The jointly drafted final report, a perfect balance through borrowed leverage
Conference Room Three, Liaison Office.
This is a room without portholes; the walls are made of cold, lead-gray alloy, and the only lighting comes from strips of light evenly distributed on the ceiling.
The light was bright, but there was no warmth.
Ravonna sat on one side of the long conference table.
Her back was ramrod straight, her hands resting flat on the table, shoulder-width apart. This was a textbook example of TVA standard sitting posture, representing focus and obedience.
Across from her, Gwen Stacy was leisurely pushing a Data Pad across the table.
"Regarding the characterization of Ke'er's official conduct during his time in the Battleworld, I believe the initial draft submitted by the Inspection Group still has aspects that warrant discussion."
Gwen Stacy's voice was calm, as if she were discussing standard technical specifications.
Ravonna's gaze fell on the Data Pad, where a line of text was highlighted in red. "... Exploiting loopholes in early regulations of the jurisdiction to commit embezzlement..."
These were the words she had carefully crafted last night, after staying up half the night. They pointed out Ke'er's problem while confining the responsibility to the Negative Zone, serving as a subtle gesture of goodwill towards Lynn.
"What are your thoughts, Director Gwen?" Raphna asked, her voice somewhat dry.
"The term 'embezzlement' is too strong and could easily lead the TVA Commission for Discipline Inspection to make unnecessary associations, which contradicts our original intention of 'avoiding the escalation of the situation.'"
Gwen Stacy tapped her fingers lightly on the table.
"I suggest revising it to 'Irregular sealing and transfer operations were carried out on historical assets.'"
Ravonna's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
The perpetrator of the "embezzlement" was Ke'er, but the root cause lay in the "loopholes in regulations" within the Negative Zone.
The main perpetrator of the "non-compliant operations" remains Ke'er, but the root cause has now become "legacy assets."
With just one word, the attribution of responsibility was completely stripped away. What began as a management oversight in Negative Zone was transformed into the mishandling of a bad debt from the old era.
The source of that bad debt was TVA.
"This formulation is more precise." Ravonna paused for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement.
She picked up the electronic pen on the table, crossed out the original sentence, and replaced it with Gwen Stacy's wording.
This action signifies that she not only accepted Lynn's proposal but also began to actively participate in this word game, building a firewall for herself.
"Furthermore, regarding Ke'er's relationship with Hydra," Gwen Stacy continued, pulling up another document, "The report only mentions Ke'er's undercover agent status; it's not detailed enough."
"Detailed?" Ravonna, somewhat puzzled.
Isn't it better to be as vague as possible in these kinds of situations?
Instead of answering directly, Gwen Stacy granted Ravonna access to a file.
"Resolution and Exemption Clauses Regarding TVA's Early Acquisition of Special Assets (Hydra Sequence)"
Gwen Stacy had presented this document at the last meeting. But this time, she revealed deeper attachments.
The attachment contained a dense list of energy transaction records, each pointing to the same anonymous account, whose ultimate beneficiary was marked by a line of Scarlet code.
-- TVA Originalist Faction, a black money group that funds Hydra's illegal experiments in the Border Dimension.
Ravonna's heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by an invisible hand.
Lynn actually dared to display this thing so openly.
"Your report needs an addition," Gwen Stacy's voice rang out at the opportune moment, completely calm, "As a special agent recruited by TVA in its early days, Ke'er's actions faithfully executed TVA's undisclosed internal instructions at the time."
Ravonna's hand, holding the pen, froze in mid-air.
This sentence is a knife.
A knife was handed to the TVA executives. It was saying that Ke'er wasn't a traitor; he was just a loyal executor. All his "misconduct" was done under orders.
If TVA executives want to characterize Ke'er's actions as an individual crime, they must first clarify whose "internal orders" he was carrying out.
This is tantamount to adding another fatal layer of insurance to the conclusion of "Ke'er's personal misconduct".
"I understand," Ravonna whispered.
She felt like she wasn't drafting a report, but dancing with the devil. With each word she wrote, the Abyss beneath her feet became clearer.
She did as she was told and added that sentence.
The framework of the report was quickly established through a question-and-answer session and adjustments between the two.
Every word chosen was carefully designed. Every characterization conceals a subtle shift in the balance of power.
A cross -Dimension crisis, enough to plunge both TVA and the Negative Zone into massive turmoil, was dismantled, reconstructed, and ultimately vanished without a trace in this small conference room.
Two hours later, the main body of the report was completed.
It perfectly characterized a shocking scandal as a "misconduct incident involving a deceased historical figure." The evidence is conclusive, the logic is sound, and there is nothing to criticize.
Gwen Stacy read it through and nodded.
"The report concludes with the supervisory recommendations." She looked at Ravonna, "Observer Renslayer, as the head of the Inspection Group, what measures do you believe the Negative Zone Management Committee should take to prevent such incidents from happening again?"
Ravonna was stunned.
This issue has gone beyond the understanding she and Lynn reached last night.
This is a test for her.
The test is whether she truly understands the essence of this transaction and whether she has fully grasped her own position.
Her brain was working at lightning speed.
What does Lynn need?
He needed a legitimate reason to do something he had long wanted to do but had never had a suitable pretext for.
Clean house.
Those "historical personnel" and "historical files" who, like Ke'er, were recruited from the old S.H.I.E.L.D.., Hydra, and various other nooks and crannies, are the biggest time bombs in the Negative Zone.
Ravonna looked up and met Gwen Stacy gaze.
"I suggest," she said, emphasizing each word, "That the Negative Zone Management Committee immediately launch a special campaign to Historical Archive Security Upgrade, at the request of the Inspection Group."
"All archives from before the establishment of the Management Committee, especially those involving background checks on personnel, will be comprehensively and thoroughly sealed, verified, and... destroyed."
"Completely sever the transmission pathways of historical risks from both physical and data perspectives."
A slight smile finally appeared on Gwen Stacy's face.
It's subtle, but very real.
"This suggestion is very professional and responsible."
The weight that had been hanging over Ravonna's heart finally lifted.
She made the right bet.
She picked up her pen and solemnly wrote these words at the end of the report.
Thus, a perfect Ending report has been officially completed.
It not only satisfied the needs of TVA executives to cover up the truth and quell the situation, but also gave Lynn a legal and compliant weapon, allowing him to use the name of the TVA Inspection Group to carry out a swift and decisive cleanup within the Negative Zone.
Use someone else's strength against them; kill two birds with one stone.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Gwen Stacy stood up and extended her hand.
"It's a pleasure doing business with you." Ravonna stood up and shook his hand.
The report was sent to the White Bone Hall immediately via encrypted channels.
Almost simultaneously, Gwen Stacy received a reply from Lynn on her Personal Terminal.
There was no reward, nor any expression of sympathy.
Only one short instruction.
"Draft a commendation resolution and submit it to the Standing Committee. All departments involved in this incident will be rewarded according to their contributions."