The Prisoners of Hogwarts

Chapter 231 Strategic Arrangements

Chapter 231 Strategic Arrangements (Taking leave today, only one update)

When Lynch walked out of Grindelwald's cell, Reggie was waiting not far away, like a silent stone statue.

After seeing Lynch come out, Reggie silently followed. They walked towards the exit on the first floor and stood in the shadows inside the door, quietly waiting for the brief window of opportunity to appear again.

After a while, an inconspicuous copper ring in Reggie's hand warmed up slightly and flickered twice. This was a safety signal from his intelligence agent, so he took the lead and went out.

Lynch followed behind him.

They hurried down the overgrown path they had come by until the outline of Nurmengard's spire blurred behind them, and all that remained was the whistling of the wind through the trees. Having reached a safe distance, Reggie asked, "Did you get the answer you wanted?"

His voice was so low it was almost carried away by the wind.

Lynch stopped and looked back at the towering Nurmengard behind him.

The prison cast a majestic silhouette in the deepening night, its cold stone walls seemingly still echoing the sounds of their recent conversation.

"I got it," Lynch said, as Grindelwald's sharp eyes and the old man sitting in the shadows reappeared in his mind's eye.

"Will it work?"

Lynch took a deep breath and put his hands in his coat pockets. "It works. But I'm afraid this isn't a problem I can solve in a short time."

"If the answer were simple, there wouldn't be so few legendary wizards," Reggie comforted him.

Lin Qi did not respond.

Grindelwald's assessment that he "lacked sensibility" lingered like a tiny thorn in the corner of his mind.

But he knew this wasn't a problem that could be quickly solved with logic.

"Have your men find an opportunity," Lin Qi suddenly said, "to subtly alert the hidden guards to the weaknesses in the defense system and remind them to fix them."

Reggie tilted his head slightly: "Not coming again?"

"We don't need him anymore," Lynch said, turning and walking back to the cabin he had come from.

After a rather uncomfortable long journey, they returned to the Stone Tower Chamber of Commerce headquarters with little time left before dawn.

Lynch stood by the window of Reggie's office, overlooking most of Diagon Alley, watching this commercial center of the British magical world gradually awaken.

The fire in the fireplace had just been lit, and the leaping flames cast flickering shadows on the bookshelf.

Reggie followed him in, carrying a thick report.

He sat down behind his desk and spread the report out on the table.

"Do you remember when you ordered the surveillance operation on the Barty Crouch family a year ago?" Reggie opened a folder filled with dense data records and charts. "We've been monitoring them for over a year now, and we've recently made some discoveries."

"The investigators made a bold guess. Through long-term statistical analysis of the types, quantities, and frequency of his family's daily shopping, it can be almost certain that there is an extra person in his family."

Lynch walked to his desk, picked up the report, and quickly scanned the data. From food portions to the consumption of daily necessities, every piece of data corroborated Reggie's earlier guess.

"Well done. Can you confirm that person's identity?" he asked without looking up.

"No," Reggie answered crisply. "Crouch has hidden him very well. By strictly adhering to the principles of non-intrusion and avoiding alerts, and only conducting external observation and data analysis, we cannot effectively confirm who that person is."

Lynch put down the report and leaned back in his chair. "Alright, let's try a different approach. The key is to confirm exactly when this hidden person started staying at Crouch's house for an extended period. Try to look for clues from more indirect and circumspect angles, such as whether there's anything unusual about the trash they discard, or whether there are any signs that it's specifically serving only one person. Don't probe too actively; continue to observe."

"Understood." Reggie jotted down the key points in his notebook.

Next, Reggie reported on another important development: "Regarding the promotion of the newsboards. Thanks to the immense sympathy and attention garnered by Mr. Lockhart's image and his widely reported heroic sacrifice, progress has been very smooth; it can now be said that they have reached almost every wizarding household."

Upon hearing this news, Lin Qi's face showed a hint of satisfaction: "How was the effect?"

"Better than expected." Reggie handed over another report. "The message board publishes daily discounts and promotions for all our chamber's products on time. Housewives and even many working wizards check the message board for updates as soon as they wake up; it has become a habitual action in their daily lives. Sales driven by it account for nearly 30% of total sales, and it is steadily increasing."

"Very good." Lin Qi tapped his finger lightly on the table. "Then, it's time to move on to the next step. Starting tomorrow, in addition to the Chamber of Commerce's product information, a separate small section will be dedicated to the daily newsboard."

"What will it be used for?" Reggie asked.

"Tell jokes," Lynch said. "Find some simple, funny little jokes that will make people smile. The content should be clean, and the audience should be broad. Let's start with this step."

Reggie raised an eyebrow: "I thought we were going to infiltrate the media."

"We get people used to getting content from the newsboard that goes beyond product information," Lynch said. "We start with jokes, and once they're used to seeing what new jokes are out every day, we gradually add practical life tips, simple potion recipes, and eventually, current events. This gradual approach avoids making people suspicious."

"Only then did we truly master the tools to guide public opinion."

Reggie nodded thoughtfully and made another note in his notebook.

"And another thing," Lynch added, "we've started having the editorial department collect jokes from readers, with selected ones receiving shopping vouchers as a reward. We want readers to be more than just spectators; we want them to be participants and disseminators of content."

Outside the window, the night was gradually fading, and the sky was beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

Lynch walked to the fireplace and took a pinch of Floo Powder from the box next to it.

"Let's get started as soon as possible." After saying that, he sprinkled Floo Powder into the flames. The green flames suddenly burst up and engulfed his figure.

Reggie stood alone in his office, looking at the black message board on his desk bearing the emblem of the Stone Tower Merchant Guild.

He pressed the button at the bottom of the screen, and today's special offers appeared: 30% off crucibles, buy one get one free on dragon skin gloves, limited-edition new flying broom care set, and newly arrived dried toad feet...

Thinking about Lynch's arrangements, Reggie rang the bell on his desk, summoning the publicity department staff to begin reorganizing the bulletin board layout.