Chapter Ninety-Five: The Countermove

“What did you say?!”

For the first time in his life, Howard on the other end of the line felt his mind simply could not keep up.

To force Imperial Japan, then at the height of its wartime arrogance, to admit defeat and surrender by the strength of a single man alone—only the gods in legend might barely manage something like that.

Mortal power, standing beside divinity?

“We can give it a try. It’s not dangerous,” Kyle said with quiet confidence. He truly was considering the operation.

No matter who had first proposed it, whether it had been the American leadership, driven by fear, to devise an unrealistic suicide mission.

To him, the assignment was not impossible at all.

With the venom suit’s built-in gliding, camouflage, and stealth abilities, with all kinds of blue support skills and lifesaving cards, and with a body far beyond that of an ordinary human—a super-soldier enhanced by a healing factor—Kyle did not think going to Japan alone was particularly dangerous.

He had been hesitating before, and General Chester had assumed he was frightened and timid. What the general did not know was that Kyle had been seriously weighing the feasibility of the plan.

“Howard. Didn’t you say before that the nuclear weapon finishing up in less than a month would be enough to affect the entire course of the war? I don’t think the threat I can bring is much weaker than a nuclear weapon.”

Kyle smiled with confidence and spoke into the phone.

“Ending World War II ahead of schedule and bringing the world back to peace is also something I personally want to see. Why not go to Japan and try?”

This was not for the sake of any one person. It could only be said that the chaos of the war had obstructed the future he envisioned and the path he intended to take.

Howard on the other end seemed to understand. After a long silence, he shook his head in amazement.

“Kyle, you really are something...”

The American leadership had thought they were in control of the situation, using favors and all kinds of methods to persuade Kyle to go to Japan on a mission, effectively distancing and sidelining him.

But from beginning to end, they had overlooked one premise: Kyle’s strength was far greater than the conclusions they feared. His vision and ambitions were equally beyond anything they could predict.

“If that’s how you see it, then I can relax. I was afraid you’d be sent off to Japan with no preparation at all. You nearly scared me.”

After letting out a breath, Howard said teasingly, “I’m suddenly looking forward to this. If you really do end the world war by yourself and come back safe and sound, I wonder what kind of faces the American leadership will make.”

He said with emotion, “If you succeed, you’ll be legendary overnight. From then on, you could stand at the very pinnacle of the American Empire, and even of the whole world, relying solely on your own prestige, worshiped by countless people!”

“You know I don’t care about that,” Kyle said with a soft laugh, though his tone grew a little more solemn. “But there are two things I’d like to ask you to help with.”

“Just say the word!” Howard said heartily, relieved to know his friend was not in immediate danger.

“The first thing: after I leave for Japan, contact Logan and have him come get Lucy that same night, then move her to a safe place,” Kyle said in a low voice.

Whatever happened, his relationship with the military could never return to what it had been. American soldiers, even the former Howling Commandos, were no longer trustworthy.

“Fine, I’ll let Logan know in time. But the soldiers guarding outside your house...” Howard trailed off and did not continue.

“Tell Logan not to use lethal force. Just teach them a lesson and knock them all out,” Kyle replied coolly. Those soldiers were only there because the American leadership had dragged them into its tangled web of obligations. No matter what, the blame could not be placed on them.

But the members of the former Howling Commandos, from the day before yesterday onward, when they took orders from General Chester, no longer had any connection to him. From that point on, they would all be strangers.

“That’s a relief,” Howard said, quietly easing his breath. Then he asked in confusion, “And the second thing?”

“Have Fury investigate in secret which people in the American leadership were the first to propose assigning me this mission,” Kyle said after a moment’s thought, a killing intent surfacing in his azure eyes. “I suspect some surviving Hydra spies may be among them.”

“Hydra?” Howard sucked in a sharp breath.

The Hydra remnants had not yet been uprooted, even after paying the price of Captain America’s disappearance in the Alpine underground base incident. And now there were spies infiltrated into the highest levels of the American government?

“After the president died so suddenly and you were assigned so quickly, I’m afraid there really may be Hydra remnants among those high-ranking officials,” Howard muttered to himself, the thought growing chilling the more he considered it. “They’re the type who love nothing more than stirring up discord.”

“If we want to wipe out Hydra’s remnants completely, we need to gather all the targets and deal with them in one sweep,” Kyle reminded him. “Have Fury investigate quietly. Don’t alert the snake in the grass. We’ll talk about the rest when I get back.”

Howard said calmly, “All right. I understand. You be extra careful. When this superhero returns in triumph, we’ll drink through the night together!”

“If you want to drink until dawn, then your tolerance needs a little more training,” Kyle teased with a final smile. Then he hung up and the card dissolved into nothingness in his hand.

He turned around.

At some point, Lucy was already standing behind him, her large eyes a little red as they looked up at him.

“Don’t worry. I’ve already arranged everything in advance. Just wait for me to come back in peace,” Kyle said, taking her small hand and drawing the girl’s soft body into his arms. He kissed her smooth, pale forehead.

Lucy smiled faintly. Her lips parted, and she said with certainty, “All right. I’ll wait for you.”

...

At that moment, inside the office of a member of parliament in the acting office of the American government, a middle-aged man stood by the window with both hands buried in his trouser pockets, pacing back and forth uneasily. His narrow eyes were half narrowed, and no one knew what he was thinking.

A knock sounded at the door, and a mature, sexy female secretary walked in carrying a large box. Pouting her red lips, she said, “Congressman Ivan, these are all the letters of suggestion sent by the public to the Senate chamber. Most of them are asking the lawmakers to reconsider the assignment sending Major General Kyle to Japan.”

“Are they never going to shut up? This was already decided unanimously at the top. What is there left to consider?” Ivan shot the secretary a dark look and said in a cold voice, “Call General Chester and remind him to send that man out right away. No more delays!”

“Yes.” The female secretary set the box full of letters in a corner, then left the office in her black stockings and high heels, her hips swaying with each step.

“Kyle. An American major general, a war hero, hmph!” Ivan snorted coldly, slamming his fist hard on the desk. “This war isn’t over yet. It’s still too soon to say who wins and who loses!”

“When my lord Schmidt returns, it will be the time to unify the world—”

“Long live Hydra!”