"There's such a thing?" Alan was stunned when he heard this. Recently, he had been focusing on the situation at the breeding base and hadn't paid much attention to new developments at the Ministry of Magic. However, it was somewhat unexpected that Feng, the intelligence merchant, didn't seize this opportunity to sell him information.
This time, what Alan considered the new policy was merely to solidify the division of the Duden Building, making it more than just a physical separation. Therefore, it could be considered a gradual process. Of course, there would inevitably be growing pains, but with Minister Peter's methods, the unrest should be quelled in no time.
No wonder that man had been holed up in the Ministry of Magic for so many days, hardly going out. He was busy with this, and Alan also understood why the other party had ignored him for so long; what he was busy with now was clearly more important.
"Oh, right." Alan turned his head to look at Fuchsie. "Did the Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department not object to Minister Peter issuing such a policy?"
"How could he not object? Head Kuhler was almost driven mad after learning of Minister Peter's decision. He's been running to the Minister's office every day to cause a ruckus, but his dissatisfaction is useless. The Wizengamot and half of the directors have agreed to this proposal." Speaking of which, Fuchsie couldn't help but sigh. "Head Kuhler was originally known as a good-natured person at the Ministry of Magic. But this time, even he expressed strong dissatisfaction. He's probably still at the Minister's office demanding an explanation."
After gossiping with Alan for a while, Fuchsie finally had time to check his invitation, and then she realized that Alan had come to see Minister Peter.
"Oh my goodness, you're here to see the Minister! And I've been wasting your time chatting idly here, I'm so sorry!"
"It's alright, chatting with you was very pleasant. I don't consider it a waste of time," Alan said with a smile, reassuring Fuchsie.
"You truly are a good person. If anyone knew I was slacking off here, I'd probably get scolded again." With that, Fuchsie stood up and walked ahead, leading the way. "Please follow me, Mr. Wilson."
Alan actually wanted to ask Fuchsie more about the Ministry of Magic. After all, naive young girls like her are the least likely to keep quiet. However, once Fuchsie learned that Alan had an appointment with Minister Peter, she stopped wasting time and led him through many twists and turns to the Minister's office. Just as they reached the office door, both of them heard the sounds of an argument coming from inside.
"Dario, the International Magical Cooperation Department is not the Department of Magical Transportation. You can't just do whatever you want! Do you know how much trouble your orders have caused us? Quickly withdraw this inexplicable decree!" A deep, powerful voice came from inside the room.
"This is the Head Kuhler I was talking about," Fuchsie mouthed to Alan, signaling him.
Seeing this, Alan raised an eyebrow meaningfully. He had learned from Feng that this Head of the International Magical Cooperation Department was considered part of a neutral faction within the German Ministry of Magic, always uninterested in internal conflicts. He hadn't expected him to be so angry.
However, what puzzled Alan even more was why Minister Peter would risk angering the International Magical Cooperation Department by issuing such a decree. This could easily push the other party toward Andre. Could it be that the previous decrees had progressed too smoothly, causing him to become careless? Or did he misjudge Head Kuhler's reaction? Little did he know that Alan's casual guess inadvertently hit upon Peter's true intentions.
At this moment, Peter was irritably looking at Head Kuhler in his office. He couldn't understand why this man, who usually acted like a lazy fish, a good-natured person who avoided worldly disputes, would suddenly get so angry. Furthermore, Kuhler hadn't expressed any dissatisfaction with his previous decree physically separating the Duden Building. Why was his reaction so strong now?
But at this point, the decree was like spilled water; once issued, it naturally couldn't be withdrawn, otherwise his authority would suffer a fatal blow.
"Head Kuhler, the issuance of a decree is not a joke. Moreover, this new clause is merely a supplement to existing policies. Even the Wizengamot Council did not express any objection to it, and the document was clearly sent to you before the decree was officially issued. You didn't express any objection, did you?" Facing the enraged Kuhler, Peter could only adopt a Minister's demeanor and explain in a business-like manner.
"Ha, you still have the nerve to say that? The document you mentioned sending me—was that a two-hundred-page thick brick? The content about establishing East Germany and West Germany offices for the International Magical Trade Standards Association, and requiring German merchants to re-apply for business licenses, only took up a mere three lines of text in your so-called document!"
"Tell me, who could find what you wrote in such a document? This is blatant deception!" Kuhler stood up again, slamming his fist hard on Peter's desk. He didn't want to get involved in the struggles of these guys in the Ministry, but that didn't mean he could tolerate being deceived and insulted.
"But that bill already has your signature on it, that's an undeniable fact! As a member of the Ministry of Magic, what you should do is execute it!" Before Peter could speak, another middle-aged wizard in the office reprimanded him with an unkind tone.
"Execute? Impossible!" Kuhler glared angrily at the wizard next to him. "Michel, I'm not like you guys in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. I'm not this man's running dog!" Kuhler was too angry at this moment and blurted out this very harsh remark.
"You!" Minister Michel of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes turned green with rage upon hearing this, standing up to argue with the other party.
"Enough!" Peter coldly shouted at this point, then looked at Kuhler and then at Michel. "You are both high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic, don't act like childish young kids." After speaking, he looked at Kuhler seriously again. "I hope you don't let emotions control your mind. I can overlook your slip of the tongue just now, but I just hope I don't hear such words again. As for the decree, I will discuss it with you in detail later. Now I still have other official duties to attend to. You two go back to your work first."
Upon hearing this, Kuhler also knew that he had been too impulsive, showing no regard for the Minister. At this point, he could only let out a helpless cold snort. Michel, next to him, still wanted to argue with Kuhler, but he was quickly stopped by Peter's gaze.
At this moment, the door to the room was knocked at just the right time, and then Fuchsie's voice came from outside. "Minister Peter, Mr. Wilson, whom you invited, has arrived. Are you available to see him now?"
"Please let Mr. Wilson in." Peter responded loudly, then looked at the two, especially Kuhler. "This guest is a very important foreign dinitary. Do not cause trouble here. I will resolve any issues for you later." After saying that, he gave Kuhler a serious look.
Kuhler had no other choice at this point but to reluctantly get up and walk out. Although Michel followed behind him, they maintained a considerable distance, clearly indicating that these two held grudges against each other.
As the two successively exited, Alan finally had the chance to properly observe these two high-ranking officials of the German Ministry of Magic.
Head Kuhler was tall and upright, but appeared older, with a head full of white hair, at least seventy years old. However, he looked energetic, though his expression was one of indignation, clearly indicating he was in a bad mood.
Head Michel, who followed behind him, looked younger, around forty years old, with a well-proportioned physique and a meticulously trimmed handlebar mustache on his upper lip. His expression was not as bitter and resentful as Head Kuhler's, and he even smiled and greeted Alan as he passed by.
But Alan, with his excellent memory, immediately recognized that Head Michel, who had just appeared before him, was an acquaintance he had encountered earlier. He was the Nundu who had appeared at the Silver Spears headquarters. The other party had not deliberately concealed either his physique or his voice, making him easy to identify.
*As I expected, most of the high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Magic have been corrupted by the club, haven't they? Since Michel is Nundu, then the Head of the Department of Magical Transportation and the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, who are in the same camp as Peter, should also have been recruited into the club.* Alan nodded inwardly. He was not surprised by this situation. However, the conflict between Head Kuhler and Peter did not seem like an act, which meant that at least Kuhler was not allied with the Silver Spears.
After roughly reviewing the information he had gathered, Alan entered the Minister's office as if nothing had happened. "Good day, Minister Peter, I apologize for interrupting your work."
"Oh, dear, I should be the one apologizing." Peter was not as serious when facing Alan as he had been before. He stood up very amiably to greet him and led Alan to the nearby reception area. "I'm so sorry to have caused Mr. Wilson to witness that. Those were just some minor disputes within our Ministry. I hope you don't mind."
Peter was naturally referring to the scene that had just occurred. He had actually sensed Alan and the others arriving, and Kuhler had shouted so loudly that it was inevitable for people outside to hear the commotion.
"How could I? I actually envy the German Ministry of Magic. The officials here are all so vibrant. In Britain, the Ministry of Magic is basically Minister Badenough's one-man show, and everyone rarely expresses their opinions, which always makes it feel dull and uninteresting." Alan said with a smile, whether in jest or sincerity.