Laboratory Zero's Forced Power Cut, the Official Word on Cognitive Interference

The auxiliary screen used for physical diagnosis was lit up all by itself.

Green characters, like moss, spread silently in the deathly darkness.

`Lynn.`

This name, without any energy fluctuations, carries more weight than the antimatter countdown that had just been enough to destroy everything.

It was like an invisible needle, piercing the perception of everyone present.

"Director..."

The nearest technical supervisor spoke instinctively, his voice hoarse, filled with the bewilderment of someone who had survived a close call and the instinctive fear of the unknown. He wanted to ask who this name was. He wanted to ask why the program named "Strategic Asset 001" knew this name.

He only said half of what he wanted to say.

Lynn moved.

He didn't turn around, didn't explain, and didn't even glance at the screen. He turned his body slightly to the side, his right hand reaching under the surface of his desk to an inconspicuous recess.

There, embedded, was a red Main Circuit Breaker with an old-fashioned industrial-style cover.

This switch is physically connected to all the independent power supply systems in the Laboratory Zero isolation zone.

Amidst everyone's astonished and uncertain gazes, Lynn's fingers calmly and steadily rested on the switch cover. Without the slightest hesitation, he exerted force with his knuckles and pushed upwards sharply.

"Click--tap."

A heavy, crisp mechanical click suddenly broke the silence of the office.

The sound wasn't loud, but it struck like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

The auxiliary screen displaying green characters, along with the standby screen that had just returned to normal on the main screen, went completely black out in an instant.

Darkness swallowed the last glimmer of light.

In the office, only the White Light from the emergency lighting system illuminated the stiff outlines of everyone.

"This... this is..."

The technical director's lips trembled; he was completely flustered. Forcibly cutting off the power to a newly acquired S-rank strategic asset was, under any operational procedure, a major incident worthy of being referred to an internal court.

Lynn slowly withdrew her hand and turned around.

His face was expressionless, his gaze calmly sweeping over the faces in front of him, which were filled with shock and confusion.

"In the final stages of being captured, high-risk viruses attempt to infiltrate and disrupt the cognitive system."

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness, swiftly and forcefully giving an official characterization of everything that had just happened.

"All the characters and images you just saw, including that name, are not its true intention. Rather, they are cognitive weapons randomly generated by analyzing our language database, designed to break down the psychological Defense Line of the operators."

Cognitive weapons.

The moment that cold, bureaucratic term was uttered, the panic on the technical manager's face froze instantly.

He didn't understand what cognitive weapons were, but he recognized familiar terms like "virus," "interference," and "psychological Defense Line." These terms all had clear definitions and corresponding contingency Contingency Plan in his work manual.

The Director's words forcibly pulled an incomprehensible and potentially confusing bizarre event back into the category of "technical malfunction" that they could understand and handle.

"But, Director, those coordinates..." another Technician tried to argue.

Lynn's gaze fell on him.

"Article 17, Paragraph 3 of the ' High-Risk Entity Emergency Response Regulations '," Lynn stated calmly, without any fluctuation in his tone, simply stating a fact, "When a risk of Cognitive Contamination is confirmed at a target, the highest-ranking commander on site has the authority to take all necessary measures, including but not limited to physical isolation, to prevent the contamination from spreading. All witnesses must unconditionally undergo subsequent confidentiality reviews and psychological assessments."

The cold regulations, like a bucket of ice water, extinguished the last spark of exploration in the Technician's heart.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

The air in the office was as oppressive as solidified cement.

Lynn ignored the distraught Technician and turned to Gwen Stacy's Holographic Projection, which had remained silent since the power was cut off, simply watching quietly.

"Director Gwen Stacy."

"Exist."

"Issue the Director's Order immediately in my name." Lynn's voice echoed in the empty office, every word crystal clear. "First, freeze all access rights to ' Management Committee Strategic Asset 001 ' indefinitely until further notice."

"Secondly, Laboratory Zero is immediately designated as a top-priority restricted area, with 24-hour guard posts jointly deployed by the Stability Maintenance Office and the Internal Affairs Inspection Office, and is physically sealed off."

"Third," he paused, his gaze sweeping over the Technician again, "All those present, including you and me, must immediately sign the S-003 Highest-Level Confidentiality Agreement. The Internal Affairs Inspection Office will oversee its implementation."

S-003 Confidentiality Agreement

The technical supervisor shuddered violently, his face drained of all color.

That was the Management Committee's strictest confidentiality clause. Once signed, it meant that everything they saw and heard today would remain forever sealed in their hearts. Any form of discussion, record-keeping, or even private speculation would be considered the highest level of betrayal.

This is the iron clamp of the system, silencing everyone.

"Yes, Director."

Gwen Stacy's Holographic Projection bowed slightly, raised no objections, and immediately began drafting the documents.

Thunder and decisive measures, each step meticulously planned and executed.

From the physical power outage to the official characterization, and then to the sealing of assets and the signing of agreements, the entire process took less than three minutes. A huge crisis that could have overturned the trust within the Management Committee was nipped in the bud by Lynn using the toughest and most compliant bureaucratic methods.

He didn't even bother to explain the name, because under the official label of "cognitive interference," the name had lost its value for discussion.

Any questioning is a questioning of the Director's judgment and a blatant challenge to the Management Committee's regulations.

No one dared to take on this responsibility.

Lynn watched as the Technician, under the supervision of the inspectors sent by Natasha, trembled as they signed their names on the electronic documents, their eyes devoid of any emotion.

He slowly turned around, his back to the crowd, his gaze fixed on the dark screen, as if trying to pierce through the glass and see the imprisoned ghost inside.

In the corner of the office, Wanda, who had been silent all along, slowly raised her head.

Her gaze did not fall on Lynn, nor on the still-shaken Technician.

She simply stared quietly at the smooth, mirror-like alloy surface of Lynn's desk.

She was standing right behind Lynn just now.

The instant Lynn reached out and pressed the Main Circuit Breaker, the green characters flashing on the auxiliary screen cast a brief, blurry, and fleeting reflection on the desktop.

The light was dim, and the handwriting was distorted.

But she could see the outlines of those four letters clearly.