Ye Mo stared at the screen. The frequency value had just jumped to 0.761 Hz when the rhythm of the underground vibrations changed again. This time it wasn't a tentative advance, but a segmented movement—fast at first, then slow, with a three-second pause in between, like some kind of encrypted Morse code.
He squinted, his fingers swiping rapidly across the tablet, bringing up the vibration waveforms from previous battles. The footsteps during the Hydra raid, the mechanical rhythms before the Scavengers Protocol was activated, the pace of the West Sector Pipeline suicide squad's charge... he dug them all out and compared them.
"Something's not right," he whispered. "This rhythm is deliberately mimicking our last countermeasure against them."
Emma Frost didn't open her eyes, but her fingertips trembled slightly, as if she had received some signal. Her breathing remained steady, but sweat slid down her cheeks, gathered at her chin, and fell onto her tactical pants with a pat.
Ye Mo glanced at her, said nothing, and continued operating. He superimposed and analyzed the current vibration data and the aerial signal, and found that although the two energy flows were synchronized, there was a subtle phase difference—the high-frequency oscillation on the surface seemed to be making its presence known, while the low-frequency fluctuation below was the main force, which was shifting towards the northwest at an extremely slow speed.
"A feint." He immediately switched to the communications channel. "Captain, the enemy has split up. The movement 12 degrees north of east is a decoy. The real target is to the northwest, at a depth of eight meters, moving at a speed of less than two meters per minute. They are clearly hiding."
Captain America stood in front of the tactical board, his highlighter hovering in mid-air. He didn't rush to respond, but instead glanced down at the vibration sensor readings at his feet. The values did fluctuate slightly, but the direction was consistent with what Ye Mo had said.
"Harassment troops?" he asked.
"Small force, lightly equipped, and erratic movements." Ye Mo tapped a few keys on the keyboard, and a set of comparison images popped up on the main screen. "Look, this frequency jump is too deliberate, like it was specially put on for us. They want us to think the main attack is still on the east side, so they can move people there to plug the gaps."
Captain America's eyes darkened. "So they're using the previous battle as a script, putting on a charade?"
"It's not just acting," Emma Frost suddenly spoke, her voice a little hoarse. "I just did a retrospective scan and found two clusters of consciousness. One is high in the sky, as cold as a machine; the other is underground, hidden very deep, suppressing its emotions, but I can feel... it's waiting for a reaction."
"Wait for us to move," Ye Mo continued. "As long as we send more men to the southeast, they'll know where the defensive line's center of gravity is. Then, our main force can flank them and directly breach their weak point."
The command area fell silent for a moment.
Bucky's voice came through the communicator. "Then I'll go blow up that harassment squad right now."
"No," Black Widow immediately objected. "The moment you make a move, they'll know we've seen through their plan. They'll either back down or detonate the backup plan. Our biggest fear right now is alerting them."
"She's right." Captain America raised his hand to interrupt, "Since the enemy dares to use this tactic, it means they've figured out our reaction patterns. We can't play by the rules now."
He walked to the main screen, stared at the two energy bands marked by Ye Mo for a few seconds, and suddenly smiled, "Then let them continue acting."
Ye Mo raised an eyebrow. "You mean... to turn the tables on them?"
"It's not just about playing along." Captain America picked up a highlighter and drew a circle in the northwest area. "We need to make them feel like they've won the judgment."
He turned to Ye Mo: "Could you add a little more to the fake Southeast Alert Network signals you created earlier? Make them look more tense, like simulating an EMP charging failure alarm, or an automatic turret overheating and restarting."
"No problem." Ye Mo grinned, his fingers already working on the system. "I can make them 'hear' our frantic mobilization in the Southeast District, and even release a fake recording of a conversation saying something like 'The main force must hold the radar array.'"
"The dumber the better," Captain America nodded. "Let them think we're panicking."
Emma Frost opened her eyes, her face a little pale, but her gaze clear. "I can cooperate and create chaotic signals on a mental level. Pretend that multiple consciousnesses are frequently communicating in the southeast region, misleading their perception."
"Okay." Captain America immediately approved. "You two will continue to hold command posts and maintain the early warning center. I want you to deploy smoke grenades while keeping a close eye on the actual movements in the northwest. Report any unusual activity by the main force immediately."
He turned and contacted Bucky and Black Widow: "You two proceed according to the new instructions. Bucky, you won't engage the enemy head-on. Instead, you'll take the northwest ambush point and remain concealed within fifty meters of the target's path. Black Widow, you stay in the northern ventilation shaft, maintaining visibility over the eastern radar area, but don't expose yourself. I want you to form a triangular support formation, ready to launch a pincer attack at any time."
"Understood," they both replied simultaneously.
Hearing the confirmation tone in the communication, Ye Mo's hands continued moving. While adjusting the strength of the fake signal, he brought up the backup sensor array and quietly shifted the focus of real monitoring to the northwest underground passage. These devices were originally used to prevent geological collapses; they were not very sensitive, but their advantage lay in their concealment, making them difficult to detect.
After finishing all this, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. His head was a little throbbing, as if someone was pulling a rubber band back and forth on his forehead. He knew this was a side effect of overusing his Spatial Perception and that he needed to take a break, but now was not the time to rest.
" Emma Frost," he whispered.
She didn't turn around, but nodded to indicate that she was online.
"Can you handle it?" he asked.
Her lips twitched. "What do you think? Should I step aside now and let someone else take over the Mind Stone scan?"
"That's not what I meant." Ye Mo scratched the tip of his nose. "I meant... should we change it to intermittent polling? You don't have to keep it constantly active. I can set up a trigger mechanism to call you when there's an exception."
Emma Frost paused for two seconds, then slowly exhaled. "Alright. Actively scan once every thirty seconds, rely on edge sensing the rest of the time. Save your energy for the real thing."
"Smart." Ye Mo smiled and casually set a timed reminder in the system.
He looked back at the main screen. The fake southeast alert signal was now fully operational, with false alarms, chaotic footsteps, and even a recording of a "technician" anxiously calling out "the turret is stuck" playing on a loop. The whole charade was so convincing that even he himself started to believe it after listening to it so many times.
Meanwhile, the actual underground tremors are still slowly advancing. The frequency remains stable at 0.763 Hz, the depth remains unchanged, and the direction is slightly adjusted, moving towards the thinnest section of the northwest defense line.
"They took the bait," Ye Mo said in a low voice.
Captain America walked over, stood behind him, and glanced at the data. "How long until we're within range?"
"At this speed, it will take fifteen minutes," Ye Mo estimated. "But if they speed up halfway, they might arrive in ten minutes."
"That's enough." Captain America turned and grabbed his coat. "I'm going to do one last check of the ambush setup. You two, keep a close watch, and call me immediately if anything changes."
"Yes, sir." Ye Mo gave an OK sign.
The command area fell silent again.
Emma Frost closed her eyes and entered intermittent scanning mode. Her breathing became regular, and she placed her hands folded on her knees, like a still statue.
Ye Mo stared at the screen, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee. He knew every second that followed counted. The enemy thought they were putting on a show, but they were also waiting for the enemy to fall into the trap.
A breeze blew in from the vent, causing the printed papers on the table to flutter slightly. The lights flickered on and off, as if counting down.
He didn't move.
The curve on the main screen slowly climbed.