An in-depth review of the top-secret files, the Multiverse Coordination Committee's next
The doors to the main hall slowly closed.
Silence returned to the hall.
Lynn sat alone on the Throne for a long time.
He didn't move, but just stared at the empty hall, as if he was thinking about something.
My fingertips silently traced the cold armrest, creating a subtle, bone-like friction.
The commendation ceremony just now made everything clear.
Merits were recorded. Faults were also addressed. The factions needed to be balanced, and rules needed to be established. These were all means, necessary adhesives to keep this makeshift team from falling apart.
However, these are all within the scope of internal governance.
Real trouble always comes from outside.
After a long while, he raised his hand and gently tapped three times on the armrest of the Throne.
A pale blue light silently unfolded before him, its soft glow illuminating his calm face.
Lynn's fingertips swept across the light screen, skillfully bypassing several layers of permission disguises, and brought up an encrypted file marked as the highest priority.
The file title is very simple.
"Battleworld Engine Three Log - Instance - A".
This is a Top Secret file that Wanda copied from the Core Server of the Battleworld while implanting the "Benign Patch".
Lynn opened the file.
Countless Data Stream cascaded down like a waterfall, weaving into a ghostly green net of light in the air.
He didn't look at the complicated engine operating parameters; that was the Technology Division's job.
What he was looking for was the trace of humanity hidden beneath these cold, hard data.
Lynn directly entered a keyword into the search bar.
"Ke'er."
The Data Stream stopped instantly, and several highlighted communication records appeared on the screen.
These records were subject to extremely high encryption; even the internal systems of the Battleworld required a key of the Adjudication Office level to access them. But for Wanda's Chaos Magic, this encryption was practically useless.
Lynn's gaze fell on one of the financial transaction records.
Records show that Ke'er, the head of the Foreign Affairs Reception Office, had a large transaction involving Energy Unit with an anonymous account the week before he was "Data Oblivion".
The value of this transaction is enough to support a hundred-man undead squad in a high-intensity cross- Dimension battle.
This is by no means a regular expense that a Foreign Affairs Office could control.
Lynn's gaze remained unchanged, but the fingers tapping on the armrest stopped.
He followed this lead and continued his investigation.
The encrypted prefix of that anonymous account, after being deciphered and traced back by Wanda, ultimately pointed to an organization that Lynn was very familiar with, yet also completely unexpected.
Multiverse Coordination Committee.
It was neither Kang nor Kang's opponent.
Rather, it is the highest administrative body that is nominally responsible for maintaining order and balance in the Multiverse itself.
Lynn's pupils contracted slightly.
Things are starting to get interesting.
Ke'er, a Battleworld local official, actually had direct financial dealings with a high-ranking member of the Coordination Committee.
The water in this basin was deeper than he had anticipated.
He continued scrolling down.
At the very end of the log, there was an encrypted message that Ke'er sent to the anonymous account but received no reply.
The message was sent the day before the delegation arrived in Battleworld.
The message was very short, consisting of only one sentence.
"The Negative Zone in the accounts is too large, and forcibly balancing the books carries too high a risk. It is recommended to initiate the next round of auditing and introduce new variables."
Lynn stared at the words for a long time without looking away.
He recognized each word individually, but when put together, they exuded a chilling aura.
Is the Negative Zone balance in the accounts too large?
A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of Lynn's mouth.
His Negative Zone was built from scratch; all resources were acquired and fought back bit by bit. The accounts may be chaotic, but there was absolutely no "gap" that required the Coordination Committee to worry about.
Therefore, the "gap" that Ke'er mentioned is not his.
It is the Coordination Committee's own body.
Or rather, the "big shot" on the Coordination Committee who made the deal with Ke'er.
When you connect this to the phrase "forced settlement," the entire logical chain of events becomes instantly clear.
From the B-15 Inspection Group's airborne audit to the subsequent comprehensive economic sanctions, and then to the kidnapping of Erik by the Battleworld, which triggered a diplomatic crisis.
This series of combined moves is not simply about suppressing or taking over Negative Zone.
Their real purpose is to manipulate the books.
The intention is to use Negative Zone, an unregistered entity not formally registered with the Coordination Committee, to cover up a huge, illicit deficit.
If the Negative Zone is weak enough, they will swallow it up directly with Thunder measures, confiscate all assets, and balance the accounts.
If the Negative Zone is hard enough, like it is now, they will keep creating friction and stirring up trouble, trying to find opportunities in the chaos to shift the responsibility for the deficit onto others.
Ke'er and his Battleworld were merely the front men responsible for executing this plan.
The phrase "forcibly settling accounts carries too high a risk" is clearly a summary of Gwen Stacy and her team's series of compliant operations in the Battleworld.
The risk was too high to handle, so the Foreign Affairs Office suggested to his superiors, "Initiate the next round of auditing, introducing new variables."
Lynn leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.
He finally understood what kind of opponent he was facing.
He was not a tangible overlord like Kang, but a schemer hidden deep within a vast bureaucratic system, attempting to devour him alive using rules and procedures.
Ke'er's death was not the end of the matter; rather, it was just the beginning.
Because that message has already been sent.
The next round of audits is undoubtedly on its way.
Moreover, this audit will not be like the B-15 audit, which relied solely on the World Security Council's United Nations Investigation Order and left loopholes in the procedures.
It will be at a higher level, more comprehensive, and more irresistible.
Lynn opened his eyes and looked at the light screen again.
He swiped his finger lightly in the air and brought up another document.
That is the current balance sheet and energy reserve list of Negative Zone.
Looking at the long string of numbers and entries above, Lynn's eyes deepened.
This is the wealth he painstakingly accumulated.
But in the impending Audit Storm, these assets are both a tempting target for the other party and his only bargaining chip.
Just then, a sudden, urgent alarm sounded in the empty hall.
This is not a red alert, which represents the highest threat level.
Instead, it's a white alert signifying high-level, high-priority external communication access.
Lynn raised his head and looked towards the direction of the palace gate.
A Undead Centurion in charge of communications came running quickly and knelt on one knee.
"Sir, we have received a top-priority official letter from the Discipline Inspection Department of the Multiverse Coordination Committee."
Lynn's expression remained unchanged.
What was bound to happen has finally happened.
"Read."
"Yes." The Communications Officer cleared his throat and read out in a completely emotionless tone:
"Notice Regarding a Comprehensive Investigation of the Asset Status and Historical Accounts of the Negative Zone Management Committee..."
The Communications Officer's voice continued, but Lynn was no longer listening.
His gaze fell on the list of assets in front of him.
The search warrant arrived, just as expected.
Moreover, it came even faster than he had anticipated.