A closed-door talk before departure, revealing hidden cards and political instructions

It's late at night.

The main lights in the Negative Zone Management Committee office area were off, with only light shining through the crack in the door of the office at the end of the corridor.

Gwen Stacy Stacy stopped at the door, straightened her uniform collar, and then gently knocked three times.

"Please come in."

Lynn's voice was calm.

Pushing open the door, I saw that the office was not lit by the main lights, but only by a desk lamp. The light cast a dim yellow shadow over Lynn's figure. On the desk in front of him, besides the ever-warm cup of tea, there was also a thick, uncovered file.

The file was the color of kraft paper, without a title, without a number, and even the binding stitches looked somewhat worn.

"Sir." Gwen Stacy walked to the desk and stopped.

"Sit down." Lynn gestured to the chair opposite her.

Gwen Stacy sat down as instructed, her back ramrod straight. She didn't ask Lynn why he had called her here so late at night; she simply waited quietly.

Lynn didn't speak immediately. He stretched out his finger and slowly pushed the leather-less file onto the table toward Gwen Stacy.

The movement was very light; the file slid across the table, making a soft scraping sound.

"Keep this document with you," Lynn said. "Its contents are not to be recorded, copied, or disclosed to other members of the delegation in any form. After reading it, you must keep it in your mind."

Gwen Stacy's gaze fell on the file.

Its thickness indicates the vast amount of information contained within. And its form indicates the absolute confidentiality of its contents.

She reached out and took the file in front of her, but didn't open it.

"Sir, this trip abroad..."

"Officially, we're there to conduct an inspection, to negotiate, and to bring Comrade Erik back," Lynn interrupted her. "This mission must be completed. It's crucial for stabilizing Krakoa and for the credibility of our Management Committee."

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and the lamplight cast two deep points of light in his eyes.

"But that's just a matter of appearances."

"Your primary task is not to rescue people, but to gather information."

Gwen Stacy's fingers tightened unconsciously around the file.

"I need you to figure out exactly what the Battleworld is. What is its administrative structure? Who holds the power? Who is the decision-making level and who is the execution level? What are their rules, and where are their bottom lines?"

"We know nothing about it, like a blind person wandering into someone else's territory. I will only allow this passivity to exist once."

Lynn leaned back in his chair, his voice regaining its usual calmness.

"This file contains deductions and predictions about the underlying operating logic of the Battleworld) based on all known clues, compiled by the Department of Technology and Technology, the Liaison Office, and myself. It may not be completely accurate, but it can help you make the right judgment at crucial moments, so you won't be led by the nose by the other side."

Gwen Stacy nodded; she understood.

During this trip, she, as the head of the delegation, also served as the head of the intelligence department.

"There's one more issue." Lynn's gaze shifted to her, sharpening. "You're the head of the delegation. Maintaining unity within the delegation is a bottom line you must ensure."

Ge felt a chill run down his spine.

"You've already seen Comrade Hela's style of doing things at the meeting. Her plan is a war plan. Once she's in the Battleworld, if any 'provocation' she deems appropriate occurs, she will not hesitate to choose physical elimination. This is her duty, and it's also her character."

"Comrade Wanda is single-mindedly focused on technology. To obtain critical data, she might resort to unconventional technical methods. Such methods, on someone else's turf, could easily be defined as technical intrusion."

"One could trigger a military conflict, the other a technological dispute. And you're caught in the middle."

Lynn's words were like a Scalpel, precisely dissecting the predicament Gwen Stacy was about to face.

"I need you to remember, Comrade Gwen Stacy, that you are the head of the delegation appointed by the Management Committee. Your decision represents the official stance of the Negative Zone. Any unauthorized action without your approval is a violation of discipline."

His fingers tapped lightly on the spot on the table where the file had just been.

"The last page of this file contains the highest-level authorization Contingency Plan for ensuring the unity of the command system in extreme situations. I've given you this sword, but I don't want you to draw it lightly."

"Unless the delegation faces division or engages in arbitrary actions that seriously harm our fundamental interests, this authorization should remain dormant in the archives."

"Use procedures, rules, and your position as team leader to coordinate. This is a test of your leadership skills."

Silence fell over the office.

Under the light, dust particles floated slowly within the beam of light.

Gwen Stacy felt the file in her hands weigh a ton. It wasn't just trust; it was the weight of the entire team's safety and the mission's success resting on her shoulders.

She took a deep breath, stood up, and hugged the file tightly to her chest.

"Please rest assured, sir." Her voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally firm. "I understand my duty. I guarantee I will complete the mission, bring back the report you requested, and bring back our comrades as well."

Lynn looked at her and slowly nodded.

"Go. Prepare to depart."

In front of the enormous ring-shaped structure of the Cross-Dimensional Physical Portal, lights flickered, and the hum of energy flow was deep and powerful.

Gwen Stacy stood at the front, behind her Hela with her arms crossed and expressionless, and Hela, Wanda was adjusting the data terminal on her wrist. A well-trained Undead Guard stood in battle formation on both sides, silent as statues.

The atmosphere before departure was quiet, almost oppressively so.

There was no communication between the three responsible persons.

Gwen Stacy glanced at the time and nodded to the technician at the control panel.

"Open the passage."

The buzzing suddenly intensified, the space in the center of the ring structure began to distort, and a ball of blazing white light rapidly expanded, eventually forming a stable and deep vortex.

"Set off."

Gwen Stacy took the first step and walked into the light.

Hela and Wanda followed closely behind.

The light engulfed their figures, and the passage slowly closed behind them.

At the other end of the passage, the light faded.

Neither the anticipated welcoming ceremony nor the tense standoff occurred.

Before the delegation lay a vast, seemingly boundless, pure white space. Underfoot, overhead, and all around were seamless white Alloy Wall; not a single door or window could be found.

The air was cold and carried a sterile, disinfectant-like odor.

Dozens of silver-white spherical mechanical bodies floated silently in mid-air. In the very center of each body, a Scarlet scanning beam shone, like an emotionless eye, locking onto them.

The cold, emotionless synthesized electronic voice echoed in the empty space, each word crystal clear.

"Unidentified entity detected entering."

"Stand still, do not move."

"Prepared to undergo Existence Integrity Examination."