Lin Ze was stared at by more than thirty pairs of eyes, and his spine felt a little numb.
He originally just wanted to huddle in the corner as a background, and after the press conference was over, he could sneak back to the apartment to catch up on his sleep.
But Bagnold tilted her chin slightly in his direction on the stage, and the meaning was obvious.
"Come up and say a few words."
Lin Ze mentally greeted the male reporter wearing glasses who asked the question, but with an innocent smile on his face that said "I'm just an ordinary wage earner", he slowly walked up from the wall.
The flash exploded and the shutter sound of the magic camera came and went.
Lin Ze stood still, glanced around at the dazzling flash lights below, and raised his chin slightly.
"Everyone, I am Lin Ze, team leader Special Operations Team Third Subgroup."
His voice is not loud, but very steady.
"The operation last night was led by me."
"To put it simply, we have been tracking a cult organization dominated by Muggle. Through some means, they are trying to awaken dark creatures that have been sealed for many years. In the process, many Muggle died."
"At present, the dark creatures involved have been eliminated, and all core members of the organization have been arrested or dead. The aftermath work is being promoted simultaneously by all relevant departments of Ministry of Magic."
"Excuse me, Team Leader Lin, what is the purpose of this cult organization?" A female reporter in the front row stood up and asked.
"Create chaos." Lin Ze said.
"What else?"
"No more."
It was quiet for two seconds.
"So, is this organization related to the previous serial disappearances of Diagon Alley?"
Lin Ze glanced at her.
"The evidence currently available does not point in this direction, and the specific details are still under investigation."
"Team Leader Lin, there are rumors that an unidentified wizard participated in the battle during this operation and used extremely rare magic. Is this person also from Ministry of Magic?"
Lin Ze's eyes twitched slightly, who the hell has such a big mouth?
Forget it, after all, there were many people at that time, so as long as the general direction of public opinion was good, it would be fine.
"The contents of the operation are confidential and cannot be disclosed." Lin Ze said simply.
"I have another question." Another reporter stood up.
"It is said that the scale of the battle last night far exceeded the ordinary Dark Magic incident. Does this mean that the threat from Muggle to us is constantly escalating? Although "International Statute of Secrecy" is here, should our official organization also take some action?"
The press room was so quiet that you could hear the scraping of paper and pen.
Lin Ze stood on the stage and looked at the reporter who asked the question.
It was a man in his forties, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and with a press pass from "Witch Weekly" on his chest.
His question sounded like it was improvised, but Lin Ze saw a temptation in his eyes.
"Muggle threatens us?" Lin Ze repeated this sentence.
"Sir, I would like to correct one statement first. Last night's incident was a vicious case caused by dark creatures. The participants were believers of Muggle who were bewitched, and they themselves were also victims."
He paused, his voice not rising or falling.
"As for "International Statute of Secrecy", Ministry of Magic's position has always been clear. We will not actively intervene in the affairs of the Muggle world, nor will we allow any force to use Muggle as a weapon or sacrifice. This operation just proves that Ministry of Magic maintains this bottom line."
"But as far as I know, the reason why this cult organization can develop and grow is precisely because no one paid attention to the casualties of Muggle's family members during the Wizarding War." The reporter was reluctant and took half a step forward.
"Does Ministry of Magic admit that there was serious negligence in the aftermath of the Muggle victims during the Death Eaters rampage?"
The air in the press room suddenly became tense.
Bagnold frowned slightly on the stage, but did not interrupt.
Lin Ze was silent for two seconds.
No matter how you answer this question, you will step into a pit. Saying "yes" is tantamount to admitting Ministry of Magic's dereliction of duty; saying "no" is tantamount to denying the fact that Muggle has lost his loved ones.
As for the reporters sitting in the audience, not many of them really care about the life and death of Muggle. What they want is a headline that can make headlines.
"What specific aspect do you mean by negligence?" Lin Ze asked in return.
The reporter was stunned for a moment.
"For example, the placement and compensation of Muggle's family..."
"These tasks do not belong to Ministry of Magic, and I am only the team leader of Special Operations Team and have no say in this aspect." Lin Ze's tone was very flat.
"What I can tell you is that the Muggle believers we came into contact with during this operation do not know anything about wizards. What Ministry of Magic can do is to prevent similar tragedies from happening again while ensuring that no one will be bewitched by darkness."
There was a rustling sound of writing underneath.
The reporter sat down, with an expression on his face that showed neither satisfaction nor dissatisfaction.
Bagnold appeared at the right time, took over the topic, and brought the press conference process back on track.
After another ten minutes, the news will end in a seemingly calm atmosphere.
When Lin Ze came out of the side door of the press hall, it was already close to noon.
People were coming and going in the corridor, and several employees wearing Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes uniforms were rushing in the other direction with stacks of documents.
"Team Leader Lin."
A voice came from behind.
Lin Ze Turned around, it was the reporter wearing gold-rimmed glasses just now.
He squeezed through the crowd and came over, holding a quill pen and a palm-sized pad in his hands.
"My name is Oliver·Sterling, a reporter from "Witch Weekly". I'll spare you a few minutes."
"I have already answered your question." Lin Ze said.
"It was about the press conference." Sterling pushed up his glasses.
"This is a personal matter now."
Lin Ze looked at him for two seconds and said nothing.
"You just bypassed my question on the 'Muggle threat theory' on the stage, but you know in your heart that this cult organization will not be an isolated case." Sterling's voice was very low.
"As far as I know, in the past three months, London has seen at least three similar Muggle rally organizations, and Ministry of Magic seems to have only dealt with the one last night."
Lin Ze's pupils moved slightly.
"Do you have evidence?"
"I have a source of information." Sterling opened the notepad to a page, and there were a few lines written crookedly on it.
"If you are interested, we can cooperate."
Lin Ze stared at the note paper for a few seconds.
"But you are just a reporter, not Auror. What good will this do to you?" Lin Ze looked away.
"I need the truth, the truth about these things." Sterling smiled.
He tore off the note paper, folded it in half, and stuffed it into Lin Ze's hand.
"I'll give you the information first, I'll wait for you, Team Leader Lin."
After saying that, he turned around and blended into the crowd, disappearing in a flash.
Lin Ze stood there, looking down at the folded piece of paper in his palm.
He put the note into his pocket, turned around and walked towards Special Operations Team's office.
When passing by the tea room, he paused.
The door was ajar, and voices came from inside.
"Have you heard? The higher-ups are planning to suppress what happened at the dock last night."
"Can it be suppressed? So many people died."
"Put "International Statute of Secrecy" on the table. Who dares to say another word?"
"But there are three of us..."
"Shh... don't be so loud, be careful of the minister looking for you."
"..."
Lin Ze stood at the door of the tea room, listening to the conversation between the two people inside gradually subsided and turned into a buzzing noise.
He returned to his desk and sat down, took the note out of his pocket and flattened it on the table.
three addresses.
Three Muggle assembly points.
"Interesting."
Lin Ze Fold the note and lock it in the drawer.
Then he took out the black leather diary and opened it.
"Ask you something," he wrote.
The writing seeped in, and a reply quickly surfaced.
"Say"