Two Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division agents discovered the frozen Chen Mo in the Valkyrie and confirmed his identity. They immediately contacted headquarters and quickly arranged for aircraft to transport Chen Mo back to Washington.
Since Chen Mo was in a frozen state, to be safe, they placed him in a cryogenic chamber to maintain the original frozen condition and prevent accidental thawing during transport.
However, compared to the dozens of degrees below zero in the ice layer, the cryogenic chamber's few degrees below zero temperature could already be considered warm.
Having left the frigid low-temperature environment, Chen Mo began controlling his body to slowly revive. By the time they reached Washington, Chen Mo's body already showed faint signs of life. This way, Chen Mo's weak brain waves wouldn't arouse suspicion.
As for being able to slowly recover in the cryogenic chamber at a few degrees below zero, this could only indicate Chen Mo's physical constitution and cellular activity were extremely powerful.
Just as Chen Mo had predicted, when Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division medical personnel examined him and discovered Chen Mo had begun recovering with weak brain wave activity, no one suspected anything. They were only shocked at the strength of Chen Mo's physical constitution.
Not long after Chen Mo sat up in bed, the door was gently opened from outside. A pretty female soldier in WWII-era American uniform—shirt and short skirt—pushed open the door and walked in.
"Good morning."
The female soldier smiled warmly at Chen Mo.
"Where am I?"
Chen Mo turned to look at the female soldier and asked in a deep voice.
"This is a post-operative recovery room in New York."
The female soldier answered somewhat uncomfortably under Chen Mo's gaze.
Although just released from freezing, Chen Mo showed no sign of weakness whatsoever. He remained imposing, his sharp gaze instinctively inspiring fear.
Chen Mo glanced at the window beside him. Beige gauze curtains swayed gently in the breeze. Through the window, he could see neatly arranged windows on another building not far across. Outside, faint sounds of voices and car horns and braking could be heard, as if below the window was a busy street.
But what Chen Mo sensed wasn't like what he saw.
"Where exactly am I?"
Chen Mo stared at the female soldier and asked again, his voice becoming somewhat stern.
The female soldier was first startled, then under Chen Mo's gaze tried hard to maintain composure, smiling somewhat unnaturally at Chen Mo and gently shaking her head in confusion.
"Uh, I don't quite understand what you mean."
"The sounds outside the window are coming from ground level. That building across is just a painting hanging a few meters away. Even this room..."
Chen Mo stood up from the bedside, strode to a wall, and under the female soldier's somewhat panicked gaze, lightly punched through the wall—which turned out to be just a layer of gypsum board.
Turning back, Chen Mo slowly walked toward the female soldier and asked in a deep voice.
"I'll ask you one more time—what is this place?"
Chen Mo stopped before the female soldier, his deep, sharp gaze fixed tightly on her face.
Looking up at the tall, powerful, imposing Chen Mo before her, intimidated by his presence, the female soldier's heart couldn't help but panic. She quietly pressed the alarm in her hand.
"Commander Chen Mo..."
Just as the female soldier finished speaking, the door behind her was opened and two soldiers in black tactical gear quickly entered.
Chen Mo's sharp gaze immediately shifted to them, causing their movements to freeze.
The two soldiers who had rushed in upon receiving the alarm stood at the door looking at Chen Mo but hesitated to act. They all knew who this tall, cold-faced man was and had heard of his past exploits.
His strength was said to be much greater than Captain America Steve Rogers. Although he currently had no weapons, don't forget—he was also Captain America's master. Steve's combat skills were all taught by him, and his own combat skills were even more formidable.
Powerful physical constitution, superb combat skills—they didn't think they could defeat this powerful man before them.
Most importantly, Commander Chen Mo was everyone's idol. Who hadn't fantasized as a child about wearing that super cool black armored combat suit, wielding sword and shield, single-handedly eliminating the powerful evil Hydra army and becoming a great hero admired by all?
To make them fight this WWII hero, Strategic Scientific Reserve veteran, humanity's strongest warrior, and everyone's idol—the pressure they felt can be imagined.
Earlier, this female agent disguised as a WWII female soldier had been completely flustered by Chen Mo's powerful presence, not thinking much at all, almost instinctively pressing the alarm in her hand. Now seeing the soldiers in a standoff, she finally realized the man before her wasn't their enemy.
However, the soldiers' arrival at least freed her from the oppression of Chen Mo's powerful presence. After stabilizing her emotions, the female agent looked at Chen Mo with complete sincerity.
"Commander, we mean no harm."
Seeing Chen Mo take no further action, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They really feared Chen Mo would directly lose his temper and attack them.
With Chen Mo's powerful strength, they'd inevitably end up with broken bones, maybe even lose their lives. After all, standing before them was humanity's strongest warrior who had killed countless people. If he considered them enemies, the consequences would be unthinkable.
They were also secretly grateful Chen Mo's weapons weren't nearby. Otherwise, with Chen Mo's past record of splitting tanks with his sword and cutting down Hydra soldiers like vegetables, he might have already casually cut them all in half the moment they entered.
"This is the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. Our predecessor was the Strategic Scientific Reserve."
Under Chen Mo's stare, the female agent quickly identified herself, establishing the connection first to prevent Chen Mo from actually attacking.
After the female agent finished, seeing Chen Mo's expression soften slightly, she continued.
"I deeply apologize for that performance earlier. We just thought we should let you accept these things gradually."
Chen Mo said nothing, still looking at her expressionlessly, waiting for her to continue.
The current situation clearly couldn't be concealed any longer. After hesitating, the female agent spoke the truth directly.
"You've been asleep, Commander."
The female agent said slowly.
"For about seventy years."
...
Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, Director's office.
A bald black man wearing a black coat with one eye covered by an eyepatch sat across from Chen Mo, telling him about events that had occurred during his seventy years of sleep.
In his final battle, Hydra was completely eliminated. Afterward, without Hydra's obstruction, the Allies began a major offensive. The Nazis, caught in multi-front combat, were finally defeated. Hitler committed suicide, and WWII ended.
The Strategic Scientific Reserve was reorganized after the war, becoming today's Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, supervised by the World Security Council and specifically responsible for handling various anomalous incidents—like, for instance, massive aircraft buried in ice.
The bald black man sitting across from Chen Mo, also the current director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division—one-eyed Nick Fury—after giving Chen Mo a general overview of major historical events and the current situation, looked at Chen Mo and said.
"Commander Chen Mo, what are your plans going forward?"
Chen Mo pretended to think for a moment, then looked up and asked.
"How are Steve and Howard and the others now?"
Hearing this, Nick Fury paused before slowly saying.
"They're all gone."
Chen Mo's face showed a trace of sadness. Unwilling to give up, he continued asking.
"What about the others? Agent Carter, Bucky, Huang Quan, Han Qing, Luo Zhen?"
Nick Fury gently shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
After a while, seeing Chen Mo somewhat dejected, Nick Fury spoke.
"You could stay here."
Facing Nick Fury's attempt to retain him, Chen Mo shook his head.
"No, thank you."
Chen Mo said, standing up from his chair and walking out.
"Where are you planning to go?"
Nick Fury asked from behind.
"New York."
...
A flight from Washington slowly stopped at the end of a runway at a New York airport.
A few minutes later, the cabin door opened and passengers disembarked one by one.
Chen Mo, wearing a black suit with a cold expression, also walked down from the plane.
That day's conversation with Nick Fury let Chen Mo know he wasn't aware of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s existence, much less that Steve and others had only faked their deaths and weren't really dead. Clearly this current director of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division wasn't a S.H.I.E.L.D. member.
According to information Chen Mo had, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division director was appointed by the World Security Council, which was composed of representatives sent by the UN's five permanent Security Council members. So S.H.I.E.L.D. actually couldn't directly interfere with the director's appointment and thus couldn't ensure every director was a S.H.I.E.L.D. member.
Even so, S.H.I.E.L.D. actually still firmly controlled the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division from the shadows.
Because aside from being unable to directly appoint the director, most core personnel of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division were actually S.H.I.E.L.D. members. They controlled the vast majority of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division's power.
If the director appointed by the Security Council wasn't competent, his orders simply wouldn't be executed and all power would be undermined.
After some effort formally returning, Chen Mo didn't stay long in Washington. Taking his belongings and new identity documents, he flew to New York.
After taking a taxi to Brooklyn, Chen Mo got out early at a street corner and walked toward his destination on foot.