The Copy of the Diplomatic Note in the Mailroom: Thomas Was Rebuffed Again
The air inside the Department of Technology's Building No. 1 is perpetually filled with a sour smell that is a mixture of Ozone and old paper.
Thomas stood in front of the mailroom counter, the document folder in his hand stamped with the bright red word "Urgent" already showing a faint dampness from his fingertips.
Behind the counter, Old Zhangtou was stuffing a thick stack of purchase orders into the shredder.
"Urgent document from the Director's Office." Thomas slammed the folder heavily on the wood-grained table. "Hurry up and register it; I'm in a rush."
Before he could finish speaking, the sliding window on the other side was suddenly pushed open.
Gwen Stacy, dressed in a dark gray uniform from the Stability Maintenance Office, placed a gold-embossed copy of a dispatch center's official document on the edge of the counter.
"Official correspondence from the Liaison Office office and correspondence from the Defense Zone Dispatch Center must be signed for in person by the Department of Technology's mailroom."
Gwen Stacy's fingers were long and slender, her nails neatly trimmed, as she gently tapped the copy of the note.
The two documents met in an eerie way on the narrow wooden counter.
Thomas frowned, glanced sideways at Gwen Stacy, and sneered, "Director Gwen Stacy, what a coincidence. This mailroom registration desk is only three feet wide. Are you planning to cram the mess from the Liaison Office into here too?"
Gwen Stacy didn't look at him, only staring at Old Zhangtou. "According to Article 15 of the ' Management Committee's Interdepartmental Office Regulations,' correspondence of a diplomatic note nature has higher priority than routine documents from the Inspection Office. Old Zhang, publish mine first."
Old Zhangtou pushed up his reading glasses, glanced at the two documents, and didn't even lift his eyelids.
"I registered them based on the document serial number; whoever was in line first is number one."
"That's standard procedure." Thomas shoved the blurry official document in front of Old Zhangtou's face. "This is an urgent matter handled by the Inspection Office. If something goes wrong, can you take responsibility?"
Claire happened to come out from the inner room, holding an unopened experimental record in her hand.
Her sharp eyes caught sight of a special stamp on the copy of the note.
Claire stopped and walked over quickly. She first nodded politely to Thomas, then turned to look at Gwen Stacy.
"Director, could you please show me the attachment to that diplomatic note?"
Gwen Stacy pulled out the attachment.
Just as the attachment slid out, a half-finished running code, slightly yellowed at the edges, peeked out from between the pages.
It was a string of original code belonging to the orbital control room of Satellite No. 7, with an abandoned sign still attached at the end.
Claire's expression remained unchanged, but her pupils contracted very slightly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Special Envoy," Claire looked up at Thomas, her voice steady, "According to the new regulations of the Department of Technology's mailroom, all attachments not generated by the internal system must be personally verified by the department head before being put into storage."
"What did you just say?" Thomas felt his face burning. "I was handling an urgent matter for the Inspection Office, and you're bringing up new regulations with me?"
"That's the rule." Claire pushed the document towards Thomas. "If you insist on registering now, I won't accept this document; please take it back the way you came."
"This is resisting inspection!" Thomas suddenly reached out to snatch the document back for registration.
Gwen Stacy suddenly made her move, her slender fingers pressing precisely on the copy of the note, remaining unmoved.
She tilted her head slightly, looking at Thomas with a calm expression. "When did the Inspection Office become a violent institution? Even the mailroom's office regulations are being forcibly violated?"
"I'm just acting in accordance with the law!"
"Where is the law?" Gwen Stacy retorted.
Just as the two were about to clash, a heavy thud of boots came from outside the blast door.
Wanda's distinctive, cold, mechanical footsteps approached from afar.
She stopped outside the mailroom, her gaze piercing through the crowd and landing precisely on Thomas.
"Special Envoy Thomas, when did it become the Department of Technology's place to enforce the Office of Inspection Office's regulations?"
On Wanda's gloves, wisps of Scarlet magic were faintly visible.
"Since this document is not in compliance with regulations, then do as Claire says and take it back to your office."
Thomas looked into Wanda's unfathomable eyes, and the tough words he was about to say seemed to get stuck in his throat.
He stared at the rejected document, then glanced at the faintly visible code in Claire's hand, and finally slammed the folder back into his hand.
"Minister Wanda, don't get too cocky."
He turned around and strode towards the end of the corridor.
Wanda watched his retreating figure, a mocking smile playing on her lips, but she remained silent.
Claire quickly pulled out the coded note attachment, concealing it discreetly under her sleeve, and turned to go into the inner room.
The door to the mailroom slowly closed.
Gwen Stacy stood there, looking at the crack in the closed door, her lips slightly pursed.
That code was only half complete.
How many baits did Lynn plant there?
Meanwhile, in the garrison office of the Defense Zone Registration Office, Xiao Li was standing in front of the counter, holding a notepad in his hand, and writing down the name of Satellite No. 7.
The clerk looked down and his face instantly turned deathly pale.
"Wait, this record..."
He looked up abruptly, trying to snatch the note, but Xiao Li had already withdrawn his hand and turned to blend into the crowd.
The control chain began to emit a piercing snapping sound.