Hogwarts Summoning Guide

Yan Nishuang took Bai Lin to a small hotel that looked plain from the outside but was actually quite well-equipped inside. It was the guesthouse of the Hong Kong office of the Eastern Magic Management Committee, and ordinary people would completely ignore the hotel entrance if they walked by. The hotel was equipped with protective magic, anti-eavesdropping barriers, and the like, so it was very safe.

Mages all have large magical bags, and some can even carry all their belongings with them like a snail, so they don't have to worry about luggage. After handing Bai Lin a key card, Yan Nishuang quickly led him to the conference room in the hotel's basement.

Seeing how quickly Yan Nishuang was making the most of every second, Bai Lin knew that she was actually very pressed for time. She had been driving slowly just to spend more time alone with him and talk to him.

There were already two young people in the conference room, a man and a woman. One was fiddling with a bulky computer, while the other was searching through a pile of documents. When they saw Yan Nishuang enter, the two quickly stood up and greeted her with a local accent, "Team Leader Yan."

Yan Nishuang pointed to the two young men and introduced them: "Alex, Nicole, and this is Kelling, who just returned from England and is now my advisor."

Bai Lin smiled and greeted the two young men. He didn't quite understand why Yan Nishuang wanted to use her English name and emphasize that she had returned from England, but he could guess the reason from the changes in the two young men's expressions.

The locals of Hong Kong in this era had a strong sense of superiority over the mainland of the East, while they had a strange "worship" for the colonial power. Even though it was already 1995 and a major event was destined to happen two years later, the young people of Hong Kong still took pride in having English names and speaking English. For example, two young men who were initially aloof became enthusiastic as soon as they heard that I had just returned from England.

They warmly poured tea for Bai Lin and tidied up a clean chair (most chairs were piled with documents and miscellaneous items). However, seeing Yan Nishuang's icy demeanor, the two of them, though seemingly having a hundred questions to ask, ultimately just gave Bai Lin a dry smile and didn't ask them.

Looking at the scene, Bai Lin roughly guessed the cause and effect. Because the case occurred in Hong Kong, the Executive Department of the Eastern Magic Management Committee (hereinafter referred to as EMMC) probably only sent a small number of capable magicians to investigate, taking into account the time period and the sensitivity of the situation.

Bai Lincai guessed that there would be at most three people, including Yan Nishuang. Moreover, these three people came from different provincial enforcement teams and were likely three team leaders. After arriving in Hong Kong, the three of them would split into three groups to investigate the case from different angles. The local Hong Kong law enforcement department would send staff to assist them. The two rookies in front of Yan Nishuang were assigned to her. Although they were about the same age as her, they looked like innocent girls who hadn't experienced much hardship.

Bai Lin had previously learned about the talent mobility regulations between the UK and Hong Kong. No matter how much Hong Kong monks admired Britain, it was difficult for them to immigrate there. Canada and Australia, which were relatively easier destinations, were the pragmatic dreams of these young people. It was precisely because of this that they were extremely interested in their status as returnees from the UK.

Bai Lin was extremely disgusted by this kind of low-level worship of foreign things, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't possibly give every single one of them a lecture on ideology. Although these local assistants weren't very capable, they were certainly familiar with the terrain and local customs, which would be of great help in solving the case. If he could get along well with them, he would be much freer and more at ease in Hong Kong.

Bai Lin smiled and took out two large bags of finely ground coffee beans from his magical pouch, offering them to the two young men as a small gift. Although they weren't worth much, the two were clearly flattered and quickly thanked him. Alex exclaimed softly, "Wow, this is authentic LANGO! (A popular British coffee brewing method, also called long black, is basically espresso with two parts water, a strength between espresso and Americano. The coffee beans are practically identical to espresso and Americano, both originating from Ethiopia. To be precise, this should be: authentic Yirgacheffe.)"

Bai Lin smiled somewhat awkwardly, but his acting skills were quite good; he didn't correct Alex, but instead suggested they make themselves a cup and try it, as they might have to stay up late to check case files that night. The two cheered and ran off to make coffee, while Yan Nishuang winked helplessly at Bai Lin.

Yan Nishuang handed Bai Lin a large notebook and said, "You can look at it while I explain it."

Bai Lin opened the large notebook, and the first page contained four photos. However, the scenes in the photos startled Bai Lin. If he didn't know that these were photos of a case, Bai Lin would have thought they were stills from the movie Resident Evil.

The photos show several men and women who have clearly turned into zombies, riddled with bullets, their chests mangled and bloody, yet they still charge at the photographer like madmen. The last photo shows a corpse with its head smashed open, but unidentified tissue protruding from its chest cavity.

The photos show several men and women who have clearly turned into zombies, riddled with bullets, their chests mangled and bloody, yet they still charge at the photographer like madmen. The last photo shows a corpse with its head smashed open, but unidentified tissue protruding from its chest cavity.

"This is the consequence of drug overdose: irritability, madness, muscle enhancement, and a high degree of aggression. They bite anyone they see, and ordinary attacks are unlikely to kill them except by damaging their brains," Yan Nishuang explained.

Bai Lin nodded. This was very similar to the effects of T-virus infection in Resident Evil, except that the extra tissue in the abdominal cavities of these zombies was different. He carefully examined the photos of the scene, various speculations flashing through his mind.

At this moment, Alex and Nicole walked in with somewhat complicated expressions, bringing a whole coffee machine with them. They excitedly brewed four cups of "LANGO," and of course, following Hong Kong's culinary tradition, each added a small cup of milk (completely unorthodox British brewing method, making it seem neither Western nor traditional). Yan Nishuang also tasted it; she clearly didn't like this Western flavor, but still politely praised it as "fragrant."

As Bai Lin sipped his coffee, he flipped through the large case file. Alex explained it to him very attentively. When they left earlier, the two young men had specifically investigated Bai Lin's background. In principle, they also belonged to the British Ministry of Magic, specifically an overseas branch.

The result nearly terrified them. Although the first sentence of the document indicated that Bai Lin had been expelled by both Britain and France, the reason given was that he had directly or indirectly killed nearly 50 dark wizards in Europe—a feat that would make him stand out from the crowd. Moreover, the British Ministry of Magic's assessment of him was: extremely dangerous. (Not a word was mentioned about his achievement in eliminating Voldemort.)

With such a capable person in their team, and who seemed quite friendly, the two young men felt they might be carried by a genius, the case would be solved soon, and they would get promoted and receive a raise.

Under Alex's explanation, Bai Lin understood the whole story. Given Yan Nishuang's dedication, a lot of confidential information should not be revealed to Bai Lin, but since it was being told by Alex, it was no longer her concern.

Alex took out another booklet, the first page of which featured a black and white photo of a high school student. He was wearing glasses, had slightly messy hair, and was quite handsome. What was most striking was his gaze, a kind of brilliance and sharpness beyond his years. Just from this photo, Bai Lin could tell that this kid was very intelligent.

"He was the one who first discovered the case. The child is of Japanese descent and his surname is Edogawa..." Alex explained.

"Huh? His name isn't Conan, is it?!" Bai Lin exclaimed in surprise.

"Um... why do you say that? His name is Hiroyuki Edogawa. Although he's only fifteen, he's exceptionally intelligent and currently attends the Hong Kong Magic Academy, so he's our junior." Alex said, puffing out his chest with pride as he mentioned the magic academy.

"Hong Kong has its own magic school?" Bai Lin was quite surprised, after all, there are only three in all of Europe. He thought that mages born in Hong Kong would go to the mainland to study.

"It's a small school, only admitting a dozen or so students each year, but the teaching quality is extremely high! It's ranked in the top ten internationally!" Alex said confidently.

Bai Lin nodded, signaling him to continue explaining the case, and Alex began to speak eloquently.

About a week ago, this kid named Hiroyuki Edogawa ran into his childhood friend, Chung Shun-wen, on his way home. Chung Shun-wen was a little hoodlum who spent his days stealing chickens and dogs and doing nothing productive.

Both men came from orphanages. Hiroyuki Edogawa was more fortunate, awakening his magical talent and successfully entering a magic school. Chung Shun-wen, on the other hand, was not so lucky. At the age of thirteen, he disobeyed the nuns' discipline and ran away from the orphanage. From then on, he roamed the streets, making a living by being clever and capable. Because he was underage, he could only be sent back to the orphanage when he was caught, and then he would probably run away again that very night.

The two had drifted further and further apart, and hadn't seen each other for over a year. But when Edogawa Hiroyuki saw Zhong Shunwen this time, he noticed something was very wrong with him and took him back to his apartment. (The Hong Kong Magic School is small and not a boarding school.)

That very night, Zhong Shunwen underwent a mutation. Although he survived, which was a miracle, he went berserk and tried to bite Haoxing to death. Haoxing, having studied magic for several years, subdued Zhong Shunwen and then reported the incident to the magic enforcement team.

According to Hiroyuki Edogawa's testimony, Chung Shun-wen was instructed by a mysterious person to steal some samples and data from a biomedical institution. Chung Shun-wen went to great lengths to complete the task, but the mysterious person did not pay him. Instead, he injected Chung Shun-wen with an unknown drug.

"They're conducting an experiment..." Bai Lin murmured.

Yan Nishuang was startled and, together with Nicole, leaned closer, asking, "What did you discover?"

Bai Lin shrugged and said, "I'm just putting myself in the shoes of a villain who wants to destroy the whole of Hong Kong. So far, it seems that the drug isn't working very well."

Yan Nishuang frowned and said, "Isn't that ideal? If it hadn't been discovered in time, at least a hundred people would have died that day at that underground bar!"

Bai Lin waved his hand and said, "Even if there are a hundred such zombies, as long as the two conditions are not met, they can be easily eliminated and the incident can be quelled. There is no need to use the magic enforcement team; the ordinary Royal Police Force can handle it."

Yan Nishuang asked, "Which two conditions?"

Bai Lin took out a piece of white paper and wrote down two words: "Infectivity" and "Strong".

Bai Lin explained, "Only when these two conditions are met can this drug possess destructive power. Imagine if the mutated zombies were to become three times stronger and possess magic resistance similar to giants or fire dragons, and could also transmit poison through saliva and blood, how could the Royal Police and the Spell Enforcement Team stop the situation from escalating? The other side adjusted the formula and properties of the poison through experiments in the underground bar. The enforcement team might have easily resolved the riot, but the other side also achieved the result they wanted."

Yan Nishuang's face turned pale. Although she felt that what Bai Lin said was a bit far-fetched, and everything was based on his assumptions, if he guessed correctly, the kind of mutation that spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, would be something that ordinary police officers could not handle. Hong Kong has millions of residents, and if the crisis could not be suppressed immediately when it broke out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Yan Nishuang remained silent, but Nicole asked weakly, "It does sound terrifying... But isn't this just your guess? What's your basis for it?"

Bai Lin shook his finger and said, "No evidence is needed, but it can be verified. First, we can find out whether Zhong Shunwen stole samples and data containing infectious viruses; second, the other party will soon launch a second test, and I predict that the zombies' strength will be significantly increased."

Although she didn't quite believe Bai Lin's words, Yan Nishuang still carefully wrote down his deductions. Then Nicole printed out a map showing the distribution of all the known entertainment venues in Hong Kong, such as bars, dance halls, game arcades, and billiard halls. Goodness, Bai Lin glanced at it and there were probably over a thousand. No wonder it's a metropolis of extravagance and debauchery. Fortunately, the overall area is not large. If they rode on fire crossbows, they could get there within five minutes no matter where the incident occurred.

It was already late, and it was clear that no one would be there to investigate the stolen biopharmaceutical company. Alex decided to stick to their previous approach and screen out suspicious individuals from the entry list.

Incidentally, just as Bai Lin had guessed, there were indeed three teams investigating this case. One was led by the British, who had Zhong Shunwen, eyewitnesses, the body, and physical evidence. The second team, led by Yan Nishuang, only had this room full of documents (almost all copies) and a jumble of photos (all compiled by the three of them working through the night). The third team disappeared as soon as they arrived in Hong Kong. Yan Nishuang said it was a legendary sorcerer named Lou Rong, a lone wolf who always worked alone in the execution department, but possessed great magical power and had solved many major cases.

Bai Lin glanced at Yan Nishuang and the two local novices. Sure enough, his team was the weakest.