The battle over authority to declassify secrets, the liaison office chief's procedural rescue

Time seemed to stand still in the conference room.

Hela's voice wasn't loud, but every word had a metallic quality, striking repeatedly on everyone's eardrums.

She cited the regulations.

This was the most crucial step. What could have been a conflict stemming from a loss of personal emotional control was escalated directly into the highest level of internal Discipline inquiry by the Management Committee.

The heads of the secondary departments present no longer dared to look at Lynn, who was in the main seat, and instead turned their gazes to the teacups in front of them, as if they contained the entire quarter's budget report.

The air was as heavy as lead.

Lynn didn't respond immediately. He leaned back in his wide chair, his fingers lightly tracing the cold touch of the armrests under the table. He could feel Hela's undisguised, Death Authority scrutiny on his left; and Wanda's complex gaze, a mixture of Chaos and inquiry, on his right.

At this moment, the two forces reached a delicate balance, and he was the fulcrum.

He could not veto it. Hela's request was entirely in accordance with the procedures, and to forcibly veto it would be tantamount to publicly admitting that he was above the rules, which would shake the legal foundation for his establishment of the entire Management Committee.

He couldn't agree to it. Once he opened his mouth, whether he spoke the truth or a new lie, it would be tantamount to tearing down the firewall he had painstakingly built.

This is a dead end.

Wanda remained silent, but her silence itself was a form of pressure. She stood there like a Scarlet statue, her gaze fixed on Lynn, awaiting his answer.

Lynn's gaze slowly swept over Hela, then over Wanda, and finally, at the other end of the conference table, his eyes briefly met those of Gwen Stacy, the Liaison Office Chief.

Only for a fleeting moment.

Just as Lynn was about to speak and break the suffocating silence, Gwen Stacy stood up.

Her movements were steady; she first tidied the perfectly smooth documents in front of her before speaking.

"Director."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and crisp, like a stone thrown into stagnant water, instantly breaking the silence in the conference room.

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to her.

"Excuse me for interrupting." Gwen Stacy first nodded slightly to Lynn as a sign of respect, then turned to Hela, her tone neither humble nor arrogant, "Regarding the regulations that Director Hela just cited, I have a supplementary point that may need to be explained to you and everyone present."

Hela's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Gwen Stacy ignored her reaction and continued, "According to Article 1 of the General Provisions of the 'Regulations on Information Security and the Protection of the Right to Know of the Negative Zone Management Committee,' these regulations apply to all internal affairs within the jurisdiction of the Management Committee. There's no problem with that."

She then changed the subject.

"However, just recently, the Director, on behalf of the Management Committee, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a cross- Dimension bilateral coordination mechanism with the Time Variance Authority (TVA)."

Gwen Stacy pulled out a copy of a memo bearing the TVA seal from her files and handed it to the head of the Logistics Department beside her, indicating that he should pass it on.

"According to Annex III of the Memorandum, the supplementary clause on ' Historical Legacy Issue Handling,' both parties agree to establish a ' Cross-Dimension Coordination Office ' to jointly handle anomalous events involving multiple Timeline and possessing high contagiousness and Meme effects."

Her voice was clear and steady, each word pronounced precisely, exuding undeniable professionalism.

"Minister Wanda's technical report just now, as well as the physical samples brought back by Director Hela, both point to the same fact: this unknown energy did not appear in isolation in a specific spacetime, but is simultaneously linked to multiple S-rank historical events such as Sokovia and Asgard. This perfectly matches the memorandum's definition of 'cross- Dimension ' and 'highly Meme effects.'"

Gwen Stacy paused for a moment, giving those present time to process her words.

She finally looked at Lynn and drew her conclusion.

"So, Director, this is no longer a simple internal information security issue. It has touched upon the core terms of our Bilateral Agreement with TVA, falling under the jointly managed confidential scope of the ' Coordination Office '."

"Unilaterally declassifying or explaining this energy in an internal meeting would be a serious breach of our confidentiality commitment to TVA. According to the memorandum, this action would be considered a unilateral breach of the agreement, and TVA would have the right to terminate all cooperation and reassess the risks associated with the Negative Zone."

A few words, yet they achieved a great effect with minimal effort.

Gwen Stacy did not refute the rationale behind Hela's request, nor did she delve into the truth of the matter; she simply introduced a more powerful external rule from a higher level.

A larger, more formal procedure was used to cover up the internal processes that were about to spiral out of control.

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly relaxed.

The department heads who had been keeping their heads down all raised their heads at the same time, their eyes revealing a sense of relief as if they had survived a disaster.

It turns out, it's not that I can't say it, it's just that the procedure prevents me from saying it.

That makes sense.

Hela's face was as cold as ice. She stared intently at Gwen Stacy, the Liaison Office Chief who was usually only responsible for welcoming guests and handling paperwork, but today she used the rules she knew best to build a wall in front of her.

Wanda also withdrew her gaze from Lynn and turned to scrutinize Gwen Stacy. A knowing glint flashed deep in her Scarlet eyes. She understood; this was also a delaying tactic, but an undeniably ingenious one.

Lynn finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"What Director Gwen Stacy said is true." His voice was unreadable. "Procedure is the foundation upon which we live. No one, including myself, can be above the procedure."

He looked at Hela, his tone calm.

"Director Hela, I cannot approve your request. Not because of the content, but because of the procedure. Until formal communication with the TVA Coordination Office takes place, this information will remain at the highest level of confidentiality."

Hela's chest heaved slightly, but in the end, she managed to squeeze out two words through gritted teeth.

"Yes, sir."

A crisis that could have triggered an implosion at the highest level of the Management Committee was abruptly frozen by Gwen Stacy through cumbersome institutional rules and regulations.

Lynn was preparing to announce a temporary recess.

"Since that's the case," Hela's icy voice rang out again. She accepted the procedure, but not the failure, "Now that this matter has escalated into a cross-departmental coordination issue involving TVA, its importance and danger are self-evident."

She took a step forward, her gaze sharpening once more.

"I propose that Special Investigation Group for Historical Legacy Energy issues, and to organize the chain of evidence in order to deal with subsequent negotiations with TVA."

Hela looked around, then her gaze finally settled on Lynn's face, and she spoke slowly and deliberately.

"I volunteer to be the group leader."