An online summons across ranks, a tai chi push with carrots and sticks
When Gwen Stacy returned to the White Bone Hall with the signed "Detention Notice," Lynn was watching the Holographic Projection of the Abandoned Subway Station imprisoned by Chaos Magic.
She placed the documents on the console in front of the Throne without saying a word.
Lynn's gaze didn't move; she simply gave a soft "hmm."
Gwen Stacy stepped aside and stood still. The sweat on her palms only slowly dried at this moment. Her father's secret was like a needle, piercing the most hidden place in her heart. But here, before the Throne, every personal emotion had to be carefully concealed.
The main hall was deathly silent.
Hela had lost patience with this back-and-forth of paperwork and closed her eyes to rest. Wanda, on the other hand, stood on the other side, the Scarlet light at her fingertips flashing rhythmically as she monitored every energy node of the cage.
Just then, all the lights in the hall went out silently.
The emergency Scarlet light didn't even have time to illuminate before the absolute darkness lasted for less than half a second.
The next moment, the main Holographic Projection screen facing the Throne, after a burst of chaotic Data Stream, was forcibly lit up.
What appeared on the screen was not surveillance footage from the subway station, but a futuristic metal room.
A man sat on a floating Throne in the center of the room.
He wore a strange War Armor of purple and green armor, his face was calm, and his eyes held a kind of indifference that seemed to look down on the long river of time.
Hela suddenly opened her eyes.
The light at Wanda's fingertips froze instantly.
I came uninvited.
"Lynn."
The man on the screen spoke, his voice echoing through the hall via the loudspeaker system—calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority. He was like a superior inspecting work, his tone devoid of anger, only displaying a matter-of-fact scrutiny.
Lynn leaned back in her chair, adjusting to a more comfortable position.
He looked at the man on the screen without saying a word.
"My name is Kang." The man introduced himself, as if the name itself said it all. "I know you, and I admire your abilities. To establish such order on such a barren Timeline is quite remarkable."
He paused for a moment, as if giving Lynn time to process it.
"However, the game should end now."
Kang's gaze seemed to pierce through the screen, landing directly on Lynn.
"Release my people, and bring your entire team into my system. I can give you a legitimate position, a formal post within the Multiverse order."
"You will no longer be forgotten amateurs, but true Time-Keepers. This is my special treatment of talented individuals, and your only chance."
His words combined soft and hard tactics, offering both promises of incorporation and an ultimatum that left no room for refusal.
The air in the main hall seemed to freeze.
Lynn finally spoke, his voice as calm as ever, even carrying a hint of the respect due to a superior.
"Thank you for your recognition, leader."
He nodded slightly.
"We at Negative Zone Space are deeply honored to have received Mr. Kang's attention. Your guiding opinions are highly strategic and forward-looking, pointing the way for our next steps."
Kang's eyes flickered slightly on the screen.
He clearly hadn't expected to receive such a standard response.
Lynn continued, "Regarding the Joint Inspection Group you mentioned, we just held an internal meeting and conducted a preliminary assessment."
"Currently, the situation reported from the grassroots level is quite complex. These comrades engaged in some irregular operations during their work, triggering our highest-level internal security alert and causing a certain negative impact on local stability."
"Given the seriousness of the situation, and in order to be responsible to the organization and to the comrades involved, we have established a special investigation team, which is conducting a comprehensive investigation into the entire incident in accordance with procedures."
Kang listened quietly without interrupting.
He looked at Lynn as if he were looking at a naive yet slick subordinate giving a serious report in front of him.
"Program?" A barely perceptible sneer escaped Kang's lips. "My will is the program. I'll say it again: release them immediately."
"We fully understand the leader's urgency," Lynn said respectfully, "But precisely because this matter is of great importance, we must handle it with even greater care, ensuring that every step can withstand scrutiny and leaving no procedural flaws."
"Currently, the special review team has just begun its work, and the relevant case materials are still being compiled and summarized. Once we have completed a detailed and objective investigation report, we will submit it to you for review and approval as soon as possible."
Lynn's words were perfectly flawless.
Every word is within the bounds of the rules. In short, it boils down to this: the matter is being handled, the procedures are not yet complete, so please be patient.
Lynn took this kind of bureaucratic maneuvering, used by grassroots units to deal with pressure from superiors, to its extreme.
Kang fell silent.
For the first time, a genuine emotion surfaced in his eyes, which had once gazed down upon time. It wasn't anger, but a somber mood mixed with absurdity and impatience.
He has traversed the Multiverse and has never encountered such an opponent.
The other party doesn't resist, doesn't shout, and even respectfully acknowledges your "leadership" status. Then, using the "procedures" that you completely disregard as a shield, all your threats and inducements vanish without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.
He couldn't even find a reason for his outburst.
Because the other party kept saying "follow the rules" from beginning to end.
"Very good."
After a long pause, Kang uttered two words.
He rose from his Throne and paced back and forth a couple of steps.
"It seems you have a lot of confidence in your 'program'."
Lynn didn't reply, she just looked at him quietly.
He knew very well that when the other party started to give up reasoning and instead started saying things that were emotional, it meant that the other party's patience had run out and there was no better way to deal with it at the moment.
This also confirmed his previous judgment: Kang dared not, or rather, was unwilling to, easily start a full-scale war on Earth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to waste so much breath.
"Since you enjoy going through procedures so much, then take your time."
Kang's tone turned completely cold.
He sat back on his Throne, the light on his War Armor shimmering slightly.
"I hope your financial reserves," he said, looking at Lynn and emphasizing each word, "Can get you through next month."
The moment the words were spoken, the Holographic Projection was abruptly cut off.
A jumble of Data Stream by, and the screen returned to the surveillance footage of the Abandoned Subway Station.
The lighting in the main hall was then restored to normal.
It was as if that meeting that transcended time and space had never happened.
But that chilling threat was like a nail driven into everyone's heart.
Hela's face was filled with undisguised anger and murderous intent.
Wanda frowned deeply and immediately began to mobilize computing power to analyze the data traces left by the forced access just now.
Gwen Stacy's expression turned somewhat serious.
Fiscal reserves.
These four words send a chill down one's spine more than the threat of a thousand troops.