Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 394 Strong Electronic Signals

Back at the hotel, Silver Moon was already waiting in the room. From her expression, it was clear that she had also gathered some valuable information.

"How's it going on your end?" Rowan asked.

“It was very fruitful, but also quite worrying,” Silvermoon said, sitting on the sofa. “I heard a lot of interesting things at the market.”

"for example?"

“For example, the true attitude of ordinary people towards this war,” Silvermoon organized her thoughts, “On the surface, everyone supports the government's policies, but privately almost everyone hopes for a peaceful resolution.”

“I’m in a similar situation,” Rowan shared what he’d overheard at the tavern, “and I also learned that Planet Tana II did indeed propose peace talks.”

“This completely contradicts what the government said yesterday,” Silvermoon frowned. “They clearly stated that Planet Tana II refused to negotiate.”

"It seems both governments are lying to their own people," Rowan analyzed. "The truth about this conflict is more complex than we imagine."

"So what do we do next?" Silvermoon asked. "The government-arranged tour is about to start this morning."

“We’ll participate as planned, but we need to remain vigilant,” Rowan decided. “At the same time, we need to find ways to obtain more accurate information. We may need to conduct some informal investigations tonight.”

"You mean infiltrating government agencies?" Silver Moon understood what Rowan meant.

“If necessary,” Rowan nodded, “we need to see the original texts of those peace proposals to understand the actual negotiation process.”

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Mediation specialist, we've come to pick you up for today's visit," came the voice of a government staff member from outside the door.

“They’re here,” Rowan responded, then said to Silvermoon, “Remember, we must appear to completely believe what they say, and not let them sense our doubt.”

“Understood,” Silvermoon nodded. “We’ll work out the action plan in more detail tonight.”

The official visit in the morning proceeded as planned, with Minister Carlisle personally accompanying Rowan and Silvermoon on a tour of the military base and economic development zone. Throughout the visit, Rowan appeared to have complete faith in the claims made about Planet Tana I, nodding in agreement from time to time, which left a very good impression on the government officials.

“Mr. Mediator, your professionalism has impressed us greatly,” a military general praised Rowan during a visit to the military base. “Your understanding of military defense far surpasses that of the average diplomat.”

“Thank you for the compliment. Our mediators at the Galactic Peace Organization have all received comprehensive training,” Rowan replied modestly. “Only by understanding all aspects of the situation can we make a fair judgment.”

Silvermoon, standing nearby, also expressed her sympathy for Planet Tana I: "I am deeply moved by your efforts to defend your legitimate rights. Planet Tana II's actions were indeed excessive."

This statement pleased the officials present, and Carlisle smiled knowingly.

During the visit, Rowan subtly demonstrated his keen interest in government operations, frequently asking questions about administration.

"Mr. Minister, where do you usually keep such important diplomatic documents?" Rowan asked seemingly casually during a tour of the government building. "Our organization is also studying how to improve the efficiency of document management."

“Oh, we have a dedicated archives management center,” Carlisle proudly introduced, “located on the third basement level of the government building, where all important diplomatic, military, and economic documents are stored. Security measures are extremely tight.”

“That’s truly impressive,” Rowan said, showing great interest. “Would it be possible to take a look? Our organization is considering establishing a similar system.”

Carlisle hesitated. "It involves some classified documents and shouldn't be open to the public."

“I fully understand the importance of confidentiality,” Rowan said sincerely. “If it’s inconvenient, that’s fine. I’m just very interested in your advanced management system.”

“It’s not entirely impossible,” Carlisle said after some consideration. “After all, you’re here to help our mediator, and we should maintain a high degree of trust between us.”

A military general chimed in, "The minister is right; the mediator needs a full understanding of the situation to make a fair judgment."

“That’s wonderful,” Rowan said gratefully, “but I hope this won’t cause you any trouble.”

“No problem, I’ll arrange for the archivist to give you a tour tomorrow,” Carlisle readily agreed. “Of course, we probably still can’t access areas involving top-secret information; I hope you understand.”

“Completely understandable,” Rowan agreed. “Actually, I mainly wanted to understand the file classification and management process.”

Yin Yue chimed in at the opportune moment, "Our work requires us to consult a large number of historical documents and diplomatic records, so learning from advanced management practices is very helpful to us."

After the tour, Carlisle arranged a formal luncheon. During the luncheon, government officials praised Rowan and Silvermoon's professionalism, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

“Mediation Commissioner, you have a very deep understanding of our situation,” the Minister of Economy said while toasting. “I am confident that with your help, we can make Planet Tana II realize their mistakes.”

“We will do our utmost to facilitate a peaceful resolution,” Rowan responded, raising his glass, “but this requires sincerity from both sides.”

“Our sincerity is beyond doubt,” Carlisle emphasized. “The key is whether Tana II is willing to admit its mistakes and make amends.”

Halfway through the luncheon, Carlisle suddenly received an urgent phone call. His expression immediately turned serious, and he hurriedly left his seat to handle the matter.

"What happened?" the military general asked with concern.

Carlisle returned to his seat, his expression grave. "Planet Tana II has sent another envoy, saying they want to hold a new round of negotiations with us."

“Here we go again,” the Minister of Economy said dismissively. “They always do this, pretending to want to negotiate when we’re ready to retaliate.”

"Is there anything different this time?" Silver Moon asked.

“They claim they’re willing to make significant concessions, including sharing development rights to the asteroid,” Carlisle said with a wry smile, “but we’ve seen this kind of trick far too many times.”

Rowan astutely seized the opportunity: "Since they've taken the initiative to negotiate, why not listen to their specific proposals first?"

"Because they are never sincere," the military general said angrily. "Every negotiation is just a delaying tactic, a cover for a bigger conspiracy."

“However,” Rowan cautiously suggested, “wouldn’t it be inappropriate if we didn’t even listen? After all, we hope for a peaceful resolution.”

Carlisle considered for a moment: "You have a point, but we can't easily believe them."

“I have a suggestion,” Rowan said, seizing the opportunity. “Since our Galactic Peace Organization is a neutral third party, could we first contact the envoys from Planet Tana II to understand their true intentions?” This suggestion caught the attention of the officials present.

“That’s a good idea,” the Minister of Economy agreed. “By having a neutral third party make initial contact, we can avoid direct political risks.”

"And if they are truly sincere, we can better judge their intentions through the assessment of the mediation specialists," the military general added.

Carlisle nodded in agreement: "That's how it'll be arranged, but I hope you'll carefully ascertain their true intentions."

“That’s exactly our job,” Rowan said earnestly. “We will objectively evaluate their proposal and then report back to you.”

“Excellent, I’ll arrange it right away,” Carlisle said immediately. “Their envoys will arrive tonight, and you can meet with them tomorrow.”

After lunch, Rowan and Silvermoon returned to the hotel. The day's gains exceeded their expectations; they not only gained the government's complete trust but also had the opportunity to visit the archives and even directly contact the envoy from Planet Tana II.

“Your performance was perfect,” Silvermoon said admiringly. “They now completely consider us one of their own.”

“The key is to make them feel that we are on their side,” Rowan analyzed. “Only then will they lower their guard and let us access the core information.”

“That archive is a crucial opportunity,” Silvermoon cautioned. “We need to find a way to access the original texts of those peace negotiation documents.”

“Tomorrow’s visit will definitely be accompanied; we won’t be able to browse freely,” Rowan thought. “We need to act tonight.”

"Tonight?" Silvermoon asked, a little worried. "Security there will definitely be very tight."

"With our capabilities, ordinary security systems are no problem," Rowan said confidently. "The key is to do it discreetly, leaving no trace."

"Do you have a specific plan?" Silvermoon asked.

"Based on today's observations, security at the government building relies mainly on electronic systems and manual patrols," Rowan recalled the day's events. "The archives on the third basement level should be a key protection area, but it's not an insurmountable obstacle for us."

"So when do we make our move?"

“Two o’clock at night, that’s when patrol shifts change, and security is at its weakest,” Rowan devised the plan. “We’ll enter through the building’s ventilation system, avoiding all the surveillance cameras.”

Silvermoon nodded in agreement: "I'll handle the electronic security system, and you'll handle the physical barriers."

“There’s another important point,” Rowan added, “We only review documents related to the peace talks; we can’t touch other classified materials. If we are discovered, we can say it’s for a better understanding of the historical context of the conflict.”

“Understood,” Silver Moon said, showing her understanding. “Our goal is clear: to find out the truth.”

That night, the two went to bed early to prepare for their nighttime operation. At 1:30 a.m., they quietly left the hotel and made their way towards the government building.

The government building appeared particularly solemn at night, its massive structure casting long shadows under the moonlight. Security measures were indeed very tight, with surveillance cameras at regular intervals and security guards conducting regular patrols.

“Enter from there,” Rowan pointed to a ventilation opening on the side of the building, “that spot is right in a blind spot for the surveillance cameras.”

Using their martial arts agility, the two easily evaded all surveillance and patrols, reaching the vicinity of the ventilation shaft. Rowan easily opened the ventilation shaft's grille, and the two crawled inside.

The ventilation ducts were spacious enough for a person to crawl through. Based on his observations of the building structure during the day, Rowan accurately located the path leading to the third basement level.

“The archives are just ahead,” Silvermoon whispered through the internal communication. “I’ve detected a strong electronic signal.”

“Be careful, there might be an infrared detector,” Rowan warned.

Sure enough, as they approached the archives, they found a sophisticated security system at the entrance, including infrared sensors, pressure sensors, and sound detection devices.

“Leave it to me,” Silvermoon began to use her expertise, employing precise telekinetic control to dismantle these electronic devices one by one.

A few minutes later, all security systems were temporarily disabled, but no trace of human interference was left.

“It’s done. We have twenty minutes,” Silvermoon said.

The two quietly entered the archives, where, as Carlyle had said, a large number of important documents were indeed kept. The entire room was organized by time and category, with diplomatic documents occupying an entire wall of filing cabinets.

“Find the foreign correspondence from the last three months,” Rowan began searching. “There should be a peace proposal from Tana II.”

Silvermoon searched on the other side: "There's a special category for 'Tana II' here, it looks promising."

Sure enough, in the specialized category, they found a large number of documents about the conflict between the two planets. Among them, the most eye-catching were several documents marked "peace proposals".

“Found it,” Rowan said, opening the first document. “This is the first peace proposal submitted by Planet Tana II two months ago.”

“This proposal is too reasonable,” Silvermoon said in surprise. “They accepted almost all the conditions that were unfavorable to them.”

“Let’s see the reply from Planet Tana I,” Rowan said, turning to the next page.

"This isn't a negotiating condition; this is a surrender condition," Silvermoon said angrily. "No nation with dignity could accept this."

“Let’s move on to the next one,” Rowan said, turning to the second document.

The second proposal was submitted a month ago, in which Tana II made even greater concessions.

However, Tana I's response was still a refusal, citing "Tana II's lack of genuine remorse."

“The third one is even worse,” Silvermoon flipped to the latest document, “Planet Tana II is practically begging for peace.”

Even with such humiliating conditions, Planet Tana I refused, arguing that "we must see real action from Planet Tana II, not empty promises."

“This is outrageous,” Rowan said, his anger rising after reading all the documents. “Planet Tana I has no intention of negotiating; they want complete conquest.”

(End of this chapter)