Standing up with a sneer, Alex addressed everyone nearby, "As the head of Wilson's Arcane Alchemica, I can assure you all that Silver Lightning Alchemy Development has always prioritized credibility. First and foremost, high-risk equipment like tactical vests is strictly regulated here in the UK.
Every single piece sold is carefully recorded."
"If there's any mistake, don't blame me, the British Ministry of Magic will hold us accountable!" Alex declared firmly.
"Second, even though equipment like tactical vests isn't cheap, the costs are high and the profits are minimal. I don't waste time reselling that kind of gear."
He smirked and glanced at Matt.
"Why wouldn't I focus on selling more magic lamps and phonographs instead?"
Alex continued with confidence, "Do you have any idea how many civilian alchemy products my Wilson's Arcane Alchemica sells in just one quarter? Tactical gear makes up less than 10% of our total sales.
Would I risk my reputation and resources for just a few thousand Galleons? That's ridiculous!"
He looked around the room boldly and said, "Let me make this clear: if anyone has real evidence of illegal reselling, smuggling, or any product quality issues, come straight to me. If it's true, I'll pay 3,000 Galleons in cash on the spot!"
With that, Alex pulled a heavy leather bag from under the table and slammed it down with a loud bang.
The bright gleam of gold coins spilling from the bag's opening was impossible to miss.
The room fell silent, everyone visibly impressed and a little intimidated by Alex's boldness.
Deep down, they couldn't help but admire him.
Here was someone wealthy enough to throw cash around without a second thought.
His display made it clear that the club's equipment likely didn't come from Wilson's Arcane Alchemica.
As respected alchemists with plenty of money, they had no reason to stoop to smuggling or shady deals.
Even Matt, who had been arguing earlier, now shrank back, embarrassed and silent.
But Alex wasn't done.
Annoyed by Matt's accusations, he added sharply, "And as for that so-called copied tactical vest Mr. Matthew mentioned, I don't believe it exists. From my experience as an alchemist, the gear Matt described is exactly the tactical vest we sell."
"You have to understand, my work isn't something that's easy to copy."
After saying this, Alex pulled out a real tactical vest and tossed it onto the stage.
"Matthew, is this the kind of gear you used before?"
Matthew carefully examined the vest in his hands before nodding.
"Yes, it's exactly the same style, and it even has the Silver Flash Company's longsword badge on it."
"That's right," Alex continued. "If someone wanted to replicate this level of quality, they'd need to be a top-notch alchemist, and the cost would definitely be higher than what I spent."
Seeing some doubtful looks, he quickly added, "I'm serious, if anyone can reproduce a finished product with the same look and function, I'd even be willing to buy it off them at"
"Full price, no questions asked."
As a professional, Alex made it clear that the equipment used in the breeding park was produced by the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica.
This strongly suggested, about ninety percent likely, that this batch of gear came directly from the Ministry of Magic.
At that moment, Alex glanced playfully at Pete.
"Since Mr. Wilson brought it up, I think Minister Pete might owe us an explanation. And as for those non-governmental organizations, you're pretty familiar with them, right?"
Pete firmly denied any knowledge about the origin of the equipment.
"I've already said, I don't know anything about where that stuff came from," he insisted.
Regarding the folk groups, he explained, "My relationship with them is just normal exchanges."
"These folk groups have a long history in the German wizarding community," Pete added. "Even before I became Minister of Magic, they were active in various wizard circles. Many people here have had dealings with them. But that doesn't mean everyone connected to them has done anything wrong. So, honestly, most people here probably can't avoid some connection."
While his explanation sounded reasonable, it didn't fully address the concerns of the crowd.
Pete was right that few people in the German wizarding civil society were completely unrelated to these groups, and many had close ties.
If that were the case, plenty of people would be implicated, even if they had no direct interest in the club involved.
Andre, however, was not swayed by Pete's words.
"That may be true, but your explanation isn't convincing. We now know these folk groups have been infiltrated and corrupted by the silver wand," Andre responded firmly.
"Not only have they been using NGO manpower to run the breeding park for profit, but they've also conspired to stir up division between East and West Germany. It's hard to imagine," he continued.
Andre pointed out that the batch of alchemy equipment given to the club suggested that high-ranking Ministry officials were connected to the club.
As Minister, Pete's ignorance came off as negligence.
"You need to take responsibility," Andre said calmly but firmly, addressing both Pete and everyone present.
The crowd nodded in agreement; Andre's points made sense.
This scandal was severe, shaking the entire German wizarding community and threatening to become an international embarrassment.
In such a situation, someone had to be held accountable, or at least someone had to be made to take the blame.
In politics, someone always has to take the fall, even when no mistakes have been made.
In this case, the separatist faction led by Pete was the main target of suspicion, so a simple excuse wouldn't cut it.
The surrounding Wizengamot judges certainly wouldn't accept anything less.
Pete sighed inwardly, realizing he probably wouldn't walk away unscathed this time.
He never expected to get tangled up because of a distant relative of Claremont.
"It's really simple," Andre said flatly.
"Since you're the official who directly pushed the 'Division Act,' you and the other senior officials involved are automatically part of this case."
"Personally, I don't want to believe you have any ties to the criminals in that club, but as usual, we have to carry out an internal investigation. During that time, those involved will have to be temporarily suspended until we get to the bottom of things."
"If you keep denying this, I'll propose a motion to the Wizengamot for a vote," Andre added, locking eyes with the other councilors.
They all nodded in agreement.