Vinda remained silent for a long moment, then let out a sigh:
"You are just like your teacher."
She had followed by Grindelwald's side during those tumultuous years, almost tasting the flavor of victory.
Logically, nothing in this world should move her anymore, but now, the rapid expansion of the "red" power under Audrey's control truly shocked her.
Audrey's early accumulation was based on the collapse of the Soviet Union, and now the growth of the armed forces in her hands still relied on the collapse of the Soviet Union...
She was truly picking the bones clean!
This girl seemed lazy and unmotivated, but she had unconsciously reached a height that even Gellert had never achieved!
Just as Audrey had said, the Alliance had many supporters back then, but the true core strength did not exceed a thousand.
Yet Audrey would soon have a force of over three thousand; that was already the total number of wizards in all of Britain!
But don't forget, Audrey was also a pop star with enormous influence in the wizarding world. If she utilized this identity, her power could expand rapidly once more...
The more she thought, the more frightening it became. The way Vinda looked at Audrey completely changed.
Audrey looked at her in confusion. Why was she staring with such shock?
She just wanted Vinda to stop being so strict; a child on holiday doesn't want to study—that's perfectly reasonable, right?
...
...
A few days later, Hogwarts.
"Gael, Audrey has gathered thousands of former Soviet wizards. What exactly is she trying to do?"
Grindelwald comfortably sipped a bottle of Wahaha fruit milk (in 1993, this drink was called by this name; everyone knows what it was called later). "You don't need to worry, Albus. That child knows what she's doing."
"Instead of worrying about her, why don't you think about how much trouble and tragedy have been avoided in this world now that she has reorganized those wizards who lost their ideals?"
"But this is just too shocking!" Dumbledore shook his head repeatedly. "The power she commands is enough to overthrow the Ministry of Magic of any country..."
"This drink is quite good, Audrey's tribute to me. Would you like some?" Grindelwald smiled, speaking unhurriedly. "Don't pull such a long face, and don't be a doomsayer. You're talking as if she couldn't have subverted a Ministry of Magic before. Don't forget, the British Ministry of Magic is already named Astley."
Dumbledore gave a long sigh as a sense of powerlessness washed over him. It was fortunate that the girl had a lazy temperament...
...
...
"Miss Astley, we meet again."
The Ukrainian President sat opposite Audrey. Behind him stood several East Slavic wizards.
"When the Soviet Union still existed, I knew of the existence of people like you," the President said, looking at Audrey. Standing behind her were Edmond and Isaline.
"Wizards—what a mysterious word!"
The President smiled. "No wonder your group could expand so quickly. Mysterious power is quite useful, isn't it?"
"However, for any country, there must never be a power within its borders that is beyond control."
The President looked perfectly composed. "Our local Ukrainian wizards found me. They want to establish a Ukrainian Ministry of Magic. As one of the largest wizarding groups in our country, Miss Astley, are you willing to accept the jurisdiction of the new Ministry?"
Audrey interlaced her fingers, tapping them against her knuckles.
"Mr. President, I don't understand what you mean."
"It's very simple. The establishment of a new department requires immense manpower and resources. I hope Miss Astley can donate ten billion dollars as the startup cost for the new Ministry of Magic. In exchange, I will reserve two senior councillor positions for you!"
It was a lion's maw opening wide, a blatant attempt to get something for nothing.
"And if I don't donate, what will the consequences be?"
"That's hard to say," the President smiled faintly. The wizards behind him pulled out their wands in unison. "Any domestic force not managed by the state, I believe, can be regarded as a threat to the nation."
The office door was shoved open, and Ye-Ye ran in with a grave expression. He came to Audrey's side and whispered, "Comrade Astley! Our office building is surrounded by the army!"
The President looked at Audrey with a smile. He wanted to know what kind of decision this girl under eighteen would make.
"Will she let the elders behind her step forward?"
'In his view, being able to master such a vast power in a short time was definitely not something a little girl could do. She should just be a piece placed on the table by some big shot.'
'Perhaps today, he would see the mysterious figure who covered the sky with one hand in Ukraine.'
'But regardless of who it was, they would be vulnerable before the state machine!'
'Wizards?'
'No matter how mysterious they were, could they withstand the fire of Maxim machine guns? Could they withstand the baptism of artillery shells?'
'Besides, he had over a thousand wizards in his hands! Not just refugee wizards from Russia, but Ukraine's own local wizards. In particular, the local Ukrainian wizarding families were extremely enthusiastic about the prospect of becoming high-ranking Ministry officials!'
Audrey smiled. "Mr. President is very confident?"
The President spread his hands, a silent admission.
"Alright, then I must trouble Mr. President to take me outside for a look. What exactly is the source of your confidence?"
Audrey walked toward the door with absolute calm. She made a gesture for him to follow and stepped out first.
The civilians around the AA Group building had long been evacuated. Now it was surrounded by layers of soldiers armed with live ammunition. Even a large number of tanks had rolled into the city, blocking all major intersections near the building.
Audrey walked downstairs and immediately saw a middle-aged officer jumping down from a BTR-80 armored vehicle. On the officer's shoulder straps were a pair of crossed batons and two diamonds—a Major General.
"Major General Chernov!" Audrey greeted him with a smile. "How were the profits last month?"
"Hahaha, Miss Astley!"
The bearded Major General Chernov approached and gave the girl a warm bear hug—one with a rather pungent scent.
"Thanks to you! My soldiers have never enjoyed such a prosperous life! Of course, my wife also asked me to thank you for your help!"
"It was only right, General," Audrey ignored the President, whose face had already turned ashen. "But why such a massive show of force today?"
"I heard someone was making trouble for you, so I came specifically to back you up!"
The Major General glanced at the President with eyes full of dissatisfaction and disdain.
"Don't worry, Miss. Whoever dares to move against you, I'll blow the roof off their house first! Come on, who's trying to harm you? My troops are just waiting for your word!"
"Thank you for your support, General," Audrey smiled sweetly. "No one can harm me, but I have indeed been threatened. For safety reasons, I will halt all import and export trade. At that time, the workers in our industries will be placed under precision rationing."
At this time, a large portion of fertile land in Ukraine had been planted with industrial crops like cotton and hops by Audrey, with very few vegetables or fruits grown.
The domestic food supply was almost entirely dependent on imports from the AA Group. The prices were only slightly higher than before the Soviet collapse, making them affordable—but they had to be bought with RMB, USD, or GBP. Using Karbovanets meant the price changed every single day.
Yes, at this time, Ukraine's own Karbovanets was worth less than toilet paper. The wages paid by the AA Group were all in RMB.
Hearing Audrey's words, the President's ashen face suddenly filled with panic.
"No, Astley, you can't do that! You'll plunge half of the Ukrainian people into a living hell!"
Audrey smiled and spread her hands, mirroring the exact gesture the President had made upstairs.
"I'm sure our confident Mr. President will have an excellent way to solve the food problem for his people. I have complete faith in that. Perhaps you could print another few tens of billions of Karbovanets? Maybe some country will agree to trade using them?"
"I wouldn't dare touch matters of national livelihood again, as I'm quite afraid of being branded a traitor. That's not a good title—even though I'm not a Ukrainian citizen myself."
Audrey patted the Major General's arm—she had wanted to pat his shoulder, but couldn't reach it.
"General, please escort our President back to his palace. The road isn't safe, and those few guards he brought might not be enough to protect him."
Audrey looked at the President again: "Our talk today was very pleasant, Mr. President. As for your proposal, I will consider it. That department is indeed necessary to establish, and the sooner the better."
'—It's just that the question of who would control it wasn't up to the President to decide!'
Audrey happily watched as the President refused the military escort and got into his private car. The spatial distortion of Apparition flickered faintly inside the vehicle.
Audrey smiled. The President wasn't actually as confident as he acted!
Once this business was finished, she could go back to the lakeside villa to sunbathe and sleep!
The President had thoughtfully provided an excuse for war, reducing the negotiation time. This meant her summer holiday would have at least half a month of peace. He really was a good person!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]