Chapter 858
Elsie's Strategy
Chapter 858 Elsie's Strategy
Wade had an excellent memory, so he could recall the scene almost immediately.
Rex Grimm followed behind Salina, remaining silent. As the deputy director of the office, he almost never showed his face, and all negotiations were handled by Salina.
The man's face was covered in scars, and his wary expression was very similar to Moody's, but he lacked Moody's irritability and neuroticism.
In short, despite their differing stances, he appears to be a very reliable Auror elite.
Later, when an emergency occurred at the banquet, Chairman Hawthorne's reaction proved this point—his reliance on Grimm was no less than that of Salina Goldstein, and probably second only to Hughes and Lyra.
But even after careful recollection, Wade couldn't recall Rex Grimm's reaction when the sudden turn of events occurred.
This can only mean one thing: at that moment, his reaction was not much different from that of the other guests around him, nor was there anything suspicious about it. Therefore, he was classified as useless information by Wade and swept into the dustbin of memory.
Beside him, Vilan was explaining the situation to Victor:
"That guy's story is a bit tragic. His father broke the Secret Service Act to save a Muggle and ended up in prison. More than three years later, he committed suicide in prison."
"His mother couldn't bear the blow and soon fell ill and died. Grimm had no one to adopt him and wandered the streets for several years until he was admitted to Ephamoni School, where he was finally able to live a normal life."
Victor handed a completed document to the crab puppet and said, "So, some people think he might be harboring resentment because he blamed his parents' deaths on the rigid and callous laws of the American wizarding world?"
“The Rappaport laws in the United States used to be very harsh, which caused a lot of tragedies, so they were repealed 30 years ago.”
Vilan thought for a moment and said, "Grimm's father was one of the last victims of Rappaport's laws. If he had held out for a few more years, he might have been able to survive until his release."
"And then there's Elliott Born, who actually has a similar background, the difference being that it wasn't his father who was driven to his death, but his brother..."
As Wade listened silently to their discussion while flipping through the documents in his hand, he suddenly noticed a small ant crawling up his sleeve and onto his hand.
"What's wrong, little guy?" Wade asked softly.
The ant puppet climbed up his palm and onto the parchment, then traced letters with its crawling path:
[E...L...S...I...E...]
“Elsie?” Vader was taken aback, and the image of a blonde girl flashed through his mind.
……
The black sedan drove over the puddle, splashing dirty water up with a "whoosh".
The black car was parked on the side of the road. The door was pushed open, and a delicate umbrella was the first to open, blocking the rain that was pattering down from above.
Elsie stepped out of the car, the edge of her umbrella slightly lowered, obscuring most of her face, revealing only her beautifully shaped jawline and a touch of red lips.
She walked toward the well-known coffee shop ahead. Perhaps it was because of the rain, or perhaps it was because it wasn't time yet, but the place was unusually quiet and deserted.
Elsie's heart was beating faster than usual, and her steps quickened. As she was about to push open the heavy glass door, she instinctively took a deep breath and then pushed hard!
The café was dimly lit, filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee, and accompanied by soft music.
The waiter behind the counter heard the noise and glanced towards the door, but someone must have given prior notice, so he didn't ask any questions or even look at it again.
Elsie's gaze barely searched before landing directly on the figure sitting near the window in the corner.
It was a boy who looked to be about her age, with black hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and a thick book in front of him. His appearance was quite ordinary, like any bookworm you'd see on campus. However, when he looked up at her, Elsie suddenly felt her breath catch in her throat!
Those gray eyes were calm and deep, as serene as the deep sea, yet possessed a sharp insight that allowed them to be recognized at a glance, regardless of their appearance.
Elsie couldn't help but smile, folded her umbrella and hung it on the rack, then walked briskly to the corner and sat down.
"It's so nice to see you again, Wade."
Elsie wasn't worried at all about mistaking someone, and spoke confidently, then laughed, "I thought that after you went back to England, we wouldn't see each other again until at least next summer!"
Her familiar tone made it seem as if the two were old friends who had been separated for a long time, rather than strangers who had only met once or twice.
Wade didn't try to explain or exchange pleasantries; he met the other person's gaze and spoke frankly:
“I’m very sorry, Miss Vanderbilt—it was my fault for sending the Ant Puppet to investigate the manor without permission.”
Elsie said, seemingly off-topic, "Elsie!"
Wade: "Hmm?"
“Call me Elsie.” The girl smiled slightly and said, “I came all this way in the rain, not to see a stranger who calls me ‘Miss Vanderbilt’.”
Wade paused, then changed his words, saying, "Sorry, Elsie."
“Alright, I accept your apology.” Elsie rested her chin on her hand and smiled. “So, Vader… are you satisfied with your gains?”
Wade narrowed his eyes, a hint of wariness in his expression, and asked in return, "Does the Magic Congress know... that the Vanderbilt family has been collecting information on officials'... 'personal preferences' and 'financial dealings'?"
"Hmm, I know... but what can I do about it?"
Elsie chuckled softly: "Almost every decent family does this; it's just a... necessary survival strategy. The Vanderbilt family simply collects their information more comprehensively and in greater detail."
"Actually..."
She leaned forward slightly and said softly, "The things the little ants brought you were just my own daily reading materials, used to understand the movements of all parties."
“But in my family archives, there are some things that really touch the core…are you interested?”
Wade looked into her eyes and remained silent.
A few seconds later, he casually picked up the glass in front of him, took a sip of water, and changed the subject:
"You said before... that you had a way to counter the Purifiers? Does Miss Elsie know who the Purifiers are?"
“I don’t know, but I’m sure you have a way to find out. After all, the little ant is really useful… as are the other puppets.”
Elsie said with a smile, "Once you find out their identities or the places they frequent, you can put a Muggle organization to use."
She looked directly into Vader's eyes and slowly uttered a word that sounded somewhat absurd in the magical world, yet carried a strange persuasive power:
"IRS."
(End of this chapter)