The Hidden Cost of the Flood-Control Special Zone, the Management Committee Director's Bottom Line

Lynn gently placed the white porcelain teacup back on the Obsidian tabletop.

The bottom of the cup touched the table without making a sound.

In this castle forgotten by time, even the laws of physics seem to have become docile.

He raised his head and calmly looked at the man opposite him.

"It sounds like an appointment you can't refuse," Lynn said, his voice equally flat.

The man, the "He Who Remains," wore a barely perceptible smile, seemingly satisfied with Lynn's reaction. In his view, this was the most normal reaction from any subordinate upon hearing of such an immense benefit.

"Independent Prince, complete autonomy." He repeated these eight words, as if emphasizing their weight, "You and your people will be completely freed from the shackles of the system."

Lynn tapped her knee lightly with her fingers.

"Flood-Discharge Special Zone."

He ignored the title offered by the other party and instead singled out the word itself.

"This proposal is very bold. It solves the computing overload crisis facing the Sacred Timeline from a macro perspective, and also provides a compliant outlet for the backlog of redundant information within TVA."

Lynn's tone was as if he were conducting a technical evaluation of a proposal submitted by a subordinate department at an internal Management Committee meeting.

"However," he changed the subject, "I also face some practical difficulties."

The man's gaze sharpened slightly.

"Difficulty?"

"Yes." Lynn stood tall, neither humble nor arrogant. "The Management Committee has conducted detailed stress tests on the existing data carrying capacity, structural stability, and Energy Circulation System of the Negative Zone. According to the preliminary concept of the ' Flood-Discharge Special Zone ' plan, it will introduce massive amounts of highly polluting and disordered time waste."

"These discarded time branches and Variant information are essentially high-entropy garbage Data Stream. A large influx in a short period of time will quickly exceed the Purification and processing capacity of our jurisdiction."

Lynn spoke slowly, but his points were exceptionally clear.

"The consequence is that the underlying rules of Negative Zone will be irreversibly eroded and polluted. To put it simply, it's like a lake with a perfect ecosystem being continuously filled with industrial wastewater. Eventually, the lake water will deteriorate, the aquatic life will die, and the entire lake will become a stagnant pool."

"The status of ' Independent Prince ' you have granted will likely become that of a gravedigger in a dead land before even receiving official documentation."

The silence within the castle seemed to deepen even further.

The faint smile on the He Who Remains's face slowly faded.

He hadn't expected Lynn to dismantle the core cost of his open scheme so calmly and precisely from this angle.

He gave them titles and governing power, but he took away their very foundation for survival.

"So, you're refusing?" His voice was colder than before.

"No," Lynn shook her head, "I'm just stating the facts. Besides, I have no right to refuse."

The He Who Remains's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"What's the meaning?"

"A major plan that involves a fundamental change in the functional positioning of the jurisdiction must, according to regulations, undergo a complete and legal approval process," Lynn said clearly, looking into the other person's eyes.

"As the Director of the Negative Zone Management Committee, I am merely an executor. I need to see an official Red-Headed Document, signed by the highest coordinating body of the Multiverse or the Supreme Court of the TVA, regarding the establishment of the ' Multiverse Flood-Control Special Zone,' along with the accompanying 'Detailed Rules for Cross- Dimension Data Transfer and Risk Responsibility Allocation.'"

"I cannot, and dare not, agree to any verbal promises before seeing these official compliance documents."

Lynn emphasized the words "compliance," "official," and "procedure."

He was using the rules that the other party was most proud of to build the strongest Defense Line for himself.

The He Who Remains remained silent.

He stared at Lynn, his gaze deep, as if trying to see right through him.

He established TVA to set up rules. But the person in front of him has mastered the essence of those rules and even used them against him.

It's like a chess player discovering that a pawn on their board suddenly starts playing against them using the player's strategy.

After a long while, the He Who Remains finally spoke.

"You mean you'll agree as long as the procedures are compliant and the documents are complete?"

"That's the principle." Lynn nodded, but then added.

"However, in order to better complete the arduous task of 'flood discharge' and ensure that no mistakes occur that could cause a secondary Impact on the Sacred Timeline, we still need some technical support."

"Technical support?"

"Yes." Lynn's expression turned serious, like a subordinate genuinely concerned for his superior. "To deal with floods, we must understand their source, including their flow rate, velocity, and the timing of their peaks. Only with firsthand data can we develop Contingency Plan, expand channels in advance, and reinforce dikes."

He paused for a moment, then revealed his true purpose.

"Therefore, I need TVA to open the ' Temporal Loom's' backend Data Interface to the Negative Zone on an equal footing."

Inside the castle, a deathly silence fell.

If Lynn's earlier use of procedures to evade responsibility only surprised the He Who Remains.

So, the condition he proposed at this moment made this ruler of the End of Time feel a sense of loss of control for the first time.

Temporal Loom.

That is the core of TVA's existence, the cornerstone of the Sacred Timeline, and the highest-level secret of the entire system.

Opening Data Interface to Negative Zone?

This is tantamount to handing over the keys to a country's most core strategic arsenal to a neighboring country.

The He Who Remains's fingers tapped lightly, unconsciously, on the smooth tabletop.

This was the first unnecessary movement he made after sitting down.

Lynn didn't say anything more.

He has already revealed his hand.

Either we part ways, you continue to use your methods to suppress me, and I'll continue to play along with my rules.

Either you want me to do the dirty work for you, then you have to show real sincerity and offer commensurate benefits. Don't expect me to lose my entire fortune for some vague title.

This is no longer a subordinate requesting instructions from a superior; it is a naked exchange of interests between two equal political entities.

The He Who Remains looked at Lynn for a long time.

His gaze, initially scrutinizing, then turning icy, has now become somewhat... amused.

He seemed to have gained a new understanding of the "variable" he had randomly selected from countless Timeline.

"Interesting."

He finally spoke, breaking the suffocating silence.

"You're the first person I've ever met who dared to haggle in front of me."

The corners of the man's mouth turned up again, but this time, the relaxed, all-controlling smile was gone.

Instead, there was a chilling excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.

"Open Data Interface? Impossible." He directly rejected Lynn's core demand, but did not overturn the table on the spot.

He leaned forward slightly, interlaced his fingers, and placed them on the table.

"However, I understand your concerns. As compensation, I can offer you another option."

The void outside the castle seemed to tremble slightly at his words.