The conference room in Harris' new mansion, located in the middle of the Black Lake, was different from the rest of the mansion. Visitors who were using it for the first time today felt that it was a little small because there were only three hundred and seventy-seven seats. However, no one knew the actual number because the blue benches were not separated by armrests, so it might be able to squeeze in more people. Some people who had studied magic recognized that the Traceless Extension was controllable, so when the room was full, it could be expanded into more space to ensure that all the participants had a place to sit.
There was a long bronze line running through the debate hall under the front row on both sides. They were about the length of three flying brooms to ensure that the two sides of the debate would not start a fight. The conference room was triangular instead of the usual semi-circular structure. In such a triangular debating chamber, the area near the north was the seat of the Harris, while the other two sides were free for debate, discussion, and decision-making. For individuals, the so-called left and right sides were easy to change, but crossing the speaker's seat required careful consideration.
The wizards sitting on the left and right sides were not only the senior members of the Umbrella Group, but also those who had followed Family Harris and the earliest wizards who joined them. Those who stayed in Germany also came from their hometown to sit in front of the newly joined wizards.
As the head of Family Harris, Owen's seat was different. It was located on the central axis of the north side of the triangle. The chair was seven feet high, and the top of the seat was engraved with the imprint of the All-Seeing Eye. As a seat with a raven's head carved on the armrest and footrest, it looked very comfortable. It was stuffed with the feathers of the Evil Lady Bird, which were usually used to make fine quill pens.
In the symmetrical conference room, there was a separate chair at the entrance, which was located in a different direction from the other benches. Penello Crivat was sitting on this chair with her wand raised. She was responsible for suppressing disturbances and maintaining order and safety in the event that the conference room went out of control. At the same time, she was the only wizard who could hold her wand in her hand in this room. However, based on the current situation, it was more of a ceremony and honor for the head of the Red Umbrella Department.
The conference had been going on for a long time. Although the wizards looked tired, they were still very excited. Mrs. Letizia Crivat, who was sitting in the middle seat on the left, took advantage of the time when her husband was answering Owen's questions to look at the special seat her daughter was sitting in. She realized that Family Harris valued and respected Penello, which made her feel very satisfied.
"The revision of the law must also take into account the changes in the physical location of the City of Knowledge and the influence of the energy nuclei brought by the ascension of the City of Knowledge..." Even though it was the first time Mr. Crivat had participated in a wizard conference like this, he was not nervous at all. "The initial part that has been completed also needs to be revised and checked again... This is not something that can be solved in a short time... We have to avoid any loopholes..."
Hearing that the revision of the law had not been completed yet, the red-nosed wizard Grimson and his old friend looked at each other silently. Although they did not dare to say it out loud, these old fogeys still understood what each other meant. The efficiency of the Muggle was not as good as the wizards. It took so long for the law to be completed, and it had to be redone because of the floating city.
Lunn, who was sitting not far from Owen, stood up and said, "Father, Mr. Flip- Crivat has done his best. In fact, he had already made seven laws before this. I personally think that it is much more rigorous than the normal wizard laws. However, things have changed, and Mr. Crivat has decided to start from the beginning..."
Hearing the meaning of Lunn's words, the red-nosed wizard Grimson and his old friend looked at each other silently. Although they did not dare to say it out loud, these old fogeys still understood each other's surprise. The Muggle had made the law so complicated. They had never heard of a wizard who had to revise seven laws just to start from the beginning...
Most of the wizards were silent, but they were shocked. Judging from Owen's tone, it seemed that he had the intention to replace all the laws. They could not figure out how their big boss could pass so many laws in the British Ministry of Magic, even though Harris was now in charge of the Ministry of Magic.
"Mr. Crivat, your rigor is admirable... I am not urging you. You have enough time to perfect it. I hope that its existence can change some of the bad habits in the magic world..." Owen comforted him personally. He then looked away and asked, "So, the next topic. How is the international reaction now, John?"
John Bartha stood up and adjusted the round glasses on his face. "It is not clear yet. Many countries' governments are not so efficient and have not made a decision. It is just a mess... However, the International Ministry of Magic Cooperation has received the representative of the French Ministry of Magic, Madame Maxim, and her party. They seem to want to formally establish a more friendly relationship with the British Ministry of Magic..." Mr. Bartha paused. "Their real intention is to use the official power of the British Ministry of Magic... to connect with Harris and the Hogwarts. Madame Maxim expressed her minister's attitude. The French are willing to give us some free choice in exchange for the technical support of the nuclear energy..."
"Let's not talk about this kind of 'good news' anymore..." Owen said in a deep voice. "John, let's talk about something more urgent. Other than these countries that are trying to be friendly with us, what are the plans of those who oppose us?"
"Minister, many countries have not come to a conclusion yet. However, there are more than three plans as a whole. Those who feel that this matter has nothing to do with them have become a minority in the magic world after the floating city has risen. They either want to express their goodwill to us or are willing to pay the price to admit defeat... Of course, there are more countries that are not convinced. They are trying to unite to put pressure on us to make us yield..." John looked up at Owen who was sitting at the head of the table. When he saw that Owen did not respond, he shook his short blond curly hair and continued, "Germany has banned the transportation of magic herbs and raw materials. Many countries in Africa have also banned the sale of magical animals to us... They have also begun to pass laws to make the orders and transactions between their countries' merchants and the Umbrella illegal..." Mr. Bartha nodded to Penello who was sitting by the door of the meeting. "In addition, according to the report from the Red Umbrella department, they seem to be trying to contact the pureblood families in the United Kingdom. They want to use the fact that the Hogwarts stayed in the original location of Hogsmeade Village after the floating and the Umbrella's alleged monopoly to support them in making an issue out of it. They are trying to use this method to force us to compromise. Other than that, they seem to have formed an alliance to strengthen the trade orders between each other to reduce the economic losses."
Discussions broke out in the family meeting. Although the higher-ups of Harris knew some of the plans of their own forces, many people did not seem to be prepared to have such a tense relationship with the world of magic.
"Everyone, quiet down." Mr. Barsad pressed down with both hands, and the wizards who were still arguing with each other until their faces turned red looked at the confidant of the patriarch.
"Everyone, the next step is our response." Barsad waited for the room to quiet down a little before he calmly said, "In the face of the situation where these countries want to unilaterally bully trade protectionism and extreme pressure, our plan is very simple. It is to carry out a clean counterattack... As for the ban... we will contact their competitors, such as the second site, and give them some preferential tariffs to ensure that we get their orders as substitutes... If it is a special product of some countries, our method is to give some benefits to the third country... We will pay some things to satisfy our basic needs through them..."
"Not a bad plan. At a time like this, don't think about making money. It is more beneficial for us to pay some benefits in exchange for time... But we have to be careful of the conditions we pay. Many countries will take advantage of this opportunity to loot a burning house or use the excuse of doing favors to get us to compromise on the core issues." Owen nodded, and then said in a loud voice, "Trade friction will indeed bring us some pain and trouble in the short term, but in the long term, after we get through the transition period of energy nuclei, and when we start to produce those magic items in large quantities... it will be time for these countries who are trying to suppress us to pay for themselves..."
Owen's answer silenced some of the wizards who were against Barsad. They were basically famous in the manufacturing industry. Although they were now under the umbrella of protection in name, these merchant wizards were still very active in this kind of trade war. However, since the patriarch had set the tone, the entire meeting room was still silent, and there were no objections.
Owen glanced at the crowd and nodded. "Then, let us move on to the next discussion..."
"Wait! I still have something to report! It is about the TV station! "
Xenophilius did not wait for the others to respond and twisted his body. He had specially dressed up for today, and he was wearing an egg-yellow robe that was the same color as his hat. The color was dazzling, and his white hair was braided and fell on his shoulders. He tidied the long tassel on his hat, stood up, and saluted as if he was inviting someone to dance.
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