The border defense line's sting operation, the Stability Maintenance Office's inescapable trap

No alarms sounded in the main control center of the White Bone Hall.

Only a blinding red light flickered silently on the matrix at the very top of the central control panel, illuminating the Technician's face ashen white.

"Director."

The Technician's voice was a little dry; he didn't even dare to turn around, just staring intently at the Data Stream in front of him.

"Border Defense Network, outside C-9 Quadrant, detected a level-two border violation."

Lynn's gaze shifted from a report on the infrastructure budget for the Chaos Research Institute to the silent red light.

"Be specific."

"Target... is completely invisible. Conventional thermal energy, energy fluctuation, and spatial disturbance scans have all failed to detect anything." The Technician swallowed hard, forcing himself to calm down, and his fingers flew across the control panel, bringing up a data profile.

"The alarm was triggered by the newly optimized Conceptual Defense Array of asset K-01. The very moment the target crossed the border, its very 'existence' was judged by the system as an unauthorized intrusion."

Lynn tapped her fingertip lightly on the table.

Asset K-01

This is the official internal designation of Earth-838 Wanda within the Management Committee.

That seemingly intense assessment has already begun to yield results.

"The Stability Maintenance Office." Lynn's voice was flat.

As soon as he finished speaking, the figure of Stability Maintenance Office Director Hela, materialized in the shadows beside him. She glanced at the intrusion path on the screen, her eyes icy cold.

"An insect."

Hela spoke in a very calm tone, as if she were stating something trivial.

"Do you need me to clean it up, Director?"

Lynn shook her head.

He stared at the faint dot of light on the screen, representing the intruder, as if watching a fish that had taken the bait.

No. Now is not the time.

He stood up and walked to the huge holographic Star Map.

"Illuminati sent wasn't insects, but evidence. Living evidence that would completely silence them at the TVA hearing."

Hela remained silent, simply awaiting instructions.

Lynn stretched out his hand and drew a clear trajectory on the Star Map.

"Order."

All the Technician in the control center instinctively straightened their backs.

"The Stability Maintenance Office is to immediately activate the 'Drill Contingency Plan,' codenamed 'Fishing.'"

Lynn's voice echoed in the quiet center, clear and calm.

"All combat units must not engage in any form of contact with the target. Shrink the outer patrol perimeter and deliberately expose backup energy channels A-3 to A-5."

He paused, his gaze falling on an abandoned area deep within the Star Map.

"Lead it to the ' Delta-9 ' quarantine zone."

A cold smile curved Hela's lips.

"Yes, Director."

Lynn turned to the Technician.

"Department of Technology, transfer the highest monitoring authority. I need high-definition video recordings of the target's entire movement trajectory from the moment they crossed the border. Multiple angles, full frequency bands, without any interruptions."

"Remember, every piece of footage is evidence presented to the TVA court."

"Clear!"

As commands were swiftly executed, the invisible net of Negative Zone quietly unfolded.

Susan Stone was carefully navigating through a maze of pipes and corridors.

She is very cautious.

Reed's latest Quantum Cloaking Device represents the pinnacle of Illuminati technology. But this is the Negative Zone, the territory of that man named Lynn, and any carelessness could lead to failure.

The brief buzzing of the terminal on her wrist had startled her, but everything returned to normal afterward.

It may just be an accidental malfunction caused by the clash of energy fields when crossing the boundary of the jurisdiction.

She soon discovered that the defenses here were not as formidable as she had imagined.

A fork in the road appeared ahead. One passage was patrolled regularly by Undead Fighter, while the other, an abandoned backup passage, was deserted, with not even a glimmer of energy shield visible.

An obvious trap, or a forgotten loophole.

Susan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose the latter.

True defenses are often hidden in the most inconspicuous places. These conspicuously abandoned passages may actually be the safest routes.

She slipped inside silently.

The journey was smooth and unimpeded.

She's getting closer and closer to the Core Zone.

White Bone Hall Main Control Center.

Susan's figure was clearly displayed on the huge Central Holographic Display.

Under the scanning of the Conceptual Sensor, her Quantum Cloaking Device was rendered useless. Every subtle movement of her body, every rise and fall of her chest with each breath, was recorded in high definition, and dozens of physiological data analyses were generated simultaneously.

She was like an actress walking under the spotlight, yet she thought she was hiding in the darkness.

"The target has entered the ' Delta-9 ' isolation zone."

"The outer access routes have been sealed off again."

"The 'catching a turtle in a jar' program has been initiated."

The Technician ' voices were devoid of emotion as they calmly reported on the procedures.

Hela stood behind Lynn, watching the cautious, self-assured figure on the screen, a hint of cat-and-mouse amusement in her eyes.

The Illuminati's top agent, a superhero they are proud of.

At this moment, however, I feel like a lab rat locked in a glass box, every move I make is completely under control.

Lynn's expression remained unchanged.

He simply stared at the screen, as if reviewing a routine work report.

Illegal border crossing, espionage, theft of secrets... With this complete video evidence, the Illuminati has already lost completely on the legal grounds.

"Director," a Technician looked up, "The target is moving deeper into the quarantine zone."

Lynn's gaze fell on the depths of the quarantine zone, where there was a data storage station that had been abandoned for many years.

The fish is now completely caught in the net.

Now, it's time to lay down the final bait.

"Upload a file to the standalone terminal of Storage Station Four," Lynn said softly.

Which one?

Lynn watched the light point on the screen getting closer and closer, and slowly uttered a name.

"Investigation File Regarding Historical Issues Related to the Early Secret Agreement Between the Illuminati and TVA."

The Technician's fingers paused slightly, then immediately began the operation.

On the light screen, the dusty terminal deep inside the quarantine zone suddenly flickered and lit up.

A striking title appeared in the center of the screen.