153: Chapter 151 Freshmen Recruited, Meeting

Returning to London with the Shadow Technique active, Zhang Mu didn't intend to spend too much time on the selection process.

Floating high in the sky, he looked down at the city where order had descended into chaos. Not only were ordinary citizens and office workers distracted from their work, but even some public officials from government departments were running through the streets with nets, hunting for Owls.

The latter, Zhang Mu realized after browsing a portal website for a while, had only gone crazy after he had 'thrown the stone.'

The post on the website's homepage was an aerial shot of a giant crater, likely taken by a flight enthusiast who had noticed the tremors and the dust filling the outskirts and rushed over to film it.

Zhang Mu's display of power appeared capable of destroying heaven and earth; how could ordinary people maintain a steady state of mind?

Never mind ordinary people—judging by the steady stream of cars entering the Queen's residence, the so-called elites were clearly just as shaken.

"Let's end this chaos as quickly as possible."

Zhang Mu noticed people in the city below taking advantage of the chaos to fish in troubled waters. Some were even engaging in 'zero-dollar shopping' while searching for Owls. He felt he needed to end the disorder quickly.

First, he controlled 2,000 Owls to use a weakened version of the Lightning Spell—one that caused pain but wasn't lethal—to knock down all the clever fellows participating in the looting.

Next, he flew around the city's high altitudes, looking for seekers who weren't carrying nets and showed a more sincere attitude.

Although most people had lost their minds, pulling out everything from nets to crossbows, in a city of this size, calm individuals could still be found.

After wandering for about five hours, he finally gathered nineteen people who met the various criteria.

He was still short by one.

But for this last one, Zhang Mu continued flying until dark without seeing a suitable candidate.

They were either too old, or their professional background overlapped with those already selected.

"Tsk." Smacking his lips, Zhang Mu transformed into Dumbledore's appearance, deactivated the Shadow Technique, and landed on a city street.

"Where should I look?"

Wrapped entirely in a magic robe, Zhang Mu strolled along the street.

On the roadside, a reporter from the official media held a microphone, speaking excitedly toward a camera carried on a colleague's shoulder, spit flying from their mouth.

Pedestrians with crazed expressions, clutching nets, occasionally brushed past him like gusts of wind.

Suddenly, a bald young man stopped in front of Zhang Mu, eyeing him with suspicion and uncertainty: "Sir, you are..."

"Cosplay."

"Old man, at your age, you should stay home and rest. Do you really think your aged body can catch a nimble Owl?

Wasting my precious time!"

The young man cursed, rushing forward with hurried steps, raising his hand to push Zhang Mu aside.

His eyes narrowing slightly, Zhang Mu raised his staff.

"Mom, we have to go help that old man."

"If Misha wants to do it, then go ahead."

Following the childish tone was a gentle encouragement.

Zhang Mu's thoughts shifted; he lowered his staff and pretended to stumble to the side after being bumped by the bald youth.

"Old gentleman, please be careful."

His arm was supported by a small hand. Zhang Mu used the support to steady himself and looked down.

It was a young girl of about eight years old. Her simple clothing could not hide her sweet features and her shoulder-length dark golden hair.

She blinked her large eyes: "Are you alright? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"Thank you, lovely girl. I am fine."

"But I saw you almost fall just from being bumped... Are you hungry?"

Zhang Mu felt a bit playful and decided to tease the little girl: "That's right. Because I haven't eaten for many days, I can't stand steadily."

"Mom, we..." She turned her head to seek her mother's opinion, who was standing a few steps behind.

"The gentleman is joking with you."

The mother had clearly seen through Zhang Mu's teasing. "Eh?" The girl froze for a few seconds, turned her head back, and knit her small eyebrows. "Really?"

Oh no, lying had made the little one angry.

Not everything can be brushed off with a joke. Zhang Mu put on an apologetic expression: "Yes, I'm very sorry..."

"That's wonderful!" Misha hopped happily. "Then you haven't encountered those sad misfortunes."

Zhang Mu stared at the bouncing little girl and shifted his gaze to the mother: "Madam, I admire your upbringing of her."

"Sir, her father and I didn't deliberately teach her principles; we just guide her through our actions," the mother smiled gently. "She is her own person."

"What a clever and well-behaved child." Zhang Mu asked cheerfully as Misha ran back to her mother's side, "Aren't you two going to pursue magic?"

The events in London had already spread. She looked up at her mother: "Mom said magic doesn't belong to us."

Zhang Mu couldn't comment on that; he could only say that an individual's limitations are hard to change.

Looking at Misha, he muttered in his heart: She's a bit young. For the freshman exam I envisioned, such a small girl... Forget it, let it be her.

"Thank you again for your kind help. I wish to give you the reward you deserve."

The mother likely thought it was candy or something similar, so she didn't refuse and let Misha approach Zhang Mu.

Zhang Mu did not pull out a beautifully wrapped candy from his pocket as they expected. Instead, he raised his arm: "Come here."

A few seconds later, a loud cry rang out from the sky above. An Owl carrying an envelope in its beak flapped its wings and descended, landing steadily on his outstretched arm.

This scene immediately attracted the attention of those around them, and in an instant, people came rushing over recklessly.

"It's mine!"

The crowd surged toward Zhang Mu like a tide. He gave a cold snort, and a nearly transparent fireball manifested in front of him. Under his intentional control, the scorching heat forced the people to cover their faces and retreat.

Having cleared the crowd, Zhang Mu knelt down, and the Owl hopped onto Misha's shoulder: "It belongs to you."

At this moment, the mother finally seemed to snap out of it, her elegant lips, devoid of lipstick, slightly parted: "You... Sir, you are..."

Returning the smile, Zhang Mu waved toward a live news host in the distance who was still unaware of what was happening due to the crowd's obstruction.

"Is that... a Magician?!"

"Hey, quick, over here!" The host beckoned his colleague and, unable to wait, ran to Zhang Mu on his own.

First, he stared at the semi-transparent fireball with a flushed face, then he raised his microphone: "Mag... how should I address you?"

"Dumbledore."

The name, heavy with information, left the host's eyes dazed for a moment. Coming back to his senses, he hurriedly asked:

"You are Dumbledore? The Headmaster of Hogwarts from the harry potter novels? May I ask what your relationship is with Ms. Rowling? She's been to Hogwarts, hasn't she?"

"You idiot, what kind of boring questions are you asking?!"

From the crowd that had been pushed back by the heat wave, someone shouted a curse and then asked loudly: "Mr. Magician, I wish to enroll in Hogwarts! I can donate all of my property!"

"Hogwarts does not recruit Muggles," Zhang Mu replied indifferently, then turned to the host. "Is this a live broadcast?"

Perhaps shocked by the word "live broadcast" coming from a magician he considered an "old relic," the host stammered for a long while before replying: "Yes, yes, Mr. Dumbledore!"

Nodding in acknowledgment, Zhang Mu looked into the camera: "The list for the first batch of new students has been finalized. All new students, please gather at Kings Cross Station tomorrow morning."