0847 The Contact (LARGE-CHAPTER)

The Muggle taxi carrying Bryan and Amelia crossed the Brooklyn Bridge connecting Manhattan Island to Brooklyn, then continued eastward along the East River for about ten minutes before turning west. After passing through a road lined with flourishing sycamore trees on both sides, it stopped beside a quiet and serene street.

The cool evening breeze of early nightfall wandered through the spacious, clean streets. The dim yellow glow from the street lamps highlighted the elegant character of the light brown exterior walls of the pseudo-classical buildings that lined both sides of the road—buildings that, while not particularly tall, appeared majestic nonetheless.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the street, only the occasional Muggle coming and going from the upscale restaurants and hotels situated along the roadside.

Bryan watched several Muggles who had stepped out of luxury cars and quickly entered a hotel, then withdrew his gaze and scanned the surrounding area.

“Are there ambushes?”

Seeing him in this state, Amelia nervously pressed her lips together and swallowed before speaking.

Regarding the invitation letter delivered to Bryan from the Muggle world, Bryan had ultimately decided to attend the appointment. Although Remus didn’t approve of Bryan’s decision, he couldn’t change his mind.

The preliminary cooperation plan with the Magical Congress of the United States of America left Remus without a moment’s spare time, and after Bryan told him that the workshop’s expansion was even related to their struggle against Voldemort, Remus dared not take it lightly.

He had to throw himself wholeheartedly into his work, implementing everything Bryan had instructed.

Therefore, he couldn’t accompany Bryan to this suspicious and equally dangerous appointment. However, at his insistence, Bryan agreed to bring Amelia along.

It wasn’t that Remus expected Amelia to be able to protect Bryan if they encountered danger, but rather that, at the very least, in critical moments, Amelia could provide her wand.

“Hmm—”

After surveying the area, Bryan shook his head and said in a light tone.

“No, everything looks perfectly normal. The environment here is indeed quite nice—I think it would be very suitable for a date.”

Amelia, whose intoxication had long since worn off, wore her usual expression of calm detachment.

Having spent some time with Bryan, she had grown accustomed to this internationally renowned great wizard’s occasional frivolity. She was quite certain that Bryan wasn’t “flirting” with her, because as a girl of beauty, she couldn’t even remember how many boys had shown interest in her since childhood.

Being able to clearly sense when boys had those kinds of feelings toward her wasn’t any remarkable skill for an emotionally perceptive girl—it could be done without magic. Amelia couldn’t detect even a hint of romantic trace in Bryan’s words.

After walking for some distance, Bryan and Amelia arrived at the appointed location.

The coffee shop chosen by the letter writer wasn’t like the small street-side cafés Bryan had seen on the streets of Paris and Bologna, but was extremely refined and luxurious.

Pushing open the door, a rich aroma of coffee hit their nostrils, causing even Bryan, who wasn’t particularly fond of this beverage, to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

The coffee shop, roughly the size of two or three classrooms, was bathed in the soft yellow glow emanating from shining bulbs housed in vintage glass lampshades that hung from the distinctive wrought-iron ceiling.

On a small stage opposite the main entrance, a Muggle girl in a light blue evening gown looking tall and elegant was performing a slow-paced, melodious piano piece.

Amelia pressed her dry lips together, her vigilant gaze sweeping over the few customers in the coffee shop, trying to Deppmine which one had written to Bryan.

“Good evening, sir, madam—”

A waiter approached them with a practiced, spring-like smile.

“How may I serve you both?”

The Muggle waiter spoke politely, but his eyes showed a hint of puzzlement.

Everyone who frequented this area was always elite and high-end clientele, dressed elegantly and expensively. Yet the young man and woman before him, who looked like a couple, wore quite ordinary clothing. Strangely though, they both possessed an outstanding, distinguished air that didn’t make them seem like typical young people who had wandered in out of curiosity.

“We already have a reservation—”

Bryan said in a calm, low voice. “Let me think… yes, it should be table fourteen.”

“Very well—”

The waiter hid his slight confusion and bowed, leading Bryan and Amelia to a table near the back of the café, positioned behind a large, distinctive medieval sailing ship model.

Amelia took the menu the waiter handed her and flipped through several pages. Her delicate nostrils twitched, and she unconsciously muttered.

“So expensive—”

“It doesn’t matter,”

Bryan said nonchalantly.

“Order whatever you like—we won’t be the ones paying anyway.”

The corner of Amelia’s mouth twitched, and she obediently ordered two cups of Geisha coffee and some exquisitely baked desserts.

The melodious piano music drifted around their ears, and the few other tables of customers spoke only in hushed tones. The spacious café was remarkably quiet.

“The person who invited you hasn’t arrived yet?”

The elegant surroundings made Amelia somewhat uncomfortable. Although she was a witch, she came from an ordinary Muggle family.

Glancing at the wall clock, with about ten minutes until eight o’clock, Bryan nodded.

“As you can see, all the customers and waiters in this café are Muggles. The only wizards here are us.”

“But why did he want to meet here?”

Amelia’s gaze passed through the large ship model’s sails toward the customers at tables several spots away, feeling a vague sense of unease that she couldn’t quite identify.

“If you’re asking for my opinion—”

Bryan lifted the complimentary floral tea provided during the wait and took a sip. The syrupy sweetness made a vein in his forehead twitch.

“It’s as a precaution.”

Without waiting for Amelia to ask, Bryan explained proactively.

“Those missing 5X-level magical creatures have left the Security Department investigating for months without any leads. Newt told me that the criminals who committed the crimes left no traceable clues at the scenes and made no disturbance when they struck. So how could such a perfect crime suddenly produce an informant? Unless—”

“Unless he was involved in the crime himself!”

Amelia’s eyes widened, her voice tight with tension.

Bryan nodded slightly.

“That’s what I think. So, the person who invited me out should also have anticipated that I would guess this. To prevent himself from falling into my hands, or me reporting to the Security Department… choosing a Muggle location to meet with us isn’t hard to predict.”

Bryan glanced around casually, paused in his speech, then continued.

“This café and the nearby restaurants and hotels all serve people with status and position in Muggle society. If our conversation takes an unpleasant turn, such an environment would make me hesitant to act rashly. After all, if these influential Muggles were to die mysteriously, the impact on Muggle society would be greater than if ordinary people died.”

“Despicable criminal.”

Amelia said uncontrollably, disgust flashing in her eyes.

“Perhaps. I rather think this person might be facing some kind of trouble—”

Bryan said calmly.

“Knowing that meeting with Bryan Watson is a very risky affair, yet still insisting on doing so… the trouble he’s encountered is probably quite significant.”

The piano music drifting through the café reached a climactic crescendo before the piece’s end. The suddenly passionate and stirring melody caused all whispered conversations in the café to cease, as every customer turned appreciative gazes toward the girl performing.

Applause erupted.

The music stopped abruptly at its climax, leaving only lingering echoes.

The performing girl gracefully lifted her skirt and rose from her seat. A smile appeared on her face as she bowed to the applauding audience in gratitude.

Bryan also applauded the Muggle girl’s exquisite skill and nodded with a smile in return.

Watching this scene unfold and seeing the girl retreat to the back room to rest, Amelia glanced past the various reluctant gentlemen in the café and suddenly asked.

“Do all you men like that type of girl?”

“What?”

Bryan asked in confusion, then realized.

“Oh no, I’m different from others—”

Dong, dong, dong—

The clock chimed, and at that moment the café door opened. Bryan’s gaze swept over, then he composed himself and said calmly:

“The person we’re waiting for has arrived.”

Upon hearing this, the faint traces of sourness in Amelia’s heart immediately vanished completely. Her gaze suddenly sharpened toward the entrance, and at first glance, her eyebrows drew together toward the center of her brow.

The man who entered the café was a lean, middle-aged figure wearing a strangely styled black jacket, with a rebellious lip piercing beneath his mouth. Amelia trusted her judgment—this man, whose demeanor seemed completely out of place in this café, was a powerless Muggle.

She looked at Bryan in confusion, while Bryan sat down with calm composure, quietly waiting for this inviter to arrive.

The café’s waiter was also somewhat surprised by this customer’s attire and aesthetic, but when he heard the guest mention having a reservation and provide a table number, he could only suppress the disdain and dissatisfaction in his heart and politely direct the customer to where Bryan and Amelia were seated, though he didn’t personally escort him there.

The hip-hop dress dressed Muggle man paid no attention to the strange looks the café’s other customers casted his way. He surveyed the area vigilantly, then looked toward the direction the waiter had indicated.

However, his view was blocked by the large ship model, preventing him from seeing the situation at the table behind it.

After weighing his options, the Muggle man pressed his lips together and strode quickly in their direction.

He stopped about twenty feet away from Bryan. Upon seeing that world-famous face, the Muggle man’s gaze suddenly focused, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But when he noticed that a young lady was also seated across from Bryan, his expression immediately turned very ugly.

While the Muggle man was sizing up Bryan and Amelia, they were also studying him.

Amelia’s gaze clearly showed hostility to an almost confirmed criminal who might be involved in the missing magical creature’s case. In her opinion, the correct course of action would be to arrest him immediately and send him back to the MACUSA for interrogation.

As for Bryan, he gazed at this completely unfamiliar Muggle man who stood studying him, his sharp stare boring into the man’s eyes. Then, discovering something, his expression became knowing.

“So, it’s you.”

Bryan said peacefully.

His words caused both Amelia and the inviter to show fleeting bewilderment, and while the latter couldn’t understand the meaning, he clearly became more alert.

“If I remember correctly, Mr. Watson—”

The man said in a voice hoarse with tension.

“I only invited you alone. This young lady wasn’t within my invitation’s scope. Who is she?”

“Amelia Depp.”

Bryan leaned back into the sofa cushions, his fingers interlaced and resting on his knees as he said calmly,

“An Auror dispatched by the Magical Congress of the United States of America’s Security Department to protect my safety.”

Upon hearing about the MACUSA’s Auror, veins bulged on the man’s forehead. He glanced at Amelia, who faced him with a cold expression, and fought the urge to flee as his breathing turned rapid.

“This sounds like a joke, Mr. Watson. You are the most powerful wizard of our time, surely you don’t need anyone to protect your safety.”

“You should know that the Security Department confiscated my wand.”

“But you subdued a Nundu with your bare hands.”

The Muggle man was silent for a moment, then said to Bryan.

“You brought a Security Department Auror to meet me, this doesn’t seem very sincere.”

“Sir, is there anything I can help you with?”

A serving waiter passed by the Muggle man, looking at him with some puzzlement, not understanding why this customer was standing in the aisle.

“No.”

The Muggle man took a deep breath and ultimately didn’t turn to leave, but instead walked toward his reserved table.

Amelia was about to stand up to give this suspicious Muggle a seat, but Bryan gestured in the air, signaling for Amelia to sit down.

“You don’t intend to talk with me? If so, why did you come here today?”

Seeing this, the Muggle man’s expression darkened. After the waiter set down the drinks and bowed away, he asked awkwardly while standing beside the table.

Bryan looked into this man’s eyes and clearly sensed that behind those eyes, a wizard’s consciousness was stirring. His expression was calm to the point of coldness,

“You just mentioned sincerity—”

Bryan’s voice carried contempt and severity. He didn’t even glance at the man, but casually stirred the fragrant coffee in front of him with a silver spoon.

“You probably need my help with something, yet you’re using the Imperius Curse to control a Muggle to meet with me. Is this your sincerity?”

‘The Imperius Curse?!’

‘The Muggle in front of them wasn’t the real wizard who had written the invitation to Bryan, but an innocent Muggle controlled by the Imperius Curse, one of the three Unforgivable Curses?’

Amelia rose indignantly. She instinctively moved to draw her wand, but just before doing so, she realized she was now in Muggle territory—she couldn’t expose magic in front of these people!

“No matter who you are, you will face the punishment of the law!”

Amelia said coldly, staring into the Muggle man’s eyes.

“Miss Auror,”

After a moment of silence, the Muggle man said in a low voice.

“I have already received my punishment.”

Then he looked toward Bryan, preparing to say something, but Bryan raised his palm, stopping whatever the man was about to say.

“I won’t communicate anything with someone who hides in shadows. If you want to talk with me, let this Muggle you’re controlling leave safely and come see me yourself.”

The Muggle man’s expression changed, and he seemed ready to struggle, but Bryan gave him a glance filled with authority. The thunderous pressure made his breathing irregular, and even the lights above their heads flickered several times.

“I’ll only wait ten minutes.”

The coffee he sipped had a fairly rich taste, but compared to the crisp and sweet aftertaste of Greek tea, it still wasn’t to Bryan’s liking. He gently set down the cup and said indifferently.

“After ten minutes, I’ll leave.”

With that, Bryan tilted his chin toward Amelia.

“You only have ten minutes to ‘eliminate’ these delicious snacks, Amelia. Don’t waste them.”

Amelia astutely understood Bryan’s purpose in saying this. She cast a cold glance at the pale-faced Muggle man and began silently attacking the cheesecake on the table.

Seeing this, the Muggle man’s expression changed repeatedly. He could feel Bryan Watson’s determination—if he didn’t appear in person, Bryan Watson truly wouldn’t engage in any further communication with him.

But—

The Muggle man glanced at Amelia. If he revealed himself before reaching an agreement with Bryan, and if Bryan Watson changed his mind and decided to capture him right here… he would be left with only a dead end!

“Nine minutes remaining.”

Bryan said without a ripple of emotion.

If he continued to stay in New York, he would eventually be finished anyway. Better to gamble—perhaps there would be a chance for survival!

The Muggle man gritted his teeth secretly.

“Please wait a moment.”

After saying this, the Muggle man hurriedly left, departing the café under the confused gaze of the waiters.

“Aren’t you worried he’ll run away and never come back?”

After the Muggle man left, Amelia no longer concealed her concern, leaned forward and asking worriedly.

“Not worried—”

Bryan said lightly, but didn’t give his reasons.

The ten minutes passed both in a flash and with excruciating slowness. Amelia kept biting her lip, her gaze constantly darting toward the entrance. She didn’t understand why Bryan was so confident, but this was indeed the Security Department’s closest opportunity to catch the criminals who had poached 5X-level dangerous magical creatures.

She didn’t know what this criminal organization’s ultimate purpose was in committing such heinous acts, but if those magical creatures appeared in Muggle neighborhoods, the consequences would absolutely be catastrophic!

Amelia frequently glanced at the wall clock, watching time tick by second by second, the anxiety in her heart was growing stronger.

The girl who had performed earlier returned to the hall from the rest room, having changed into a light purple evening gown, and bowed again to some of the gentlemen who applauded her.

Crash—

With only half a minute remaining before Bryan’s ten-minute deadline, another man wrapped fully in a gray coat burst into the café. He ran all the way, completely ignoring the waiter’s inquiries as he rushed into the café. His suspicious appearance even startled the girl performing music.

She looked at the man’s ashen face in terror, staggered backward several steps, and accidentally struck her arm against a corner of the piano, immediately showing pain on her face.

“Sir!”

One waiter helped the girl back to her rest room, while another waiter chased after the man, shouting angrily.

“I’m here.”

Haruto Lee finally stood breathlessly in front of Bryan and Amelia.

Waving dismissively at the pursuing waiter, Bryan looked at this wizard with whom he’d already had two encounters, his eyebrows rose slightly and he simply said,

“Well then, please sit—”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep