An interdepartmental intelligence deal: the Technology Integration Department reaches out to the Liaison Office
In the Negative Zone, Wanda sat alone in a void constructed of Scarlet Energy.
This is the Core Zone the "Chaos Furnace" under her jurisdiction, and also the technological heart of the Technology and Order Integration Department.
Normally, the flowing data and leaping Runes gave her a sense of calm, as if she were in control of everything.
But now, these things only make her feel annoyed.
Lynn's statement, "lacking actual data to support it," was like an invisible thorn, piercing the most sensitive part of her soul.
She knew very well that Hela, that madwoman who only knew how to kill, had probably already spread her Undead Legion all over the earth like a net, hoping to get lucky with the most foolish method.
And Qin, with that all-pervasive Psychic Network, is probably also sifting through the thoughts of billions of people around the world, trying to find any abnormality.
They all had their own methods, but she, despite possessing the power to distort reality, was like a surgeon with a precision Scalpel, unable to find the lesion.
The proposal that Lynn rejected entirely was like a rejected report stamped with the words "Redo" in bright red, a direct insult to her professional competence.
Especially in front of Chin and Hela.
This sense of humiliation was more painful for her than the backlash from the Chaos Magic.
She had to do something, she had to get ahead of everyone else and reclaim the initiative that belonged to her.
She needs a clue.
A specific clue that would allow her to make precise cuts with her Scalpel.
A thought suddenly popped into my head from the chaos of my thoughts.
Gwen Stacy Stacy.
The new Liaison Office officer who had just taken over all of S.H.I.E.L.D..'s underlying data.
A "parachuted-in cadre" with no established foundation who urgently needs to achieve results to gain a foothold.
Wanda's eyes flickered.
She did not use any official communication channels.
A wisp of Scarlet energy silently dissipated from the fingertip, weaving into an extremely subtle, encrypted beacon that could not be traced by any conventional means, directly traversing space and pointing towards a certain location in New York City.
A moment later, a similarly concealed energy fluctuation responded to her.
Gwen Stacy's Holographic Projection appeared in front of Wanda, with her newly opened, empty Liaison Office office as the background.
"Minister Wanda," Gwen Stacy said calmly, in a businesslike tone, devoid of any emotion, "What are your instructions so late?"
She deliberately used the word "instruction," conveying a subtle sense of distance.
Wanda didn't beat around the bush.
"Director Gwen Stacy, I'd like to discuss a cross-departmental collaboration with you."
"Cooperation?" Gwen Stacy raised an eyebrow slightly. "Our Liaison Office's functions don't seem to overlap much with the Technology Integration Department's."
"Just because it's not happening now doesn't mean it won't happen in the future." Wanda's voice was calm; she forced herself into the role of department head. "You know the task of the leadership team. Catching one person alive is a hard target."
Gwen Stacy didn't speak, but listened quietly.
"Hela and Jean have their own channels for advancement, but they're not very efficient; it's like looking for a needle in a haystack." Wanda looked into Gwen Stacy's eyes. "You've just taken over S.H.I.E.L.D..'s database, the center for recording all anomalous events on Earth over the past few decades. I think you should be able to find clues more easily than we are."
Gwen Stacy smiled, a hint of amusement in her expression.
"Minister Wanda, are you treating me like your department's intelligence unit? Our Liaison Office office's job is to address cross -Dimension threats; we have no obligation to provide operational support to other units."
She emphasized the words "brother unit".
Wanda, of course, understood the meaning behind her words.
This is asking for a price.
"The Liaison Office has just been established, and everything is in need of development." Wanda slowly began, offering her bargaining chip, "I heard that your budget for research equipment and basic materials hasn't been approved yet, has it?"
A glint flashed in Gewen's eyes.
"The Technology and Order Integration Department is willing to grant the Liaison Office some of Sokovia's Vibranium research permissions," Wanda said slowly, but every word carried weight. "This includes, but is not limited to, sharing of materials property analysis, energy transfer models, and three basic application technologies. We can sign a 'military-civilian integration' joint research and development memorandum."
The air grew quiet.
Gwen Stacy remained silent.
She was well aware of the value of this "memorandum".
Vibranium is the most advanced strategic resource in the universe. What Wanda offered was not just a few pieces of material, but the relevant core technological rights. For a new department that was starting from scratch, this was tantamount to a direct injection of blood, enabling the Liaison Office to establish its own technological Bastion in the shortest possible time and gain real say.
But the price she paid was that she had to share her exclusive intelligence with Wanda.
This means that Wanda could very well use this intelligence to claim the credit, regain face in front of Lynn, and solidify her position.
This represents a potential competitive loss for Gwen Stacy.
However, if they don't cooperate, the intelligence she possesses will remain just that—intelligence—and cannot be monetized. On the other hand, the technology that Wanda offers is a genuine departmental asset.
This is a political deal.
Trading a potential future "merit" for immediate practical benefits and the foundation for departmental development.
More importantly, this establishes a private, informal communication channel with Wanda. In the current murky waters, having such a channel provides an extra safety net.
After a few seconds of deliberation, Gwen Stacy made her decision.
"Minister Wanda's proposal is very sincere." Gwen Stacy's smile became more genuine. "As a new unit, our Liaison Office certainly needs the support of the older departments. Joint research and development, I think, is feasible. I'll have my secretary draft the memorandum and send it to you for your review and approval."
She paused, then changed the subject.
"As for the clue you mentioned... my people did find something interesting while sorting through S.H.I.E.L.D..'s historical archives."
"In the 1990s, there was a record of energy leakage from the Tesseract, which was physically destroyed. However, in the residual data at the bottom layer, our researchers extracted a very faint energy fluctuation that did not belong to any known system."
"This wisp of energy shows signs of being forcibly 'pruned'."
Wanda's breath hitched.
"Coordinate."
Gwen Stacy tapped lightly on her console.
A string of geographic coordinates was sent to Wanda via an encrypted channel.
"This is the final location where that Physical Archives was sealed." Gwen Stacy's voice returned to its businesslike tone. "Whether anything happened there afterward will require your Department of Technology to conduct an on-site investigation using specialized equipment. After all, our Liaison Office has limited manpower and technical resources."
She spoke eloquently, providing information while simultaneously passing the buck and distancing herself from the situation.
"Thank you." Wanda gave Gwen Stacy a deep look and ended the communication.
The Scarlet energy dissipated, and the Negative Zone returned to deathly silence.
Wanda looked at the coordinates, and her eyes lit up again.
Hela, Qin...
This time, I'm going to show you what true precision business capabilities are.
Without the slightest hesitation, her figure instantly transformed into Scarlet mist and vanished from the spot.
Having obtained the exact coordinates, can she secure this first achievement before Hela and Qin?