The news was entirely filled with praise for the efficiency of the local authorities, commending their selflessness and dedication to protecting the people, and subtly lauding the cabinet leadership for its competence.
"The cabinet really demonstrates outstanding leadership."
"Such a spirit is something we should all learn from!"
Maria, watching the news, nodded solemnly, seemingly in agreement.
Nicole and the others shook their heads, amused by Maria's dramatic reaction. As for the news itself, now that they knew the inside story, they merely smiled and moved on.
"Do you feel no anger? These warriors fought hard, sacrificed so much, and their credit is stolen by others! Doesn't that make you furious?"
Seeing their reactions, Zhao Lun asked, puzzled.
"These people are shameless. They've done similar things before. Today's incident is nothing out of the ordinary."
Their response was casual, and Zhao Lun nodded in understanding.
After the recent terrorist attack, they had taken a serious look into these matters. The more they saw, the more accustomed they became to it.
While they remained unfazed, Maria pouted, clearly displeased, her contempt growing as she watched the polished speeches of the spokespersons on the news.
They were no better than the shadows in their home. Ivy had contributed, yet they took all the credit. It was utterly inhumane!
"You don't need to be upset. These things have already been decided."
"Huh?"
"Do you think they'd dare to act this way without our approval?"
"Why are they doing this?"
"Great Britain is becoming increasingly unstable. By making this issue public, we can mitigate some of the trouble. Plus, the local police are on our side. The more credit they gain, the better it benefits us. You can ask Hodal for more details or discuss it with him."
"They're on our side? That's a relief."
Hearing this, the others' moods improved. At least their hard work hadn't been stolen by outsiders.
"Athena, broadcast the live footage from the town."
After watching the news, they immediately instructed Athena to use Sky Eye No. 1 to show the real-time broadcast.
In the small town, crowds gathered with flowers to mourn the victims, laying down flowers with names written on them in the town's new central square. At the same time, they celebrated the death of the killer. Of course, the morning news wasn't finished yet; there would be more follow-up reports.
The news channel continued with a related update.
"Latest investigation on Trissy Town: The victims were killed by a cult."
"These cultists killed young girls in an evil ritual, offering sacrifices to dark gods..."
"Upon investigation, these cultists were traced to..."
"...Relevant authorities have decided to send more troops to combat these cultists..."
The news included explanations, images, and videos that depicted "the truth," showing people burned by fire, others being whipped, flayed... it was unbearable to watch.
"What are they...?"
Killer? Cultists? There was no truth to any of it; only they knew the real story. After seeing the report, those who knew the truth had no words left.
These people had lost all sense of ethics. They couldn't even bring themselves to curse them, only pitying those unfortunate enough to be caught up in this.
"Brother, was the killer really killed?"
"Will anyone come again?"
"What should we do?"
Maria, less complicated than Nicole and the others, directly asked about their current situation and how to deal with potential future dangers.
"Hmm? Here, take this. The manor should be remodeled according to this."
Zhao Lun thought for a moment and pulled up a document to show them. It was a picture of weapons for the manor; only trusted individuals could carry out the arrangement. By giving them the picture, it would provide them with something to do and keep their minds occupied.
"What's this?"
"What's the other picture? It looks mystical. Only Angela seems to recognize the hexagram, but even she doesn't fully understand."
"It's a feng shui layout... Don't overthink it. It's just a simple use of magnetic fields. Just follow the instructions and arrange it as shown."
Zhao Lun didn't elaborate much on the feng shui arrangement. It was based on an ancient text, simply copying it as an experiment.
"Alright, you all go ahead and get busy. I'm going to ask around to understand the situation."
Suddenly, a rapid and powerful flapping sound echoed, and Zhao Lun looked up. An owl had arrived.
"Oh, it's Errol. He looks younger."
Zhao Lun recognized the owl and greeted it, taking the letter.
He had once fed this owl with divine spring water, which rejuvenated it and made it fly faster.
The letter inside was from his good friend.
Dear Allen,
Hello!
We were deeply concerned when we learned about your situation. First, the recent wizard attack and then the murder in the town. It's clear these incidents were aimed at you… Fortunately, they were thwarted. The attacking wizard was stopped, and the murderer in town, a vampire, was killed.
We're glad you're alright, and we apologize for what happened. These vampires are truly despicable.
We've informed our father, and he's already gone to the Ministry of Magic. He's also written to Dumbledore, requesting that you be granted the right to use magic in self-defense.
After this, your troubles should lessen.
By the way, Harry, Ron, and my family are aware of your situation and are worried about you. They send their regards.
Also, Harry hasn't been having a good holiday. We rescued him by car, haha, that was quite the adventure… We'll be going to Diagon Alley soon. See you then.
Lastly, please convey our regards to your family, especially Maria.
Your friends,
Fred Weasley,
George Weasley.
Reading their letter, Zhao Lun felt reassured. In crucial moments, it was always good to know that friends could be relied upon.
The Weasley family, despite being pure-blooded wizards, had been excluded from the mainstream pure-blood circle due to their differing ideologies. Their family life had always been quite poor.
Despite this, they were a happy family, with many children who were often ridiculed for their poverty and the number of kids they had. When they went out, they didn't even have decent clothes.
Of course, their father was very kind to friends, trustworthy and steadfast in his loyalty. Had it not been for the final battle with the Dark Lord, their family would have faced struggles, but overall, they could have been content.
Zhao Lun felt moved and decided that if given the chance, he would help them and change their fate.
After thinking about this, Zhao Lun took out paper and pen to reply.
Dear Fred and George,
I'm glad to have received your letter. Thank you for your help...
He wrote the letter, called Errol back, and placed the letter inside. After offering the owl some divine spring water, which it drank to its satisfaction, it flew off contentedly.
He suspected that these attackers might have something to do with the divine spring water and decided not to take it out carelessly again. Only using the stream water would be enough for now.