Good cop and bad cop at the internal meeting, a ruse of discord between commanders

The banquet hall doors closed behind them, separating Ke'er and Mobius from view.

Back on the private floor assigned to me at the guesthouse, the heavy Alloy Door closed silently, and a dull feeling of complete disconnection from the outside world enveloped me.

Hela could no longer maintain her composure at the banquet.

She ripped off the cloak that served as a ceremonial decoration from her shoulders, tossed it onto the sofa, and turned to stare at Gwen Stacy.

"Core Zone Isolation Review."

Hela repeated the last word Ke'er uttered, her voice icy. "A department I've never even heard of, and they just sent us away. Gwen Stacy Stacy, is this what you got for holding the superior's warrant?"

"That guy surnamed Ke was just giving us the runaround from beginning to end. We're stuck here, listening to him talk about rules and procedures like idiots."

Wanda didn't speak. She walked to the corner of the room, took out a series of sophisticated sensors from her equipment case, and began to set them up along the walls. Her movements were very light, as if she didn't want to get involved in this imminent conflict.

Gwen Stacy ignored Hela's question.

She walked to the table in the center of the room, took off her glasses, and carefully wiped them with a soft cloth.

"Director Hela, do you think Ke'er is telling the truth or lying?"

Gwen Stacy's question made Hela's prepared rebuke catch in her throat.

"Of course it's a lie! It's just an excuse to stall for time!" Hela replied without hesitation.

"I also think it's a lie." Gwen Stacy put her glasses back on, her gaze unusually calm through the lenses. "But the ' Core Zone ' revealed by his slip of the tongue, and the embarrassment of 'not having the final say,' are real."

Hela frowned.

"What's the meaning?"

"That means the Battleworld Realm isn't a monolithic entity." Gwen Stacy walked over to Wanda and glanced at the screen of the device she was adjusting, which was displaying complex Data Stream.

"Ke'er represents the administrative system of the Battleworld responsible for dealing with the outside world. The ' Core Zone ' where Erik is imprisoned is likely governed by another, more powerful system that adheres more strictly to the rules at the bottom."

Gwen Stacy's voice was steady, as if she were reciting a dry report.

"There's a conflict between the two systems. Ke'er wants to keep us on our feet and proceed slowly through his procedures. But the Core Zone probably doesn't even respect him as the Foreign Affairs Office."

Hela's anger subsided slightly, replaced by a scrutinizing expression. It wasn't that she didn't understand the intricacies of the situation; it was simply that her habits made her instinctively reject such convoluted methods.

"Even if there are conflicts, so what? We're under house arrest here now, and there's nothing we can do."

"Who says we can't do anything?" Gwen Stacy retorted.

She took a thin file bag sealed with a physical encryption lock from her briefcase and placed it on the table.

That wasn't a conventional data terminal, but rather the most primitive paper documents.

Hela's gaze fell on the seal of the document bag, where Lynn's signature was on the seal.

This is something Lynn gave to Gwen Stacy privately before she left.

Gwen Stacy didn't explain, entered the password, opened the encryption lock, and pushed the only document inside in front of Hela.

The document is titled "Analysis Report on the Organizational Structure and Factional Risks of the Battleworld (Top Secret)".

Hela picked up the document and quickly flipped through it.

The report was short, only three pages, but its contents gradually made her tense expression turn serious. The report clearly pointed out that within the Battleworld, there existed an "Administrative Faction," represented by Ke'er, which tended to handle external affairs flexibly, and another mysterious "Rules Faction," which was only responsible to the highest rules of the Battleworld.

The two factions have fundamental disagreements on how to deal with Erik.

The Administrative Faction wanted to use Erik as a bargaining chip, while the Rules Faction seemed intent on completely assimilating Erik, using him as a "cog" to solidify the operation of the Battleworld.

"So, the commander knew from the very beginning..." Hela murmured to herself.

"The commander knows far more than we do." Gwen Stacy retrieved the document and sealed it away again. "He sent us not to fight on the front lines, but to exploit their internal conflicts and create an opening."

Gwen Stacy looked at Hela intently.

"Therefore, I need your cooperation, Director Hela."

Hela fell silent. She finally understood the full meaning of Gwen Stacy's forbearance and concession at the banquet. Gwen Stacy was not weak; she was precisely verifying the intelligence Lynn had given her, and creating the illusion for the other side's Administrative Faction that "we are easy to talk to."

"How can we cooperate?" Hela's voice was a little hoarse.

"We need to put on a show." Gwen Stacy spoke slowly, but every word carried undeniable authority. "A show of discord between the generals."

"Tomorrow morning, you, Director Hela of the Stability Maintenance Office, will lead a group to Impact the security perimeter of the guesthouse, citing your inability to tolerate the house arrest and delays."

Hela's eyes lit up; this was exactly what she wanted.

"Make a big fuss, but don't actually hurt anyone. Remember, it's a tactical skirmish, not a full-scale war. You need to demonstrate the unbridled recklessness and toughness expected of a military commander."

Gwen Stacy paused, then continued, "Your task is to escalate the situation to the point where the Foreign Affairs Office can't handle it anymore, forcing Ke'er to step in and resolve it."

"And then?" Hela pressed.

"Then, I'll step in." A subtle smile played on Gwen Stacy's lips. "I'll 'sternly' reprimand you, accusing you of ruining the atmosphere of the negotiations, then 'apologize' to Ke'er and put pressure on him."

"I will tell him that if a visit isn't arranged soon, even I, as the regimental commander, will soon be unable to control these unruly generals under my command."

One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop.

One is responsible for using force to tear open the opponent's program shell and create pressure.

One is responsible for following up with diplomatic language and turning pressure into tangible negotiation results.

Military pressure, diplomatic gains.

Hela finally understood. Looking at the woman before her, whom she had always regarded as a clerical worker, she realized for the first time that the other woman's methods were sharper than her own scythe of death.

This is a calculated, open strategy.

A strategy that exploits the other party's desire for stability and uses their strength against them.

Ke'er wanted a controllable situation, Hela gave him a crisis that was about to spiral out of control. To prevent this crisis from actually erupting, his only option was to compromise with Gwen Stacy, the "reasonable" captain, on the issue of visitation.

"Okay," Hela said, offering only one word.

This word signifies that she has set aside all prejudices and truly accepted Gwen Stacy's command as the head of the delegation.

A subtle understanding quietly formed between the two in the tense atmosphere.

Just then, Wanda, who had been silent all along, suddenly raised her head.

Her face was somewhat pale, and her eyes held a hint of wariness.

"What's wrong?" Gwen Stacy immediately noticed her unusual behavior.

"My Chaos Beacon has just intercepted a high-priority command from the internal network of the Battleworld."

Wanda turned the terminal screen on her wrist toward them.

On the screen, a line of red code, forcibly deciphered, was flashing ominously.

The instruction is very short.

Wanda's voice was very low.

"Target: No. 3 Guesthouse. Initiate Class A surveillance program. Classification: Top Secret."