Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1196 Tracing the Origins of the Super Soldier Serum (First Update)

Given that Frank Cassel was now a wanted criminal and a former Marine, he wasn't a picky eater. As he ate the bare minimum of American fare (fast food like fries), Salomon found him a black baseball cap and a black motorcycle jacket to conceal his face and the bloodstains. Salomon initially wanted to drive him home or have someone take him, but Frank Cassel, after confirming it wasn't a stolen car that would attract police attention, insisted on driving himself. He and Salomon agreed that he would receive a precise location message a day later to guide someone to the car, and the keys would be sent back via FedEx.

Although he had agreed to help, he didn't want anyone else to know his whereabouts, especially since he was dealing with someone who had once ordered his men to frame him. Maintaining vigilance was perfectly reasonable. If anyone knew his address, the New York mob, the police, and other intelligence agencies would all be knocking on his door the next day. He didn't even plan to drive the car to his hideout; instead, he intended to park it somewhere in Manhattan, get out, and walk back, to avoid anyone trying to find him through the car's tracking system.

However, this plan had to be implemented ahead of schedule because he encountered a group of highly alert New York police officers who were sniffing around the streets like police dogs, setting up checkpoints. Frank Cassel finally understood what was going on after turning on the car radio—Tina Madani had discovered a large number of improvised explosive devices made from mortar shells in the Irish gang's building. Nine mortar shells were enough to escalate the incident from a public security issue to a terrorist attack. The Department of Homeland Security and the Coast Guard had mobilized all their personnel in New York and began a thorough search of the river and roads.

The incident was subsequently reported by reporters who arrived at the scene.

Long has passed since the Latvian emperor's attack on New York, yet the Pentagon and the White House have been slow to develop their usual response. That declaration establishing Latvia's global dominance profoundly shook the psyche of many, especially Americans. "They don't like Americans because they can't be us," was the sentiment of many ordinary Americans towards Europeans, regardless of state affiliation or skin color. Like Engels's description of nationalism in *The Condition of the Working Class in England*, Americans were proud and confident; however, the Latvian emperor shattered all that, with effects even more severe than the Chitauri invasion.

The Chitauri were technologically advanced aliens, while the Latvian emperor was human. In the minds of ordinary Americans, since they were both human, there was no reason for them to be superior. This was a devastating blow to American confidence and sense of security. Many Americans today suffer from paranoia and need outlets for their anxieties, creating terrorist attacks and fabricating and defeating non-existent enemies—a situation perfectly suited to the current news market. The identity of the enemy doesn't matter; Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon—anything goes. Joseph Pritz, a pioneer of American journalism, once wrote in the *New York World*: "The big corporations here believe we're going to have a war. Everyone welcomes war, free from worry."

To avoid inspection, Frank Cassel took a long detour back to his hideout, arriving about two hours later than originally estimated. Even exhausted upon his return, he didn't let his guard down; instead, he first checked if his markings had been compromised. The answer was no, but this was the complete opposite of reality—someone had been there. The small, single-room room, like a motel suite, contained only a bed and a bathroom. Frank Cassel noticed an open aluminum weapons case at the foot of the bed (in the center of the room). Weapons sufficient to arm a squad lay neatly arranged on a black foam mat, ranging from general-purpose machines and anti-materiel sniper rifles to anti-tank weapons and grenades.

A handwritten letter, taped to the top of an aluminum weapons case, was addressed to Frank Cassel and signed "Mutual Friend." He picked it up and found a credit card stuck to the back. The letter explained the reasoning behind this, assuring Frank Cassel that it wasn't a cause for alarm; that his concern for such a trivial matter was simply a matter of justice for humanity and compassion for veterans, and that he had more important things to do. The writer stated that the credit card contained ample funds for the mission, and that whatever Frank Cassel spent on the mission would be reimbursed. The letter then, in the voice of the Latvian Emperor, assured him that no Latvian agents would harass him in any way after the mission was completed.

This is a threat delivered with sincerity.

He didn't know when the weapon case had been placed in his room—whether it was while he was in Irish gang territory or when he returned home from the orphanage—but either way, he would keep the pistol under his pillow tonight. Although the other party's attitude was currently friendly, Frank Kassel didn't believe the last part. Agents and politicians were a bunch of shameless bastards who would use every resource at their disposal to achieve their goals. Emperor Latvinia, in particular, was a pragmatist who wouldn't be deterred by endless meetings and public opinion; the other party might very well use him repeatedly until he was completely worthless.

"You're lying again!" Little Lorna exclaimed loudly after seeing the relevant files.

"I only concealed part of the truth, how can that be called a lie?" Salomon felt no remorse for his actions. "Frank Cassel's mission seems important, but it's just an insignificant part of the whole mission. This world will eventually enter a transhumanist society, and his mission is just to avoid failures and disasters during the exploration process. After all, the US government, relying solely on private companies, is terrible at handling the aftermath."

He made no attempt to hide his disdain for the situation. "Look at the Hulk. It's a mistake that such a monster can appear so openly. Everyone seems to have forgotten the devastating damage the Hulk caused. There are still places in New York that haven't been fully restored; those are the traces left by the Hulk. Because they can't get compensation, many families have had to move away from their original homes and have fallen into poverty."

"So, the Super Soldier Serum isn't some kind of advanced technology?" Little Lorna asked, puzzled. She wasn't interested in the problems caused by transhumanism; what surprised her was the Super Soldier Serum itself. "But the textbooks say that Dr. Abraham Erkins brought the Super Soldier Serum from Germany, which created Steve Rogers. Red Skull became Red Skull after being injected because of his evil nature, while Steve Rogers became good because of his good nature..."

Salomon looked at little Lorna with the same look he'd given someone mentally challenged, then continued stuffing fries into his mouth.

This is one of the children's dinners at the orphanage today, but because we made too much, we can't finish it all in a short time.

"The technological level of World War II simply wouldn't allow for such advanced genetic engineering. If the Third Reich had possessed the sophisticated equipment and theoretical foundation to create super soldiers, the United States would have surrendered long ago after the atomic bomb was dropped on New York," Salomon shook his head. Latvinia also possessed Steve Rogers' serum sample. By analyzing and reverse engineering the proteins isolated from it, combined with top-secret documents in the Brotherhood of the Shield library, they arrived at a startling conclusion.

Dr. Abraham Erkins, from the Brotherhood of the Shield, created the Super Soldier Serum, one of the Brotherhood's reverse-engineered products of ancient technology. Although only a semi-finished product, it created Steve Rogers. After conquering the Immortal City, Salomon's excavation of the Brotherhood of the Shield's technology and history continued unabated. Another product of reverse engineering was called Sir Isaac Newton's Elixir of Immortality, but the origin of this technology is so ancient that it has been buried under thick layers of dust and remains unknown. Relevant documents only refer to it as originating from the highest alchemy of Arabia.

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(End of this chapter)