The Division of Sokovia's Resources: Vibranium Quotas Spark Something New
The crisis receded like the tide, leaving behind a desolate beach.
Above the ruins of Sokovia, the air still carried the acrid smell of molten metal, and an even colder aura known as the "power vacuum."
After Hela physically insulated and sealed off Ultron's core data, the standoff and confrontation at the scene finally came to a temporary end.
Jean and Wanda's gazes were no longer so aggressive, but a thick layer of ice still separated them, and in that glance they cast at Gwen Stacy.
Lynn didn't look at any of them again.
His gaze fell upon the city that had been forcibly pulled back from the sky. Or rather, on the immeasurable strategic resources beneath the city's surface.
Vibranium.
A massive amount of Vibranium.
This is the most valuable spoils of war after this crisis.
Lynn knew that the earlier negotiation about data ownership was just an appetizer. The real test of his makeshift team's cohesion would come from the subsequent allocation of these resources.
"The cleanup work must be expedited."
Lynn walked a few steps among the rubble with his hands behind his back, as if inspecting a newly laid construction site.
He stopped, turned around, and faced the crowd.
"Let's hold a meeting right here today to set the tone."
His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded exceptionally clear in the empty ruins.
"The reconstruction of Sokovia is not being considered at this time. All the assets here have only one purpose: to serve our current overall situation."
The big picture.
The moment that word was uttered, Hela, Wanda, and Jean's expressions all changed slightly.
They understood that the leaders were about to start dividing the spoils.
"The armed forces of the Stability Maintenance Office suffered heavy losses in the last operation in Washington, D.C. and this operation in New York, and urgently need to be replenished."
Hela was the first to speak, offering a plausible and respectable reason.
"I suggest allocating 70% of Sokovia's underground Vibranium reserves to the Stability Maintenance Office to expand the Undead Legion's equipment and build a rapid-response heavy assault force. Only absolute force can guarantee the smooth implementation of all subsequent operations."
She was quick and efficient in her calculations.
The military sector is always a money-devouring Beast. She wanted the biggest slice.
I disagree.
Wanda immediately retorted.
"Absolute force cannot solve all problems. The lesson of Ultron is right before our eyes; the real threat often comes from internal disorder and technological loss of control."
She stepped forward, met Lynn's gaze, and clearly and logically presented her plan.
"I suggest using most of the Vibranium to build a global ' Chaos Defense Matrix.' Utilizing Vibranium's unique properties, combined with my magic, we can establish an absolutely secure internal network and defense system that cannot be penetrated by any technology or magic. A secure rear is more important than blind expansion."
The Technology Integration Department wants control over the infrastructure.
One focuses on external affairs, the other on internal affairs. One seeks the spear, the other the shield.
After they finished speaking, they both looked at Lynn, awaiting his verdict.
Jean Grey didn't speak; she simply stood there quietly. The Mutants Affairs Administrative Committee's current focus was on integrating manpower, and its need for material resources wasn't as urgent as the former two. But her silence was itself a gesture. She was waiting, waiting for Lynn's attitude, before deciding her own stance.
Lynn listened to their opinions, but her face remained expressionless.
He neither said Hela's proposal was too radical, nor that Wanda's ideas were too conservative.
He simply turned his gaze to Gwen Stacy Stacy, who had been excluded from the inner circle from the very beginning.
Gwen Stacy.
Lynn suddenly called out her name.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
Hela and Wanda's gazes shone on Gwen Stacy like searchlights.
"Yes."
Gwen Stacy instinctively straightened her back.
"Your field of study is resource assessment and subsequent utilization in Sokovia, so you should be more knowledgeable than them."
Lynn's tone was flat, as if he were stating a fact.
"From now on, you will lead a preliminary survey and assessment of all Vibranium reserves and technological heritage in Sokovia, and produce a detailed feasibility report."
"Hela, Wanda, your departments must fully cooperate with her work."
The moment the order was given, the air seemed to freeze.
Hela's face instantly darkened. Wanda's lips moved, but ultimately no sound came out.
A knowing glint flashed in Jean Grey's eyes.
clever.
That's brilliant.
The leader has mastered the art of "mixing in the sand" to a masterful degree.
Instead of making the decision directly on who gets the resources, he introduced an external variable.
Gwen Stacy, an unaffiliated, unregistered paratrooper who had just pledged her allegiance.
Lynn gave her a nominal position of "leading the research," which seemed insignificant, but allowed her to legitimately intervene in the core interest areas of two powerful departments.
She has no decision-making power, but her research report will directly influence Lynn's final decision.
As a result, Hela and Wanda, two powerful figures who could have directly curried favor with Lynn, now had to "cooperate" with Gwen Stacy's work.
Their attitudes, the data they provided, and their level of cooperation will all be indirectly presented to Lynn through Gwen Stacy's report.
Anyone who doesn't cooperate is considered to be not supporting the leader's work and lacks a sense of the bigger picture.
Anyone who wants to gain more benefits from the report must curry favor with Gwen Stacy and bow down to this "outsider" they were just ostracizing.
With a single move, he forced the leaders of two proud factions to reassess their positions and reaffirm their loyalty and obedience to the Throne.
Gwen Stacy stood there, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
She was no novice in officialdom and instantly understood the deeper meaning behind Lynn's actions.
This was a warning, a check and balance, but for her, it was also a tremendous opportunity.
This is a golden opportunity for her to transform from an "awkward ex-lover" into a "key figure within the system."
"I guarantee the mission will be completed."
She took a deep breath and, in the most efficient and professional tone, accepted this weighty appointment.
Lynn nodded, said nothing more, turned and walked towards the edge of the ruins, leaving them with only her back to them.
The leaders have already prepared the questions; now it's up to them to answer them.
The atmosphere at the scene became incredibly subtle.
Hela snorted coldly, turned and left, clearly to gather manpower to prepare for the "cooperation" work.
Wanda looked at Gwen Stacy with a complicated expression, but in the end she just nodded and began scanning the area.
Gwen Stacy did not act immediately.
She knew that she had to do her first job flawlessly.
She activated her personal AI and began accessing preliminary scan data of the Sokovia region. Urban structure, energy distribution, material composition... a massive influx of information flooded her retina.
She needs to establish a basic model as soon as possible.
As she was intently sifting through the remaining energy signals, an unusual Data Stream caught her attention.
Beneath the ruins of a residential area that Wanda had just cleared, besides the stable energy field left by the Chaos Magic, there were several extremely weak but unusually active biological signals.
The characteristics of the signal... are not those of an ordinary human.
Its vibration frequency has a high-speed, unstable characteristic.
Gwen Stacy's pupils contracted slightly.
She quietly marked the coordinates of this area separately.
She keenly sensed that she might have caught some Silk.
Was it Wanda's negligence that caused her to miss the Survivor?
Or... did she do this intentionally, hiding some important "asset"?