"So, you know where he is?" Shen He looked at Crystal thoughtfully.
"Of course. Uh… if you need me to, I can take you there."
Crystal seemed a little overwhelmed. Although she was respected among the Inhumans, that was only because of her power and status. Being suddenly ordered by Black Bolt to meet with this group of mysterious people made her feel more than a little uneasy.
"Then let's go." Shen He nodded with a smile.
Given enough time, they would eventually dig Captain America out themselves—but Crystal's presence revealed something about the Inhumans' attitude… or rather, Black Bolt's stance.
Shen He was already thinking seriously about how he should accommodate an entire race where almost everyone possessed different superpowers. And thinking along those lines… there was also Wakanda to consider.
When Crystal finally led them to a broken cliff face in an icy mountain range, Saiki Kusuo's clairvoyance finally locked onto Captain America.
"He is indeed still alive."
Saiki flew straight down, surveyed the surroundings, then raised his hand. Waves of scorching heat began to pulse outward from him.He had many types of powers, and among them was the ability to directly control high temperatures—but it was dangerously easy to lose control.
Shen He did not immediately focus on the excavation happening below. Instead, he looked toward Crystal.
"You live on the moon. Are food and resources enough for your people?"
"This…" Crystal clearly hadn't expected him to ask that. After a moment's hesitation, she answered honestly, "Resources are very tight. The lower-caste citizens barely have enough to live on."
The Inhumans operated under a rigid caste system. A person's social standing was determined by the abilities they gained after exposure to Terrigen Mist. Once assigned, no Inhuman—no matter how powerful or how great—could ever change their place within that societal hierarchy.
It was also the fundamental reason Black Bolt's brother could successfully stage a coup later on.
"If you have anything suitable for trade, I think I can provide you with some resources."
This was the conclusion Shen He reached after some thought. Since Black Bolt clearly had the intention to establish contact, then contact it would be. Shen He had enough wealth now to accomplish many things.
Crystal nodded. As a royal who never needed to worry about food or living conditions, she didn't fully grasp the significance of Shen He's offer. She simply stared in awe at Saiki Kusuo below. As someone who controlled the elements, she felt ashamed—and even faintly admiring—of the overwhelming power he displayed.
In less than ten minutes, Saiki Kusuo flew back up carrying Captain America, still encased in ice.
"Let's go. Time to head back."
Looking at the man still wearing his iconic uniform, Shen He couldn't help feeling a little excited.
In terms of power, Captain America wasn't much in the grand scope of Marvel—but he was a symbol.
A story like this shouldn't be without him.
"Crystal."
Before leaving, Shen He turned to the young princess of the Inhumans.
"If you want to find me, go to New York and look for Tony Stark. Remember to pass my message to Black Bolt. Goodbye."
The moment he finished speaking, their figures vanished. On the plane, a specially prepared cryogenic storage unit was already waiting. Captain America needed to be taken back to the Virtual Reality Company base as quickly as possible—doctors were already standing by, along with a VR machine.
Yes—unlike Fury's laughably cheap "fake hospital room" trick that was instantly exposed, Shen He planned to use virtual reality to help Captain America gradually accept the reality that he had slept for seventy years. And to let him learn about Chaldea… then join them in making trouble for HYDRA.
After learning that Captain America—Steve Rogers—had been successfully excavated, Fury and Coulson secretly rushed to the VR company.
Steve was undergoing the thawing procedure, overseen by Helen, the brilliant biologist who had now joined the company.
"Oh my god."Coulson's nose was practically pressed against the glass. "He looks exactly like he did in the documentaries…"
"Of course. The super-soldier serum and the intact ice preserved his body perfectly. Physically speaking, Coulson, you could practically be his father." Shen He teased, patting him on the shoulder.
The middle-aged agent's eyes were red. Seeing Captain America before him was like seeing his wife—no, even more exciting than that.
"What do you plan to do?" Fury asked, arms crossed. "He was the finest soldier this country ever produced—past or present. I still believe S.H.I.E.L.D. is where he belongs."
"No one is a soldier forever, Fury." Shen He shook his head and walked away.
From the moment he decided to dig up Captain America, he already had a plan.
Captain America's recovery seemed to be going smoothly. It wouldn't be long before he awakened. Shen He waited patiently and made the necessary preparations. Tony was still busy developing his Iron Legion and managing the new company. Virtual reality technology was causing ripples among the world's elite—after all, it could cultivate elite soldiers at high speed through continuous realistic training.
It could drastically reduce the cost of military exercises and dramatically improve their effectiveness—not to mention the immense future potential of further developments.
For a time, the Virtual Reality Company had attracted attention from the very top of the global pyramid. But Tony took care of all that. Shen He only focused on his own business:
Grinding XP, burning through dogfood reserves, strengthening Jeanne—even Lelouch had been raised to level five, finally escaping his "glass cannon" stamina problem.
Nearly on the same day Lelouch met C.C., Captain America finally showed signs of waking up.
Fury and Coulson rushed over yet again when they received the news.
"Don't you two have jobs?" Shen He sighed. "Isn't S.H.I.E.L.D. buried in work right now?"
"I want to know how you intend to handle the best soldier our country has ever produced." Fury still wasn't giving up on bringing Captain America into S.H.I.E.L.D.
"If you want to know so badly, then watch for yourself. Helen, prepare two VR beds for our guests."Shen He lay down in one of the units.
He adjusted the helmet, activated the system, and entered the pre-designed virtual world—a simulation of New York City from seventy years ago.
And Captain America, Steve Rogers, had already awakened.
Wearing a white lab coat, Shen He pushed open the door and walked inside.
"Good morning, Mr. Rogers. Didn't our nurse tell you not to get out of bed so casually?"
"Where… is this?"
Rogers looked around the hospital room, dazed.
White walls. The scent of disinfectant. Flower baskets and congratulatory cards filling the room, all carrying messages of gratitude.
"A civilian hospital in New York. We found you in the ice fields and brought you back for treatment." Shen He spoke with a gentle smile, hands in his coat pockets."You've been unconscious for a very long time. The war is over, and the entire nation is grateful to you. You are now… a hero."