A personnel appointment at the expanded Standing Committee meeting, the Chaos Research Institute's
The oval conference table in the White Bone Hall, as smooth as a mirror, reflected a circle of silent figures.
The air was stagnant.
Lynn sat in the head seat, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the table, producing a very rhythmic, faint sound. This was the only sound that signaled the start of the meeting.
To his left was Stability Maintenance Office Director Hela, her expression as stern as ever. To his right was Wanda, the Technology Minister, her gaze lowered as she looked at the untouched glass of water in front of her, its surface reflecting her cold face.
Liaison Office Chief Gwen Stacy sat to Wanda's left, her Data Pad already switched off, a standard meeting posture.
At the very end of the long table, in a makeshift chair that was shorter than the others, sat another Wanda.
She doesn't own any designer brands.
She didn't look at anyone else; her Scarlet eyes, piercing the long distance across the desk, were focused solely on Lynn. That gaze wasn't that of a subordinate looking at a superior, but more like that of a believer gazing upon a single deity.
This was the first time in the history of the Negative Zone Management Committee that an expanded meeting of the Standing Committee Member Sample Under Review.
Let's start the meeting.
Lynn's voice broke the silence.
"There is only one issue: the subsequent handling and management of the Earth-838 sample, codenamed ' Scarlet '."
He used the words "disposal" and "management," precise, cold, and devoid of any personal emotion.
"Let me start with my opinion." Technology Minister Wanda raised her head, finally looking up from her water glass and directly at Lynn. "The sample's energy structure is extremely unstable and exhibits high homologous aggression. I recommend referring to the highest-level Contingency Plan in the ' High-Risk Anomalous Entity Disposal Regulations ' for permanent exile or harmless disposal."
She paused, then added.
"The Department of Technology can provide a complete disposal plan to ensure that the energy dissipation rate is less than one in a thousand."
Hela then spoke, her voice carrying a metallic quality.
"The Stability Maintenance Office agrees with the Department of Technology's assessment. Keeping them within its jurisdiction is tantamount to planting an uncontrollable time bomb. From a stability maintenance perspective, I oppose any form of containment."
The two core departments were in complete agreement.
Gwen Stacy didn't speak; she simply glanced at Lynn, waiting for the Director's response.
Lynn did not respond immediately; his gaze shifted to the end of the long table.
"And you, what do you want to say?"
He was asking about Wanda-838.
Wanda-838 seemed not to have understood the content of the meeting. She only leaned forward slightly when Lynn looked at her, her morbid fanaticism intensifying, and answered in a dreamlike voice.
"I'll do as you say."
Simple and direct.
These words caused a wisp of Scarlet energy to silently emanate from the fingertips of Technology Minister Wanda, and the water glass on the table emitted a faint hum.
Lynn looked away.
"Exile and destruction are both options, but neither is the optimal solution."
He looked around at everyone, his tone calm.
"Gentlemen, we have always faced a problem: the research on Chaos Magic has remained at the stage of 'knowing what it is, but not why it is.' We can use it, but we cannot thoroughly analyze it from its Underlying Logic. Why? Because we are missing one crucial element."
"A perfect reference point for study, dissection, and even trial and error."
His gaze swept almost imperceptibly over the figure at the end of the long table.
"Now, the reference point has been delivered to our door."
"You can't stop it. Energy from the same source will only attract and intensify each other. But if you put it within the framework of rules and the cage of the system, and turn it from a threat into a problem, the situation might be different."
Hela frowned slightly.
"What does the Director mean?"
"I propose that we establish a new department."
Lynn leaned forward slightly, interlaced his fingers, and placed his hands on the table, striking a formal pose as if making a decision.
"The ' Multiverse Chaos Energy Research Institute ' is directly under the Management Committee, with an administrative level equivalent to the Department of Technology and the State Administration for Stability Maintenance Office. It is specifically responsible for deciphering, analyzing, and developing applications for the Source Code of Chaos Energy."
This suggestion stunned both Wanda and Hela.
Lynn didn't stop and continued speaking.
"As for personnel appointments, I propose that the sample codenamed ' Scarlet ' be appointed as Associate Researcher at the institute."
He spoke the words "Associate Researcher" lightly, yet they carried great weight.
"She will not be officially ranked, will not be included in the Standing Committee Member Roster, will not have independent authority, and will not be authorized to mobilize resources. All her actions must be conducted under the supervision of at least two full-time researchers. All her research findings will be directly archived in the Management Committee's highest database."
"At the same time, the Department of Technology should quickly develop a set of research task indicators for her, detailed down to the hour, and a Performance Assessment Standards accurate to each Energy Unit."
"She's neither a guest nor a colleague," Lynn said, looking at Wanda and emphasizing each word. "She's an asset of the Management Committee, the most important research material for the Department of Technology. Her value lies in how much data she can produce for us, not how much trouble she can cause."
His words were clear, well-organized, and logically sound.
A crack appeared in the frost on Wanda's face. She wanted to refute, but couldn't find any legitimate reason.
Lynn's plan nailed a potential enemy to the very bottom of the system with the two strongest shackles: "Staffing" and "KPIs." All her actions were bound by the rules, and her only purpose in existence was to be studied and exploited.
What started as a love rival has become a job.
Is there any more thorough Dimensionality-Reduction Strike than this?
The wariness in Hela's eyes slowly dissipated. She understood Lynn's intention: to tame a beast with an organizational structure, and to exhaust its energy with heavy paperwork and research targets. This was indeed far more sophisticated than simple physical imprisonment.
"I have no objection," Hela stated.
Gwen Stacy nodded. "I second that."
All eyes were on Technology Minister Wanda.
Wanda remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth.
"I will personally determine the evaluation criteria."
"Alright." Lynn nodded. "Now, let's vote on this personnel appointment."
No one raised any further objections.
"Alright, the resolution is passed." Lynn picked up the Red-Headed Document on the table and signed his name on the spot. "From now on, ' Scarlet, ' the Earth-838 Sample, officially becomes a probationary Associate Researcher at the Multiverse Chaos Energy Research Institute the Negative Zone Management Committee."
He handed the file to Gwen Stacy for archiving.
At the end of the long table, the newly appointed "Associate Researcher" seemed unaware of what was happening. All she knew was that she didn't have to leave. She could stay.
That's enough.
An internal crisis capable of tearing apart Dimension was thus averted in a calm and uneventful expanded meeting of the Standing Committee Member.
Lynn picked up the now-cold tea, preparing to adjourn the meeting.
"Alarm! Alarm!"
A piercing red alarm sounded without warning throughout the entire White Bone Hall.
The conference room door was flung open, and a Technician stumbled in, his face ashen.
"Director! Something terrible has happened!"
He shakily lifted a Data Pad.
"We just received an urgent notification from the Ministry of Department of Technology: the vital signs of the newly hired Associate Researcher are being remotely erased at the conceptual level by an unknown force!"
Inside the meeting room, everyone's eyes instantly focused on the woman at the end of the long table who had just been given a government job.
Wanda-838's body began to turn transparent, and countless tiny Blue Data Stream were emanating from her body. Her face showed an expression of extreme pain.
The Illuminati's backdoor program has been triggered.