While Matthew hadn't been involved in every event, he was known for his knack for gossip.
He knew a little bit about everything and was great at putting the pieces together.
He was always present when things happened.
"Speaking of which, those people with the silver wand are truly ruthless. My uncle worked for them for so many years, and this is how things turned out," he added with a sigh.
Matthew's lively storytelling captivated everyone in the trial hall, who listened intently and couldn't help but admire him silently.
If Matthew hadn't been working with the club, they thought, he could easily have made a name for himself as a talk show host.
He really was that good at spinning a tale.
At that moment, a group of people, including the Ministry of Magic officials aligned with Pete's faction, wore clearly displeased expressions.
Their carefully laid plans were completely upended.
Even Pete himself glared at Matthew in the audience with a furious look, silently cursing Claremont and wondering where his nephew had gotten all this information.
'How could he possibly know so much?'
Fortunately, Pete managed to keep his composure and didn't lash out on the spot.
He also suspected that Matthew was probably Andre's secret weapon.
To be honest, Matthew's presence was making him a bit uneasy.
Still, Pete let out a quiet sigh of relief.
If this was all Matthew had, he could just about handle it.
Meanwhile, Andre, standing at the podium, was also a little stunned.
He hadn't expected Matthew to have access to such detailed information.
No matter what question Andre posed, Matthew always had an answer.
However, Andre noticed that much of Matthew's knowledge mirrored the current compiled data.
It felt less like genuine answers and more like boasting, but Matthew's confident tone made it all sound quite convincing.
Andre couldn't help but admire Alex's judgment.
After all, it was Alex who had recommended Matthew as a witness.
Initially, Andre thought it would be just a formality, but the outcome exceeded expectations.
After listening to Matthew's spirited explanations, Andre decided to ask about a seemingly minor but important detail.
"Earlier, you mentioned that the park provided you with advanced equipment. What exactly is that?"
Matthew, now relaxed and chatting casually, answered without hesitation, "The so-called advanced equipment is a tactical vest. It's incredible, it protects the wearer from all sides and can automatically activate the 'Protego Corpus.'
It's a rare alchemical item made by the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica, and ordinary people can't buy it at all."
"Oh? Is that so?" Andre glanced over at Alex in the audience. "Mr. Wilson, is this equipment something you worked on?"
"That's right," Alex confirmed.
He nodded without denying it.
"Yes, this tactical vest is definitely a product of the Wilson's Arcane Alchemica. But it's a RESTRICTED USE LEVEL ITEM, and we only authorize sales to the British Ministry of Magic. That's a large, reputable institution, so I don't understand why Matthew's park would have this kind of equipment."
Andre frowned slightly and pressed him further.
"Matthew said they have five tactical vests. Presumably, the other two parks have the same number. That's a significant amount of gear. Don't you have any sales records for this?"
"Well... yes," Alex admitted, tilting his head thoughtfully.
After a moment, he gave a bitter smile.
"But it's rare to sell such a large number of these vests.
As far as I know, the German Ministry of Magic bought over a dozen sets. That's the only export order I'm aware of.
Other regions haven't ordered so many combined."
"Really? That's odd," Andre said, raising his eyebrows. "As director of the Law Enforcement Department, I've never heard of those dozen or so vests you mentioned."
After this exchange, the wizards in the trial hall fell silent.
The earlier heated discussion died down instantly because everyone picked up on the implications.
If Alex and Matthew's statements were true, this was a serious issue.
It meant that people within the Ministry of Magic had supplied this equipment to the club, linking them to the Silver Wand, the wizarding folk group behind it.
What they'd been involved in over the years could easily be connected to both the club and certain Ministry officials, some of whom had unclear relationships.
Naturally, the Pitt faction, long-time leaders of the split council, stood to be directly affected.
Andre then turned to Pete with a doubtful look.
"Minister Pete, is what Mr. Wilson said true? Did the Ministry of Magic really order this equipment?"
All eyes in the room shifted to Pete.
Reporters, sensing a major story, eagerly aimed their cameras at him.
On the other side, Pete's expression had already stiffened.
He hadn't expected this equipment to come to light and expose his involvement.
Pete remained calm and spoke in a flat tone, "Sorry, but I really don't know anything about this. After all, at the Ministry of Magic, purchasing equipment from outside isn't solely my responsibility."
Just as Pete denied any involvement, Matt's voice rang out beside him, "What does some equipment have to do with anything? Just because the Ministry's purchases match the quantity of those silver wand guns, are you seriously going to suspect Minister Pete?"
He continued, "Besides, the equipment Matthew mentioned isn't even visible now. How can anyone be sure they came from the same batch?
Maybe someone copied the designs from Wilson's Arcane Alchemica's products. Or perhaps the club got them through smuggling channels.
They're smugglers, it wouldn't be surprising at all!"
As he finished, Matt even threw a disdainful glance at Alex, adding, "If you ask me, maybe some people are just greedy and took the chance to smuggle and resell for profit."
At first, Pete appreciated Matt's defense; he thought Matt was clever at muddling things.
But when Matt added that last line, Pete couldn't help but think, 'What an idiot.'
Alex was clearly here to watch the situation unfold.
Didn't Matt see how polite Alex had been?
Why go out of his way to turn the blame on him?
That was just making enemies unnecessarily.
Sure enough, after Matt's jab, Alex's expression darkened.
"What are you implying? Are you accusing me of illegal trading?" he snapped.
Matt, ignoring Michelle tugging at his sleeve, shrugged and replied, "Heh, you're the one running the business. I don't even know who you're selling to." Then, choking back a smirk, he added, "Looks like someone here is trying to stir up trouble out of thin air."