Undercurrents of the Three-Way Talks, the Mutants Management Committee's Intervention

The air was like a piece of frozen iron.

The Scarlet Mist surrounding Wanda was the only living thing on the iron block, churning and surging, yet daring not to cross the line.

Gwen Stacy's scanner was off, but she herself was like a scanner running at full power, precisely capturing every fluctuation of Wanda's emotions.

Stalemate.

This stalemate is more suffocating than any form of energy exchange.

Just then, a calm and even female voice rang out between the two of them without warning, as if it had cut in directly from another Dimension.

"It seems I've arrived just in time."

The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly stirred up the stagnant water.

Wanda and Gwen Stacy turned their heads at the same time.

Not far away, on the ruins, Jean Grey was already standing there. She was dressed in a well-fitting uniform, with Dark Gold Phoenix emblem faintly visible on her chest. Her expression was calm, like a superior who happened to be passing by.

Her appearance instantly transformed the binary opposition on the scene into a more complex three-way game.

"Minister Qin," Wanda's voice was somewhat hoarse.

Her heart sank.

Gwen Stacy was already giving her a huge headache, and now the head of the Mutants Management Committee has arrived. Her little schemes are probably going to be laid bare for all to see today.

"Minister Wanda," Jean deliberately drew out her words, as if correcting her form of address, or perhaps emphasizing their respective positions, "The cleanup work in Sokovia is the top priority of all current tasks, and Mr. Lynn is very concerned about it. I just sensed some unusual and unstable energy fluctuations here in the Psychic Network, so I came to check."

Her words were impeccable, explaining both the legitimacy of her presence and highlighting the core message that "Lynn cared deeply."

After speaking, she turned her gaze to Gwen Stacy, her brows furrowing slightly.

"This must be... Comrade Gwen Stacy, right? The one in charge of the preliminary research."

"It's me, Minister Qin," Gwen Stacy, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Your enthusiasm for your work is commendable." Qin nodded, but then abruptly changed the subject, "However, your methods seem questionable. This is a temporary restricted area designated by the Technology Integration Department. Your unauthorized entry is against the rules. If any safety incident occurs, or if it interferes with Minister Wanda's follow-up work, who will bear the responsibility?"

His words, ostensibly criticizing Gwen Stacy, were in fact all in defense of Wanda.

Wanda's tense nerves relaxed slightly. She looked at Qin, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. Could it be that the local faction would instinctively unite when facing this outsider?

Gwen Stacy didn't argue; she just listened quietly.

She knew the real drama was about to begin.

Sure enough, after knocking on Gwen Stacy, Jean turned to Wanda with a concerned expression.

"However, Wanda, there are areas where you need to improve. Now that a control zone has been designated, you should come up with a solution as soon as possible. Look, Comrade Gwen Stacy has even come to the front lines herself to ensure the accuracy of the report, which shows that there are still some problems with our coordination."

She paused, her tone becoming more earnest.

"Especially, I just got a rough sense of this area, and there seem to be several... life signals. The characteristics are very peculiar, like unregistered Mutants. This is a big deal."

She looked at Wanda, her gaze intense.

"This involves Mutants, and it's an unregistered 'asset,' which goes beyond the scope of your Technology Integration Department and falls under the purview of our Mutants Management Committee. You're carrying this all alone; the pressure is too much."

"Alright then," Jean said, giving Wanda no time to react, "I'll intervene in this matter on behalf of the Mutants Management Committee. We'll establish a Joint Working Group, which I'll lead, to provide professional guidance and technical support to these potential Mutants Survivor. This will not only help alleviate your burden but also ensure that these 'assets' are properly disposed of, allowing us to report to Mr. Lynn as soon as possible."

A series of combined punches left Wanda seeing stars.

Jean first used "rules" to suppress Gwen Stacy, and then, under the pretext of "matching business" and "sharing the pressure," she legitimately extended her reach into Wanda's territory.

She positioned herself on the high ground of "putting the overall situation first and taking initiative," making Wanda unable to utter a single word of refusal.

Refusing? That's parochialism, it's not wanting other departments to share the credit, it's not valuing Mutants assets.

Wanda's face flushed red and then turned pale.

She felt like a soldier caught in a pincer movement, with Gwen Stacy pressing in from the front with her "imperial sword," and Jynx waving a "business guidance" banner from the flank.

Her attempt to keep her team hidden away seemed so naive and laughable in the face of these seasoned veterans within the system.

Just as Wanda was caught in a dilemma, a cold Mind Link was silently established in Gwen Stacy's mind.

It's the sound of a zither.

[Give me a detailed file on Pietro and the others.]

Gwen Stacy's pupils contracted slightly.

[I'll clean up this mess you've made. Otherwise, once things get to Lynn, your job as 'responsible person for research' might be in jeopardy. You're new here and need an ally.]

The Mind Link is straightforward and decisive, imbued with an unquestionable transactional undertone.

Gwen Stacy understood instantly.

Jean is a master of playing both sides. On the surface, she protects Wanda and suppresses me to make a good impression on the local faction. But secretly, she's demanding core intelligence from me—that's her real purpose. She wants to control Wanda's weaknesses while simultaneously demonstrating her strength and sincerity to me, an "outsider"—killing two birds with one stone.

What a terrifying woman.

Gwen Stacy sighed inwardly, but her face remained impassive.

The atmosphere at the scene was caught in a strange balance due to Jean's forceful intervention. Wanda suffered in silence, unable to express her grievances. Gwen Stacy, on the other hand, was weighing whether to accept the olive branch extended by Jean.

Suddenly, an extreme, deathly stillness, seemingly emanating from the deepest depths of hell, descended without warning.

The sky seemed to have been dyed black with ink for a moment.

The three people present, no matter how proud and powerful they were, all felt a tremor from the depths of their souls at this moment.

A pitch-black rift suddenly appeared between them.

Hela's figure slowly emerged from within.

She didn't look at anyone, but merely glanced around at the ruins of the standoff, her eyes filled with undisguised contempt and disgust.

"Are you done arguing?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it struck everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

"By order of Mr. Lynn."

Hela's voice became formulaic, devoid of any emotion.

"All personnel involved must immediately cease all official duties."

"Return to Negative Zone, report on duties."