"The Woods" Laboratory, Northwest Detention Cell Block.
At the end of the corridor thirty meters away, the Security Center operator called into the microphone continuously: "Patrol Team Four, you are approaching zone NW03, report status."
No response.
Only a faint rattling sound came through before communication was completely cut off; even the background noise vanished.
The operator's face turned pale as he switched screens. The vital signs of Patrol Team Two—heart rate, blood oxygen, brainwave activity—were dropping like a vertical line on the monitor, plummeting to rock bottom and staying at extremely low levels.
"That's an hour now, and another squad... lost contact." He punched the wall in frustration. "Right at the entrance to the NW03 passage, just like all the squads before... no warning, no signs of attack, it's like... that area has become the enemy."
"Initiate Protocol B-7." Another security commander set down the safety manual and roared into the microphone, "Don isolation gear. They must have been hit by some kind of nerve gas!"
Squad Five, wearing fully enclosed hazmat suits and holding heavy riot shields, cautiously advanced into the passage.
Puff, puff, puff—
As soon as they crossed an invisible boundary, the isolation suit of the lead member instantly burst, and the man slumped down.
The members behind tried to retreat, but that invisible force seemed to have a pull; one by one, they were sucked in and collapsed.
"Damn, what on earth is going on?" A lab researcher rushed over, tossing out environmental detection devices and testing continuously. "The gas in that area is abnormally chaotic... cycles of hypoxia and oxygen-rich environments are alternating back and forth."
An unkempt Dr. Bruce, wearing pajamas with a white lab coat thrown over them, looked solemn: "Supers out of control!"
"Get 'The Silencer' to try... his ability can create a localized electromagnetic silence to interfere with energy operations!"
A few minutes later, a tall Supe wearing a specialized suit stepped into the out-of-control zone step by step.
He took a deep breath and pushed his hands forward, sending an invisible electromagnetic wave rippling out.
However, when the wave touched that death zone, it was like a stone sinking into the ocean, failing to stir a single ripple.
The next second, The Silencer's body swayed as he was sucked in, and he too collapsed to the ground.
"Energy interference is ineffective!"
"Send 'Stone Skin' Brown in! He can hold his breath for half an hour!" Bruce refused to give up, flipping through the list of Supes on duty.
A few minutes later, Brown, who possessed hardened skin and superhuman stamina, took a deep breath and charged in while holding his breath.
He did indeed last a bit longer than the others, his strong body struggling forward five or six meters within the zone. But eventually, the dizziness from cerebral hypoxia and his body's instincts brought him down, and he fell heavily to the floor.
"Physical breakthrough failed! Even holding one's breath, intense movement accelerates oxygen consumption!"
An engineering technician walked up to Dr. Bruce and asked for instructions: "Doctor, we can inject high-concentration oxygen through the ventilation ducts into that area to feed it!"
Ten minutes later, a large cloud of white misty oxygen was guided by countless invisible tentacles, bypassing that core area entirely; it couldn't penetrate at all.
"It's no use, Doctor. The airflow in that area is completely out of control. Our injection is like pouring water into a whirlpool; it's useless!"
"Try remote cooling. Use liquid nitrogen spray to freeze that area!"
White liquid nitrogen mist gushed out, yet as it neared the edge of the domain, the low-temperature mist seemed to hit an invisible flowing wall, being skillfully diverted and deflected, unable to penetrate the core even slightly.
"What about thermal weapons? Be careful, don't hurt the unconscious people inside!"
A low-power laser was fired into the domain, attempting to ignite objects to cause chaos.
But after the laser entered the domain, it suffered strange scattering and attenuation. Its energy was weakened layer by layer by the pervasive, unevenly dense gas, eventually vanishing without a trace.
"All remote physical and energy methods are extremely ineffective! This domain... it seems to be passively and absolutely rejecting all external matter and energy, while simultaneously draining all life-support gases from within!"
The control room fell into a dead silence. They had exhausted all conventional and unconventional means.
Physical assault, energy interference, environmental modification, remote attacks... all failed.
The entrance to the NW03 zone had seemingly become a domain of slumber; anyone who stepped inside would fall into a quiet sleep.
The security commander sat down dejectedly, staring at the "dead zone" on the screen that had swallowed at least five squads and several Supes. He murmured, "Doctor, we... we are powerless. This isn't a situation we can handle."
Dr. Bruce's face was ashen. He picked up an encrypted communicator and dialed a number.
"Ms. Shetty," his voice carried a trace of imperceptible exhaustion and alarm, "we need you to come to the lab immediately. It's an emergency."
...Half an hour later, a bleary-eyed Shetty rushed over, appearing at the entrance of the oppressive central laboratory.
Bruce hurried forward to explain: "An unexplainable anomaly has appeared in zone NW03. All our countermeasures have failed... Preliminary judgment suggests it may be related to that Gas Manipulation Supe named Wade. This goes far beyond the scope of 'power loss of control.'"
"Out of control? I don't think so!" Shetty's gaze fell on the surveillance monitor. She watched for a long while before looking at Bruce: "Cancel all protective measures. I'm going to see for myself."
A crowd of people from the lab followed behind her all the way to the Northwest Detention Block.
Eight minutes later, the group stopped fifty meters away from the out-of-control zone, not stepping inside.
"Wade," Shetty said, walking forward in her high heels, "I know you're awake. Let's talk terms. Maintaining a power field of this scale must be quite a burden on you, isn't it?"
The corridor was dead silent, save for the groups of bodies lying haphazardly on the floor.
A few seconds later, to everyone's disbelief, Shetty was suddenly hoisted up by something invisible and sent flying into Room NW03.
Wade floated in mid-air, appearing behind Shetty as silently as a ghost, and removed her earpiece.
"Ms. Shetty, you really are the smart one." Wade waved a hand to stir the air currents, blowing her hair back and forth.
Shetty casually tied her hair back and looked up into the air: "Student Wade, inviting me in this way isn't exactly a polite gesture for negotiating terms."
Wade drifted to the ground and looked down at her: "Politeness is built on equality, Madam. Now, I feel we can finally have an 'equal' conversation."
Shetty crossed her arms, looking at him with composure: "Heh heh heh... Let's hear it then."
"I want the data on the campus rankings to be a bit more... 'flexible.' No matter what I do, my ranking shouldn't soar too quickly. You understand, right?"
"You broke in here in the middle of the night... just for this?"
"Of course not... didn't your 'good daughter' bring us here personally to atone for her sins? Who would have thought we'd come up empty-handed."
"You mean they were coming to rescue Sam? That's unfortunate; he's still in the observation room."
"As a dutiful student, I've suppressed these lawbreakers for you for free," Wade said slowly. "It's only reasonable to want to bring up some rightful privileges, isn't it?"
"First, the right to know. I want to be the first to know about any anomalies caused by the lab."
"Second, the definition of 'lawbreakers.' Students or staff who just happen to see something but pose no threat are not within my scope of work. I don't want to be your cleaner."
After listening, Shetty let out a scoff while covering her mouth: "Little boy, you seem to have misunderstood one thing... the trouble you've caused is indeed a headache for me, but that doesn't mean you're qualified to sit at the table, let alone negotiate terms."
"Don't be in such a hurry, I'm not finished yet." Wade flew to her side. "Additionally, I need immunity. You'll have to block any commercial contracts from Vought Corporation for me; I don't want to participate in any idol selections... At the same time, you'll have to use'security drills' or something similar to smooth over any non-lethal damage I cause while working. I can't be expelled."
Shetty crouched on the ground, laughing heartily: "Mmm-heh-heh... Is there anything else?"
"Haha... I think it's pretty funny too." Wade also crouched down and teased, "If word of what's happening here leaked out and appeared in the inboxes of major media reporters, that would be truly hilarious!"
The smile in Shetty's eyes instantly froze. She gave him a deep look: "You think this can blackmail me? No, this will only turn you from a promising student into a dangerous individual who must be strictly controlled."
"What makes you think you can escape from here? Even if you kill me, Vought Corporation's special forces and Supes will surround and eliminate you within half an hour. Your family, your friends... everything you care about will vanish from this world."
Wade laughed as he slowly descended, leaning in close: "Madam, you've misunderstood one thing. I never thought about breaking out... I want you to personally 'invite' me out."
He held up his phone, his finger swiping through a series of files photographed in his album: "You think I only came here tonight to save Sam? No, I came to give you a 'grand gift'... Guess who would be sitting in the defendant's chair if these documents appeared on the headlines of every major TV station—me, or you?"
"Will the Vought executives protect you, or sacrifice you?"
Shetty's pupils contracted. All her composure stemmed from her control over the campus system and rules.
Wade's fearless approach seriously threatened her interests and would lead to her absolute ruin.
Shetty turned her head and gave a muffled grunt: "These are no small matters... I'll have to give it some serious thought."
"Of course, Madam." Wade handed the earpiece back. "But now, please give the order to open all the cell doors in the Northwest Block."
"What are you going to do?" Shetty's expression changed as she turned to look at him. "Do you have any idea how dangerous they are? They're all Supes who have lost control!"
"Heh, the more dangerous, the better." A glint flashed in Wade's eyes as he pointed toward the door. "Let me personally escort you back, and while we're at it... you can think things through more clearly!"
Shetty gave him a deep look, then turned on the earpiece and issued the command.
The electronic locks of the Northwest Block cells lit up green one by one, and the doors slid open.
Those Supe students who had long been awakened and locked up walked out in a daze.
Wade floated in mid-air, drifting forward, with Shetty following three paces behind him.
What happened next was a scene that everyone in the lab watching the surveillance would never forget for the rest of their lives.
Wherever Wade passed, the air currents surged rapidly, creating a whistling sound like Moses parting the sea.
Those out-of-control college students who had just stepped out of their cells, whether they were emitting electricity or had glowing eyes, were no exception... When Wade passed within twenty meters of them, they all seemed to have their strength suddenly drained. Their eyes instantly lost focus, and they collapsed without a word.
There was no violent confrontation, no dazzling energy impacts—only silent suppression.
Wade precisely controlled the intensity of gas extraction for different levels, depriving the targets of their consciousness temporarily without causing any substantial harm.
Shetty watched as the out-of-control Supes lying all over the floor were thrown back one by one, and the cell doors on both sides closed one after another. Not a single one could stand against him.
The shock in her eyes quietly faded, replaced by a glint that was a mix of admiration and wariness.
"See, Madam." Having finished all this, Wade looked relaxed. "I can be your trouble, or I can be your most capable assistant... Whether you want a win-win or an enemy, the choice is yours."
"A breathtaking use of ability." Shetty's mouth hung slightly open. She patted Wade on the shoulder and praised him sincerely, "I'll have my assistant prepare an appointment letter for 'Campus Security Special Consultant'... the specific duties and authorities will be detailed in the letter."
"Then, I'll leave this place to you." Wade gave her a polite hug and whispered in her ear, "From what I've observed, Kate's mental state is on the verge of exhaustion, and Luke is becoming increasingly unstable... Madam, even the best lute string will snap if it's stretched too tight."
"The lab's methods of execution are decided by Dr. Bruce and me together." Shetty tilted her head and said with a smile, "No need to worry. When these children wake up, I will personally... have a good talk with them."
Wade said no more, leaning against the wall and waiting quietly.
'The so-called appointment letter will surely be full of restrictive clauses and gray areas... but it doesn't matter!'
In any case, he had successfully taken this "inch" forward.
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