Chapter 497: Harry's Distress Letter (Edited)

Taxi Driver: Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

What a strange question!

The Prime Minister changed months ago, how did you just find out?

But as strange as it was, the driver came up with a plausible explanation on his own: could the boy have been at some closed-off school? You see, during the summer holidays, he used to sneak out to meet his girlfriend...

A rather reasonable explanation.

With nothing better to do, the driver gave Tom a serious lecture on the changes in British politics over the past few months.

It seems that in every country, taxi drivers are the most politically informed people. This is due to the nature of their profession. A taxi driver definitely has a car, and having a car, whether it's their own or not, implies an elevation in the driver's social class. In a time when private cars were not common, having a taxi was very distinguished. Only licensed drivers could be hired by taxi companies, indicating that the driver can read, has some mechanical knowledge, and knows traffic regulations. In the second half of the 20th century, such people were undoubtedly considered talented.

In an era when taxi rides were expensive, taxi passengers were also people of a certain social status. When two people with a certain position come together, it's easy to find common conversation topics, and so political discussion begins.

Even when private cars started to become common and the position of taxi drivers weakened, this habit didn't disappear but persisted. After all, driving is boring, what else can you do while driving? Moreover, don't underestimate British taxi drivers, there are large and small unions in the UK. These unions keep workers united, so it's very possible that a common London taxi driver knows a minister's driver, and ministers' drivers have their own network. This is how an agile information network is created.

Sometimes, taxi drivers are more informed than the ministers themselves!

The driver of the taxi Tom was traveling in was a well-informed person.

"Although Mr. Hacker was elected... anyone with eyes could see that he could only be the prime minister. I predicted it after Christmas!" The driver grabbed the steering wheel with one hand and vigorously waved the other, as if the new prime minister were his own relative.

"What achievements has Mr. Hacker had in these months as prime minister?" Hermione was quite excited about the fact that the new prime minister was someone she knew, and she was eager to know if Hacker had accomplished great things during his tenure, thus fulfilling her ideals.

The driver fell silent.

He scratched his chin and suddenly realized that although the prime minister had a fairly strong presence on normal days, he couldn't easily recall his achievements. It seemed that every day he talked and visited places, but he simply hadn't achieved anything noteworthy.

Perhaps it's because his tenure is too short? But his predecessor also didn't have any notable achievements, despite turning the opposition party into the ruling party. He didn't leave a significant legacy for the country.

The last great highlight of the British Empire probably dates back to the Falklands War in 1982.

"Well... he defended the honor of British sausages, saved expenses in prisons... and said he would cut the government budget, implement transparent government, and all that, but he hasn't fulfilled any of it yet," the driver said, digging into his mind and finally finding something Hacker could boast about.

Tom: ...

Turns out Hacker hasn't accomplished much at all...

"It's alright, the country can't afford more experiments at this time," thought Tom, believing that the issues of the UK can no longer be solved by just one brilliant prime minister.

"Yes," the driver agreed with Tom, "When a country is in decline, the people in the driver's seat always try to step on the accelerator, but they always forget that they should first turn around before stepping on the accelerator."

A cheerful atmosphere filled the interior of the car.

Tom and the taxi driver enjoyed their lively political discussion. They argued from opposite ends to find common ground, delving into the reasons for the outbreak of World War I and World War II, and debating whether the decline of the British Empire was accidental or inevitable. When the taxi arrived at its destination, they were already discussing the possibilities of a UK resurgence.

"We've reached your destination, that'll be 10.5 pounds," the driver said, hitting the brakes and stopping neatly by the roadside.

Just as Hermione was searching for her wallet, the taxi driver pointed to a bright white owl. He tapped the seat to get Tom's attention.

"Look, there's an owl over there!"

Tom followed the driver's index finger and saw a snowy white owl perched on Hermione's house mailbox, a familiar sight to all, Harry's Hedwig.

"In fact, environmental protection has improved a lot in these years. You can even see owls on the outskirts of London," said the driver, attributing all of this to environmental improvement.

"Goodbye!" After receiving the payment, the taxi sputtered smoke and quickly drove away. Tom looked at the fading taillights and sighed, "He really was a chatty driver!"

"You're not any different," Hermione said as she quickly approached Hedwig, trying to remove the letter from her leg. But Hedwig refused. Hermione took a closer look and saw that the letter's recipient was Tom's name.

Hedwig was a principled owl, she only delivered letters to the recipient. So until Tom arrived, Hermione didn't receive the letter.

She opened the envelope and quickly read the two lines, then told Tom, "It's a letter from Harry, hmm... quite interesting."

Tom quickly took the letter from Hermione's hands and began to read.

Hermione wasn't wrong; it was a distress letter from Harry.

[Dear Tom:

Hello! Greet Hermione for me (I suppose you'll be with her)]

Tom: ...

This guy really guessed right.

[How's your summer going? Ron told me you're also going to the Quidditch World Cup final. That's great; we'll see each other again in August.

Things here haven't improved, rather they've gotten worse. Dudley is starting a diet to lose weight. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia are always experts at finding excuses, but this time they can't avoid it: there are no more pants that fit Dudley in the school wardrobe, haha!

I thought it would be fun, but it turns out the diet is for everyone at home: Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, and me, no one escapes it.

Can you imagine how painful it is to eat only diet food every day? Now I eat fruits and vegetables all the time, so much that I hallucinate, feeling like a rabbit. For Merlin's sake, help me! Could you bring me some real food (none of that fruits or vegetables)? I'd be eternally grateful.

Harry

Note: Have Hedwig bring you something at night, there's a risk of exposure during the day.]