It was Christmas, and Harry, carrying the project Conti had carefully selected, turned and headed back to Number Four, Privet Drive.
The Dursleys had not seen Harry for a very long time, as Harry had been running all over the world and had hardly ever come back.
Only the occasional items he sent back could remind the Dursleys that there was still a little freak living in their house who was out making his way in the world.
The years Harry had been away were the most comfortable years the Dursleys had ever had, with no unsightly child around and no frightening tricks.
Only in the dead of night would Petunia occasionally think of Harry, who was out enjoying himself on his own.
Perhaps she had worried at first, but those worries were quickly dispelled by the pile of deliveries arriving at their door.
If he had the energy to send things back, he was probably still alive and well.
So, when Harry knocked on the door, not one of the three Dursleys connected it to Harry, until Uncle Vernon opened it.
The moment Vernon saw Harry, his face froze; he stood motionless in the doorway, forgetting even how to speak.
Harry blinked, broke into a smile, and tilted his head in feigned innocence. "Uncle Vernon, aren't you going to let me in? I haven't been home in a very long time!"
Uncle Vernon's facial features twitched twice, he let out a snort, and with a downturned mouth, shifted his massive body to make way for Harry.
"Vernon, who is it?" Petunia's questioning voice came from the kitchen, and she emerged carrying a plate, her expression freezing the moment she saw Harry.
Petunia's fingers twitched, and she nearly dropped the plate.
Harry raised a hand, and an invisible force steadied the plate in her hand. "Aunt Petunia, it's been a long time."
Petunia's face contorted; she looked somewhat overwhelmed.
Just the thought of Harry returning home on Christmas Day without any warning, just as he had been left on her doorstep without warning all those years ago, and just as she had received news of her sister's death without warning, was unsettling.
What was more, he was going to be living in her house again, and she would have to tolerate his tricks; it made Petunia furious.
She glared at Harry with a cold face, and Harry blinked, displaying just the right amount of confusion.
Those green eyes stung Petunia; she looked away and spoke stiffly. "...You've lost weight."
Harry's eyes lit up, and he smiled, leaning in cheekily, deliberately thrusting his face right under Petunia's nose, his eyes wide. "Aunt Petunia, I've been out wandering, of course I've lost weight."
It was almost like he was being spoiled.
Petunia's expression grew even more rigid, but just as she was about to look away, she suddenly snapped back to herself and turned on Harry furiously, raising her voice. "Wandering?!"
"You were out wandering and you still sent so much stuff home?!" Petunia was livid, and she reached out to jab Harry in the forehead.
"Aunt Petunia, don't be mad." Harry laughed, pushing her hand aside, then spread his arms and spun around to show her his condition. "I'm doing really well now."
With that, he winked. "I even brought you presents."
Petunia let out a cold laugh, clearly not believing him.
Harry pulled a document from seemingly nowhere and shoved it into Uncle Vernon's hand. "Uncle, you'll see."
Vernon was caught off guard, his face turning crimson as he began to bellow angrily. "You brat! You—"
His roar had barely left his throat when his eyes landed on two large words on the front of the document, and the rest of his words got stuck in his throat.
"Silver Sun Group?" Vernon couldn't believe it; he flipped through the document, then suddenly became very cautious. "You... where did you get this from—"
"Heh heh." Harry blinked, looking quite pleased with himself. "This is what you call networking!"
He pointed at the document. "Want it? If you do, I'll let the person in charge know."
"Yes! Yes!" Vernon was ecstatic. He carefully clutched the document to his chest, looking at Harry as if he were a god of wealth, forcing a huge smile onto his face, his attentiveness undeniable.
"Harry, have a seat, please, sit down. You've come at the perfect time; your aunt just finished cooking. Sit down now!"
Petunia was taken aback; seeing Vernon's attitude, she looked at Harry suspiciously but said nothing, placing the plate on the dining table and then calling out to Dudley.
Dudley had been in his room watching television; hearing Petunia call him, he tossed aside the remote and thundered downstairs.
Before he even appeared, his loud voice echoed out. "I want roast beef, Mum, do we have roast beef!"
A heavy thudding followed.
A round, ball-like figure bounced down the stairs. Harry's eyes widened in disbelief. Was this Dudley?
I remember he was a fairly normal kid when I left! How has he turned into a ball?!
Meanwhile, Dudley spotted Harry and abruptly stopped in his tracks, his voice unconsciously lowering as he stared at him in terror.
He still remembered how, years ago, Vernon had slapped Harry so hard he coughed up blood.
It was the first time the chubby boy had ever seen blood spurt from someone's mouth, and such a large pool of it, leaving a psychological scar he would never forget.
Seeing Harry now made him nervous; he felt that if he even spoke a little too loudly, Harry might die.
He was still young, he didn't want to kill anyone, so he didn't even dare to breathe loudly.
Harry stared at Dudley, puzzled; after a moment, he turned to Petunia and suggested with sincere expression. "Aunt Petunia, have you ever thought about making my cousin exercise more?"
"Look, he's about *this* round!"
As he spoke, Harry raised his arms and traced a large circle in the air.
Dudley's face instantly flushed a deep purple. He glared at Harry in anger, then thought better of it, afraid he might glare Harry to death, and resentfully looked away.
Petunia glared fiercely at Harry and smacked him on the back of the head. "My Duddy is much healthier than you, you little scrawny thing!"
She gave his shoulder a rough, gentle push. "Shut your mouth and go eat!"
Harry said, "Oh."
He pouted and walked towards the table.
After the meal, Petunia shooed Harry back to his room, which was quite large and very tidy.
Harry put away all the things he had brought, then flopped onto the bed.
His sudden return had caught the Dursleys completely off guard; he planned to give them some time to adjust, and would wait until Uncle Vernon had secured the business deal before discussing anything else.
Uncle Vernon was currently scrutinizing the document Harry had brought, while Aunt Petunia tidied up nearby, asking in a low voice. "Vernon, do you think this thing that boy brought back is reliable?"
Vernon muttered quietly. "It doesn't look fake... It has contact information on it. We'll know once we ask."
Hubert knew Harry had taken this project and had specifically instructed his subordinates to be careful, so when Vernon called, it was transferred directly to him.
As a seasoned businessman, Hubert was naturally very articulate; within moments of conversation, he and Uncle Vernon were chatting amiably and happily agreed on a meeting time.
He had just hung up when the door to his office let out a groaning sound, as if straining under pressure.
Hubert raised an eyebrow, waved his hand, and the door flew open. A heap of people who had been eavesdropping behind it came tumbling down in a chaotic pile.
The only one standing steadily was Conti.
The two stared at each other from a distance, the tension between them growing.
Hubert's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Mr. Esposito, abandoning your family affairs to come to my humble little place. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Conti narrowed his eyes. "I am here to warn you, naturally."
The confrontation between them made the people scrambling up from the floor fall silent, watching them cautiously.
Conti straightened the edge of his white gloves, showing no intention of stepping into the office, his expression blank.
"Hubert Brownie, I must remind you that outside of Esposito territory and your Silver Sun building, you had best be mindful of how you address the master in front of others."
After all, everyone present had unclean hands, and this organization Harry had pulled together was hardly respectable either.
They knew their own nature.
Besides, whether it was "master" or "godfather," falling into the ears of ordinary people, it was still a bit much.
"And remember to bring your bodyguards."
"Although I would very much like to see you leave in one piece and return in pieces, who is it that the master values so much?"
"The Silver Sun Group is growing quickly and cutting into a lot of people's profits. There are plenty out there who want you dead."
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