Factional Confirmation in the Top-Secret File, Counterpressure from the Liaison Office

The golden hourglass floated silently on the dark screen of light, the flowing sand moving without a sound, yet it seemed to possess a chilling quality that drained all life force.

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

The Death Energy that had just surged within Hela vanished without a trace, replaced by a more primal wariness. She recognized this feeling; it wasn't merely power, but an order, a rule, that could not be challenged.

Wanda's fingertips had stopped moving; all the red gibberish on her terminal had disappeared, leaving only a constantly flashing gray icon representing "permissions forcibly stripped." She tried to trace the source of the energy that had cut off the signal, but found that her Chaos Magic seemed to have probed into absolute void, receiving no feedback whatsoever.

"They found out." Hela's voice was low, like a block of ice.

"No."

Gwen Stacy spoke.

She pushed up her glasses, the lenses reflecting the chilling light of the golden hourglass. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was unusually calm, instantly drawing the attention of Hela and Wanda.

"This isn't a discovery," Gwen Stacy said calmly, looking at the hourglass symbol. "It's a declaration."

She didn't look at the light screen again, but turned around and took out a separate, physically encrypted Data Pad from her briefcase. This was the Top Secret file that Lynn had given her before she left.

Gwen Stacy made no attempt to hide anything from Hela and Wanda, activating the Data Pad directly.

A pale blue light illuminated the document, and it was retrieved. At the top of the document was an hourglass symbol almost identical to the one on the light screen.

However, next to the mark in the file, there was a line of small print annotation.

The Supreme Tribunal of the Battleworld, also known as the ' Rules Faction,' operates independently of the administrative system and is responsible for maintaining and revising the 'rules' themselves.

Hela's pupils contracted slightly.

Wanda understood too.

"Two departments?" Wanda asked.

"They are two systems." Gwen Stacy's finger slid lightly across the Data Pad, bringing up another page. "The Foreign Affairs Office, responsible for receiving us, belongs to the ' Administrative Faction.' Their power comes from the daily operations and external coordination of the Battleworld. This Adjudication Office, on the other hand, belongs to the ' Rules Faction.' Their power comes directly from the very foundation of the Battleworld's existence. They are independent of each other, even mutually restraining."

The file was provided by Lynn, and the conclusion was drawn by Gwen Stacy.

She quickly connected the file with everything that had just happened, and a clear judgment formed in her mind.

"The one who cut off the signal wasn't our enemy," Gwen Stacy said, emphasizing each word. "It was Chief Ke'er's enemy."

Hela and Wanda both fell silent. They instantly understood the weight behind those words.

The video visit just now was dominated by the Administrative Faction from beginning to end. The forced intervention of the Rules Faction was tantamount to slapping the Administrative Faction hard in the face in front of the Negative Zone delegation.

This is no longer a simple internal and external conflict, but a power struggle within the Battleworld, laid bare in the open.

"Ke'er must be in a very awkward position right now." Gwen Stacy turned off the Data Pad and put it back in her briefcase. "He showed us how much control he had over the situation, but the Adjudication Office's actions proved that he couldn't even interfere with a single move in the Core Zone. He not only lost face, but also exposed the limits of his power."

The anger in Hela's eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a cold calculation. "So, we can use this."

"It's not exploitation," Gwen Stacy corrected, "It's cooperation."

She walked to the Communicator in the room and, without hesitation, pressed the call button.

"Connect me to the Foreign Affairs Office; I need to speak with Director Ke'er."

It took a full three minutes to get a response after the communication request was sent.

"Commander Stacy, Director Ke'er is in an emergency meeting. This is Mobius."

Mobius's voice sounded somewhat tired.

"Then I'll wait." Gwen Stacy's tone left no room for argument. "This concerns the personal safety of our delegation in the Battleworld, as well as the foundation for future cooperation between the two sides. I believe Director Ke'er understands the seriousness of the matter."

These words carried significant weight, directly characterizing the recent signal interruption as a "security incident."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the Communicator.

Please wait a moment.

Five minutes later, Ke'er's voice finally came through the Communicator, carrying a hint of suppressed anger.

"Commander Stacy, what is it?"

"Director Ke'er, on behalf of the Negative Zone Management Committee, I express my deepest concern regarding the communications outage that just occurred." Gwen Stacy's tone was standard diplomatic, devoid of any emotion. "I need a reasonable explanation."

"Technical malfunction." Ke'er's answer was curt and brief.

"Is that so?" Gwen Stacy's tone held a hint of amusement. "A technical malfunction that can forcibly sever the highest-level communications of the Foreign Affairs Office and project the ' Supreme Tribunal ' insignia? Director Ke'er, although this is our first time in the Battleworld, we know what that symbol signifies."

She didn't give the other party a chance to explain, and directly exposed the truth.

There was a long silence on the other end of the Communicator.

Gwen Stacy waited patiently. She knew that Ke'er was torn between two conflicting emotions. Admitting that he had lost control meant he was completely at a disadvantage in the negotiations; but continuing to be stubborn would only give the Negative Zone delegation a handle to accuse him of "lack of sincerity" and escalate the matter to a higher level.

"Commander Stacy, this is an internal matter for us." When Ke'er's voice rang out again, the anger from before was gone, replaced by deep weariness.

"That was true," Gwen Stacy continued, "But when your internal affairs affect our personnel's visitation rights, or even threaten their lives, then it becomes a matter for both of us."

She paused, then changed the subject, her tone softening.

"Director Ke'er, the purpose of our trip is to solve problems, not create them. Mr. Lehnsherr. Erik Lansher's case is very important to us, and I believe it is equally important for you, Director, to successfully complete this reception."

This statement hits the nail on the head.

"We in the Negative Zone have no intention of getting involved in any unnecessary conflicts. But if even the most basic, procedural visitation cannot be guaranteed, I will find it difficult to explain to my superiors." Gwen Stacy's voice became earnest. "I can't even restrain my deputy from taking unilateral actions that... we all don't want to see."

As she spoke, she glanced at Hela in the corner.

Hela understood immediately, took a step forward, and a faint Aura of Death spread out just in time.

This is blatant pressure, but it's disguised as "seeking cooperation."

Ke'er fell completely silent.

Gwen Stacy knew the time was right.

"Well then, Director Ke'er. To show our sincerity and to help you resolve the 'technical malfunction' as quickly as possible, I request a closed-door meeting with you. Some things are inconvenient to discuss over the Communicator."

Another silence fell.

"Half an hour later, in meeting room number three." Ke'er finished speaking and unilaterally cut off the communication.

Hela looked at Gwen Stacy, her eyes revealing genuine approval for the first time. "You're more suited for this than I thought."

"We each have our own responsibilities," Gwen Stacy replied calmly.

Half an hour later, in meeting room number three.

Ke'er sat alone at one side of the long table, with no documents in front of him, only a steaming cup of tea. His complexion was much worse than at the banquet.

Gwen Stacy brought only herself and sat down on the other side of the long table.

"Director Ke'er, I don't have much time," Gwen Stacy said bluntly.

Ke'er glanced at her but didn't say anything.

"The Adjudication Office's target isn't us, it's you, or rather, your Administrative Faction," Gwen Stacy. "They're using this method to declare to us, and to all forces in the Battleworld that are concerned about this matter, that the Foreign Affairs Office has lost control of the Core Zone. This is extremely detrimental to your situation."

Ke'er picked up his teacup, took a sip, and tried to use this action to conceal his true feelings.

"We don't want to put the director in a difficult position," Gwen Stacy continued. "We just want to see Erik, check on his condition, and then bring him back through proper procedures. But it seems that the normal procedures are no longer feasible."

She leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice.

"Since the Adjudication Office doesn't follow the rules, perhaps we don't need to follow them as strictly either."

Ke'er's hand, which was holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

"Negative Zone might not be able to help you fight the Adjudication Office on the front lines, but we can offer you some... 'substantial benefits' that the Administrative Faction can't easily handle." Every word Gwen Stacy struck Ke'er's weak spot. "For example, at certain crucial moments, we can create some chaos to attract the Adjudication Office's attention, buying you time and space to deal with internal issues."

These words are nothing short of a devil's pact.

Ke'er stared at Gwen Stacy, his expression complex. He saw risk, but he also saw opportunity.

In exchange,"Gwen Stacy finally stated her core demand, "We need an unofficial way to see Erik."

Ke'er put down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

In the reception room, only the two of them could be heard breathing deeply.

for a long time.

Ke'er opened his eyes, his gaze filled with unwavering resolve.

He didn't say anything, but simply took out an inconspicuous silver metal strip, resembling a USB flash drive, from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Then, he used two fingers to slowly push it towards the center of the table.

"This is the key to the outer maintenance access point for Engine Three in the Core Zone; it's a one-time use key," Ke'er's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from his throat. "It can block Rule Scan for ten minutes. After ten minutes, the key will automatically destroy itself and trigger the highest level alarm."

He looked at Gwen Stacy and added, word by word.

"I never gave you this. We didn't even meet this afternoon."