The joint hearing in the buffer zone, the Liaison Office director's edge
Mobius's question, tinged with familiarity and nostalgia, was like a pebble thrown into a pure white void, producing no echo but only making the absolutely quiet space seem even more deathly still.
The air seemed to freeze.
Behind Gwen Stacy, Sylvie lowered her head even further, almost touching her chin to her chest, and all the muscles in her body were tense.
The other representative opposite, a man with a serious and imposing face, frowned almost imperceptibly, his gaze sweeping between Mobius and Gwen Stacy with a hint of scrutiny and displeasure.
Gwen Stacy's face remained expressionless.
She didn't look at Mobius, nor did she answer the question about Lynn. Her gaze remained calmly fixed on the holographic screen floating in the center of the conference table, as if the question had been nothing more than a random, fleeting signal in the void.
A moment later, she raised her head, looked directly at Mobius, and spoke in a steady, unwavering voice.
"Representative Mobius, in accordance with the agenda jointly confirmed by both parties in their consultation letter, this joint hearing should begin with the chief representatives of both parties verifying and confirming each other's authorization documents."
In a single sentence, Mobius's attempt to create a private atmosphere was pulled back onto a cold, rigid business track.
She used very careful wording, using "mutual verification" and "confirmation," placing the Negative Zone on an equal footing with TVA.
Mobius's smile froze for a moment, then returned to its professional and easygoing manner.
He chuckled softly and opened his hands.
"Of course, of course. I understand the program."
The stern-looking representative beside him softened his expression, seemingly quite approving of Gwen Stacy's businesslike attitude.
However, Mobius abruptly changed the subject, leaning forward slightly, placing his hands clasped on the table, and his gaze becoming serious.
"But before we discuss specific procedures, Miss Stacy, I think we need to reach a consensus on a more macro-level issue. The Sacred Timeline is the cornerstone that maintains the stability of all reality. Any tiny mutation could trigger Domino effect of collapse. We are here today not to assign blame, but to plug the ant hole that could cause the dam to burst as quickly as possible."
His words were earnest and weighty, elevating the fate of a single Variant to the level of life and death of the entire Multiverse.
The implication is that any procedural entanglement of Negative Zone in the face of such a grand narrative seems too narrow-minded, or even ungrateful.
This is a typical example of psychological pressure.
Gwen Stacy until he finished speaking.
She didn't refute or argue; she simply nodded slightly.
"We understand and acknowledge the importance of maintaining spacetime stability."
As she spoke, she lightly tapped the screen in front of her. A document was retrieved and projected onto the center of the conference table.
"For this reason, the Negative Zone Management Committee has expressed deep concern about the recent enforcement flaws in several jurisdictions that could potentially affect stability."
On the screen, a document titled "Analysis Report on Procedural Deviations in TVA Enforcement Operations in K-42 Sector" was clearly displayed.
"According to continuous monitoring from our forward outposts, during the TVA's cleanup operation of K-42 Sector two standard days prior, the energy output of its Time Pruning Baton exceeded the threshold stipulated in the Internal Safety Regulations by 17.3 percent. This directly resulted in a 3 percentage point decrease in the region's real-time stability over the following 72 hours."
Gwen Stacy spoke slowly, but every word was like a precise Scalpel.
This is a report.
Without pausing, she traced her finger across the light screen again.
"Furthermore, in the ' Battleworld ' Engine Three incident, your Foreign Affairs Office, Ke'er, abused his Personal Authorization, nearly causing a chain reaction of Rule Engine failures. To date, we have not received any formal accountability statement or compensation plan from TVA's Discipline and Supervision Department regarding this Major Safety Accident."
Mobius's smile had completely vanished.
The stern-faced representative beside him, Proctor, grew increasingly grim. Ke'er was Ravonna's man, and his dereliction of duty was the most powerful salvo the Originalist Faction fired at the Pragmatists.
Gwen Stacy listed these reports one by one, without a single accusation, consisting entirely of objective data and facts. But these facts, taken together, silently outlined a series of chaotic, overreaching, and procedural loopholes in TVA's recent work.
Just as the atmosphere in the meeting room reached its most oppressive point, Sylvie, sitting behind Gwen Stacy, subtly tapped her fingers three times, her fingers hanging almost imperceptibly at her sides.
One shot, two shots, a pause, then another.
This was a pre-arranged code.
Gwen Stacy's gaze shifted from the light screen to Proctor, the representative who had been scrutinizing Mobius from beginning to end.
"Representative Proctor, we have another procedural question."
Proctor, whose name was called, raised his eyes.
"Based on our study of the public disclosure regulations," Gwen Stacy's tone remained calm, "Article 7 of Volume 3 of the Time-Keepers Fundamental Law clearly stipulates that any cross-jurisdictional action against Class A Variant, especially actions involving inspection-free Special Zone, must obtain the joint signature of the Adjudication Office and be filed with all relevant parties 24 hours prior to the action."
Her gaze, like a searchlight, locked onto Proctor.
"We reviewed all recent publicly available filings and found no joint documents from Special Envoy Ms. Ravonna regarding the application for Variant L-1190."
Gwen Stacy paused slightly, giving the other person time to think and react.
"I'm curious, did the Adjudication Office know about this matter?"
These words, like a poisoned thorn, pierced the false calm of the scene.
Instead of directly calling them "Originalist Faction," she used the official name of the TVA's internal body, "The Adjudication Office," which was the faction to which Proctor belonged. She directly accused Ravonna of procedural irregularities and pinned the blame precisely on the Originalist Faction.
The question is: Are you aware that Ravonna is bypassing your Adjudication Office and engaging in underhanded tactics? Aren't you going to do anything about it?
Proctor's face instantly turned ashen.
His gaze suddenly shifted to Mobius beside him, his eyes sharp as knives.
"Mobius, this needs an explanation."
"I..." Mobius opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. He hadn't expected the other party to have such a thorough understanding of TVA's internal rules and factional vulnerabilities.
At this moment, the nature of this hearing completely changed.
It is no longer a joint interrogation of Negative Zone by TVA, but an internal questioning session TVA Originalist Faction and Pragmatists.
Proctor completely ignored Gwen Stacy and began aggressively questioning Mobius about the legality of the procedure. Mobius, struggling to keep up, tried to steer the conversation back to the original goal of "finding the Variant."
The argument between the two turned what should have been a solemn and serious hearing into a farce.
Gwen Stacy, watching the scene unfold before her, without saying a word.
She knew that Lynn had achieved her goal.
After what seemed like an eternity, Proctor finally realized his lapse in composure and the futility of the argument. His face flushed red, and he slammed his fist on the table.
"Enough!"
He suddenly stood up and glared at everyone present.
"This hearing is completely pointless!"
A device on his wrist suddenly flashed a blinding red light.
"I will initiate Class B Time Lockdown in accordance with regulations, and forcibly review all relevant personnel and data! This matter will be entirely handled by the Adjudication Office!"
Just as he raised his hand, preparing to activate the device...
Sylvie, who had been silent all along, quietly pressed a tiny device hidden in her sleeve under the table.
There was no light or sound there.