Internal Affairs Seizes the Chance to Apply Pressure, the Special Envoy Watches Coldly
The alloy corridor leading to the core administrative area has a mirror-like floor that reflects the hurried figures of people coming and going, and the only sound in the air is the monotonous echo of standard leather boots stepping on metal.
Natasha stood at a crossroads, holding an electronic document, as if waiting for something. Her posture was casual, her gaze fixed on the virtual screen of the document, her fingertips occasionally tracing its surface, seemingly reviewing an official document.
A few minutes later, a steady and powerful footstep came from the other end of the corridor.
Jean Grey, dressed in the crimson uniform of Special Envoy, walked straight ahead without glancing to either side. She had no entourage, yet she possessed an aura of her own, causing those around her to instinctively give way.
Just as the two were about to pass each other, Natasha seemed to only then notice the other person, and at just the right moment, she raised her head with a professional smile on her face.
"Special Envoy Qin."
Qin did not stop walking; she merely nodded slightly in response.
Natasha closed the document, followed her pace at a leisurely pace, and walked alongside her.
"I just came from the routine meeting in the Inspection Office and heard some things. I was wondering if I should report to the Director," Natasha said in a low voice, with a sense of intimacy that suggested sharing a secret. "But the Director is very busy. Perhaps it would be more proper to consult with the Special Envoy first."
Qin turned her head and glanced at her, her eyes calm and expressionless.
"Explain."
One word, devoid of emotion or warmth, simply a command.
Natasha didn't seem to mind the coldness; she carefully chose her words.
"It concerns the Department of Technology. Last night, Minister Wanda's re-inspection of Zero Storage Room had procedural flaws. The miniature Probe deployed by the Inspection Office according to procedure detected some... unstable energy fluctuations."
She paused, observing Qin's reaction.
Qin's face remained unchanged.
Natasha continued to throw out the bait, her tone tinged with just the right amount of concern. "More importantly, the Probe also recorded some statements. These concerned old files from Sokovia, and... certain irregular, undocumented execution histories. I'm concerned that Minister Wanda's mental state may pose a potential threat to the security of the S-rank sealed assets."
She spoke shrewdly, wrapping everything in the shell of "security" and "regulations." She pointed out Wanda's lapse in composure, hinted at the shocking secret hidden in the Archive Cabinet, and described her eavesdropping as a routine duty.
She wanted to use the piano to lift the lid of Zero Storage Room.
However, Qin stopped walking.
She turned around to face Natasha, and for the first time, a cold scrutiny appeared in her deep eyes.
"Article 7, Chapter 4 of the ' Internal Affairs Inspection Office Work Regulations,'" Qin's voice was flat and straightforward, like reciting a legal provision. "Non-public intelligence obtained by the monitoring Probe must be declassified only after the Director's Office issues S-003 Warrant, and then reported to other departments as part of the chain of evidence."
Natasha's smile froze slightly.
Qin took half a step forward, closing the distance between them, and an invisible pressure descended upon them.
"Are you reporting to me now because you have received authorization from the Director, or is this a typical case of overstepping your authority and violating regulations by leaking intelligence?"
Natasha felt her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't expected her opponent to use her most effective weapon—rules—to turn the tables on her.
"I was just acting as a colleague, providing internal risk warnings," she explained, trying to remain calm.
"The Management Committee Confidentiality Agreement, S-rank." Qin's voice remained flat. "The only compliant channel for risk warning is to write an encrypted report and submit it directly to the Director's Office via an internal line. Not like now, with a seemingly 'chance' verbal briefing in the corridor."
"Acting Director Natasha," Jean addressed her by her official title for the first time, "You want to borrow my knife to kill whoever you want to kill. But you seem to have forgotten that my knife might cut your hand first."
The moment she finished speaking, Natasha felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her right temple.
The pain was extremely precise, not damaging the skin or flesh, but like a red-hot Steel Needles piercing directly into her central nervous system, causing her vision to go black instantly. She had to grip the electronic document in her hand tightly to barely maintain her composure.
The stinging sensation lasted only a second before disappearing without a trace.
It was so fast it felt like an illusion.
But the cold sweat seeping from Natasha's vest felt incredibly real.
This wasn't a warning; it was a declaration. A declaration of an insurmountable power hierarchy between the two. All her cleverness was rendered utterly insignificant in the face of absolute power.
Qin stopped looking at her, turned around, and continued walking forward.
Natasha stood there, watching Qin's retreating figure, the sharp light in her eyes completely replaced by a solemn expression.
She lost.
They lost everything.
Not only did she fail to provoke the piano, she also confirmed to the other party that she held a trump card regarding Lynn.
What weighed heavily on her heart was that Qin was heading in the direction of the Special Envoy's temporary office area.
At the end of that corridor, there was only one door.
A door made of the strongest alloy, without any markings, only a set of cold numbers.
Director's Office.
Jean Grey is preparing to confront Lynn directly.