The shrill siren sounded like a blunt knife, repeatedly cutting into my eardrums.
Ye Mo didn't move. He leaned against the rock wall, his fingers still trembling slightly, a lingering effect of forcibly erecting the shield earlier. But his eyes remained focused, revealing a coldness. T'Challa also ignored the approaching high-energy source, staring intently at the red data stream pulsating on the holographic projection platform.
"Ten seconds." Emma Frost's voice was soft, yet it pierced the air like an icicle. "The energy fluctuation frequency has changed. They're accelerating."
"Then let them come." T'Challa turned around, the hem of his black battle suit sweeping across the ground with a slight rustling sound. He didn't draw his sword or assume a fighting stance, but walked straight to the communications station. This action surprised both Ye Mo and Emma Frost.
In Wakanda's tradition, when faced with foreign invasion, the king's first reaction is usually to command the defense or personally repel the enemy. But at this moment, T'Challa seems to be handling a trivial diplomatic document. This contrast subtly distorts the tense atmosphere in the cave—instantly shifting from a "survival crisis" to a "strategic game."
"Your Majesty?" Ye Mo raised an eyebrow, a playful smile curving his lips. "Are you planning to scare them away with your eyes? Or are you going to send Klaue an invitation to come in for tea?"
T'Challa didn't turn around; his fingers were already typing a complex series of commands on the keyboard. "If I go into a fight now, even if I win, I'll be in a sorry state. Klaue doesn't want my life; he wants the Vibranium sample, the technology behind it. If we only focus on this current attack, we'll always be on the defensive."
He stopped pointing, turned his head, and his gaze sharpened. "What we need to do is not to win this battle, but to make it 'unprofitable.' No, to make the entire underworld feel that touching Wakanda is 'suicide.'"
Ye Mo understood.
This is what is known as "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," or to put it more bluntly—to ruin his reputation and cut off his supply lines.
" Emma Frost," T'Challa ordered, "You're in charge of emotional filtering. The intelligence I send out can't be tinged with Wakanda's anger, nor with fear. It needs to be calm, objective, and even... a chilling sense of justice."
Emma Frost took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A faint white light appeared between her brows, and her mental energy surged toward the communication terminal like a tide. Ye Mo quickly operated the data panel in his hand, repackaging the previously analyzed supply chain loopholes, logistics tracks, and evidence of Klaue's collusion with Hydra into a standardized international report.
This report is very well-crafted. It doesn't mention the special nature of Vibranium, nor does it exaggerate Wakanda's technological advantages. Instead, it focuses on the red lines that no country can ignore, such as "illegal arms trade," "transnational smuggling," and "undermining regional stability."
"Send." T'Challa pressed Enter.
The progress bar on the screen moved forward rapidly.
At the same time, the sound of the wind outside the cave seemed to freeze for a moment.
Ye Mo felt a slight tremor coming from the seventh floor of the Gene Spiral Tower. It wasn't the awakening of an ability, but a resonance. It was like throwing a pebble into a calm lake, and the ripples were spreading outward at an astonishing speed.
"The first response has arrived." Emma Frost opened her eyes, her face paler than before, but her eyes were clear. " The Africa Union delegation. They're asking if the evidence is conclusive."
"Of course it's conclusive." Ye Mo sneered, projecting an encrypted video into the air. It was footage of a transaction between Klaue and Hydra agent, intercepted earlier in the factory's control room. Although blurry, it was enough to prove their cooperation. "Show them this. Combine it with my Vibranium Sense location coordinates. If they want to investigate, they can."
"Received." Emma Frost's voice came through the communicator, her tone perfectly calm. "The other party indicated they will immediately initiate an internal review and dispatch observers to assist in subsequent operations."
T'Challa, his fingers continuing to dance across the keyboard. "Second group, head of the local S.H.I.E.L.D.."
This time, the reply came even faster.
"King T'Challa, we have confirmed the target's identity. This individual has a long history of involvement in multiple transnational criminal charges. We will coordinate a blockade along the surrounding waters to prevent the transfer of goods by sea. Do you require Wakanda to provide the specific coordinates of the logistics nodes?"
"Provide," Ye Mo replied, "But not all. Give us three secondary transit points first. Let him get moving and see if we can follow the trail."
This is both a test and a leveraging of resources. S.H.I.E.L.D.. has a global intelligence network, but lacks understanding of the details within Wakanda. Wakanda, on the other hand, has the details, but lacks global coverage. The combination of the two creates an impenetrable network.
"The third group, representatives of neutral countries," T'Challa's voice lowered. "These countries are more cautious; they are worried that getting involved in the conflict will affect trade."
"Then let's not talk about conflict," Ye Mo interjected. "Let's talk about interests. Tell them that once Klaue's sonic weapon is complete, it will not only threaten Wakanda but also disrupt the pricing power of surrounding mineral resources. If they don't act now, their mining companies will have to pay more protection money once the weapon is mass-produced."
Emma Frost added, "I would fine-tune the sentiment of the message, emphasizing 'economic security' rather than 'military confrontation.' For businessmen, money is easier to calculate than life."
"Brilliant," T'Challa rarely praised.
As the communication progressed, feedback became increasingly frequent. The smaller countries that had initially adopted a wait-and-see attitude underwent a significant change in attitude after seeing the concrete logistical evidence provided by Ye Mo. After all, nobody wants to be yelled at in their own backyard by a madman with a megaphone.
In just twenty minutes, a vast network woven from intelligence agencies, military forces, and civilian organizations from various countries began to take shape in the shadows.
As Ye Mo watched the blue markers light up on the screen, the tension in his heart eased slightly. But this was only the beginning.
"There's one last step." T'Challa stood up and walked to the holographic map. On the map, red markers represented Klaue's sphere of influence, while blue markers, like sparks, were scattered across various corners of the East Africa continent.
"We need a unified command structure," T'Challa said, pointing to a blank area in the center of the map. "Otherwise, acting independently will only alert the enemy. Klaue isn't stupid; he'll sense something amiss, then destroy the evidence and transfer assets."
"Therefore, a 'nerve center' is needed," Ye Mo continued.
T'Challa looked at Ye Mo: "Your Vibranium Sense allows you to monitor the dynamic changes of these nodes in real time. When the energy fluctuations in a warehouse become abnormal, or when the movement route of a batch of goods deviates from the preset track, you can detect it immediately."
"That's right." Ye Mo nodded. "I can act as this radar. As long as I'm online, any attempt to cut off the supply line won't escape my notice."
Emma Frost walked over and stood between the two. "And I can assist with mental communication, preventing enemy spies from infiltrating or disrupting the command chain. After all, the human heart is the easiest link to go wrong."
The three exchanged a glance.
A tacit understanding flowed in the air. It was no longer the mutual probing of the past, nor a simple relationship of exploitation, but a genuine trust between comrades-in-arms.
"Very good." T'Challa his hand, palm up. "Then, from this moment on, Wakanda is no longer an isolated island. What we need to do is completely crush this hand that's reached in."
Ye Mo grasped T'Challa's hand, his grip light but firm. Emma Frost then joined in, and the three of them placed their hands together.
At that very moment, the alarm outside the cave suddenly stopped.
That suffocating sense of oppression felt like being forcibly severed by an invisible hand.
Ye Mo frowned slightly, his consciousness sinking into the Gene Spiral Tower. The tremors on the seventh floor became even more intense, but what he sensed was no longer the approach of an enemy, but rather a kind of... chaos.
"What's wrong?" Emma Frost noticed Ye Mo's change and asked.
"They stopped." Ye Mo opened his eyes, a hint of doubt flashing in them. "The high-energy source has disappeared. It's not a retreat, it's more like... a signal interruption."
T'Challa was also stunned. He quickly walked to the monitor screen and retrieved the footage from the external cameras.
The armored convoy that should have been in sight was now empty. Only overgrown weeds and a few messy tire tracks remained on the ground.
"A trap?" Emma Frost guessed.
"No." Ye Mo shook his head, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "If it were a trap, they would leave traces. The current situation seems more like someone got there first and took the item away."
"What do you mean?" T'Challa turned to look at him.
"That means there are more people behind Klaue than we thought," Ye Mo said, pointing to the data stream on the screen. "Moreover, these people have already taken action. Our intelligence was sent out while their cleanup operation was proceeding simultaneously."
Silence fell over the cave once more.
But this silence was no longer the panic of before, but the calm before the storm.
T'Challa a deep breath and straightened the collar of his suit. His eyes no longer held hesitation, only cold decisiveness.
"Since they want to get ahead, we'll play along," T'Challa said. " Ye Mo, continue monitoring all nodes. Emma Frost, maintain mental shielding. I want the whole world to know that Klaue's ledger is no longer in his hands."
Ye Mo smiled and sat back down at the console. His fingers flew across the keyboard, and code flowed out like a torrent.
"No problem. I'm ready."
Emma Frost leaned against the wall, closed her eyes, and sensed the faint mental fluctuations around her. Her face remained expressionless, but a hint of anticipation flickered deep in her eyes.
The sky outside the window was covered with dark clouds. Thunder rumbled faintly across the horizon, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.
Meanwhile, somewhere far away, Klaue stared at the empty box in his hand, his face ashen, and dialed a phone number.
"Hello..."
There was only a piercing static sound on the other end of the phone.
Ye Mo listened to the subtle sounds coming from his headphones and gently tapped the table.
"Looks like the show has begun."