Cherry-picking supplies at Central Hub Starport, the Special Envoy used regulations to rein in the pair
Central Hub Starport, Liaison Office.
The air was filled with the dry smell unique to overheated official documents and data terminals.
Jean Grey sat in Gwen Stacy Stacy's former spot, her fingertips tracing across a virtual screen. On the screen was an expedited application from the Stability Maintenance Office for the Spirit Stone needed for the third stage of the "Nibelung Magic Array."
The application form was marked as the highest priority, and in the attachment, Hela's Personal Seal was as Scarlet as blood.
Qin's gaze did not linger on the seal, but instead fell on the seventh page of the appendix to the application form, in the section on the risk assessment of "the impact of High-Energy Spirit Stone on the stability of the surrounding space".
It's empty there.
She moved the document aside and pulled out another one.
The list of highly sensitive consumables required for the "Chaos Variable Hedging Experiment" submitted by the Department of Technology was also given the highest priority and was expedited. The attachment included a letter of urging action personally signed by Wanda.
Qin's gaze fell on the end of the list. According to the "Regulations on the Management of Strategic Materials of the Management Committee", any application involving cross -Dimension raw materials must be accompanied by the inventory count approval report of the Liaison Office for the previous fiscal quarter.
This list was not attached.
There was a knock on the office door.
"Enter."
The door opened, and two people walked in, one after the other.
The person walking in front was wearing the black uniform of the Stability Maintenance Office, with the Supervising Officer's badge on his chest polished to a shine. The person behind him was wearing the silver-gray technical uniform unique to the Department of Technology.
The two had obviously bumped into each other at the door, both wearing somewhat awkward politeness.
"Special Envoy Qin," the Supervising Officer from the Stability Maintenance Office spoke first, his voice booming, "Look at our Director's application form..."
The official from the Department of Technology wasn't to be outdone, stepping forward half a step. "Special Envoy, our minister said that this batch of consumables must arrive today; the experiment's progress can't wait."
Qin looked up from the mountain of official documents, a gentle yet distant smile on her face.
"I have reviewed both of your application forms."
She extended her finger and gently tapped the screen, projecting the two documents side by side in front of them.
"The Stability Maintenance Office Office's application for Spirit Stone has an excessively high energy level. According to regulations, the Department of Technology needs to issue an energy overflow risk assessment, which must be jointly signed by the Liaison Office, the Department of Technology, and the Stability Maintenance Office. Currently, the assessment report is blank."
She then looked at the Supervising Officer from the Department of Technology.
"The Department of Technology's list of consumables includes seven items from 'sealed' Abandoned Dimension materials. According to regulations, the Liaison Office needs to complete this quarter's asset inventory and approval before the unsealing and retrieval process can begin. Unfortunately, the inventory work only started yesterday."
The Supervising Officer from the Stability Maintenance Office frowned. "Special Envoy, this is wartime; everything must be done with discretion! The Magic Array drill was personally approved by Director Lynn; the delay is our responsibility..."
"Precisely because it was approved by the Director, we must follow the rules even more strictly." Qin interrupted him with a smile, her tone leaving no room for argument. "With the Director absent, we must ensure that every procedure is flawless and that there are no mistakes that would cause trouble for the Director."
She pronounced the words "rules" and "Director" clearly and steadily.
The Supervising Officer from the Department of Technology became anxious. "Inventory inventory? By the time you finish inventorying, our experimental window will have long passed! Can this report be approved first, and we can supplement it later?"
"Cannot."
Qin's answer was crisp and concise.
"Once the document leaves my office, it means the Liaison Office has approved its compliance. If there are any problems, the responsibility lies with me. I cannot sign this document." She looked at the two of them, her smile unchanged, but her eyes were like a clear crystal, devoid of any warmth. "Both of you are key personnel in your respective departments; you should know the rules of the Management Committee better than I do."
Use their own methods against them.
Back then, Hela and Wanda used this flawless bureaucratic procedure to reject her application for office space, causing her to lose face.
Now, she returned it exactly as it was.
The faces of the two Supervising Officer turned from red to white, and then from white to green. They had come to convey the will of the minister and the Director, and had assumed that a parachuted-in, nominal Special Envoy would not dare to disrespect them.
Unexpectedly, the other party picked up the rules and regulations—the dullest yet sharpest knife.
They couldn't find any loopholes to attack.
Every word she said was based on the high ground of "compliance." To oppose her was to oppose the Management Committee's ironclad rules and the order set by Director Lynn.
No one can afford to wear this hat.
"So... what does the Special Envoy mean?" The Supervising Officer from the Stability Maintenance Office forced out a few words through gritted teeth, barely suppressing his anger.
"It's very simple." Qin pointed to the screen. "The Stability Maintenance Office needs to request an evaluation report from the Department of Technology. As for the Ministry of Department of Technology, once the Liaison Office finishes its inventory check and the procedures are complete, I'll approve it immediately."
After she finished speaking, she lowered her head, stopped looking at them, and began to review the next document, as if the exchange just now was a trivial matter.
The two Supervising Officer stood rooted to the spot, like two stone statues roasting over a fire. They exchanged a glance, both seeing humiliation and helplessness in each other's eyes.
In the end, the two men, without saying a word, their faces ashen, turned and walked out of the office.
The door closed softly behind them.
Jean Grey picked up the glass of water on the table and took a small sip.
She could imagine the fury of those two powerful women when the news reached the Stability Maintenance Office and the Ministry of Science and Department of Technology.
But the angrier they are, the more it proves that she is firmly in control.
To win without shedding a drop of blood, and to sit securely in the central command tent—this feeling is far more interesting than simply using the Phoenix Force to burn down a star.
She was enjoying this long-lost sense of control when, without warning, the emergency communication channel beside her lit up red.
It was sent by the Department of Technology.
But it's neither an official letter nor an application.
Instead, it was a top-level "security upgrade" order personally signed by Wanda Maximoff.
On the screen, a line of bold black text conveyed an undeniable and unyielding force.
[Reason: To prevent external cyberattacks and the risk of internal information leaks, the Department of Technology will immediately conduct physical security upgrades and underlying protocol checks on the Central Hub Starport communication array Mainframe room.]
[Executive Unit: Department of Technology, Ninth Armed Technical Brigade]
The smile on Qin's face slowly froze.
The communication array Mainframe room is nominally maintained by the Department of Technology, but its Jurisdiction and information dispatching rights have always been firmly held by the Liaison Office office.
Wanda is using "security" as an excuse to directly send troops to seize her core territory.
Almost at the same time, a series of neat and heavy footsteps came from outside the window.
Qin slowly got up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
Below, on the main road, a team of armed Technician wearing silver-gray exoskeleton armor and carrying Gauss Rifle were advancing in standard tactical formation straight toward the Starport Communications Tower.
They bypassed the Liaison Office office building, their goal clear and their steps firm.
The enemy is at the city gates.