#527 - Remove the firewood from the bottom of the cauldron (asking for monthly ticket recommendation

"Hmph, those Silver Spear collaborators are incorrigible. I bet they're still wondering why they were arrested too." Andre chuckled coldly. "Remember to record all those people; I'll settle accounts with them properly in the future."

"You don't need to worry about that," Moody replied with a chuckle. "I've written all those guys down in my little notebook. I'll give it to you once I've finished recording everything."

"How's Clement doing? Is he behaving himself in prison? You need to keep a close eye on him; he's an important witness and can't be allowed to come to any harm." After understanding the general situation, Anduin immediately asked about Clement's condition.

"Don't worry, I know how important Clement is. I've arranged for someone to keep a special watch on him. But that old guy's mental state isn't too good right now. He spends all day huddled in a corner, muttering to himself. And the surrounding Muggle-born wizards are very resentful of him now, occasionally making rude remarks. But under our control, there haven't been any physical altercations," Moody said after a moment of recollection.

"Mental state not good?" Anduin lowered his head and stroked his chin in thought. "Has he been refusing to eat or anything like that?"

"No," Moody shook his head decisively. "He eats when it's time to eat, and rests when it's time to rest, but he never interacts with anyone, like a reclusive old man."

"Hmm, I understand." Anduin grinned sardonically. "That old fox is putting on an act for you. Since he's not trying to die and his daily routine is normal, it proves he still wants to live. Putting on this facade is just to send you a message that he's harmless. He's probably hoping we'll let him off the hook."

"Ah? So that old guy is acting just like us?" Moody asked, amused. "Then I need to give that old geezer a good dressing down to let him know who's boss."

Anduin shook his head. "No need. Let him act if he wants; he's just performing for the air anyway. It's actually better that way; at least it proves Clement still has a will to live."

"Alright, I'll just watch him act for amusement then." Moody shrugged indifferently, then thought of something else. "Oh, right, I discovered something interesting at the base these past two days. Two wizards are plotting to escape using that underground fireplace, and they've been hiding under the covers, trying to practice wandless magic every night."

"Since you've already discovered it, why not just expose them?" Andre scoffed, not understanding the significance of Moody bringing it up.

"You don't know anything!" Moody glared at him, then looked pointedly at Anduin. "What do you think?"

"What are the names of those two wizards? What were their roles in the park before? Do they have any concrete plans?" Anduin seemed very interested in this information and immediately questioned Moody.

"One's called Bob, and he used to work in the maintenance team in the East German park. The other's called Nathan, and he was also on the maintenance team in Park One. Bob shows a strong sense of justice, and Nathan is very responsible. They're both fairly capable too. After just a few days of practice, their wandless magic is showing some progress."

Moody seemed prepared and immediately shared all the information he had gathered over the past few days when Anduin asked.

"Hmm, if we were to let them go without raising any suspicion, how difficult would that be?" Anduin seemed to have an idea in mind and asked Moody.

"What? Let them go?" Before Moody could answer, Andre looked at Anduin in astonishment. "If we let these guys go, wouldn't it expose our kidnapping of wizards?"

"That's exactly what we want, to leak the news." Hearing Andre's question, Anduin chuckled. "I was wondering how to get the Department of Magical Law Enforcement involved in a legitimate way. I didn't expect a solution to present itself."

Andre wasn't stupid, and he figured out what Anduin meant. "Do you mean...?"

"Two wizards illegally imprisoned by the Silver Spears risk their lives to escape and are rescued by Aurors from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Then Director Andre leads a raid on a secret base, rescuing hundreds of innocent wizards. Doesn't that story sound easy to sell?" Anduin chuckled, hinting at his plan to Andre.

"I see, I understand." Andre now understood the idea. "You mean deliberately let these two people go, then have my Aurors rescue them, so we can have a reason to transfer those five hundred-plus wizards out into the open."

"Exactly." Anduin nodded. "It's the perfect excuse. But there are still many details to consider, such as how to make their escape seem plausible and how to ensure they fall into your hands as soon as they escape."

"I think there's room to maneuver." Moody had obviously been planning this from the start, so he had been paying close attention to the two men these past few days. "They mentioned that as soon as they regain their freedom, they would seek help from the Ministry of Magic, so as long as we prepare in advance, it will be easy to make contact with them."

"Also, their will to survive is very strong. I even feel like it has stimulated their wandless magic talent. If they continue like this, they might be able to escape from their cages in another ten or fifteen days."

"But in terms of evading guards and escape routes, these two are a bit too naive. They're actually thinking of escaping directly through the fireplace, never considering that the Floo Network might have been altered."

"That's not a problem. I can modify that fireplace and add routes to other places." With that, Anduin took out a small box from his pocket, revealing two things the size of mung beans inside.

"Turn a blind eye to their escape attempts. You can put a little pressure on them, but make sure they can escape successfully. These are two trackers. Before they prepare to escape, find a way to get them to swallow these. That way, even if they escape, we can find them quickly."

"No problem." Moody took the small box with a cold smile, then looked at Andre. "The next step requires your cooperation. Pay attention to the messages I send you."

"Understood." Andre smiled leisurely. "The next stage is up to us. We have to play this scene well."

With that, Andre looked at Anduin again. "Oh right, when I counterattack the prison, how should the Silver Spears that Moody and the others are playing escape? I can't just watch them teleport away through the Floo Network one by one, can I?"

"That's easy. I'll modify the Anti-Apparition Array in the underground warehouse. I'll give Moody a device. After you symbolically fight for a couple of rounds, Moody can turn off the array and Apparate away."

"Sounds good to me." Moody also agreed with the plan.

"Well then, I'll leave the great task of saving innocent people to you two." With that, Anduin turned to Andre. "I've roughly looked through the memories taken from Clement. They're indeed very valuable. Inciting unrest among civilian groups, plotting against the Schmidt family, and information about that mole within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Virgil, are all recorded. Oh right, what are your thoughts on this subordinate of yours?"

"I've put Virgil under surveillance. It doesn't seem appropriate to dismiss him rashly. I'm racking my brain over this." Mentioning this old subordinate who had been with him for over a decade, Andre's expression gradually darkened.

"Now is indeed not the time to fall out with him. I think you should isolate him from the main affairs for now. You'll need to use other people for the next operation. If he continues to stay in the Auror headquarters performing official duties, it will inevitably hinder you." Anduin suggested after a moment of thought.

"I think that's the only way for now. I'll find a way to arrange a task for him and transfer him out of Berlin soon." Andre sighed helplessly.

Anduin nodded, then said seriously, "Well, now that we've gathered so much evidence against the Silver Spears, it's time to take action against Pitt. We can't openly target the Silver Spears until we remove Pitt from his position as Minister for Magic."

"It's about time. You don't know, these past two days, while interacting with those guys, I've been suppressing the anger in my heart. I can't wait to tear their mouths apart on the spot." Andre vented angrily, then asked Anduin, "Since you said that, you must already have a plan. Just arrange it; I'll listen to you."

"Alright." Anduin didn't stand on ceremony at this time. He leaned forward slightly and said in a low voice, "Since we're going to pull Pitt down, we have to be fully prepared. The 'Escape Plan' is just one part of 'Operation Blind Snake'."

"Before that, we have to weaken Pitt's power in the Ministry of Magic first." Anduin looked at Andre. "I'll give you the memories from Clement related to the Schmidt family. See if you can contact the Schmidt family during this time and win them over from Pitt's side."

"Sounds good to me." Andre nodded. "I have a good relationship with their family head. It was his beloved younger son who was killed back then. If he knows the truth, he probably won't continue to help Pitt."

"Well, they already have a conflict of interest. To ensure the smooth development of things, you can promise the Schmidt family that you have information about 'Phoenix'. If the Schmidt family is willing to defect, we can even help them get revenge!" Anduin said with a cold smile on his face.