This warm atmosphere made him feel momentarily as if he wasn't dining with a national leader, but rather enjoying a reunion dinner back home for the New Year.
This sense of life and warmth was more touching than any medal.
The meal lasted for over half an hour.
Only when Steve let out a satisfied burp did Kennedy put down his cutlery.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Health is the capital of revolution, and you certainly haven't slept well these past few days."
"Randy, take Steve back to rest."
Kennedy instructed.
"No matter how urgent things are tonight, don't disturb him. Let him get a good night's sleep"
4:30 AM.
The armored car once again drove into the night.
This time, the motorcade drove directly towards the scenic and heavily secured villa.
Inside the car, General Randy looked at Steve beside him.
"Steve, we're here."
General Randy opened the car door for Steve. Looking at the quiet small building before them, he lowered his voice, yet could not hide the excitement in his tone.
"Please rest well. I just received news that the first batch of scientific researchers has finished gathering at the Pentagon."
"The experts are frighteningly efficient. You'll know the specific surprise when you see it on site tomorrow."
General Randy took a deep breath and looked up at the eastern horizon, where dawn was about to break.
There, a morning star shone brightly, signaling the imminent sunrise.
He turned his head, gave Steve a standard military salute, his voice filled with trembling anticipation.
"Good night, Chief Commander."
"When the sun rises tomorrow, that will be the moment our sleeping giant officially opens its eyes."
Looking at General Randy's figure, which was tired yet held perfectly straight, a warm feeling surged in Steve's heart.
The corner of his mouth lifted, and he returned an equally standard and powerful military salute.
"Good night, Randy."
The two men exchanged a look, and then burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahahaha."
The laughter carried far into the pre-dawn darkness, representing the shared anticipation between two men, and more so, between two generations, for the great era that was about to arrive.
Steve watched the armored car slowly drive away until its taillights vanished around the road corner before he finally turned around.
At this moment, a tall young man in a black suit was already waiting nearby.
He was about thirty years old with a crew cut and sharp eyes. Although dressed in civilian clothes, the characteristic fierce aura of a special forces soldier was impossible to hide.
Seeing Steve look over, the young man immediately stepped forward, nodded slightly, his tone respectful but not subservient.
"Director, hello. My name is Fred Jones. I am the Head Steward of this villa and also your Security Team Leader."
"From now on, I will be responsible for your daily life, security, and protection here. Please feel free to give instructions if you need anything."
Steve nodded and said gently.
"Alright, Fred, I'll be relying on you."
"Director, that title is too much for me. By the rules, you should just call me by my designation or agent Jones."
"Ugh, why so many rules?"
Steve waved his hand, interrupting him, and said casually while walking into the courtyard.
"Since the state arranged for you to be here, we will be comrades living together day and night. I plan to live here permanently.
I don't want to be disrespectful, calling you Jones or Freddy is proper—unless you look down on a Director like me who only knows how to talk?"
"I wouldn't dare."
Fred felt a warmth in his heart, and his back instantly straightened even further.
"Yes, Director."
He looked at Steve's slightly slender back and nodded internally.
This young man is highly placed and influential, yet completely unpretentious; he's someone easy to get along with. No wonder General Randy holds him in such high regard.
This villa truly lives up to its status as a top-tier residence arranged by the state.
It lacked the ostentatious splendor of a nouveau riche estate, replaced instead by a kind of understated luxury.
Inside the courtyard, green pines and cypresses, rockeries, and flowing water were arranged tastefully.
Walking inside, the complete set of american wood furniture emitted a faint fragrance, and the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls were genuine works by masters.
Seemingly rustic, it was actually full of hidden mechanisms: Bulletproof Glass, a Constant Temperature System, and an Independent Satellite Network—this was a steel fortress disguised as a private residence.
"Nice environment."
Steve nodded in satisfaction, dismissed Fred, who had offered to draw a bath, and went alone to the master bedroom on the second floor.
Closing the door, the world instantly fell silent.
The nerves that had been taut for a day and a night finally relaxed completely at this moment.
Steve sprawled out, throwing himself heavily onto the soft, large bed. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a few seconds, then a thought crossed his mind.
*Swoosh.*
A pale blue, translucent Light Screen, visible only to him, instantly appeared before his eyes.
[Multiverse Conquest System]
Host: Steve
Current Main Quest: First Battle Victory
Mission Objective: Occupy and establish a stable Extra-Dimensional Base
Target Plane: The Walkind Dead.
Current Progress: 0%
Mission Rewards (Preview):
Tier 1 Perfect Gene Evolution Serum x1
(After consumption, all attributes increase 5 times, and grants Primary Psionic power).
Mass-Produced Type I Body Enhancement Fluid Formula
(Can significantly improve the physical quality of citizens/soldiers and grant immunity to common viruses).
Complete Blueprint for High-Energy Biopolymer Battery Technology
(Epoch-making energy storage technology: 10x smaller volume, 10x greater capacity).
Looking at the rewards on the mission panel, he had previously thought that relying solely on resources from the Minecraft World could facilitate infrastructure, but the technological advancement for the real world would lean heavily towards materials science.
But now, the mission rewards provided by the System were practically tailor-made for the current predicament.
Steve rubbed his chin, starting to calculate in his mind.
"This Perfect Gene Serum perfectly solves the problem of my weak main body. Right now, I'm like a Squishy Mage; although I can control puppets, if my main body gets ambushed, I'm finished. With this, combined with Primary Psionic power, I can better control creatures via Multi-threading Control of Creatures."
"As for this Type I Enhancement Fluid Formula..."
A smile curled at Steve's lips.
"If I give this to Randy and Kennedy, they'll probably go crazy with joy. Isn't this just a weaker version of the Super Soldier Serum? Once implemented throughout the entire military, the average quality of the US soldiers will directly crush the global competition."
"And that high-energy battery technology—that's a treasure."
"With this Bio-Battery, the last weakness of Power Armor, Laser Weapons, and Drone Swarms will be resolved."
"It seems conquering this Zombie World is imperative, and I must achieve a perfect rating."
After calculating the rewards, Steve took a deep breath and closed his eyes again.
This time, his consciousness did not fall asleep; instead, following that familiar Mental Pathway, it instantly descended into the Minecraft World.