J.A.R.V.I.S and Vis, though Artificial Intelligence designed to assist with technology, possessed immense power in the 21st century, thanks to the vast reach of information networks.
At this moment, their capabilities were about to be revealed, if only in a small way.
They simultaneously activated pre-encoded system programs, using the central broadcasting television building in New York and outer space satellites as intermediaries. In less than a second, an image was forcefully loaded onto every device platform in the city.
Mobile phones, computers, surveillance screens, and even the advertising screens on bustling streets, all abruptly displayed an image of a black demon with a sinister smile. There was no accompanying sound. After a silent pause that lasted for thirty seconds, everything returned to normal.
This eerie scene left the people in New York collectively dumbfounded, gazing in astonishment at the Devil Card, finding it bewildering.
For most, it was a mere prank or hardcore advertising, possibly even a virus. They quickly returned to their busy lives and work, and only a few inquisitive souls sought to uncover the source of the image.
This was information that only the older generation, those who lived through the era of iron and blood during the Great War, could instantly understand.
If it were the Imperial Japan, they might have recalled it more vividly.
After successfully completing Kyle's assigned mission, J.A.R.V.I.S and Vis immediately left the broadcasting television building. They erased their tracks and reset external data, leaving no traces for any staff to notice.
The Devil Card triggered a chain reaction, much like an invisible nuclear bomb quietly detonating within the city of New York.
In the Military District's retirement home and hospital.
The environment and medical facilities here were excellent. Only veterans retired with officer ranks could apply for free admission. As the elderly residents strictly adhered to the rules, the atmosphere within the facility was always calm and peaceful, it is a sanctuary for military retirees seeking care and solace.
However, today, for some inexplicable reason, elderly residents, their hair snow-white, some using canes, some maneuvering wheelchairs, and others assisted by family members, gathered in the main hall, staring intently at the Devil Card displayed on the large screen.
They all looked dignified and solemn, and it was as if they were gazing at a military flag. Their clouded eyes sparkled with emotions— nostalgia, yearning, admiration, excitement, and more.
Young nurses and doctors were alarmed and rushed to inquire, but as soon as they entered the hall, they were greeted with hushed hisses from the veterans due to their heavy footsteps.
Only when the Devil Card disappeared from the large screen did the elderly residents, their wrinkled faces now flushed with excitement, finally relax. An elderly man with limited mobility struggled to stand and, trembling with effort, saluted sharply. He shouted loudly:
"Howling Commandos, Soldier Norman reporting!"
Under the gaze of nurses and doctors, the elderly, all of them at least in their eighties, stood up in unison, their backs straight, and rendered textbook military salutes.
"102nd Army Division, Soldier George reporting!"
"Howling Commandos, Soldier Clark reporting!"
"206th Navy Division, Soldier Bue reporting!"
It was as if they had returned to their military days, back to their youthful and vigorous selves. With the resolve to follow someone into the fray, their aged and frail bodies emanated an unwavering spirit of valor.
The nurses and doctors who witnessed this scene were profoundly moved, resembling statues, too afraid to move or disturb the solemnity.
After reporting in, the elderly residents let out a sigh of relief they had been holding for far too long. "General, welcome back."
In a three-story villa.
"Grandma, what are you looking at on my phone?"
Pepper had just returned home and saw her smartphone, forgotten at home, tightly gripped in her grandmother's hands. Her grandmother, seated in a wheelchair, had her head bowed, seemingly captivated by something on the screen.
"Oh," Her grandmother replied in a voice that carried the weight of years. Her wrinkled face softened, and there was a hint of youthful longing in her eyes as she squinted, saying softly, "My dream lover has finally appeared."
"Huh?!" Pepper was startled and nearly flung the high heels she had taken off across the room.
Her grandmother's dream lover? What on earth?
And this was just one corner of New York.
At this moment, countless elderly residents in New York, who were hunkered down at home, saw the Devil Card on their home televisions or smartphones. They widened their eyes, strained to identify it clearly, and then smiled knowingly, recalling distant memories.
These elderly folks turned to their sons, daughters, and even their grown-up grandchildren, saying, "Don't think you're crazier about idols now. Back in our day, we were a hundred times crazier, idolizing someone we longed to follow."
The youngsters didn't understand what the elderly meant and asked who they were talking about. The elderly smiled and replied, "Flip through the history books on the bookshelf, stroll around the statues in the square downstairs, or go to the main entrance of the War Memorial Museum, and you'll know who that person is."
Some individuals, due to their unparalleled dedication to the world, were hailed as representatives of an era.
And on Earth, there was only one person who had stood at the pinnacle of the world and represented an entire era.
At New York University, during a history lecture.
As the black card disappeared from the projection screen and the students in the audience began to discuss, the old professor pushed up his reading glasses and shifted the topic of his lecture:
"In 1945, there was a legend, the acknowledged first hero, and then he retired and disappeared from the public eye, never to be seen in the world again."
"He was the youngest Brigadier General in the U.S. Military, a symbol of national power, a heartthrob, a Symbol of Peace…"
Just when everyone thought that era had long passed, frozen, and buried, he suddenly made a powerful comeback. He would awaken the collective memories and tributes of an era's people.
SHIELD Headquarters, Vice Director's office.
The door slammed open with a loud bang, and a woman wearing a sleek black leather suit burst out, her fiery red hair flowing in the wind. She paid no attention to others as she rushed downstairs.
Countless SHIELD employees along the way were startled, ready to scold her, but upon seeing who she was, their curses died on their lips, and their fiery spirits were extinguished.
In a certain building in New York City.
A bald young woman dressed in a pure white robe stood with her hands behind her back by a window on the second floor. She gazed down at the bustling street outside, where various advertising screens were filled with the Devil Card.
"He's finally back."
"From now on, the future timeline has been thoroughly disrupted. Even I can't see clearly what the future holds anymore."
Though the woman spoke this way, her tone carried no trace of resentment. Instead, she shook her head with a sense of contentment.
The man's return would officially usher in a brand new era, a chapter of the age where heroes rise, and war looms.
(End of this chapter)
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