The Backflowing Pressure-Relief Pipe and the Crystal Slot's Master Etching
The roar of the water being pumped away echoed between the iron plates beneath our feet.
The dirty engine oil that had been deposited in the cracks of the cement floor was stirred up into fine oil foam by an upward airflow.
The two-minute mark on the clock face changed to "01:58" in red.
A stream of hot, dry gas with a burnt smell was ejected from the ventilation vents on the side of the lead-lined box.
On the translucent crystal card, dark red light was pulsating at a visible frequency.
Lynn didn't touch the card.
His gaze swept past the bottom of the dial and landed on a thin copper tube connected to the side of the case.
A copper pipe runs straight into a drain outlet in the cement floor, and a very thin film of water is condensing on the outer wall of the pipe.
Instead of being pumped away from the cooling tower, the water was reversed and pumped into the main pressure relief valve of the underground pipe network.
The Watchmaker doesn't need to blow this place up himself.
If he creates a single instance of gas pressure backflow, the explosion-proof membrane at the bottom of the main reactor of the Department of Technology will be torn apart within twelve seconds.
At that point, the ground investigation team will only conclude that Wanda made a mistake and that the magic backflow destroyed the underground server room.
Lynn gripped the Obsidian sword in a reverse grip.
The sharp edge of the broken sword did not cut into the cable, but instead cut diagonally along the four shock-absorbing bolts on the base of the suitcase.
"Zzz--"
The purely mechanical aluminum bolts were neatly cut off by the Obsidian blade.
The box lost its support point and tilted half an inch to the left.
The clips at the copper pipe joint snapped open, and a hissing sound of high-pressure air sprayed out.
The numbers on the digital clock have jumped to "01:31".
The rumbling sound deep inside the pipe suddenly changed, from a muffled suction sound to the heavy thud of liquid jets violently hitting the iron pipe.
That's the recoil of water hammer.
In ninety seconds, the backflow of water will shatter the drain valve.
Lynn extended his left hand, which was wrapped in a blood-soaked bandage, and pinched the outer edge of the crystal card's base with his thumb and forefinger.
Two miniature tungsten steel barbs extend from both sides of the card slot, tightly engaging with the slide rail of the card sleeve.
A normal removal will only trigger the self-destruct micro-carving inside the card.
Lynn lowered his eyes, and the tip of his broken sword probed into the mechanical linkage spring below the slot.
His wrist was extremely steady, without the slightest unnecessary tremor.
The sword tip struck the third spring-loaded stop and flicked upwards.
A crisp snap.
The tungsten steel barbs bounced off to the sides, and the translucent crystal card fell into his palm.
The dark red light contracted abruptly the moment it touched Lynn's palm.
There was no burning sensation.
The magical energy surged across the bloodstains seeping from the bandages, as if smoothed out by some invisible force, quickly returning to stillness.
Lynn stuffed the crystal card into the innermost metal lining of his trench coat, then turned and kicked the power busbar in the lead-clad box.
The thick coaxial cable snapped, leaving a charred arc of blue and white sparks trailing across the abandoned lab bench.
The red lettering on the dial went completely out at "00:43".
The sound of water hammer deep in the tunnel also stopped abruptly at that moment, leaving only the gurgling sound of residual water falling back into the sewage pipe.
A rapid clattering sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the passage.
Ke'er charged into the pump room, sword in hand, followed by the two Black Crow Honor Guard armed with pulse guns.
A tactical light with a dim glow hung from the muzzle of the gun. Two pale beams of light swept around Lynn before finally settling on the scattered cables and the pried-open lead box.
Ke'er's chest heaved as he warily surveyed his surroundings.
The sound of water has stopped.
Ke'er's voice echoed in the empty pump room.
"The Director's Office acted even faster than I expected."
"If the Black Crow Guard had hesitated for just three seconds less at the door, I wouldn't have needed to pull the high-voltage fuse by hand."
Lynn turned around, casually ripped the gas filter out of her nose, and threw it onto the cold steel grating.
Ke'er's gaze swept over the severed base of the lead box beneath the lab bench.
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
He could see the section of coaxial cable protruding from the edge of the instrument wreckage, with the yellow and white paint markings of the Black Crow Guard's logistics warehouse clearly printed on the cable connector.
Two years ago, after a major purge, a total of 30,000 meters of these military-grade anti-jamming cables were centrally sealed and stored by the Stability Maintenance Office.
"The Black Crow Guard has taken control of the physical evidence here."
Ke'er sheathed his sword and gestured with his chin toward the two guards behind him.
"According to the Special Defense Act, any destructive devices suspected of threatening the defense zone's Force Field must be transported to the first underground laboratory of the Stability Maintenance Office for dismantling."
The two guards were about to step forward.
Lynn stood still, not even lifting his eyelids.
"Commander Ke'er wants to take the empty boxes? Fine."
Lynn's voice was calm and low.
"However, the busbar connecting the upper right corner of the enclosure uses the output frequency band of your camp's third power distribution room."
"Two years ago, during the Great Purge, this frequency band was specifically allocated to the military police for radio jamming."
"If you carry this box onto the terrace of the Stability Maintenance Office, the first thing Director Hela will see is the shady workmanship of your old military police."
Ke'er stopped in his tracks, his face turning extremely grim.
The two guards hesitated and turned around, awaiting their commander's next instructions.
Ke'er gritted his teeth, and the muscles around his eyes twitched twice.
"Lynn, what exactly do you want?"
"The Director's Office only checks accounts, not arrests."
Lynn pulled a dry piece of cotton yarn from the rusty iron shelf on the lab bench and wiped the machine oil off the Obsidian broken sword.
"Horn is up there; the black market Messenger won't survive tonight's interrogation either."
Hela wants the Defense Line to be flawless; I want the accounts to be settled.
"You take your men and go weld the bypass pipe of the third sewage valve in the underground pipe network shut-off."
Lynn sheathed the broken sword in its leather sheath.
"I don't need to teach you how to write external reports."
Ke'er stood in the cold wind, his palm pressed against the hilt of his sword, his knuckles white.
He knew very well that this was both a way out offered by Lynn and a knife hanging over his head.
If Lynn doesn't do as he says, this machine, which illegally connects to cables from the Black Crow Guard's territory and steals magic from the Department of Technology, will end up on Hela's desk.
"We can seal the drain valve."
Ke'er stared at Lynn and said in a deep voice.
"But where are the core components? The storage units of this machine can't possibly be just empty shells."
Lynn looked up at him, her gaze as calm as a still pool.
"Those are assets of the Department of Technology."
"Minister Wanda asked me for it, so I gave it to Minister Wanda."
"The Joint Conference asked me for it, so I'll go with the Joint Conference."
"If Commander Ke'er wants, he may draw his sword and search now."
The air seemed to have been sucked out in that instant.
The guard behind Ke'er instinctively placed his finger on the edge of the trigger guard, his palms sweating profusely.
Ten seconds of deathly silence.
Ke'er finally exhaled a breath of white air.
He took half a step back, sidestepping to make way for the narrow passage leading to the lead door.
"The Black Crow Guard is only responsible for defense and obstacle removal; they do not participate in the transfer of administrative assets."
Ke'er waved to the guards behind him.
"Have two teams bring down portable welding machines. Within twenty minutes, weld all the sewage branches on the sixth basement level to the base."
"Walk."
Ke'er didn't touch the metal box on the lab table again, and led his men into the depths of the condensation tunnel.
The footsteps quickly faded into the distance, soon swallowed up by the monotonous hum of the ventilation system.
Lynn stood still.
Only after confirming that the footsteps had completely left this floor did he raise his hand to press on the inside pocket of his trench coat.
Even through the cold metal protective case, the crystal card still emitted a faint warmth.
The spiderweb-like markings etched on the card lingered in my mind.
That's Gwen Stacy's signature mark.
But deep underground within the Department of Technology, in the machines of Watchmaker, this mark was used as a verification prefix for transfer orders.
Either the Liaison Office's key system had already been completely bypassed by the Watchmaker.
Alternatively, Gwen Stacy may have had direct contact with the Watchmaker in some way before sealing off the Confidential One locker.
Lynn stepped through the two-finger-wide crack in the lead door.
In the corridor outside the door, the skeleton was still stuck in the gap, with bone fragments from its wrist scattered all over the floor.
Lynn didn't stop, walking towards the elevator shaft on the broken ice.
As soon as I stepped into the buffer passage on the fifth basement level, the Encrypted Terminal in my pocket emitted a series of rapid, low-frequency beeps.
The screen lit up, displaying Gwen Stacy's codename "G".
Only one line of text:
"The third batch of counterfeit documents from the confidential document cabinet has been delivered to the firearms repair shop, and we intercepted an unregistered offline engraving machine on site."
Lynn stared at the screen, his thumb hovering over the button for half a second before replying:
"Keep it sealed on the spot. I'll be there in ten minutes."
He put away the terminal and pressed the up button on the elevator.
The metal cable car made a low, pulling sound as it was pulled by the cables.
Lynn leaned against the wall inside the carriage and, by the dim light of the overhead lamp, took out the crystal card from his pocket.
He flipped the card over.
At the very bottom of the crystal, where the dark red glow has faded, a line of micron-sized laser lines is clearly visible through the polarizing lens.
That wasn't data, but a power supply serial number with its prefix removed:
[STARK-ENG-004]