A Bilateral Memorandum Forged in Compromise, Establishing a Cross-Dimension Coordination Mechanism

The scalding hot tea created a new steam rising from the cup.

The fog blurred their faces.

Lynn didn't touch the new tea.

He knew that the temperature of this cup of tea represented the price the other party was willing to pay.

But the price is never given away for free.

"My 'special assets' have no price tag."

Lynn spoke, his voice flat, as if stating a fact that had nothing to do with him.

"They are the core leadership of the Negative Zone Management Committee, the cornerstone of maintaining the stable operation of the Special Zone. They are not bargaining chips."

The He Who Remains leaned back in the chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrests, producing a rhythmic, Pendulum- like sound.

"Cornerstone?"

He repeated the word, his tone playful.

"To me, it's more like a bomb strapped to you. You're using their 'instability' to offset my 'stability.' A very clever tactic, Mr. Lynn."

"I prefer to call it ' Risk Hedging,'" Lynn corrected, "A defensive measure taken passively in the absence of basic security guarantees."

He pronounced the words "passive" and "defensive" very lightly, yet clearly enough.

The He Who Remains stopped banging.

Inside the castle, a suffocating silence once again descended.

"So, what kind of security do you want?"

The He Who Remains finally spoke, which was tantamount to handing over half of the initiative in the negotiations.

Lynn didn't answer directly, but instead picked up the cup of piping hot tea and gently blew on it.

"Your suggestion was actually quite constructive."

He seemed to have forgotten the conceptual erasure he had just experienced, and his tone was as sincere as that of a subordinate humbly seeking advice.

"Establishing the Negative Zone as a ' Flood-Discharge Special Zone ' to share the pressure of the Sacred Timeline is a visionary and strategic idea."

The He Who Remains looked at him without saying a word.

"However, the implementation plan is somewhat crude," Lynn continued. "Simply dumping garbage data will only cause the Negative Zone, this 'flood reservoir,' to quickly become clogged and eventually collapse, triggering even more uncontrollable secondary disasters. This is not in the interest of any of us."

"Your plan?" the He Who Remains asked.

"We need to release floodwaters, but we also need to dredge silt. We need to block blockages, but we also need to clear silt."

Lynn put down his teacup, interlaced his fingers, placed them on the table, and leaned forward slightly.

"We agree in principle to participate in the processing of redundant data from the Multiverse, conditionally and in stages, provided that the technology is mature and the risks are fully controllable."

A set of standard bureaucratic rhetoric, watertight.

"But the prerequisite is to change the current model of TVA's unilateral enforcement and adjudication. This model is inefficient and prone to 'misjudgments' like ours today due to information asymmetry."

Lynn looked at the He Who Remains.

"I suggest establishing a ' Cross-Dimension Coordination Office ' led by the Negative Zone Management Committee and with representatives from TVA participating."

The He Who Remains's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"The office's function is not to replace TVA, but to complement it. It is specifically responsible for handling highly unstable Variant and data fragments resulting from Timeline pruning."

"We have extensive experience handling high-risk assets," Lynn added, as if promoting his own product. "Director Hela's undead army can provide physical containment; Director Wanda's Chaos Magic can provide conceptual lockdown. Specialized tasks should be left to specialists."

"I'll hand over some of TVA's enforcement powers to you?" The voice of the He Who Remains turned cold again.

"It's not a handover, it's 'coordination'," Lynn corrected. "The office's actions will strictly adhere to the new regulations jointly established by both parties. All decisions require the TVA representative's countersignature to take effect. This is both to alleviate your burden and to build a firewall for you."

"In the event of an extreme situation like the ' Abyss Protocol,' the responsible party will be the Coordination Office, not you personally."

That sentence is the real killer move.

It precisely hit the dictator's deep-seated aversion to "responsibility".

Those He Who Remains remained silent.

He looked at Lynn, and for the first time, a genuine sense of weighing things in those eyes that seemed to see the End of Time.

Lynn's proposal was an openly calculated move.

He used risk-sharing as bait, but what he demanded was one of TVA's most core powers—the right to dispose of Time Variant.

If you refuse, you'll have to continue facing those "bombs" that could explode at any moment, all alone.

Acceptance is tantamount to acknowledging that the Negative Zone has transformed from a governed entity into an equal partner, or even a "superior unit" in a certain field.

for a long time.

"Can."

The He Who Remains uttered two words.

"But the nature of the office is that of a 'pilot' project. The TVA representative has a 'veto power' over all actions."

This is his bottom line.

"That makes sense." Lynn nodded. "In return, the office Director is responsible to us and has the 'final say' over all contained assets."

This was an equal exchange of power.

The He Who Remains stared at Lynn, seemingly trying to discern even the slightest hint of joy or excitement on his face.

But he failed.

Lynn's expression was as calm as if he were finalizing a routine office supplies purchase list.

"Now that the basic principles have been agreed upon, I suggest that the above consensus be solidified into a Bilateral Memorandum on establishing Cross-Dimension Coordination Mechanism."

Lynn took out a pen and a Data Pad from his pocket, as if he had prepared them beforehand.

The survivor looked at the pen and suddenly smiled.

"You always manage to surprise me, Mr. Lynn."

He raised his hand, and in the void, a document made of light appeared out of thin air, containing the terms of the consensus they had just reached.

"Yes," the He Who Remains said.

Lynn carefully reviewed it and nodded after confirming there were no linguistic traps.

Two wills were simultaneously imprinted on the document.

The memorandum is now in effect.

Lynn put away the Data Pad, stood up, and prepared to leave.

"Wait a moment."

The He Who Remains called out to him.

"To ensure the smooth operation of the Coordination Office and to demonstrate our sincerity in cooperation," the He Who Remains said, a gentle, businesslike smile returning to their face.

"I will be sending a ' Special Observer ' to the office."

They've arrived.

Lynn's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained expressionless.

"The Observer will have authority second only to mine, responsible for coordinating internal TVA resources and ensuring all instructions are given smoothly."

The He Who Remains spoke in a grand and righteous tone.

"That's a good thing," Lynn said with a smile. "We welcome any measures that help enhance mutual trust and improve efficiency. I wonder which capable person you intend to send to guide our work?"

He had to ask. It was about how to proceed.

The He Who Remains looked at him and slowly revealed an arrangement that Lynn had not expected.

She is not my subordinate.

"To show respect for your ' Risk Hedging ' model, this Observer will be personally selected by me from a cropped Timeline."

The corners of the He Who Remains's mouth curled into an enigmatic smile.

"She should know you very well."

"And, her name is also 'Kang'."