A compliant proposal for a technical takeover, the Technology Minister's attempt to overstep

After Natasha finished speaking, the Main Control Room fell silent for a moment.

The control panel deep inside was completely dark; no lights were on, and no sound was heard. Yet, the countdown timer continued to accelerate.

[00:07]

Gwen Stacy stared at the Data Pad, then suddenly reached out and grabbed Wanda's wrist.

"Never mind that," she said very quickly, "Take care of the cabinet first."

Wanda's Scarlet magic paused.

"Director Gwen Stacy is right." She smoothly withdrew from her position, stepped forward, and stood directly in front of the Archive Cabinet. Her voice wasn't loud, but it drew everyone's attention. "From now on, this area is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Technology."

Hela's eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Take over?"

"Time stasis Runes are essentially an energy structure." Wanda didn't turn her head, her gaze fixed on the dark cyan patterns. "The Stability Maintenance Office manages swords, the Department of Technology manages energy. That's the division of labor, that's the procedure."

As she spoke, she pulled a Data Pad from her sleeve, and with a flick of her finger, a standard document popped out.

[Emergency Technical Response Takeover Application - Immediate Decision]

"According to Article 11 of the ' High-Risk Entity Isolation Management Measures,' when a rule-level energy runaway risk occurs on-site, the technical officer has the right to take over first, and complete the formalities afterwards." Wanda showed the document to everyone. "I propose using Chaos Magic to selectively strip the Runes. Stasis Layer, Self-Destruct Layer, Recognition Layer, dismantle them layer by layer. Chaos Magic doesn't affect the time rule; it modifies the rule itself."

[00:06]

The numbers are jumping faster now.

Jean Grey stood three steps away, silent. Her gaze swept between Wanda and the cabinet, the gold in her eyes darkening slightly.

Hela smiled.

"What a fine procedure." She slowly walked around to the other side of the Archive Cabinet, facing Wanda across the cabinet. "Technology Minister, let me ask you a question. When the Runes were being stripped, were the cabinet doors opened?"

Wanda's fingers paused for a moment.

"The Runes stripping is complete; the lock has naturally become ineffective."

"If the lock fails, who will see what's inside the cabinet first?"

"Naturally, a joint investigation and registration will be conducted."

"On whose Data Pad is it registered?" Hela's voice was completely flat. "The Department of Technology's server, or the Evidence Vault of the Stability Maintenance Office?"

No one answered the call from the Main Control Room.

That's the real problem. The cabinet is inanimate, but the things inside are alive. Whoever finds it first will know what Lynn hid. And the first person to know can choose how much to share.

Wanda looked up.

"Is the Director of the Stability Maintenance Office trying to say that I'm using the guise of takeover to actually monopolize power?"

"I didn't say that," Hela said calmly. "I was just asking as usual. After all, someone just reminded me that this isn't the execution grounds of Asgard. So I'll also remind the Technology Minister —this isn't the Department of Technology's laboratory either."

"You--"

"You two," Gwen Stacy interjected, her voice low, "It jumps every five seconds. See for yourselves how many are left."

[00:05]

Wanda took a deep breath, suppressing the restless magic stirring in her fingertips, and turned to Gwen Stacy.

"Director Gwen Stacy, you are the supervisor. I formally request the Supervisory Group to decide whether to approve the Department of Technology's unilateral spell removal of the Runes."

She emphasized the words "unilaterally." This was both passing the buck to Gwen Stacy and handing Gwen Stacy a knife—if approved, the responsibility lay with the Supervisory Group; if not approved, the cabinet would be gone, and the responsibility would still lie with the Supervisory Group.

Gwen Stacy looked at the application form but didn't reach out.

"I'm just a Liaison Office Chief; I can't oversee a department that has two ministers." She paused, "But I can say something technical. How long does it take for Chaos Magic to peel away three layers of Runes?"

"If all goes well, twenty seconds."

How much is left in the countdown?

Wanda's lip liner was taut.

"So we can't stand here any longer," she said. "Every moment we delay, the success rate drops by 10%. Hela, you can supervise if you want. You can stand by and watch, but keep the sword sheathed. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility."

"You'll take responsibility?" Hela scoffed. "The cabinet's been wiped clean, what will you take responsibility for? Will you use a year's worth of funding from the Department of Technology to compensate for Lynn's secret?"

The air seemed to freeze for a moment after those words were spoken.

She spoke the words "Lynn's secret" softly and slowly. Everyone present understood— Hela didn't care about the closet at all; what she cared about was who was entitled to know.

Jean Grey finally spoke.

She's right.

Wanda turned to look at her.

"Removing the Runes will cause a spillover at the mental level," Jean's voice was steady. "The Recognition Layer recognizes brainwaves. The moment your magic touches it, it will release the recognition information. The person closest to it will receive the most." She looked at Wanda, enunciating each word clearly, "You want to be the first to receive it, don't you?"

Wanda did not deny it.

They did not admit it either.

"The Special Envoy isn't part of the official staff." That was all she replied. "On-site handling is none of your business."

"I'm not part of the official staff," Qin said, taking a step forward. "But my Psychic Power is the only thing here that can protect your minds from being overwhelmed by the Recognition Layer. You want to cast spells? Fine. But you'll have to get past me first."

[00:04]

Hela stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching the two confront each other, the sneer on her lips deepening.

"Alright," she said. "One wants to demolish it, one wants to stop it, and one wants approval. Let's discuss it slowly. After we're done, burn some paper money for the cabinet."

"Hela!" Wanda's voice finally rose, "What exactly do you want?"

"What do I want?" Hela lowered her arm, her gaze sweeping over everyone. "I propose that all three of us cast a spell together. I'll use my Death Force to suppress the Self-Destruct Layer, you'll use Chaos Magic to strip away the Stasis Layer, and she'll use her Psychic Power to protect the Recognition Layer. The moment the cabinet door opens, all four of us present will be unable to see a single extra word."

"When casting spells together, the three forces interfere with each other, resulting in a success rate of less than 30%," Wanda immediately retorted. "You don't understand the technology."

"I don't understand technology," Hela nodded. "I understand people."

Two words completely shut down what Wanda was about to say.

He understands people. He understands what Wanda is holding in her heart right now, something she's unwilling to say aloud.

Natasha, who had been standing on the periphery, suddenly spoke softly, "The countdown isn't constant; the longer you all argue, the faster it ticks. This thing is listening."

Nobody paid any attention to her.

Wanda stared at Hela, Hela met her gaze. Jean stood between them, a golden halo rising and falling in her eyes. The three auras silently battled in the cramped Main Control Room, none willing to give way first.

Gwen Stacy glanced down at the Data Pad.

[00:02]

She raised her head, opened her mouth, but the sound caught in her throat.

The intervals between the numbers have become so short that they are almost in a straight line.

[00:01]