Alex nodded. "Yes. Over the next few days, I need you to identify 10 to 20 Aurors you trust completely and have them ready to standby. For now, just screen them quietly, don't share any information yet. Once I decide the timing, I'll let you know, and you'll work together with the people I'm recruiting from the UK."
After learning about Andre's position, Alex immediately thought of using his resources. That way, the upcoming operation would have a much better chance of success.
"A joint secret operation?" Andre said thoughtfully. "No problem. I can use the border patrol as an excuse to transfer some of my trusted people."
"This mission won't just be about taking out the wizards connected to Silver Wand. There are also many captive magical creatures that will need your help," Alex added. "You should pick Aurors with experience in dealing with that kind of thing."
"If we manage to find out where the other breeding parks are from those wizards, we might have to fight. Be ready for that," Alex warned.
Andre laughed confidently. "Don't worry. All the Aurors under my command are highly skilled. Whether it's wizards or magical creatures, we can handle it easily."
"Glad to hear it," Alex said, feeling reassured.
Alex didn't bother with whether the other person was boasting; he simply nodded and pulled out a small silver amulet, about half the size of a smartphone. "Keep this with you," he said. "If I need to get in touch, this amulet will send you a signal. At the same time, any message I send will appear on the mirror, along with details about when and where we'll meet."
"Oh? That sounds useful," Andre said, accepting the amulet with a smile. "I've heard of the Silver Flash Trading Company under your name, but I've never seen this before. Is it one of your products?"
Alex grinned. "This is just a prototype, not available on the market yet. The materials to make it aren't cheap, so be careful not to lose it."
After Alex had cracked the spell on the mask and obtained the Sphinx's blueprint, he was able to create several communication devices similar to mobile phones. The one he gave Andre now was a basic model that could only send text messages. The devices he and Fang used earlier, which allowed voice communication over short and medium distances, had also been produced.
However, the technology wasn't ready for mass production yet, mainly because of the high costs involved. Even the Sphinx's relatively advanced technology was expensive, its cost was just slightly less than goblin mithril. Since goblin mithril and other rare materials used in the magic gel couldn't be easily bought, Alex was still searching for alternatives, but it would take time before any real breakthrough.
After hearing the explanation, Andre laughed. "Don't worry. If this mission goes well, and you manage to make a good impression on the Silver Wand, your reward will be more than worth it. If you need any materials, just ask."
Watching Andre's confident and carefree attitude, Alex couldn't help but smile knowingly. He wasn't concerned with small matters, his real goal was the wealth Silver Wand had built up over the past few decades.
After reaching an agreement with Andre, Alex stopped wasting time and left the Ministry of Magic, repeatedly reminding the others not to leak any information. When he got back to his residence, Fang greeted him with exciting news. "Master, something's happened with Claremont. The fireplace in his black market is actually a secret passage to the breeding base," Fang exclaimed eagerly.
"Oh? So he went straight to the park through the fireplace? What password did he use?" Alex asked, already preparing on two fronts: trying to find a way to break through the protective shield directly, and also hoping to follow Claremont's path to discover another entrance into the park.
Fang shook his head in response. "That fireplace doesn't lead directly into the park. The situation is more complicated than that.
You'd better see it for yourself. After noticing something unusual, I recorded it with video equipment."
He then pointed to a large, television-like device nearby, a semi-finished product that Alex had developed earlier. It worked much like a Muggle video recorder but was designed to capture magical images more clearly.
At that moment, Alex watched through the video device as Claremont kept coming and going from the black market after finishing his official duties handling magical supplies. He was loading a huge amount of materials from the black market's warehouse into a space bag, everything from food and drinks to books and everyday essentials.
It became clear that besides managing the breeding zone, Claremont was also in charge of bringing daily necessities to the base. After several days of observing Shalltear in the park, Alex realized that the wizards inside the base paid for these daily items, but the prices there were much higher than outside.
Claremont seemed quite business-savvy, he used goods brought in from the outside world to cover staff salaries, effectively recycling funds and saving a lot on operating costs.
Once Claremont finished packing, he headed straight to his private office, opened a hidden panel that Alex and others had seen before, and entered the fireplace. But unlike most wizards who called out a destination when using the fireplace, Claremont said nothing after tossing in Floo powder.
The green flames swirled around him until he vanished. From this, Alex figured that the fireplace must be connected to a single-thread Floo network, meaning it only led to one location.
However, when Claremont reappeared, he wasn't inside the breeding base as Alex had expected. Instead, he showed up in a place that looked like a warehouse.
Shelves about four or five meters tall lined the area, packed with all sorts of miscellaneous items. Unlike the well-stocked shelter Alex had seen before in the basement of Diagon Alley, this place was full of junk. There were broken tables, chairs, benches covered in dust, and piles of outdated, discarded books and magazines, basically a storage dump for useless stuff.
Claremont wandered through the warehouse, weaving east and west until he finally stopped in front of a grimy, pointed cabinet. Then, Alex watched as he opened it and slipped inside.
After Claremont closed the cabinet door inside and quickly opened it again, the view outside shifted, revealing what looked like the interior of the breeding area. "Is this... the Vanishing Cabinet?" Alex asked, recognizing it after a moment of thought. \His eyes widened with curiosity and wonder.
"The Vanishing Cabinet? What's that? That old man just moved into the park using this? That's incredible," Fang asked, intrigued by Alex's reaction.