Trading interests over tea, gaining ground by giving way
The tea is good; it has a rich and mellow aroma.
Lynn held the cup but didn't drink; instead, she gently stirred the tea leaves floating on the surface with the lid.
The basement was quiet, with only the soft bubbling of boiling tea.
Standing behind Lynn, Gwen Stacy's breathing quickened slightly. Her gaze was involuntarily drawn to the silver pocket watch. Her father's keepsake—why was it here? And who was this person claiming to represent her?
She forced herself to look away and refocus her attention on the standby screen of the recording terminal. As the head of the Liaison Office, at this moment, she represented only the organization.
The man in the gray suit opposite him maintained his smile, seemingly oblivious to the undercurrents beneath the calm surface.
"Mr. Lynn, the purpose of our communication today is to resolve the issue, not create new ones," he broke the silence. "Regarding the previous arrest warrant for you and your organization, after internal review, we believe there were certain procedural flaws. We can push for the revocation of the warrant and the restoration of your normal seat within the Multiverse coordination mechanism."
He gently placed what sounded like a very significant chip on the table.
This is a worthless check.
Lynn put down his teacup, the bottom of which made a soft sound as it touched the wooden table.
He didn't reply, but instead glanced at Gwen Stacy beside him.
"Director Stacy, please write down their proposal."
"Yes, sir." Gwen Stacy tapped her fingers a few times on the terminal.
This gesture caused the representative in the gray suit to subtly shift his gaze. Recording the contents of an informal conversation in the form of meeting minutes was itself a change in the nature of the matter.
Lynn then looked at the other person again, her tone indifferent.
"With the arrest warrant withdrawn, that sounds good. But we've run into a little problem on our end."
He leaned forward slightly, his hands crossed on the table.
"The person in charge of the Joint Inspection Group you sent, B-15, committed suicide at our detention center."
The man in the gray suit's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly recovered.
"We deeply regret the unfortunate passing of Ms. B-15. However, to the best of my knowledge, she self-destructed due to some internal program, which is not directly related to your detention."
"You're right, there's no direct connection." Lynn nodded in agreement. "But the person died on our turf. According to our rules, once a life is lost, the nature of the matter changes. The Stability Maintenance Office has been suspended and is writing a self-criticism for dereliction of duty. I think you've received the relevant investigation report."
He mentioned the "report of dereliction of duty" that was sent as an attachment.
The man in the gray suit twitched almost imperceptibly at the corner of his eye.
He certainly understood what Lynn meant. Sending over the internal report of dereliction of duty was not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength. It was tantamount to telling them that this matter had gone through a formal accountability process within Lynn's system, that there were files and records, and that it had become a settled "incident," no longer a minor friction that could be negotiated privately.
"This was an isolated incident," the representative in the gray suit tried to distance himself from the matter.
"Whether it was an accident or not, we'll have to wait for the investigation to find out." Lynn took a leisurely sip of tea. "We've set up a special investigation team and are conducting an in-depth investigation into B-15's cause of death and the encrypted code she left behind before she died."
His fingers tapped lightly on the table.
"Coincidentally, that string of code points to a project called ' Battleworld.' Your letter also mentioned this project, stating that it presents 'serious compliance risks and suspected violations.'"
Lynn raised her eyelids and calmly looked at the other person.
"Now that my man is dead, and the clues he left behind are related to your internal 'disciplinary projects,' how can you expect me to believe this is just a misunderstanding?"
"How am I supposed to explain this to my subordinates? Are you just going to let this go like this?"
The two rhetorical questions made the air in the basement instantly feel heavy.
The smile on the man in the gray suit finally crumbled. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and tried to hide his embarrassment.
He realized he had completely misjudged the man before him. He had thought Lynn was just a brute who had risen to power through violence, someone who could be appeased with some upper-level rules and empty promises. But he hadn't expected that the other man not only understood the rules, but was even better at using them than he was.
Lynn made no mention of Kang, no mention of sanctions, no mention of those tense confrontations.
He only focused on one thing: the program.
A dead person, a clue left behind, and an internal document that you yourselves admit is problematic. These three elements, when linked, form a perfect closed loop.
Procedurally speaking, Lynn's current investigation into "Battleworld" is no longer for revenge, but to investigate the cause of B-15's death, to clarify the facts, and to give his subordinates an explanation.
He stood on an undeniable high ground.
"Mr. Lynn, I think you've misunderstood." The representative in the gray suit put down his teacup, his tone becoming serious. "' Battleworld ' project is extremely complex and involves far-reaching interests. Rushing into it will not benefit either of us. Our common enemy is Kang, isn't it? We should focus on the bigger picture."
"The bigger picture?" Lynn smiled. "For me, the biggest bigger picture is that my subordinates can work and live peacefully. Now someone is causing trouble in my home, and someone has even died. If I don't get to the bottom of this, I can't lead the team."
His words were straightforward, yet most genuine.
The gray suit represented silence.
He knew that empty words were no longer effective. Lynn passed the buck back and made his stance clear: if he didn't get a satisfactory explanation, he would use the legitimate reason of "investigating the cause of B-15's death" to thoroughly expose the "Battleworld" project.
This is exactly what they wanted to see.
However, it cannot be in this Lynn- dominated way. What they need is a controllable piece, not an opponent who can overturn the board.
After a long while, he let out a long breath.
"I see."
He seemed to have made some kind of difficult decision.
"To demonstrate our sincerity and to prevent the situation from escalating further, I can offer you some... substantial assistance."
He raised his hand and lightly swiped across the table. A screen of light unfolded between the two of them.
On the screen was a list.
"These are several core Anchor Kang plans to activate on Earth soon in order to advance the ' Battleworld ' project. Once these Anchor are removed, his plans on Earth will come to a standstill."
The voice of the man in the gray suit carried a barely perceptible hint of heartache. This was undoubtedly a core secret, a crucial bargaining chip they were preparing to use in their political maneuvering with Kang.
Now, he has been forced to hand it over ahead of schedule.
Lynn's gaze slowly swept over the list.
The list is short, containing only five coordinates, each corresponding to a key location such as New York, London, and Wakanda.
His gaze finally settled on the last name on the list.
It was a place name, a place name that had been frequently mentioned in his mind lately.
Krakoa.
The core sanctuary of the Mutants Management Committee, overseen by Jean Grey.