against his lower belly in a fawning manner as if to say, It really wasn't my fault, that guy teleported without even a one-second countdown, simply outrageous!
Old Wang ignored it.
As expected, a knockoff brand with only a trademark name was utterly useless.
Two minutes later, the door was slammed open, and Cal, his neck bulging with throbbing veins, rushed in with bloodshot eyes: "Jiyang contacted me! She found out my location and sent Gordon to take Skye away!"
"Don't panic, Mr. Johnson. Skye will be fine. If a real fight breaks out, out of all those Inhumans in Afterlife, probably none of them are a match for her."
Old Wang turned around and looked at Fitz: "How is it? Can you track them?"
"Uh... that place is rather peculiar, or perhaps it's experiencing some sort of interference. I can't track Skye's subcutaneous implanted communicator for the moment. Give me a second." Fitz answered while staring at his computer.
"It's not that it's peculiar, it's that there's no signal there at all!"
Cal's eyes burned with anxious fire: "Afterlife is in the mountains, though I don't know which mountain specifically! There isn't even cell phone service; the people there don't communicate with the outside world at all, and the only means of communication is Gordon!"
"Even that can be resolved."
Fitz said, "As long as it's still on Earth, there is satellite coverage, and we can use communications satellites to receive signals. Well, with Skye away, I can't hack into the communication satellites of various nations myself, but we can ask Mr. Stark for help."
"Then do it as quickly as possible."
Old Wang narrowed his eyes slightly: "Afterlife, Inhumans, Hive, the Moon, Black Bolt, Medusa..."
The Inhumans were a place prolific with people possessing special abilities. Every awakened Inhuman possessed some kind of ability, bizarre and varied.
Perhaps some abilities were completely useless, while others might be comparable to the Hulk or Thor.
Take Black Bolt, for instance.
This thread had to be grasped.
Starting from Afterlife.