Hogwarts: From Selling White Peppers to Becoming a God

Chapter 315 Greed

"The Prime Minister has been forced to resign as party leader, but will remain in office for some time until the ruling party elects a new party leader and prime minister."

At the lakeside villa, Murphy sat in a corner listening to an analyst speak. "The chairman of the '1922 Committee' of backbenchers has confirmed that the new party leader and prime minister will be announced on September 6. Members of parliament who wish to run for party leader can be nominated by 20 members of parliament by Wednesday of this week."

"Mr. Patrick wants to be a candidate, and theoretically we only have three days to prepare."

"But in fact, we have been preparing for this for two months," the analyst said. "We have at least forty supporters in the House of Commons, which should at least get us into the second or even third round."

As mentioned before, the British Parliament is a quagmire. They seem to be extremely superstitious about checks and balances, with the opposition checking the ruling party, Parliament checking the Prime Minister, and even within the Conservative Party, there is a group of backbenchers who can remove and re-elect the party leader.

This kind of checks and balances can sometimes help to get more opinions heard, but most of the time, it just creates chaos where no one can get anything done.

However, this chaotic system also became an opportunity for Murphy.

With the prime minister's resignation, the Conservative Party is holding a new leadership election, and Patrick, as a newly elected MP this year, can use this opportunity to gain some political prestige.

It is very difficult to be elected party leader immediately, but even just being a candidate is enough for Patrick to attract a lot of political capital.

Therefore, almost at the same time Murphy had the prime minister under control, he began to arrange for Patrick to build up his network of connections and take over the members of parliament who had been drawn to the former prime minister’s tough style.

That's why analysts say they've been preparing for over two months and have gained some supporters.

"With each round of elimination, Mr. Patrick's influence will increase significantly. If he can make it to the last three rounds of voting, the new prime minister will inevitably have to offer an important position in the cabinet in exchange for Mr. Patrick's vote."

"Therefore, our goal is to persist for as many rounds as possible, at any cost."

……

After the election meeting, Murphy and Patrick went to the lakeside. "It's hard to help with this directly with magic. Each councilor represents a district, and everyone is under the spotlight. Countless eyes are watching them. If they deviate too much from their past behavior, it will arouse suspicion, and they will be impeached by the local council."

"So we have to take it one step at a time," Patrick said. "We still have time."

One of the core resources of politics is reputation.

However, rushing the process of accumulating reputation can easily backfire. Therefore, while magic is still necessary, it must be used more discreetly and carefully, ensuring that the entire process follows proper procedures.

It is very difficult for a complete novice to become prime minister directly, but it is quite reasonable for a former minister who has held an important cabinet position.

"But we still have some advantages," Murphy said. "I'm prepared to buy a few media outlets to promote you."

Money is Patrick's key advantage.

With an inexhaustible supply of money, the Umbrella Corporation could use its control over the media to help Patrick build his reputation even faster.

Unfortunately, the internet is still in its infancy, and mobile internet is still in its infancy. The potential of media power is not yet that great. If we were to wait thirty years, it wouldn't be impossible for someone to become prime minister directly through Twitter.

……

More than two weeks later, Patrick was eliminated in the fourth round of voting, and Michael Hurd, a leading candidate for the next prime minister, promised to reserve a position for Patrick as Secretary of Health and Social Care in the cabinet.

This result was already very good. However, after the final round ended and Michael became prime minister, Patrick was not included in the cabinet list he announced.

This kind of betrayal is not common because it would directly lose those members within the party who had supported Patrick.

There must be some reason behind it.

……

"On the first day of the new prime minister's term, he fired me." A day later, Sidney Dawson, the wizard assigned by the Ministry of Magic to the Muggle prime minister, came to report to Murphy, "I think he already knows I'm a wizard, and he doesn't want to be influenced by a wizard."

"As you instructed, if he doesn't accept the existence of a wizard after I reveal my identity, I should forcibly control him..." Dawson said. "But after I used the Imperius Curse, I found that he seemed completely unaffected, and he even had the guards throw me out."

Sidney Dawson used the Imperius Curse to control the former prime minister, so his ability is unquestionable. But how can a Muggle resist the Imperius Curse?

"However, I have already placed the items in the Prime Minister's study as you instructed."

……

10 Downing Street.

Newly appointed Prime Minister Michael Hurd moved into this apartment with his family.

Having finished dinner, Michael walked up to the Prime Minister's study on the third floor.

After locking the door, Michael paced around the study for a few steps before finally stopping. He went to the bookshelf and reached out to lift the cloth covering a picture frame.

The Pietà (Pietà) painting.

Michael knelt down in front of the portrait, clasped his hands together, and began to pray devoutly.

A short while later, auspicious light descended, and Mai saw a "miracle".

"Michael, I promised you protection from demons, and I promised you power, allowing you to sit in your current position. Have I granted you your wishes?"

"Holy Mary, you have given me everything, and I will give my all to serve you."

"The protective umbrella," the Virgin Mary's hazy, loving voice said, "is the extension of evil into the mortal world. Destroy it, and you will gain unparalleled glory."

"Yes, Holy Mother." Michael knelt down, his face full of piety. "But the Umbrella Corporation is incredibly powerful. Even the former Prime Minister was framed by the devil, and even the United States can't do anything about it..."

"Michael, do not fear the enemy. You have countless brothers and sisters. They will all help you, your decrees will be carried out without hindrance, and your will will be fully executed."

"Thank you for your help, Holy Mother, I will surely accomplish this great task for you!"

After a long while, the light faded, and Michael remained kneeling and praying for a long time. He called out twice more before picking up the white cloth again and covering the portrait.

He then moved the portrait to the wall so that it faced the wall.

Then, he picked up a phone on his desk, dialed a number, and said, "Kenneth, as my legal counsel, I have some questions about corporate operations that I need to consult you on. If we already know that a large conglomerate is going to be broken up, how can I get the most valuable piece?"

A short while later, Michael finished his phone call, put the portrait back in its original place, and then left the room.

After he left, a small black bird figurine on the bookshelf suddenly moved and disappeared instantly.

……

On Weasel Mountain, Murphy reached out and caught the sudden bolt of lightning.

He closed his eyes.

All the sounds in that room were converted into electromagnetic signals and stored in the petrified Lightning Raven's body, and now they have all been translated out by him.

"It really is a statue of the Virgin Mary." Murphy frowned; this guy really is a persistent ghost.

Unable to use the American president, they turned their attention to Christians within Britain...

With the support of the massive number of followers of the monotheistic religion, this guy seems to be able to escape at will, and Murphy really doesn't know how to deal with him for the time being.

However, this prime minister does not seem to be entirely aligned with the statue of the Virgin Mary.

Murphy smelled a familiar scent on him.

greedy.

While the Virgin Mary was using him, this guy also wanted to use her influence to achieve his own goals. Although they both had a common objective: to destroy the Umbrella Corporation, the Virgin Mary wanted to use this to stop Murphy's progress.

But this prime minister was thinking of swallowing the elephant whole, taking over the legacy of the protection umbrella.

They have a big appetite.

However, this is for the best.

If the opponent were truly a saint who asks for nothing, it would be difficult for him to make a move, but he was extremely experienced in dealing with such a person.

(End of this chapter)