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Chapter 672: The Anderson Family's Troubles
Chapter 672: The Anderson Family's Troubles
As the British wizarding world was in an uproar over Sirius Black's prison break, Britain's Muggle world was also abuzz with excitement over a singular event.
A lawyer named Herbert Anderson had won the lottery jackpot, sparking envy and jealousy in countless others.
However, the Anderson family was not rejoicing; they were fraught with worry because of the windfall.
Winning the lottery was, of course, a fortunate event. But for Herbert, it might not turn out to be such a blessing.
The winning numbers had been given to him by his son, Albert, who had mentioned before leaving for France that in a few years, Britain would no longer be safe. He predicted that their family would need to leave the country for a while, and this lottery money would serve as their relocation fund.
None of the family members shared his enthusiasm. Instead, a host of problems arose in the aftermath of the win.
Daisy found herself inundated with contacts from relatives with whom she rarely interacted. The number of visitors at her doorstep also increased significantly, and their intentions seemed less than pure.
Fortunately, her brother Charlie's business was thriving; otherwise, who knows what troubles might have befallen them.
In fact, even Charlie himself came to discuss what to do with the money. He believed it should be invested more effectively.
The Anderson couple refused, saying they needed to consult with Albert first before making any investments.
Charlie was disappointed but couldn't argue, as his success was partly due to Albert's advice. He didn't dare say anything unpleasant, so he merely asked Daisy to bring him along when the time came to make money.
Herbert was perusing the latest intelligence, his brow furrowed in concern, when he said to his wife, "I've just had someone investigate the overseas colony that Albert mentioned. That piece of land will be returned to the other party on July 1, 1997. This was an agreement made by Prime Minister Thatcher with them back in September 1982."
"Are we really going to leave Britain?" Daisy asked, incredulous, as she looked at her husband.
To be honest, the thought of starting a new life in an unfamiliar place made her anxious. She didn't want to give up her career as a lawyer, and she feared that this unexpected windfall might force her to abandon her current life. Who knew what the future would hold if they squandered this fortune? It certainly wouldn't end well.
"No, I think we should respect Albert's opinion," Herbert sighed. "Do you really think we have any other choice? Knowing Albert's personality, and given that he has foreseen impending danger, he will never allow us to stay in Britain. Eventually, he will use magic to 'persuade' us and send us packing."
Daisy fell silent.
The couple knew their son's character all too well. Geniuses tended to be especially stubborn when it came to matters they were certain about, and with Albert's capabilities, such a scenario was entirely possible.
"Perhaps we should share this good news with him," Herbert suggested, breaking the silence. He went to the bedroom to retrieve the two-way mirror Albert had left for them to maintain contact and began calling out to Albert through the mirror.
After a long while, a figure appeared in the mirror, and Albert's face came into view.
"You won?" Albert asked.
"How did you know?"
Daisy froze after the words left her mouth. How did Albert know? He probably guessed, given his intelligence, and the fact that he had prophesied their lottery win.
"How much?"
"You don't know?" Nia asked, surprised.
"How much?" Albert asked.
"Ten million pounds," Herbert replied with a smile. "After taxes, we'll still be left with a substantial sum."
"We should be able to net around six million pounds," Albert estimated, unable to resist a quip. "But those taxes are heavy."
Ignoring his son's comment, Herbert asked, "What do you plan to do with this money that you brought our way?"
"Invest it in the colony," Albert replied without hesitation. "After the colony's independence, there will be a final frenzy of capital investment, and property prices should drop by half."
"You plan to buy property?"
"Yes," Albert said, knowing what his father was thinking. "The colony borders a country with a population of one billion. Moreover, it doesn't have the caste issues of the subcontinent, which means its population will be the foundation for its national takeoff, and it is destined to soar."
"The capital city and the largest coastal cities are good investment targets. You can gather a group of people and form a company to invest there.
Herbert was at a loss for words.
Could this be their chance to soar?
If what Albert said was true, then this was indeed a golden opportunity to make a fortune.
"I heard that the judges over there are appointed for life. You can go ahead and secure yourself a judge's position. Start preparing now, learn about the situation there, and study their language as you wait for the right moment to profit," Albert suggested, then added after a moment's thought, "Oh, and remember to leave some money for me."
Albert continued to ramble on, giving various instructions, while Herbert took notes slowly with a pen, feeling that he should at least consider his son's advice, despite his own opinions as a lawyer.
He had to admit, the ability to prophesize was truly remarkable! "We can ask Charlie about this," Daisy suggested, deciding to bring her cheap relatives into the fold, considering it a favor to them. Whether they chose to get involved or not was up to them.
"Let's reduce our work at the law firm for now and focus on gathering intelligence. We'll visit that place another day to survey the area, and hopefully, we can establish some contacts there," Herbert said, having recovered from the initial shock of the windfall. He made a series of clear judgments, aware that while Albert might be speaking without much thought, turning a profit from this endeavor would require someone to work hard and run around.
"Securing a lifelong judge position doesn't sound too bad."
With money, anything was possible. This was the world of capital, and as a lawyer himself, Herbert was familiar with how the system worked.
"What about me?" Nia asked, feeling even more glum.
"You'll come with us when we leave Britain. By then, you'll be close to finishing your studies here. As for university, you can enroll over there and focus on learning management," Herbert replied without hesitation.
"Albert is so annoying!"
Nia disliked the idea of having her life planned out for her, even though she understood the importance of money.
Hmph! In the future, she would be the one controlling the purse strings of Albert's money.
...
"Who were you just talking to?"
Isabelle, freshly out of the shower and wearing a sleepwear, stood at the door holding two cups of hot cocoa. She handed one to Albert.
"My family. They told me we won," Albert replied.
"Won?"
"The Muggle lottery jackpot," Albert said with a smile. "We should be getting about £6 million pounds."
"£6 million pounds?!" Isabelle tried to recall the exchange rate between Muggle pounds and Galleons. "That would be approximately 1.2 million Galleons if we were to exchange it all!"
As she spoke, her eyes widened in astonishment.
"Money-grubber," Albert teased, gently tapping Isabelle's forehead. "It's going to be difficult to exchange that much money into Galleons, though."
"I suddenly feel like the Galleon grand prize in the Prophet is a joke," Isabelle sighed.
"That's normal," Albert explained, his arms still around Isabelle. "There are more Muggles than wizards, so naturally, the wealth they generate is far beyond what wizards can accumulate. The significance of wealth isn't just about a pile of gold coins."
Seeing that Isabelle was still a little dazed, Albert smiled and continued, "What do you plan to do with all that money?" Isabelle reminded him. "If the Ministry of Magic finds out that you... that you obtained such a large sum from the Muggle world."
"Obtained, no, no, it's not stealing," Albert corrected with a smile. "Winning the lottery is a normal occurrence for Muggles. The Ministry can't trouble me over this because the money isn't mine, at least not directly. I won't leave any evidence, and most wizards don't understand Muggle affairs anyway, so they won't even know about it."
"So, it's not a crime if it's not discovered?"
Isabelle recalled Albert's twisted logic.
"There aren't any conscientious capitalists these days," Albert said with a slight pout. "Besides, my method is completely legal, so you can't accuse me of anything."
Isabelle rolled her eyes but decided to drop the topic. Suddenly, she found herself being picked up.
"We should properly celebrate winning the jackpot."
"Don't," Isabelle said shyly. "You'll disturb the neighbors, and I'm already very tired today."
"Don't worry, I've cast a spell on this room to soundproof it. We won't disturb the Le Mes' rest," Albert assured her as he closed the door and drew the curtains.
(End of Chapter)
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