At this moment, the expressions of a group of people were far from pleasant, especially the high-ranking officials of Minister Peter's faction in the Ministry of Magic. They hadn't expected Matthew to know so much, practically revealing all of the club's arrangements within the park, the black market, and community groups. Even Minister Peter's face was ashen as he looked at Matthew below the stage, secretly cursing Clement in his heart. *Where did this nephew of his come from? How does he know everything?*
Fortunately, Minister Peter's psychological fortitude was up to par, and he didn't lose his temper on the spot. At the same time, Minister Peter also estimated that Matthew was probably the trump card in Andre's hands. To be honest, the appearance of this person did make him a bit nervous. But Minister Peter also breathed a sigh of relief; if it was only this level, he could barely cope.
At this moment, Andre, who was also somewhat bewildered on the podium, hadn't expected Matthew to have so much information. No matter what he asked, the other party could say something. However, Andre could clearly sense that many of Matthew's statements seemed to be made up on the spot. While he claimed to be answering questions, it was more like he was bragging, but his seemingly well-substantiated remarks were quite inflammatory. This made Andre sigh with emotion once again. *Alan is truly formidable.* This Matthew was the witness he recommended. Originally, Andre thought this was just a formality, but he hadn't expected the effect to be surprisingly good.
After listening to Matthew's eloquent speech, Andre posed another question that, while a detail, was very important: "You mentioned earlier that the park also prepared advanced equipment for you. What is that?"
Matthew, at this point, seemed to be enjoying himself, and without thinking, he blurted out, "The so-called advanced equipment is the Tactical Vest! This equipment is extraordinary; it can protect the wearer in all aspects and can automatically activate the Protego charm. This is a rare alchemy item produced by Silver Lightning Trading Company, which ordinary people can't even buy!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Andre turned his head to look at Alan in the spectator seats. "Mr. Wilson, is the equipment Matthew mentioned your creation?"
"That's right." Alan nodded without denying it. "This Tactical Vest is indeed a product of Silver Lightning Trading Company, but the Tactical Vest is a high-level item. We only authorize the British Ministry of Magic to sell it externally, and the buyers are basically large institutions with good reputations. I'm not quite clear why Matthew's park would have this kind of equipment."
Andre frowned slightly and asked Alan again, "According to Matthew, they possess five Tactical Vests, and presumably, the other two parks are equipped with similar quantities. Such a large amount of equipment is no small sum; do you not have any related sales records?"
"Well… there are some." Alan tilted his head upon hearing this, and after some thought, he smiled wryly. "However, such a large number of Tactical Vests is actually very rare. As far as I know, the German Ministry of Magic in all of Europe bought more than a dozen sets, which is unique in terms of export quota. Other regions combined don't have that many."
"Oh? That's strange. As the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, I've never heard of the dozen or so Tactical Vests you mentioned." Andre raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The other wizards in the courtroom, upon hearing the exchange between the few, did not erupt into intense discussion as before, but instantly fell silent. Because they could all hear the subtext: if the facts were truly as Alan and Matthew stated, then the matter at hand would be serious. This implied that people within the Ministry of Magic were providing this equipment to the club. Furthermore, considering the actions of the civilian wizard groups controlled by the Silver Spears over the years, it's easy to infer an unclear relationship between the club and some individuals or a faction within the Ministry of Magic.
The faction with a direct vested interest, of course, was Minister Peter's faction, which had long spearheaded the division bill!
Andre now looked at Minister Peter beside him with a puzzled expression. "Minister Peter, is what Mr. Wilson said true? Did the Ministry of Magic really order this equipment?"
At this moment, everyone else in the venue unanimously shifted their gaze to Minister Peter. The reporters, eager for a spectacle, all aimed their camera lenses at him. On the other side, Minister Peter's expression had stiffened completely. He hadn't expected to expose himself through this equipment. However, Minister Peter remained relatively calm at this moment, stating in a flat tone, "I apologize, but I truly know nothing about this. After all, within the Ministry of Magic, the function of external equipment procurement is not solely mine; each Ministry of Magic department has a certain degree of autonomy."
"That's right!" Just as Minister Peter denied it, Mike's voice sounded from beside him. "What can a few pieces of equipment explain? Just because the quantity purchased by the Ministry of Magic is similar to what those Silver Spears possess, you're going to suspect Minister Peter? Not to mention, the equipment Matthew mentioned can't even be seen now. How can you be sure these items are definitely the same batch? Couldn't someone have imitated them based on Silver Lightning Trading Company's products? Or perhaps the club obtained them through smuggling channels; they are smugglers to begin with, so there's nothing strange about that, is there!"
Toward the end, Mike even glanced disdainfully at Alan. "If you ask me, maybe some people were greedy for profit and actively smuggled and resold them!"
Initially, when Minister Peter heard Mike defending him, he thought Mike was quite sharp, knowing how to confuse the public. But upon hearing the last sentence, Minister Peter couldn't help but curse 'idiot' in his heart. Alan was clearly here to watch the show; didn't Andre speak to him respectfully? Why the hell would you needlessly provoke him? Isn't that just making an enemy for no reason?
Indeed, upon hearing Mike's taunt, Alan looked at him with a look of indignation. "What do you mean by that? Are you questioning whether I am engaged in illegal trade?"
"Heh, whether you are or not, you know best. Anyway, you're the one doing business, so I don't know who you're selling things to." Mike ignored Michelle, who was constantly tugging at his clothes, and retorted directly.
"It seems someone here wants to create something out of nothing…" Alan sneered, stood up, and loudly addressed everyone around him. "As the person in charge of Silver Lightning Trading Company, I can responsibly tell everyone that our Silver Lightning Alchemy Development Company has always prioritized credibility. Firstly, high-risk equipment like the Tactical Vest is strictly regulated in Britain. Every piece sold must be meticulously recorded. If any are lost, let alone you, the British Ministry of Magic will hold us accountable! Secondly, although the selling price of equipment like the Tactical Vest is not low, the cost incurred is also very high, and there is hardly any profit. I have no need to expend effort on reselling this type of equipment. Wouldn't it be better if I sold more magic lamps and magic phonographs with that effort?"
Alan sneered, looking at Mike. "Do you know how many civilian alchemy products my Silver Lightning Trading Company sells in a quarter? And do you know that the sales of this tactical equipment only account for less than ten percent of the total product sales? Would I take the risk of doing such a despicable thing for a mere few thousand Galleons? What a joke!"
At this point, Alan scanned the surroundings grandly. "Here, I can give everyone a promise: if anyone can prove with genuine evidence that Silver Lightning Trading Company is involved in illegal reselling, smuggling, or even that product quality does not match the actual records, they can directly complain to me personally. Once confirmed, I can pay three thousand Galleons in cash on the spot!"
With that, Alan directly took out a very heavy leather pouch from his person and slammed it onto the table in front of him with a thud. From the dazzling light peeking out of the pouch's opening, everyone could discern that it was a large bag full of Galleons. Alan's imposing aura immediately awed everyone present! Everyone couldn't help but give Alan a thumbs up in their hearts. This was a true tycoon; they had never seen anyone directly throwing cash at people.
However, Alan's display also confirmed to everyone that it was highly unlikely the equipment held by the club had originated from Silver Lightning Trading Company. He was a renowned alchemist, with so much money that he could literally throw it in your face. Was there any need for him to be petty and engage in smuggling with you? Even Mike, who had been clamoring earlier, was intimidated by Alan and shrank back into his seat in embarrassment.
However, Alan, seemingly angered by Mike's behavior, spoke somewhat aggressively. "Furthermore, regarding Mr. Mike's claim that the Tactical Vest was counterfeited, I don't believe that exists either! From my judgment as an alchemist, the equipment Matthew described earlier is indeed the Tactical Vest sold by our Silver Lightning Trading Company. You should know that my works are not that easy to imitate."
With that, Alan directly took out a physical Tactical Vest and threw it onto the stage. "Matthew, is this the kind of equipment you used?"
"Yes, that's right. Even the style is exactly the same, and they all have the Silver Lightning Trading Company's long sword emblem on them." Matthew carefully felt the vest in his hand and immediately nodded in response.
"Then that's right. To imitate it to this extent, at least the level of a Grand Alchemist is required, and the cost would certainly be higher than mine." At this point, Alan seemed to fear that the crowd wouldn't believe him, so he immediately added, "I can put it this way: if anyone can replicate a finished product with the same appearance and function, I can even directly purchase it at the selling price, no matter how many!"
With Alan, a professional, making this definitive statement, it became clear to everyone that the equipment used in the breeding park was indeed from Silver Lightning Trading Company. This meant that this batch of equipment was highly likely, or rather, ninety percent likely, to have originated from the Ministry of Magic.
Andre now looked at Minister Peter playfully. "Since Mr. Wilson has said so, then I'm afraid Minister Peter will have to explain. Also, these civilian groups, I presume you're not unfamiliar with them either, are you?"