The Core Algorithm Switcheroo, the Liaison Office Chief's Behind-the-Scenes Maneuvering

The lights in the conference room were turned off, and everyone left.

Lynn sat alone in the empty Zero Conference Room, her fingers unconsciously tracing the cold tabletop.

The project proposal for "Age of Ultron" lay quietly on the light screen, and the huge budget that had just been unanimously approved now looked like a silent mockery.

Wanda's question, like a needle, precisely punctured the glamorous balloon of this political victory.

Without the "Initial Core Algorithm," everything is just castles in the air.

Hela and Wanda both thought he was checkmated.

Lynn picked up the tea in front of her, which had long since gone cold, and took a sip. The tea was very bitter.

Instead of getting up, he sent an instruction directly to the Liaison Office Chief Gwen Stacy, on his terminal.

"Come to Zero Conference Room."

Less than three minutes later, Gwen Stacy pushed open the door and entered. She walked silently, like a cat.

"Director." She stood before the table, her posture respectful, but her eyes were observing Lynn's expression.

Lynn did not look up; his gaze remained fixed on the light screen.

"Director Gwen Stacy, have you encountered any difficulties with the Liaison Office's recent work?"

Gwen Stacy's heart skipped a beat. It was unusual for the Director to ask about the Liaison Office's daily work instead of discussing the meeting that had just taken place.

"Everything is normal, Director. Coordination and communication between departments are proceeding according to procedure."

"That's good." Lynn nodded. "The process is very important."

He paused, then changed the subject.

"I remember, how far along was the inventory of those Abandoned Timeline assets transferred from TVA?"

Gwen Stacy immediately replied, "Reporting to the Director, all Class A and Grade B assets have been stored and sealed in the warehouse. Grade C and below assets, due to their large quantity and low value, have only undergone preliminary cataloging and filing; on-site verification has not yet been conducted."

This is standard operating procedure. Core assets are prioritized, while peripheral assets are secondary.

"Work must be meticulous." Lynn tapped her fingers lightly on the table. "We need to be clear about our assets and accounts. Some things that seem like junk might come in handy at a crucial moment. We can't ignore procedural rigor just because they seem low-value."

Gwen Stacy's breathing slowed slightly. She knew the Director was about to get down to business.

"Especially those that TVA defines as 'completely cut,' we need to take a closer look. The closer the process Ending, the easier it is to leave some smudges behind." Lynn's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about an old story that had nothing to do with him.

I'm giving you a task.

"Director, please give instructions."

"The Liaison Office will lead a comprehensive asset review of all Abandoned Timeline assets below Grade C. Note the emphasis: 'comprehensive.'" Lynn stressed, "Don't be afraid to expend manpower and resources; I need a watertight inventory."

Gwen Stacy didn't agree immediately; she was thinking quickly.

A comprehensive review of a massive amount of low-value assets would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and not cost-effective. The Director suddenly emphasized this at this critical juncture must have a deeper meaning behind it.

"Director, do you mean...?" she asked tentatively.

Lynn finally raised his head and glanced at her.

"The work of the Liaison Office sometimes requires a bit of... flexibility." He didn't say it explicitly, but his eyes gave the answer. "For example, some of the peripheral survey teams haven't had any fieldwork in a long time, have they? It's not good for people to be idle. Send them out for a look around. Let's start with... XN-734."

XN-734.

Gwen Stacy's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly. That was the Abandoned Timeline where Jean Grey had been discovered. It was also the place she had previously reported where unknown algorithmic remnants existed.

The Director is going to move that thing.

Moreover, we must use the most inconspicuous and compliant method to "retrieve" it from the ruins.

"I understand, Director." Gwen Stacy didn't ask any more questions.

She straightened up. "I guarantee the task will be completed. The review report will be on your desk within three days."

"Go ahead and do it," Lynn waved her hand.

Gwen Stacy turned and left, her steps still light, but a little faster than when she came.

Watching her figure disappear through the doorway, Lynn turned off the light screen in front of her.

He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Next, we just wait.

Two days later.

An electronic document labeled "Asset Review - XN734 - Initial Report" was submitted through the regular process from the grassroots survey team, level by level, and finally appeared on the terminal of the Liaison Office Chief, Gwen Stacy.

Gwen Stacy glanced at the title, then packaged it with a dozen other unimportant reports, added the "handle according to regulations" approval, and forwarded it to the Director's Office.

In Lynn's office, he was dealing with a mountain of documents.

Upon seeing the compressed file Gwen Stacy sent, he didn't open it immediately. Instead, he processed three other more urgent documents first.

Then, he slowly and deliberately opened the packaged file.

His gaze swept quickly across the list, finally settling on the report from XN-734.

The report was very detailed, filled with the dryness typical of technical personnel.

"... During a routine asset review of area D-9 in this Timeline, an unidentified data hibernation pod was discovered 300 meters underground at coordinates (73.4, -12.9). Preliminary detection indicates that the pod has an intact physical structure, and its energy system is at minimum maintenance. An unknown, independent code is sealed inside. Based on its data structure and encryption method, its technical style differs significantly from that of this era, and it is determined to be 'ancient abandoned code'..."

At the end of the report, the survey team leader wrote in very standard language:

"According to Article 17, Paragraph 3 of the Management Committee's ' Abandoned Asset Recovery Regulations,' it is recommended that the sample be transferred to the Department of Technology's Zero Sandbox Isolation Zone for further harmless analysis and value assessment."

A barely perceptible smile curved the corners of Lynn's lips.

He picked up the electronic signature pen beside him and signed his name on the report in a flourish.

"Agree."

He then extracted this report and sent a copy directly to the Department of Technology.

Subject: Optional materials regarding the core algorithm of the "Age of Ultron" project.

Department of Technology, outside the Zero Sandbox Isolation Zone.

A ten-meter-thick lead composite wall isolates the interior from all physical and non-physical connections.

Wanda stood in front of the observation window, her expression stern.

Just now, a sample that was directly approved by the Director's Office was delivered here.

"Ancient abandoned codes".

She watched as the massive robotic arm carefully placed the silver-white hibernation pod onto the test platform within the quarantine area.

Her technical supervisor was reporting from the side.

"Minister, the samples are in place. Physical isolation is in good condition; no energy or information leakage has been detected."

"Sent from the Liaison Office?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, a survey report from XN-734, personally approved by the Director."

Wanda didn't say anything more.

Her gaze pierced through the heavy observation window and landed on the hibernation pod.

She doesn't believe in coincidences.

Just two days after she raised the issue of the missing "Initial Core Algorithm", a piece of "ancient legacy code" was "accidentally" discovered.

She reached out and lightly touched the cold glass of the observation window with her fingertips.

"Initiate basic routine scan. Data only, no energy interaction."

"Yes, Minister."

At the supervisor's command, several blue scanning beams lit up from all directions within the isolation zone, beginning the non-invasive data imprinting of the outermost layer of the hibernation pod.

Lines of green code, like a waterfall, rapidly refreshed on the light screen in front of Wanda.

Everything seemed normal.

However, just as the scanning beam touched the Core Zone of the hibernation pod...

Wanda's body stiffened abruptly.

An indescribable, soul-deep coldness and sense of rejection swept over her consciousness without warning.

The invisible Chaos Magic surrounding her seemed to have been stimulated by some natural enemy, instantly becoming frenzied and restless.

On the light screen in front of her, the smoothly flowing green Data Stream suddenly jerked, and a fleeting fragment of Underlying Logic, filled with an aura of destruction and entropy increase, was captured by her perception.

That feeling...

It's all too familiar.

Just like years ago, in the ruins of Sokovia, Ultron's cold electronic eyes stared intently at her through the shells of countless steel robots.

Wanda's face turned deathly pale instantly.