A difficult choice at the standing committee meeting, a clearing operation that turned their own rules against them

That red telephone is the data center's most secure line, a dedicated line connecting to the White Bone Hall.

Qin reached out her hand, her fingertips hovering over the answer button for a moment.

She could feel her own heartbeat.

The call was connected.

There was no sound coming from the receiver, only silence.

But Qin knew that Lynn was listening.

"Sir," Qin's voice was somewhat hoarse, "Target locked."

Name: Erik Lehnsherr.

Codename: Magneto.

After reporting the basic information, she stopped and waited for instructions.

This is no longer a technical issue; it's a political one.

"Your proposal," Lynn's voice came, calm and even.

Qin took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and organized the pros and cons that she had already calculated countless times in her mind into the most concise language.

"Direct arrest is extremely risky. Erik's prestige within the Brotherhood and throughout Krakoa is enough for him to rally support, rendering the Management Committee's orders meaningless, and Civil War could erupt at any moment."

"This is the worst possible outcome, and it's also the outcome Director Hela most wanted to see."

"My suggestion is to postpone the action, observe further, and find an opportunity that will not escalate the conflict."

Even Qin herself felt unsure of herself when she said this.

Lynn gave 24 hours; to postpone it would be tantamount to admitting his incompetence.

"You mean, just leave it alone?" Lynn's tone was devoid of emotion.

"It's... temporary."

Silence fell again on the other end of the phone.

Every second felt like a slow, agonizing torture of the piano's patience and will.

"Five minutes later, in the White Bone Hall, an expanded meeting will be held."

The call ended.

Qin leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. She knew she had just submitted a failing grade.

The atmosphere around the long conference table was colder than the temperature-controlled air conditioning in a data center.

Lynn sat in the main seat, still holding the same thermos filled with goji berries.

Hela, Wanda, Gwen Stacy, Chin.

The four people sat on either side, and no one spoke.

"Director Qin, please inform everyone about your situation." Lynn unscrewed the lid of the cup and blew on the steam.

Jean stood up and succinctly recounted her findings and assessment. When she uttered the name "Magneto," Hela's lips curled into an undisguised sneer.

Wanda, meanwhile, twirled her pen with great interest, as if watching a good show.

Only Gwen Stacy, with a slight furrow in her brow, wrote a few words in the notebook in front of her.

"That's the situation," Qin said, then sat down. "The Management Committee believes that maintaining internal stability in Krakoa must be the top priority in handling this matter."

"Stability?" Hela finally spoke, her voice icy. "An Anchor that could explode at any moment is right beneath our feet, and you're talking to me about stability? Director Qin, your full title is Director the Mutants Management Committee, not Director the Mutants Appeasement Office."

"The responsibility of the Stability Maintenance Office is to eliminate all destabilizing factors. Now that we've identified them, my solution is simple."

Hela looked at Lynn.

"Give me a commando unit and authorize me to act as I see fit. Three hours, and I'll bring back Erik Lehnsherr's head, and that Anchor."

"As for the Civil War you mentioned," Hela glanced at Qin, "Perfect opportunity. Let's take this chance to clean up those unruly troublemakers in Krakoa all at once. It'll save us trouble later."

That's a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone strategy.

Qin's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"I object." She stood up. "This is using a bigger crisis to solve a potential crisis. Krakoa will be awash in blood, and the Management Committee will completely lose the trust of the Mutants community!"

"Trust can't feed you, nor can it stop TVA's cutters." Hela stood her ground.

The tension in the meeting room was almost palpable.

"Technically, there might be a gentler approach," Wanda said calmly, drawing everyone's attention.

"The Department of Technology could try to construct a targeted energy suppression field. If we can obtain Erik's Genes sequence and detailed data on his ability fluctuations, theoretically we could temporarily block his connection to the Anchor without his knowledge, and even disable his abilities."

"Wait until he becomes an ordinary old man before taking him away, then there won't be so much trouble, right?"

Wanda's plan sounded perfect, but Jean sensed the danger within it.

"Let me remind Director Wanda," Jean said, "To obtain that data, we must take complete control of Krakoa's Genes pool and psycho-network. This is essentially no different from Director Hela's armed incursion, and it will also trigger a violent backlash."

"Well, there's nothing we can do then." Wanda shrugged. "We can't let everyone bear the risk just because we're afraid a few people will cause trouble, can we?"

The ball was kicked back again.

Hela wants to use force, Wanda wants data, and Chin wants stability.

The demands of the three parties are fundamentally irreconcilable.

In the end, everyone's attention fell on the person who had remained silent.

Lynn put down her water glass.

Dude.

With a soft sound, the conference room fell silent instantly.

"Director Hela's proposal is rejected."

Lynn's first words made Hela's face darken.

"The reason is simple. Solving external problems by killing your own people is the most incompetent approach. If you can purge Krakoa for one anchor point today, can you purge Asgard for another tomorrow?"

"My team doesn't need brutes who can only hammer nails."

These were extremely harsh words, Hela's chest heaved violently, but she ultimately dared not refute them.

Lynn then looked at Wanda.

"The Department of Technology's approach is good, but it's too simplistic. You're pinning your hopes on a perfect, undetectable technical solution. But if any link in the chain goes wrong and the other party notices, we won't have any room to maneuver; it will be the worst possible outcome."

After giving the two a warning, Lynn's gaze finally settled on Qin.

"As for the Management Committee, stability is of paramount importance, but it is not the goal. To do nothing in the name of stability is tantamount to condoning wrongdoing and dereliction of duty."

All three of them were criticized.

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"The Anchor must be removed. The people must be taken away. But Krakoa cannot be allowed to fall into disarray."

Lynn leaned forward slightly and placed his hands on the table, crossed.

"Since a direct attack won't work, let's use a more strategic approach."

He paused, then uttered an arrangement that surprised everyone.

"The Management Committee immediately issued a notice stating that, in order to cope with the recent complex cross- Dimension environment and to ensure the health of key personnel, it has decided to organize an annual special medical check-up for the permanent members of the Krakoa Joint Council."

Medical check-up?

Hela, Wanda, and Qin were all stunned.

"Make sure the procedures are followed thoroughly and the reasons are solid. The notification must be formal, the timing must be reasonable, and the location should be a quarantine and testing center outside Krakoa." Lynn's tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

"This is the organization's concern, and it's a compliant procedure. As a member of parliament, Erik Lehnsherr has no reason to refuse. If he refuses, it means he doesn't trust the organization, that he has something to hide, and that gives us a pretext to take further action."

"If he comes, things will be much easier."

Lynn looked at Hela.

"The Stability Maintenance Office is responsible for the security of the special vehicles used for medical examinations and maintaining order along the route. The protocol must be high, but the demeanor must be humble. Externally, it's about protecting important leaders; internally, it's about physical isolation."

He then looked at Wanda.

"The Department of Technology is responsible for preparing the isolation and inspection center. Once he enters that door, it's up to you whether to cut off his energy or block his signal."

Finally, he looked at the piano.

"The Management Committee is responsible for handling this matter, explaining the situation, and calming the Brotherhood. Tell them it's just a routine procedure, and once the inspection is complete, everyone will go back."

What was an otherwise routine administrative procedure was dismantled and reorganized by Lynn, transforming it into a clearing plan that was impossible to refuse and impossible to detect.

No soldiers are needed, and there is no need to besiege the city.

Using your own rules, you can legitimately lure them into a trap.

A flicker of understanding and apprehension crossed Hela's eyes.

Wanda stopped spinning her pen, her expression becoming complicated.

Qin's tense back finally relaxed slowly. She knew that Lynn had given her a way out, the only solution that could save face for the Management Committee and resolve the problem.

"Did you understand everything?" Lynn asked.

"Yes, sir," the three replied in unison.

Meeting adjourned.

The plan was executed more smoothly than expected.

After the official notice from the Management Committee was issued, there was some discussion within the Brotherhood, but everything calmed down after Magneto himself expressed his willingness to cooperate.

Nine o'clock the next morning.

A black, explosion-proof medical vehicle, discreetly escorted by a motorcade from the Stability Maintenance Office office, slowly drove away from Krakoa.

Everything is under control.

However, just as the special vehicle entered the first underground tunnel of its planned route...

White Bone Hall, the highest-level alarm sounded without warning throughout the entire hall.

Gwen Stacy abruptly stood up from her seat and looked at the Central Holographic Display.

The light representing the medical vehicle was flashing a blinding red light at an extremely high frequency.

"Sir!" a Communications Officer cried out in alarm, "Target... target has disappeared in the vehicle!"

"No energy fluctuations or signs of a struggle were detected at the scene!"

"The in-car surveillance footage was wiped clean by an unknown force, leaving only... only one thing behind."

The light screen switched, and the image was magnified.

In the empty back seat of the chauffeured car, a pure black card lay quietly.

In the center of the card is a hideous and twisted symbol.

Battleworld.