A second encounter outside the isolation chamber, Ke'er offered a soft

The outer doors of the disinfection and isolation chamber slid open to both sides, and air mixed with the smell of disinfectant and metallic rust rushed out.

Lynn stepped over the threshold, his combat boots leaving two gray marks on the anti-static mat. The corridor ceiling light was only half-lit, and the emergency light strip cast a dim red glow on the wall. Ke'er stood by the security gate directly opposite the isolation pod, holding a piece of stiff official paper folded into thirds, with the black greatsword emblem of the Stability Maintenance Office stamped on the edge.

"Director Lynn."

Ke'er came alone this time. The iron gate behind him leading to the inner defense zone was closed tightly, leaving him alone in the middle of the passage.

"The disinfection process took twenty minutes longer than usual." Lynn glanced at the time on his terminal. "According to regulations, the standard disinfection time under Level 2 combat readiness is twelve minutes. Did the Black Crow Guard give me extra eight minutes?"

Ke'er's face tightened, but he didn't respond to that question and instead handed over the folded document.

"A notice of assistance in the investigation personally signed by Director Hela." He pressed his thumb on the stamp. "Director Lynn, please Stability Maintenance Office first and cooperate in completing the explanation of the abnormal movements on the outer Defense Line."

Lynn received the notification but didn't rush to begin.

"Commander Ke'er, last time you stopped me from searching my body, this time you're stopping me from reporting to the Stability Maintenance Office. The charge has changed, but the procedure has certainly been simplified."

"Follow procedure." Ke'er's tone was perfectly flat. "After the Director's Office and the Liaison Office merged to manage Zero Storage Room, there have been a series of abnormal defense deployments along the outer Defense Line. Director Hela believes it's necessary to hear Director Lynn's explanation in person."

Lynn unfolded the notice and scanned it. The wording was very clean, quoting Article 17, Paragraph 3 of the "Management Committee's Wartime Joint Logistics Cooperation Regulations"—when two or more core departments have joint management rights over the same defense asset, the head of any department has the right to request the head of the other party to appear and explain within 24 hours. The clause was chosen precisely, the reasoning was vague, and the purpose was simple: to intercept him on his way back to the office and take him to the Stability Maintenance Office to waste time.

"This clause is incomplete."

Lynn turned the notice back, tucked it between two fingers, and didn't return it.

"Article 17, Paragraph 3 also has a prerequisite: any abnormal defense scheduling involving jointly managed assets must be reported to the other party's commanding officer in writing. While I was still in the isolation ward, did Director Hela's written notification reach my terminal?"

Ke'er's right index finger curled involuntarily.

"The notification process is underway."

"Following the procedure means it wasn't issued." Lynn handed the notice back to him. "If I'm not issued a notification, they want me to report for duty? It's not called assisting in an investigation, it's called a summons. Commander Ke'er, you've done frontline fieldwork, you don't need me to teach you the difference between a summons and assisting in an investigation."

When Ke'er received the notification, his knuckles were white from clenching his fists, and he bit his cheek twice.

"Director Lynn, Director Hela means that procedural flaws can be corrected at the Stability Maintenance Office. But if you insist on not going, she may have to find another way to follow the procedure."

"Another way?" Lynn chuckled, his voice low. "Alright, then please relay a message to Director Hela for me. The Director's Office is not under the jurisdiction of the Stability Maintenance Office. If I'm required to report for duty, the Management Committee Joint Conference needs to issue a formal transfer order. Once the order is issued, I'll be there."

He took a step forward and paused as he passed Ke'er.

"Also, Commander Ke'er, go back and look through the files of the Black Crow Guard's visit to the Department of Technology on the 17th of last month. Ask your Director if they signed a receipt for that visit, and whether the receipt stated 'assistance in investigation' or 'submission for review.'"

Ke'er turned around, his expression finally betraying his embarrassment.

When the words "the 17th of last month" reached his ears, his Adam's apple bobbed noticeably. That time, S-004 led the team to the Department of Technology. Ostensibly, they were delivering three rejected documents, but in reality, they had overstepped their bounds. He couldn't really remember the receipt.

"Director Lynn," Ke'er's voice tightened, "That's internal work of the Stability Maintenance Office, it's not your concern."

"It's not my concern." Lynn didn't turn around, but placed her hand on the switch of the airtight door at the end of the corridor. "I just mentioned it casually. Tell Director Hela to think about it herself."

The airtight door slid open, revealing an internal passageway leading to the office area. Lynn's secretary, Xiao Zhou, was already waiting at the entrance with a folder in her hand. Seeing him come out, she quickly followed.

"Director, Thomas called to say that Minister Wanda refused to see him; he couldn't even get through the third airtight door."

"Knew."

Lynn continued walking forward, turning two corners, and arrived at the elevator lobby. Xiao Zhou swiped his card and pressed the up button.

Lynn only spoke when the elevator doors closed.

"Make a note of these. First, the Stability Maintenance Office reviewed the patrol records outside Zero Storage Room this morning. Second, Hela is trying to delay my return to the office, indicating that there's something she doesn't want me to see at Zero Storage Room. Third, have Gwen Stacy check if the Black Crow Guard has retrieved any files from the Department of Technology in the last three days."

Xiao Zhou wrote down each item on the terminal, his fingers pausing for a moment.

"Director, is the third method to check through the Liaison Office?"

"Use Gwen Stacy's asset inventory authority," Lynn said, leaning against the elevator wall. "Just tell everyone it's to check interdepartmental material handover records. Hela asks, tell her to check with Gwen Stacy."

The elevator arrived at the office floor. The doors opened, and several clerks in the corridor straightened up when they saw Lynn.

Lynn took two steps forward, then stopped.

"Xiao Zhou, what stage is the filing of the self-inspection report from the Seventh Laboratory that came from the Department of the Navy?"

"According to you, it stopped at 'self-examination completed' and didn't continue."

"Okay." Lynn nodded. "Let it wait. Wanda will come to us when she comes to her senses."

He pushed open the door to the Director's Office. On the desk were three documents awaiting signature. The top one was a defense briefing sent by the Stability Maintenance Office that morning, stamped with "Urgent" on the cover.

Lynn turned to the second page, and sure enough, Hela had written a small note in red at the end of the briefing, "It is recommended that the Director's Office take the lead in verifying the damage to the Zero Storage Room. The Stability Maintenance Office can provide technical support."

He closed the briefing and placed it at the bottom of the file basket.

"Xiao Zhou."

"Director?"

"Go ask the Department of Technology when the last time the valve on the backup exhaust shaft of the Seventh Laboratory was opened for maintenance was."

After finishing his Xiao Zhou hesitated for a moment.

"Director, you're asking this... under what pretext?"

"Use the Director's Office as an excuse. Say it's a routine security check." Lynn pulled out a chair, sat down, and picked up a pen. "Didn't Hela want me to check the seals? I'll check the passageways around these seals first."

Xiao Zhou closed the door and went out.

Lynn lowered his head and reviewed two documents, his pen pausing above the signature column of the third document.

The secretary's office intercom rang.

"Director, Commander Ke'er is here again. He says Director Hela requests your reply."

Lynn didn't answer the phone; she went over and put it on speakerphone herself.

"Ke'er, are you still in the building?"

"Director's Office Reception Room." Ke'er's voice came through the speakerphone, a fraction lower than before, "Director Hela asked me to pass on a message—she's agreed to postpone the reporting time on the assistance notice to tomorrow morning. But you need to send a copy of the maintenance record for the ventilation shaft of Seventh Laboratory to the Stability Maintenance Office before midnight tonight."

Lynn stared at the hands-free button for two seconds.

Hela backed down, but casually added a condition: she wanted the ventilation shaft maintenance records, wanting to know how far he had gone in his investigation. If she gave him those records, Hela could deduce how many clues he had from the maintenance dates.

"Tell Director Hela that the ventilation shaft maintenance records are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Department of Technology, and it's acceptable to send a copy to the Stability Maintenance Office. However, according to the ' Records Access Regulations,' for cross-departmental copies of documents exceeding five pages, a specific explanation of the scope of use from the Stability Maintenance Office is required."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"I'll relay your exact words." Ke'er hung up.

Lynn returned to his desk and sat down to finish writing the remaining annotations on the third document.

Just as I put down my pen, Xiao Zhou pushed the door open and came in from the outside, looking rather strange.

"Director, the Department of Technology has responded. The last time the exhaust duct of the Seventh Laboratory was opened for maintenance was three months ago, but the operator's name registered in the system cannot be found."

Lynn raised her eyes.

What does "No such person found" mean?

"This person isn't in the official records. The signature on the maintenance log belongs to someone who died over two years ago."