An urgent cross-dimensional inquiry: the chief orders detention for investigation
After the signal that pierced all rules disappeared, the Negative Zone did not receive the expected Thunder attack.
The piercing alarm stopped.
The Scarlet lights also returned to their usual cold tone.
But the air in the White Bone Hall was even heavier than when the alarms were blaring.
The unknown is what makes us most uneasy.
The Death Energy surrounding Hela had reached its peak. Like a cheetah poised to pounce, her gaze was fixed on the subway station imprisoned in a Chaos cage in the Holographic Projection.
With just a word from Lynn, she was confident that she could completely erase the group of well-dressed "auditors," along with the alarm signals they had triggered, from the very beginning before the enemy's reinforcements arrived.
At Wanda's fingertips, Scarlet, Chaos light flickered, as she maintained the operation of the entire "Erroneous Logic" cage while simultaneously analyzing the residual fluctuations left after the signal dissipated.
Qin leaned against a bone pillar, her face still pale, but her Psychic Power was already activated, alert to any possible spatial rifts.
Gwen Stacy stood at the front, her Communicator still showing the disconnected call screen, her brow furrowed.
The other party overturned the table and immediately called for reinforcements.
This goes beyond any "inspection preparation" plan and has entered the stage of blatant intimidation.
Just then, the side door of the main hall was pushed open, and a Liaison Office officer strode in, looking nervous, carrying a file bag that had just been urgently decrypted by the confidential office.
"Report!"
The operator's voice sounded particularly abrupt in the silent hall.
He walked quickly to Gwen Stacy and handed her the file folder.
"The outer layer of the Negative Zone's confidential room has just received an encrypted message from an unknown jump portal, confirmed to be of the highest priority."
Gwen Stacy took the file bag; it was icy cold to the touch.
She tore open the seal and pulled out a paper document.
The document's header featured a complex badge she had never seen before, composed of countless geometric shapes.
Below the badge was a line of large, gold-embossed characters. "Inquiry Letter Regarding the Immediate Release of the ' Multiverse Assets Joint Inspection Group ' and the Submission of a Written Review Within a Specified Timeframe."
The signatory organization was an even more unfamiliar name.
"Multiverse Coordination Committee"
Gwen Stacy's pupils contracted slightly.
She quickly skimmed through the contents. The letter was extremely harshly worded, filled with a condescending bureaucratic tone. Throughout, it questioned why they had "illegally detained" and "violently resisted" the normal work of the Joint Inspection Group, and demanded the unconditional release of the person within twelve hours. It also included a profound self-criticism report personally signed by Lynn.
Otherwise, the committee will initiate the next phase of enforcement measures.
Gwen Stacy, holding the documents, turned to face Lynn on the Throne.
"They sent over an inquiry letter."
Lynn shifted his gaze from the Holographic Projection to the document, his face expressionless.
"Read."
There is only one word.
Gwen Stacy took a deep breath and read the contents of the document aloud, word for word.
With each recitation, the chill emanating from Hela intensified.
When Gwen Stacy finished reading the last sentence, "You will be fully responsible for all the consequences arising therefrom," Hela finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Absurd!" She took a step forward, her voice icy. "A bunch of cowardly rats, daring to issue orders in such a tone? Is this their reinforcement? A piece of waste paper?"
"I request an immediate physical removal of all personnel from the subway station. Their ashes should be used to respond to this so-called 'Inquiry Letter.'"
No one answered in the main hall.
Wanda and Jean both turned their gazes toward Lynn.
Lynn ignored Hela's request to fight. He rose from his Throne, slowly walked down the steps, and took the document from Gwen Stacy's hand.
He looked at it very carefully, not even missing the page number in the footer.
"Gwen Stacy, pass on the message: an emergency expanded meeting will be held in twenty minutes."
His voice was calm.
"All department heads must be present."
"Yes." Gwen Stacy immediately accepted the order and turned to make the arrangements.
Hela watched Lynn's retreating figure, her eyes filled with incomprehension and a hint of suppressed anger.
In her view, such provocation should be crushed with the most direct violence. Meetings and discussions are behaviors of the weak.
Twenty minutes later.
The highest conference room in the Negative Zone.
The long conference table was filled with heads of various departments in the Negative Zone.
Hela from the Stability Maintenance Office, Wanda from the Technology Integration Department, Gwen Stacy from the Liaison Office, and Jean, who had just been released from suspension and was in charge of Psychic Network.
The atmosphere was serious.
Lynn sat in the main seat and distributed copies of the "Inquiry Letter" to everyone.
"Take a look at them all."
Everyone picked up the documents, and the only sound in the meeting room was the rustling of pages.
Hela was the first to finish reading it, and she slammed the document heavily on the table.
"My opinion remains unchanged. This is a blatant threat, and we should respond with action."
Lynn glanced at her without saying a word, then turned to look at Wanda.
Wanda, what's your opinion?
Wanda pondered for a moment before speaking, "This letter reveals two things. First, they don't want to, or rather, dare not, directly wage war against us. Second, they are trying to gain the upper hand procedurally, defining us as the rule-breakers."
"I agree with Wanda's assessment," Gwen Stacy continued. "From beginning to end, they've been emphasizing 'rules' and 'procedures.' From the World Security Council's investigation order to this Coordination Committee's inquiry letter, they want to confine this conflict to the realm of an administrative dispute. If we take direct action, we'll be playing right into their hands."
Lynn nodded, acknowledging their analysis.
His gaze finally settled on the zither.
"Qin, do you have anything to add?"
Qin was still somewhat weak. She said softly, "I noticed that the other party's identity in this document is ' Coordination Committee.' Coordination implies that they are not a monolithic entity and need an organization to balance the various parties. This might be a point that can be used."
After listening to everyone's remarks, Lynn looked away and leaned back in his chair.
Instead of directly judging who was right and who was wrong, he posed a question.
"The head of the Inspection Group pressed the highest-level alarm on our turf. How should this action be classified?"
Everyone was taken aback.
Hela frowned and said, "Help!"
"Or rather, it's a threat of mutual destruction," Wanda added.
Lynn shook her head.
He extended his finger and tapped it lightly on the table.
"None of those."
"This behavior should be characterized as maliciously triggering false alarms during the audit process, attempting to interfere with, obstruct, and escalate the situation; its essence is resistance to the audit."
The moment these words were spoken, the entire conference room fell silent.
Gwen Stacy's eyes suddenly lit up.
The ferocity on Hela's face turned into a hint of astonishment.
Wanda looked at Lynn, her eyes filled with realization.
This is the level of a top leader.
The same event, interpreted and characterized from different angles, will lead to drastically different subsequent handling methods and legal bases.
"Since the other party is resisting the audit," Lynn said calmly, as if stating a given fact, "Then, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the subsequent investigation and to prevent the loss of state-owned assets due to human sabotage, we have the responsibility and the obligation to take necessary measures."
He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the entire room.
"I have decided, effective immediately, to place all members of the United Nations Special Investigation Team under protective detention."
"A special review team, led by the Liaison Office, with the cooperation of the Stability Maintenance Office and technical support from the Department of Technology, will be immediately established to conduct a comprehensive and detailed review of the background, true purpose, and organizational structure of the ' Multiverse Coordination Committee ' behind the Inspection Group."
"No one may have any form of contact with them before the investigation is completed."
Lynn stood up and gave his final summary.
"This inquiry letter will be held indefinitely. We will respond to it together with our review report once it is available."
"That's settled then."
The final decision was made.
There was no room for anyone to refute it.
Hela opened her mouth, but ultimately swallowed her words.
Although she didn't understand these complicated procedures, she understood one thing.
We've detained the people. And we have a perfectly legitimate reason to do so.
The situation has changed from "illegal detention" to compliant "detention for investigation".
The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly relaxed.
The boulder called "threat" that weighed on everyone's hearts was easily moved away by Lynn with a seemingly effortless skill.
Just as Lynn was about to adjourn the meeting, Gwen Stacy suddenly raised her hand.
There's another situation.
Lynn looked at her.
"The Technology Division has just conducted a preliminary analysis of the underlying code of the letter's attachments," Gwen Stacy said with a somewhat grave expression. "Within the encryption layer of the attachments, a term we've never heard of before was subtly mentioned."
"Resolution No. 31."