The resources of a sidelined veteran leader, the underground network's covert reach

The call was connected.

There were no greetings from the receiver, only a silence mixed with a slight static.

Lynn didn't speak first either.

He simply held the receiver quietly, seemingly waiting for the other party to confirm his identity. This old-fashioned secure line had its own unique verification logic, in which verbal communication was the least reliable element.

About half a minute later, the silence was broken by a hoarse, extremely tired voice.

"Explain."

There is only one word.

"I need a shipment of supplies," Lynn said calmly, as if stating a fact unrelated to himself. "Regular, mundane supplies. A large quantity."

The other party fell silent again.

Lynn could hear a very soft tapping sound, like fingers tapping on a table, coming through the receiver. One tap, then another.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.. no longer exists," the voice said.

"I know," Lynn replied, "But you're still here. Your people also need a safe place to stay."

This is no longer a request, but a transaction.

The tapping on the table stopped.

"List."

"Gwen Stacy will send it to you through a clean channel," Lynn said.

"Cost."

"For the next three months, nighttime security in New York City will be handled by my ' Stability Maintenance Office.' Any supernatural threats against you and your remnants will be eliminated. You can think of this as a security outsourcing service contract."

A very soft chuckle came from the other end of the receiver; it was unclear whether it was mockery or something else.

"You've expanded your operations significantly, Lynn. But not all of your people seem to be entirely obedient."

"That's my question," Lynn said flatly. "You just need to answer whether you'll sign this contract or not."

"... make a deal."

The call was abruptly cut off, leaving only a busy tone on the receiver.

Lynn gently placed the red receiver back on the base, as if he had just finished processing a routine document. He turned around, and the bone wall behind him silently closed, leaving no gap.

He did not return to the Throne, but stood in the center of the hall and said, "The zither."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a frail but upright figure appeared before him.

It is Jean Grey.

She changed out of her hospital gown and into the black uniform of the Mutants Management Committee, but her face was still pale, indicating that her Psychic Power had not fully recovered.

"I'm here." Her voice was low, but firm.

"There's a shipment of supplies in the Reality Dimension," Lynn said, looking at her. "Official channels have been cut off; I need you to bring them in."

Qin's eyes lit up.

She understood that Lynn was giving her a chance—a chance to prove her worth again after she had made a serious mistake and been suspended from her job.

"The Stability Maintenance Office's Undead Legion can't conduct large-scale relocations without alerting the enemy, and the Department of Technology and Technology and the Liaison Office don't have such an underground, systematic logistics network either." Lynn's gaze fell on her uniform. "But the Mutants Management Committee does."

He was referring to the underground black market for Mutants, operating outside of social order. It was a vast, secretive, and intricate network that, in order to survive, had long since learned how to evade all official oversight and transport anything prohibited.

"I guarantee the mission will be completed." Qin didn't ask what the supplies were or where they came from; she simply answered.

This is the answer Lynn wanted.

He needs an executor, not a questioner.

"Report this directly to me," Lynn added as a final remark.

"Yes."

Qin's figure disappeared.

The oppressive atmosphere of the Negative Zone underwent a subtle change over the next twenty-four hours.

Although the starlight on the dome of the main hall remained dim and energy rations were reduced to a minimum, the apocalyptic panic was quietly dissipating.

The first batch of physical supplies was delivered to the Liaison Office's warehouse through a channel that no one could clearly explain.

It is drinking water and high-energy compressed food.

Gwen Stacy, who was in charge of inventorying the supplies, stared at the unfamiliar handover code on the receiving slip and fell into deep thought. She knew that Lynn was behind this, but she had no idea who was carrying it out.

Immediately afterwards, medical supplies, backup energy blocks, conventional weapons and ammunition... batches of supplies that would have been impossible to obtain under the blockade appeared one after another in every corner of the Negative Zone as if by magic.

They bypassed all known stargates and jump portals, ignored the blockade protocol imposed by Comb, and were precisely delivered to where they were most needed.

The Undead Soldiers, who had been restless due to the energy shortage, have now been replenished and have entered a stable hibernation.

Many of the secondary laboratories in the Technology Integration Department have also resumed minimal operations.

People's hearts were calmed down.

At yet another Standing Committee, after Gwen Stacy finished reporting on the latest supply reserves, Hela and Wanda both turned their gazes to Jean Grey, who was sitting silently in the corner.

They all understood.

It's her.

It was the Mutants Management Committee leader, who had been personally reprimanded and suspended from his duties for self-reflection by the top leader, who, when everyone was at a loss, opened up an underground lifeline for this organization on the verge of collapse.

Hela's gaze was complex. She looked down on Qin's previous eagerness and recklessness, but she had to admit that the skills and resources Qin was now displaying were something she did not possess.

Wanda, however, felt a deeper sense of crisis. She had originally thought that with her breakthrough in technical analysis, she could regain the initiative in this crisis. But now it seemed that Jean Grey had won back Lynn's favor in a more direct and pragmatic way.

Lynn seemed completely oblivious to all of this. He simply listened to the report, nodded, and adjourned the meeting.

After the meeting, Jean Grey did not leave immediately. She walked up to Lynn and handed him an encrypted Data Pad.

"The last batch of supplies has been stored." Her voice regained some strength. "This is the handover list."

Lynn took the Data Pad but didn't look at it.

"Also," Jin paused, lowering her voice, "I have a message for Fury."

Lynn's gaze finally shifted from the Data Pad to her face.

He said Roxxon Energy Group is pressuring the New York Mayor's Office through the World Security Council.

Qin's expression turned unusually serious.

"They plan to carry out a comprehensive plan for Queens under the guise of 'urban safety upgrade and renovation.' The first phase of the project is the forced demolition of the Abandoned Subway Station."