Chapter 542 Rewards based on merit

Chapter 542 Rewards based on merit
Compared to the lively atmosphere inside the Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley outside seemed particularly deserted. The magic lights on both sides of the street flickered slightly, illuminating Royden Poke's gloomy face.

He walked with heavy steps and his mind was in a mess.

The result of this conference was worse than he expected - not only was a Diagon Alley Business Alliance that was dissatisfied with the Ministry of Magic successfully established, but judging from the content of the conference just now, this so-called business alliance was no longer a simple business organization, but a civilian self-defense force with real combat effectiveness.

The Ministry of Magic was already losing its prestige, and Fudge would never give up easily after hearing this news.

"Damn it..." Poke cursed softly and kicked the stone on the ground hard.

He already had an image of Fudge getting angry in his mind.

What Fudge hated most was any force that might threaten his authority, and this time Shaylin Malfoy was not just threatening, but directly tearing off the face of the Ministry of Magic, and in full view of the public, he announced to all businessmen - "The Ministry of Magic is unreliable, you can only rely on yourselves!"

Poker gritted his teeth, sweat oozing from his forehead. Would he lose his job because of this? Would Fudge put all the blame on him?

He walked distractedly into a quieter alley, trying to avoid the wizards who were discussing the results of the conference in groups of three or four on the main street. At this moment, a familiar figure walked out of the shadows.

Ludo Bagman.

The face that had once been so glorious but now looked haggard had a sneaky smile on it.

"Yo, Poke," Bagman said briskly, his hands in the pockets of his robes, as if he were still in the good old days.

Poker frowned and glanced at him impatiently: "How dare you hang around here? If the people from the Debt Collection Alliance saw you, they would probably tear you apart."

"Isn't that exactly what I wanted to say?" Bagman shrugged and smiled casually, "If it weren't for them, the Diagon Alley Business Alliance might not have been established so smoothly, right?"

Poke's face darkened, his anger finally found an outlet.

"That's right! Isn't it because of you that this group of businessmen were instigated by him? If you hadn't run away with your debts, how could they have united? Without the support of the Debt Collection Alliance, the situation would not have been so one-sided in favor of Shailene Malfoy!" He said gritting his teeth, his tone full of resentment.

Bagman's smile did not disappear, but became even more strange. He looked at Pork meaningfully and said slowly: "So, I did help Shaylin Malfoy a lot..."

Poker snorted unhappily, "You're still laughing? When the Ministry of Magic finishes dealing with Sherin, I'm afraid you'll be the next one."

He turned around, not bothering to pay any more attention to Bagman, and continued walking forward. However, the moment he turned around, a silent green light flashed across Bagman's eyes, and his wand quietly slipped into his palm -

"The soul leaves the body."

Poke's body shook violently, his feet stopped in place, and the light in his eyes faded instantly, turning into a dead gray.

Bagman slowly put away his wand, with a cold smile on his face. He walked forward slowly and patted Pork's shoulder gently, speaking in a brisk tone as if he was chatting with an old friend.

"Don't worry, I don't want to hurt you." His voice was low and cold. "On the contrary, I still need you to continue to play a role in the Ministry of Magic..."

Poke stood there stiffly, the anger on his face gone, replaced by a hollow obedience.

Bagman smiled with satisfaction and patted his cheek, as if he were inspecting a newly adjusted tool.

"Let's go, old friend." He said softly, "We need to find a place to talk about your new mission..."

In the darkness of the night, a figure followed another figure with stiff steps and slowly disappeared at the end of the alley.

……

The Diagon Alley Conference ended successfully.

The mission of the Debt Collection Alliance was officially completed. It was disbanded by Hawkeye under the order of Sherin. The debts owed by Bagman to all members were borne by Sherin alone, so no one raised any objections. Everyone took a bag of gold Galleons and left happily.

Although Schelling is the nominal leader of the Diagon Alley Business Alliance, he is still a student and does not have extra time to devote to the affairs of the alliance. Therefore, Hawkeye, who has made great contributions, is appointed by Schelling as the "acting leader" to handle all affairs of the Diagon Alley Business Alliance on behalf of Schelling.

In the meeting room of the Black Rose Society headquarters in Knockturn Alley, Xie Lin sat in the main seat, his hands folded on his thighs, looking down at Night Cat and Hawkeye who were kneeling in front of him.

Night Cat lowered her head, her slender fingers pressed against her knees, obedient as a tame black cat, but her slightly raised mouth corners revealed her inner joy. Hawkeye was silent as usual, with his back straight, like a falcon waiting for his master's order to charge into battle.

Xie Lin spoke slowly, his voice neither hurried nor slow, yet it carried a sense of pressure: "You performed well this time."

Night Cat raised her head with a hint of excitement in her eyes: "Thank you for the compliment, Master." She licked her lips, her eyes brightened slightly, "Those merchants in Diagon Alley are so easily influenced. As long as you affect their interests a little bit, they can't wait to throw themselves into your arms."

Hawkeye also whispered: "I am just following the master's orders. The smooth progress of the conference is all due to the master's wise layout."

Xie Ling smiled faintly, flipped his palm, and two black boxes suddenly appeared in the air.

"I see your loyalty, and I won't let your hard work go in vain." He waved his hand gently, and the two boxes slowly floated in front of Night Cat and Hawkeye.

Although Agatha Timms was the leader who could so easily arouse the emotions of the merchants this time, the person who actually planned and organized the entire debt collection alliance from scratch and operated it into a considerable force was Hawkeye.

At the same time, Nightcat led the forces of Knockturn Alley to intervene strongly at the critical moment, which completely tilted the balance of the conference. Only then was the election of the leader settled according to the result Schelling wanted.

Merits will be rewarded.

The two boxes contained the rewards that Xie Ling was going to give to the two of them. They contained the new equipment that he and Jiadel had jointly designed and developed in the laboratory over the past few days.

What Night Owl got was a black leather bodysuit that covered every inch of skin below the neck. The close-fitting cut outlined smooth lines, and the smooth leather was like a shadow in the dark, so soft that it was almost imperceptible.

Her eyes were immediately attracted, and her fingertips couldn't help but touch it. The leather was smooth and soft, as if it was born to fit her.

When the clothes were spread out, there were several other small accessories floating in the air - a pair of pointy cat ears, a thin cat tail, and an exquisite cat-shaped eye mask.

"This is a cat-like mimicry suit designed specifically for you," Xie Lin said softly. "It is made of black bird snake skin. Stretchability and breathability are not a problem. In addition, its light-absorbing properties allow the wearer to blend in with the surrounding environment in the dark and be unnoticeable."

"Not only that," Xie Lin's fingers gently stroked the tight leather jacket, and the black marks on the leather jacket faintly glowed, "It is engraved with alchemy that can enhance the wearer's jumping ability and agility. The special design of the soles of the feet can also make you move silently."

Then Xie Lin took down the accessories one by one from the air, his gentle eyes seemed to be admiring the perfect work he had created. A slender black cat tail was curled deftly in his hand. "This is a cat tail installed on the hip. It can increase the balance and dexterity of the body. With it, you can easily fly over the eaves and walls even without casting any magic."

"These cat ears can improve your hearing, and this eye mask will give you night vision."

Nightmao took a deep breath, her eyes blurred. She lowered her head and kissed the back of Xie Lin's hand. She said in a soft voice, "Nightmao thanks the master for the gift."

Sherin ignored her reaction and turned his gaze to Hawkeye.

The black metal armor was quietly suspended in the air, cold and sharp, with solid armor and sharp wing blades, like a falcon about to take off.

"This is the Flying Eagle Armor." Xie Lin said slowly, "It provides high-strength defense. The black gold wings can help you fly, and can also be turned into a shield to resist attacks. It is not only your weapon, but also your armor."

After saying that, Sherin's fingers touched the armor, instantly activating it and extending a pair of three-foot-long black metal wings.

The Eagle Armor is a set of metal inner armor that can be worn inside a wizard's robe. It looks the same as before. Once activated, black wings will be ejected from the wearer's back, allowing the wearer to fly and use their sharp edges for close combat. The indestructible wings can also be spread out in front of the body, turning into two wing-shaped shields to block attacks from all directions.

Hawkeye took the armor with both hands and stared down at it with a fanatical awe in his eyes: "Master... This is an incredible masterpiece."

"Whether it is worthy of you depends on your performance." Xie Lin said calmly.

Hawkeye immediately knelt on one knee, put his right hand on his heart, and said in a firm voice: "I swear to serve you till death!"

Xie Lin snorted and swept his majestic eyes over the two of them: "I will not give this gift in vain. I hope that you can make full use of its value in the future."

Night Cat and Hawkeye lowered their heads and replied respectfully, "Yes, Master."