"Rita Skeeter, this matter is very special, there's no room for you to 'play around.' Complete the task well and don't disappoint me."
"Yes." Rita Skeeter bowed her head respectfully.
Her shoulder-length golden curly hair was meticulously styled. She wore a striking formal outfit, showing none of her usual flippant and annoying demeanor.
Some people who seem annoying but manage to do well are often extremely adept at flattering those above them while being arrogant towards those below.
Towards those who hold their livelihood in their hands, they will do everything they can to fawn and flatter, never revealing the other side of their personality.
Rita Skeeter was a freelance reporter for the Daily Prophet. Strictly speaking, she wasn't a permanent staff member, but if she offended the bigwigs of the news industry, a single word could ensure her articles were rejected by any British wizarding media outlet.
She had always been cautious about things that could truly harm her.
Seeing her expression, the speaker nodded. "Alright, you can go."
Rita Skeeter bowed again and left the room.
...
The distinctive flames of the Floo Network ignited in the fireplace, and Rita Skeeter arrived at the British Ministry of Magic.
She was very familiar with this place. Major news in the wizarding world generally focused on politics and powerful wizards.
Glancing around, she saw many familiar faces in the bustling crowd – reporters from various newspapers, minor wizards. Clearly, they were here for the same reason as her.
Either invited or attending voluntarily for this 'press conference.'
Rita Skeeter pushed up her jeweled glasses, her eyes darting around, a playful smile curving her lips.
She stealthily pulled out her self-recording quill from her pocket and, taking two steps at a time, moved towards a refined-looking wizard.
She particularly liked wizards with an elegant demeanor. When dealing with such wizards, even if she fabricated some outlandish gossip or sensationalized things, there wouldn't be severe consequences.
Rita Skeeter didn't understand the saying "a gentleman can be bullied," but she was a master of it.
This press conference was an important occasion where the highly renowned British Seer and Director of the Virtual Reality Technology Management Office, Roger Virgil, would announce his new achievement to the public.
As a journalist, she had already sensed something unusual from the whispers.
Rita Skeeter was certain that if she dared to mess around in this situation, let alone her livelihood, her life would likely be in danger.
But she was also someone who couldn't sit still, always looking for opportunities to pry and gather information for her own benefit.
So...
"Hello, I'm Rita Skeeter, a freelance reporter for the Daily Prophet."
"Are you here for the conference too?" Rita Skeeter asked with a seemingly friendly smile, approaching him to get acquainted.
She couldn't cause trouble at the conference itself, but she felt she could extract some interesting news from the attendees.
There were no journalistic principles in the wizarding world; there was no pursuit of reporting the truth.
As long as she made contact, she had ways to fabricate something 'shocking.'
"Ah?"
"Yes." The refined wizard was slightly taken aback by Rita Skeeter's sudden approach and conversation.
"May I ask your name..."
"..." The wizard paused for a moment.
Then he said, "Tom."
The name sounded very common. If you shouted it on the street, several people might turn around.
Looking at his refined appearance and recalling his name, Rita Skeeter searched her memory but couldn't find a match.
He was probably an unknown figure.
But this press conference hosted by a Seer wasn't something just anyone could attend. He was likely a relative of some important figure.
Although she had a guess, since the other party hadn't directly revealed his surname, Rita Skeeter didn't press further.
You have to eat meals bite by bite, and trust must be earned bit by bit; she still possessed this basic professional quality.
"Tom, what do you think of what's going to be announced at this conference?" Rita Skeeter didn't stop walking.
Instead, she walked towards the elevator with the wizard Tom, asking in a casual tone along the way.
"I heard they're going to unveil something incredibly significant this time?" She tried to steer the conversation.
Although Rita Skeeter could fabricate things without any professional ethics, she still preferred a touch of "truth" if possible.
After all, false lies could easily be exposed if scrutinized.
But if a prominent figure truly uttered something outrageous, and she managed to catch them red-handed, it would be more than just the manuscript fees for the news.
If she got lucky, some secrets could sustain her for a lifetime!
Of course, this required a sustainable approach to fishing – if you pushed people too hard, you wouldn't get anything good yourself.
Rita Skeeter was a person with a sense of proportion; she knew what to do if an opportunity truly arose.
"Large-scale interactive virtual reality," Wizard Tom murmured.
"It's truly remarkable."
"If nothing unexpected happens, this world is about to be turned upside down."
He was unaware of the Second Magic, but a super-large, high-density information exchange network alone was terrifying enough.
Not to mention the mind-accelerating technology within it.
If applied well, it would effectively double the peak period of human thought.
This applied to scientists and wizards alike.
The vast majority of them achieved their greatest life's work during their youth.
The human body and mind begin to decline in function after reaching middle age.
This is unavoidable.
Roger's technology would bring about a revolution; everyone attending the press conference agreed on this.
It was just that the specific direction of the revolution and what it would look like were subjects of debate.
Aside from the press, most of the wizards attending the conference were hoping to receive the answers they sought from Roger, the Seer.
Although Voldemort was defeated over a decade ago, as the saying goes:
It's easier to conquer a mountain than a thief in one's heart.
Any wizard who wasn't blind could see the trend of Muggles' rising power.
Under a strong sense of crisis, some ideas had not been completely extinguished.
In the original timeline, Voldemort's return and his ability to rally followers, rather than becoming a street rat, was proof enough of the situation! And now, those who held such thoughts seemed to vaguely see hope!
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