svetikya Chapter 206 I Can Talk Too
Chapter 206 I Can Talk Too
Chapter 206 I Can Talk Too
A group of fully armed soldiers filed in.
Applause broke out.
Amid applause, a tall, thin man entered, but Martin and the others couldn't make out what he looked like.
Because this person was also fully armed. In fact, his equipment, such as bulletproof vests and tactical masks, was more advanced than that of the soldiers.
The equipment this person was wearing even had a sci-fi feel that had only appeared in movies.
Besides that, the biggest difference between him and the soldiers was that he didn't carry a weapon, but instead carried something like a walkie-talkie.
"If everyone were as wise as Mr. Martin, we would never have been able to track you down."
"Let me introduce myself. I come from the Inter-Ministerial Intelligence Committee. Although I'm not particularly capable, only able to manage the swimming pool, I'm surrounded by top-notch personnel from the Swimming Pool Operations Unit. They are the pride of the French military, the elite of the elite."
"Director, we shouldn't be considered spies, right? Why would we need the attention of the General Administration of External Security?"
Martin's face was extremely grim. He could guess with his toes that things had developed to this point because Hawke, after learning magic, had become arrogant and tried to cast spells on politicians or businessmen with power, showing off his abilities and trying to gain power and authority from the Muggle world. That's when the External Security Bureau started targeting him.
Because the General Directorate for External Security (GOS) is located near the Tourville swimming pool in the 20th arrondissement of Paris, it is known as the "Swimming Pool." Furthermore, because the GOS is part of the Inter-Ministerial Intelligence Committee, it is referred to as the Seventh Directorate.
"We're nothing more than pawns of bigwigs in the Ministry of Defense, nothing special." A hint of amusement could be heard in the Director of the External Security Bureau's voice.
Due to the special nature of his job, he knew some secrets that ordinary people did not know, which stemmed from the listening devices he had placed in the presidential office.
After all, they work in intelligence.
It doesn't hurt to be cautious. We should listen in more closely to ensure everyone is loyal to France, just in case the president betrays the country!
He remembered very clearly that it was the second day after the current president took office when a conversation came through a secret listening device.
A dialogue between the French Minister of Magic and the French President congratulating him on taking office.
There was no sound of the door opening or closing that day, only the sound of a flame suddenly expanding. He guessed it might be the fire in the fireplace suddenly bursting into flames. Then came a voice claiming to be the French Minister of Magic. He swore he had never heard this voice before in the President's or the Cabinet. He had searched for this voice since then, but had never found a similar one.
In the audio, after exchanging pleasantries, a sudden burst of flames rang out again, as if everyone in the room had left, leaving only the president muttering to himself.
As the head of the French intelligence service, one of the rules in the intelligence service's curriculum is to believe everything you see and analyze. Therefore, he was absolutely certain that it was something beyond his imagination!
Perhaps it's supernatural power, or perhaps it's technology ahead of its time. In any case, it must be something that the general public cannot know!
It wasn't until these last few days that he finally caught a glimpse of this power and learned what it was.
"The intelligence activities of you officers are comparable to those of the CIA, and your counterintelligence work is comparable to that of the FBI. How can such crucial positions be described as mere tools?"
Martin assessed the distance between his men and the tires, as well as the firing range of the fully armed soldiers from the General Directorate of External Security Operations. He realized that the guns were fast and accurate from seven paces away. He could only say, "It's a waste of talent for the officers to even notice us."
He hoped to find a way out through dialogue, and incidentally buy time, hoping that the teachers giving classes tonight would discover that a group of people had not arrived at the school.
Martin believed that even being arrested and criticized by professors or tried by the Wizarding Court was better than being taken to the laboratory table and dissected by the General Security Bureau.
After all, that's how it's portrayed in all TV dramas and movies: the government researches some supernatural creatures or alien remains, causing a major catastrophe, and then heroes step forward to avert the disaster.
He did not want any bloodshed to occur, whether against Muggles or wizards, because a peaceful and happy life was what everyone longed for. Now, after the devastation of two world wars, people's anti-war sentiment was strong, and they needed to recuperate.
The director of the External Security Bureau, watching Martin scrutinize them and their weapons, clapped and said, "It's all thanks to Mr. Hawke's lack of common sense that I wouldn't have met you all. It's a good thing, though, that I've met such a wise wizard as you. I wonder if Mr. Martin has any ideas about cooperating with us?"
"Cooperation?" Martin's face was full of disbelief. Due to the preconceived notion of the secrecy law, he believed that the Muggle world knew nothing about wizards. Now that the head of the National Security Agency was talking to him about cooperation, he could only assume it was a delaying tactic. The other side was trying to prevent these wizards from using magic they couldn't understand, and to knock them all to the ground.
Otherwise, you can't see the soldiers' faces, only their tactical masks.
However, the slightly pale fingertips peeking out from their gloves revealed that these soldiers knew the other side was a very dangerous person; they were vigilant and fearful.
The Director of the External Security Administration nodded: "Yes, we can cooperate, just as the President has cooperated with the rest of you."
He genuinely didn't understand the wizarding world. He believed that only the president knew about this because the president had already established relationships with wizards before his success, and that the wizards' magic had been a huge help to the president's election victory.
Now, new wizards have appeared before him, especially these self-proclaimed magic wizards. They seem to be quite different from the original wizards in the wizarding world, and he can't help but feel a desire to serve his country and its people.
I can talk, I can love my country, and I can serve the French people like a slave!
He glanced at Hawke with some regret, regretting that not all wizards were as brainless as this kind of person.
"Contrary to what Mr. Hawke thinks, we can work together; you help me, and I will help you."
Martin turned to look at Hawke, who was huddled at the back of the crowd, pressed against the wall, covered in dust.
Hawke cried, "I don't know either! I was certain the person was being controlled when I used the magic! I have no idea what happened!"
Using magic to control Muggles—Martin felt there was a high chance he would suffer a stroke today; he had already experienced blackouts countless times.
How could Hawke possibly think he could do something like this! The magic they can use is merely what comes with the magic wands! What they learn at school is basically herbalism and potion-making!
The Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau told Martin, "Mr. Hawke actually went straight to the swimming pool, trying to use magic to control my people. I saw this on the surveillance footage, so I ordered that person to cooperate with Mr. Hawke in putting on a show. I thought Mr. Hawke would believe it, but I never expected that this gentleman would have no counter-surveillance or anti-fraud abilities at all. He led the way and let us find our way here."
"After listening in through the surveillance equipment for a while, I discovered a fundamental disconnect between you all and another group of wizards in the wizarding world. This gives us a basis for cooperation, doesn't it?"