The Political Trap of Computing Power Compensation, the Force of the Stability Maintenance Office Director
The air Engine Room became thick and heavy because of the Supreme Adjudicator's last words.
compensate.
Equivalent compensation.
The cold, metallic arm pointed directly at Wanda.
"It extracts the essence of Chaos Energy within you as a supplement to your computing power."
This is not negotiation, it's an ultimatum.
Gwen Stacy's heart sank. This was a perfect political trap. Every step the other side took violated the terms of the Interdimensional Extradition Treaty. They demanded Erik's release on humanitarian grounds, while the other side demanded compensation for the losses based on the principle of reciprocity.
The procedure is flawless.
Agreeing would be tantamount to placing Wanda, a key technical advisor, on the chopping block, at the mercy of others. No one can say for sure where the "equivalence" measure lies in the extraction of Chaos Energy; it could very well drain Wanda dry.
Refusing would mean watching Erik be destroyed, and the core objective of the negotiations would fail. At the same time, Negative Zone would be stigmatized for "refusing to comply with the treaty," putting it at a significant legal disadvantage in any subsequent negotiations.
Wanda's face turned pale instantly, and she instinctively took a half step back, Scarlet energy flickering uneasily at her fingertips.
Gwen Stacy's mind raced, trying to find grounds for retaliation from the vast sea of clauses. However, the Supreme Adjudicator's logic was too tight; he himself was the embodiment of the rules, leaving no loopholes for argument.
In the midst of this suffocating stalemate, a very faint metallic scraping sound rang out.
The voice wasn't loud, but it was like a needle piercing the tense atmosphere.
It's Hela.
She moved.
The Director the Stability Maintenance Office, who had been standing half a step behind Gwen Stacy the whole time, like a shadow, finally stepped forward.
She didn't look at Gwen Stacy or Wanda; her gaze fell directly on the Supreme Adjudicator.
Her hand rested on the hilt of the sword at her waist.
The Night Sky Sword was not drawn, but the aura mixed with death and rust had already silently spread.
"Your Judge."
Hela spoke, her voice calm, even calmer than Gwen Stacy's had been.
"My name is Hela, Director the Stability Maintenance Office Negative Zone Management Committee, and Deputy Head of the Delegation for this trip, responsible for the security of the entire delegation."
She was giving a very standard self-introduction, clearly stating her position word by word.
The Supreme Adjudicator's mechanical head turned slightly toward her, seemingly entering her information into the system.
"According to Article 3, Paragraph 7 of the ' Security and Protection Work Regulations in Negative Zone,'" Hela's tone remained unchanged. "One of our core responsibilities is to ensure the safety of our VIPs on duty abroad, protecting them from any form of illegal harm."
She paused, then tapped her fingers lightly on the hilt of the sword.
"Wanda Consulting is the core technical expert for our trip and is subject to the highest level of protection."
"In my view, the compensation proposal you just put forward constitutes a disguised, unauthorized, and highly dangerous form of ' Illegal Blood Drawing '."
Illegal Blood Drawing.
When those four words were uttered, Wanda and Gwen Stacy were both stunned.
Hela actually categorized the other party's legal requirements based on the treaty as a criminal security incident.
She completely broke free from Gwen Stacy's diplomatic rhetoric framework, starting afresh with a set of internal security guidelines belonging to the Stability Maintenance Office —more direct and brutal—to counter the rules of the Battleworld.
"A scholar meets a soldier," the phrase inexplicably popped into Gwen Stacy's mind.
The Supreme Adjudicator's pupil-less eye sockets flashed red light more rapidly. Clearly, his system, which only dealt with procedures and logic, was attempting to decipher this entirely new, lawless variable.
"Now." Hela took a step forward, and the faint Aura of Death around her instantly solidified, like an invisible mountain pressing down on the Supreme Adjudicator.
"In my capacity as the Director of the Stability Maintenance Office, I hereby issue this formal warning. Please immediately retract your dangerous proposal and remove the pinpointing threat against our technical advisor."
Her voice remained calm, but every word carried an unquestionable tone of command.
"Otherwise, I will classify your actions as a direct attack on one of our key personnel and initiate a reciprocal countermeasure."
The moment the words left his mouth.
"Zheng--"
The Night Sky Sword, drawn an inch from its sheath.
The inch-long, jet-black blade seemed capable of swallowing up all the light in the Engine Room. That pure killing intent, emanating from death itself, was no longer just an aura, but had transformed into a tangible, sharp blade, precisely locking onto the Supreme Adjudicator.
The temperature in the entire Engine Room suddenly dropped.
For the first time, the Supreme Adjudicator's body remained completely still for several seconds.
He wasn't afraid; he was calculating.
Calculate the optimal course of action for a purely rule-following entity when facing an opponent who disregards rules and relies solely on force.
Gwen Stacy watched Hela's retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She had always thought Hela's actions were too impulsive and that she was an unstable element in the team. Only now did she understand the deeper meaning behind Lynn's decision to appoint Hela as the vice-captain and put her in charge of security.
The mouth of a civil official, the sword of a military general.
When reasoning fails, a knife is needed to create space for reasoning.
Hela's tough stance provided the strongest ballast for her diplomatic negotiations, which were on the verge of a dead end.
However, the unexpected happened at that very moment.
Warning! High-intensity hostile energy detected! Threat level: Highest!
Activate the ' Hive ' Defense Protocol!
The piercing alarm sounded again, but this time, it wasn't aimed at a specific nutrient tank; it echoed throughout the entire space.
Suddenly, countless neat grilles appeared on the smooth, mirror-like Alloy Wall surrounding the Engine Room.
"Click, click, click..."
Hundreds upon hundreds of mechanical guards slid out from the hidden compartments behind the grille. They were all silver-white and shaped like spiders. Their eight gleaming mechanical legs landed steadily, and their Scarlet compound eyes on their heads instantly locked onto Hela in the arena.
The only exit, the heavy Alloy Door, was completely sealed off with a loud, heavy thud.
They were surrounded.