Bay, ferry.
Russell stood on the edge of the boat and looked across the sea at Manhattan, New York. He could see numerous high-rise buildings. In addition to the eye-catching Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty was also vaguely visible.
In 1942, Manhattan was an area with the highest concentration of high-rise buildings in the world, and the economy was also very developed. Because the whole world was at war, the relatively safe geographical location of the United States attracted many Europeans to seek refuge, attracting almost a group of the best scientists and scientific personnel in the world.
Dr. Erskine is one of them. He is a German scientist and a colleague of Schmidt. The latter forcibly injected the serum, and Erskine was frightened by his inflated ambition. He also discovered the shortcomings of the super soldier serum. While strengthening various indicators of the human body, it also strengthened the spirit.
Good guys get better and bad guys get worse.
As soon as Russell got off the boat, a black car stopped in front of him. The man driving the car looked like a gentle scholar in a suit and tie. It was hard to imagine that he was a Hydra agent.
Russell got into the passenger seat and the car started slowly. Crowds of people laughing and laughing could be seen everywhere on both sides of the street. The peaceful life of singing and dancing did not feel like it was during the Second World War at all.
The vehicle drove for ten minutes and stopped at the entrance of a bar that was not yet open. Russell magically took out a document from his arms and handed it over.
"Sir, I'm Fred, and I currently work for the State Department." Fred respectfully returned the document to Russell. Schmidt's signature made him dare not take it lightly.
"You don't need to call me sir. My current identity is your personal assistant and bodyguard. Just call me Russell. A more casual attitude will be more real." Russell took the document back and stuffed it into his arms. The bulging documents disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Okay, Mr. Russell."
Fred nodded secretly, thinking that he was worthy of being the leader's sidekick. He couldn't develop the ability to hide objects with just one hand in ten years.
"By the way, I just arrived here and know nothing about the plan. How far has it progressed now?"
Schmidt regards Erskine as his close enemy, fearing the emergence of another super soldier, so the assassination plan against Dr. Erskine has long been established. He sent Russell to New York as a matter of course. If Russell really planned to betray him, it would be a good opportunity to eliminate a hidden danger around him.
Russell himself also knew that in order to take root within Hydra and dispel Schmidt's doubts, he was determined to obtain the super soldier serum.
"There are some twists and turns, but it does not affect the overall situation!" Fred said confidently: "I met Congressman Brandt through my status in the State Council, and three days later I participated in the super soldier enhancement experiment with him."
Russell frowned: "There are only three days left..."
"Yes, the Strategic Science Corps suddenly announced a secret experiment, and I was very passive." Fred said with a headache. If he had more time, he wouldn't mind handing over the command after Russell got familiar with it. After all, Russell was the person next to Schmidt. He cannot seize power.
But there are only three days left. If Russell insists on taking over forcefully, it may have the opposite effect. But he refused to delegate power and asked Russell to take a three-day trip to New York. When Russell returned to the headquarters and said something bad in front of Schmidt, his life would be difficult.
Fred was very entangled, and a leader parachuted in, making him neither advance nor retreat.
"Fred, don't worry about my face. The leader trusts your ability very much. He sent me here just for gold plating. Everything will go according to the original plan. You are still in charge." Russell was very generous and had no idea of grabbing power.
Fred's chest felt heavy, and he asked tentatively: "Is this... really good?"
Russell's face straightened: "Remember, Fred, it doesn't matter what happens to you or me. Everything is for the leader, long live Hydra!"
Fred's face suddenly turned red, his eyes full of enthusiasm: "Yes, long live Hydra!"
"By the way, I can not participate in the plan and be your driver with peace of mind, but there is something I must remind you..." Russell changed the topic and looked directly into Fred's eyes: "The leader doesn't want to see Erskine alive. Go down, but the sample of the super soldier serum must be brought back, and this cannot be lost."
The difference in spirit was reflected in his momentum. Fred looked into Russell's eyes and felt like a sheep being hunted by a lion. He hurriedly expressed his stance: "Don't worry, I will definitely complete the task."
"That's no problem. Let's go. You tell us your plan on the way and I'll see if there's anything I need to add."
"OK!"
Fred wiped the sweat from his head and looked at Russell squarely for the first time. He didn't dare to hide anything and told his plan in full.
Russell sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed and listened. Cars from the 1940s were not very fast, and the wide streets of Manhattan were crowded with people, so the speed could not be increased. He was tired from the journey and suddenly felt sleepy when he sat down.
Fred wisely kept his mouth shut and concentrated on driving. At this moment, Russell's eyes suddenly opened.
"Fred, stop the car!"
Tsk!
Fred was startled by the sudden situation and hurriedly stepped on the brakes: "Mr. Russell, what's wrong?"
"Wait for me in the car, I'll be right back..."
After Russell finished speaking, he opened the car door and walked out. Regardless of Fred's shouts, he disappeared around the corner in a few steps. While the car was driving just now, he noticed the magical atmosphere. To be precise, it was the ripples automatically emitted by the magic circle.
It's very light, but it's extremely noticeable to people with magical powers, especially Russell. He had just arrived in Manhattan, and he didn't notice any trace of magic along the way, except that it was very eye-catching here, so there must be something wrong.
Russell rounded the corner and saw a building with domes on all sides in the distance. It was four stories high and the circular window at the top seemed to be some kind of mysterious symbol. The eye-catching building is incompatible with the surroundings, but passers-by are not interested in it at all, and do not even stop to take a look.
"New York Temple!"
Russell's eyes flashed. The sign on the circular window was the 'Eye of Agamotto'. This building that everyone subconsciously ignored was the New York Temple, one of the three major temples.
Russell quickly came to the door of the temple. He paused when he raised his hand to push the door open. His current status was not honorable. He didn't know if he would be kicked out if he entered rashly.
After hesitating for a moment, Russell opened the door and walked in. No mage could resist the temptation of Kama Taj. Especially for a half-empty novice like him, Kama Taj has stored a large number of magic books with an astonishing amount of knowledge. It is an upgrade holy place to broaden your horizons.
The main body of the empty hall is decorated in a European style. It seems to have a complex structure, but the decoration is very simple. In the center of the hall is a wooden staircase covered with red carpet, which leads directly to the second floor in two columns. The strange thing is that the temple is very quiet, not even a single person can be seen.
"Young man, this is not a place for adventure, and you didn't knock on the door just now. That was rude."
The voice came from the second floor. Russell looked closely and found an old man in a robe. His white beard reached to his chest and was trimmed into an inverted triangle shape. He was very old and had wrinkles so heavy that he could hardly open his eyes.
"Sorry, I was abrupt. I noticed the fluctuation of magic power, so I came in to take a look..." Russell bowed slightly, stood up and asked: "Ask this mage, are you the Supreme Mage?"
Russell couldn't detect anything from the other party. He looked like an ordinary old man, but the New York Temple was very important. It was not a university dormitory, so it was impossible for an ordinary old man to guard the door. Not being able to see through can only mean that the other person's magical attainments are higher than his, or that he has magic props to hide his aura. Either way, he should be more polite.
"No, I am not the Supreme Mage, I am just an old man waiting to retire." The old man with the white beard pointed at his feet: "If you are looking for the Supreme Mage, then I can only say that you have come to the wrong place. This is New York, not Cardiff. Ma Taj.”
Russell took a deep breath: "Master, where is Kama Taj? The Himalayas or Nepal?"
There is a reason for asking this. If Kamal Taj is in the Himalayas, then the Supreme Master is an old man with a white beard. If Kamal Taj is in Nepal, then the Supreme Master is a bald female. This is important, whether this world is the comic book version or the movie version.
"I'm sorry, young man, I have no obligation to answer this question. If you really want to know where Kama Taj is, I can only say that some people have been searching for their whole lives and have not found it. Some people are traveling in other places and just find a public toilet. Got it."
Russell: "..."
This metaphor is really sober and refined, and Kama Taj instantly becomes flavorful.
"Okay, young man, the mages are not here today. If you want to clear up your doubts, it would be more appropriate to go to the church two streets away. The priest there is much more professional than me." After the white-bearded old man finished speaking, he shook his head. gone.
"Wait a moment……"
Russell was determined to catch up, but he ran in place like a ghost beating a wall, never getting close to the stairs. As a result, as soon as he took a step back, the door behind him opened without any warning.
The other party issued an eviction order, and Russell couldn't force his way in. Master Whitebeard's meaning was obvious. The Supreme Master was not in New York, and he needed to find the other party himself if he wanted to see him.
"I seem to have seen this trick of sincerity and success somewhere..." Russell left the temple, glanced at the door that closed automatically, and said to himself that I will come back.
"System, use 'Item Card: World Anchor'."
【Ding】
[The host uses the world anchor to permanently locate the world node and can enter this world an unlimited number of times]
The effect of the card is very powerful, but the actual operation is extremely mediocre. There are no magnificent sound effects, no shadow of a giant anchor falling to the ground, and no ripples in the space. It just plainly positions the world. If the system does not prompt, he will I didn’t even know I had succeeded.
"System, can I return to the original world now?"
"No, you must complete the task before you can enter and exit freely."
"It's not a big problem. The main thing is that this time I can stay peacefully for 24 hours..."
