Chapter 313: Greed

"The Prime Minister has been forced to resign from the party leadership, but he will remain as Prime Minister for a while, until the ruling party selects a new leader and Prime Minister."

At the lakeside villa, Murphy sat in the corner, listening to an analyst speak, "The chair of the '1922 Committee' of backbench MPs has confirmed that the new leader and Prime Minister will be announced on September 6. MPs wishing to compete for the leadership can become candidates with the nomination of 20 MPs by this Wednesday."

"Mr. Patrick wants to be a candidate; theoretically, we only have three days to prepare."

"But, in fact, we've been preparing for this for two months," the analyst said. "We have at least forty supporters in the House of Commons, which should allow us to make it to the second or even third round of the contest."

As previously stated, the British Parliament is like a big mud pit, seemingly deeply committed to the principle of checks and balances, with the opposition checking the ruling party, Parliament checking the Prime Minister, and even within the Conservative Party, there is a group of backbench MPs that can oust and re-elect the party leader.

This system of checks and balances sometimes serves to ensure that more voices are heard, but most of the time, it just results in chaos where no one can accomplish anything.

However, this chaotic system now provided an opportunity for Murphy.

With the Prime Minister stepping down and the Conservative Party internally choosing a new leader, Patrick, having just been elected as an MP this year, could use this opportunity to gain some political prestige.

It would be very difficult to be elected leader outright, but even just becoming a candidate would attract significant political capital for Patrick.

Therefore, almost simultaneously with Murphy's move to control the Prime Minister, he began arranging for Patrick to network and take over MPs attracted by the former Prime Minister's strong stance.

Hence, the analyst said they had been preparing for over two months and had garnered some support.

"Advancing through each round will greatly increase Mr. Patrick's influence. If we can make it to the last three rounds, the new Prime Minister will inevitably need to offer a significant cabinet position in exchange for Mr. Patrick's votes."

"Our goal, then, is to hold on for as many rounds as possible, regardless of the cost."

...

After the candidacy meeting, Murphy and Patrick went to the lakeside, "It's difficult to directly use magic to help with this. Every MP represents a constituency, every one of them is fully exposed, with countless eyes on them. Deviating too much from past behavioral logic will raise suspicions, and they could be ousted by their local councils."

"So we need to take it step by step," said Patrick. "We still have time."

One of the core resources in politics is prestige.

Rushing the accumulation of prestige can lead to backlash, so magic must be used, albeit more covertly and carefully, to make the entire process seem legitimate.

A pure novice is unlikely to become Prime Minister directly, but a former minister who has held a significant cabinet position is a reasonable candidate.

"But we do have some advantages," Murphy said. "I plan to buy a few media outlets to promote you."

Money is Patrick's significant advantage.

The seemingly endless funds of Umbrella Corporation can control the media to more quickly accumulate prestige for Patrick.

Unfortunately, in this era where the internet is just emerging and mobile networks are still in their infancy, media power hasn't reached its full potential. If it were thirty years later, ascending to the Prime Minister's office via Twitter might not be impossible.

...

Half a month later, Patrick was eliminated in the fourth round of voting. The favored candidate for the next Prime Minister, Michael Herd, promised to leave a position of Health and Social Care Secretary in the cabinet for Patrick.

This outcome was very good, but when the final round ended and Michael became Prime Minister, his announced cabinet list did not include Patrick.

This kind of backstabbing is not common because it directly loses the support of those in the party who had supported Patrick.

There must be some reason behind this.

...

"The new Prime Minister dismissed me on his first day in office," Sidney Dawson, the wizard assigned to the Muggle Prime Minister, reported to Murphy the next day. "I think he knows I'm a wizard, and he doesn't want to be influenced by a wizard."

"According to your previous instructions, if he doesn't accept the existence of wizards after revealing my identity, to forcibly control him..." Dawson said. "But, after I used the Imperius Curse, it seemed to have no effect on him, and he even had the guards throw me out."

Sidney Dawson had successfully used the Imperius Curse to control the former Prime Minister, so his ability was not in question. But how could a Muggle resist the Imperius Curse?

"However, I had already placed the item in the Prime Minister's study, as you instructed."

...

10 Downing Street.

The new Prime Minister, Michael Herd, moved into the apartment with his family.

After dinner, Michael walked up to the third floor to his private study.

Locking the door behind him, Michael paced around the room before stopping in front of a bookshelf and lifting a cloth-covered painting frame.

The Madonna and Child.

Michael knelt before the painting, clasped his hands in prayer, and began to pray devoutly.

Soon, a divine light descended, and Michael witnessed a "miracle."

"Michael, I promised you protection from demons and also promised you authority to sit in your current position. Have I fulfilled your wishes?"

"Holy Mary, you have given me everything. I will devote all I have to serve you."

"The Umbrella Corporation. That is the extension of the demon in this world. Destroy it, and you will gain supreme glory."

"Yes, Holy Mother," Michael knelt down, his face full of devotion. "But Umbrella's power is vast. Even the former Prime Minister was framed by the demon, and even the United States can't handle it..."

"Michael, do not fear the enemy. You have countless brothers and sisters. They will all help you. Your decrees will be unobstructed, your will fully executed."

"Thank you for your help, Holy Mother. I will fulfill this great task for you!"

After a long time, the light faded, and Michael continued to pray for a while longer before covering the painting with the cloth again.

Then, he moved the painting to face the wall.

Next, he picked up a phone from the desk, dialed a number, "Kenneth, as my legal advisor, I have some questions about corporate operations. If we already know that a large conglomerate is going to be dismantled, how can I take over the most valuable part?"

After hanging up, Michael put the painting back in its original place and left the room.

Once he left, a small black bird figurine on the shelf suddenly moved and disappeared instantly.

...

At Grimmauld Place, Murphy caught the suddenly appearing bolt of lightning in his hand.

He closed his eyes.

All the sounds in that room had been transformed into electromagnetic signals stored inside the petrified body of the thunderbird, which he had now translated.

"Indeed, it's the Holy Mother," Murphy frowned, this entity was truly relentless.

Using the President of the United States was unsuccessful, so it directly targeted believers within Britain...

And with the vast number of monotheistic believers as a base, this entity seemed capable of moving freely, making it difficult for Murphy to counter.

However, the Prime Minister seemed not to be entirely aligned with the Holy Mother.

Murphy detected a familiar scent from him.

Greed.

This individual, while being used by the Holy Mother, also sought to leverage her influence for his own ends. While they shared the common goal of destroying Umbrella, the Holy Mother aimed to halt Murphy's progress.

But the Prime Minister envisioned swallowing the legacy of Umbrella, biting off more than he could chew.

Such ambition.

However, that made things easier for Murphy.

Dealing with a truly selfless saint would have been difficult, but handling someone like this Prime Minister, Murphy had plenty of experience.

In the tangled web of politics and power, greed often became the most predictable factor. It was a weakness Murphy knew how to exploit, a lever he could pull to bend wills and shape fates to his advantage.

Murphy contemplated his next move. The situation was complex, with many players and pieces in motion. The Holy Mother's influence, the Prime Minister's ambitions, and the myriad forces opposed to Umbrella all intertwined in a dangerous dance.

He needed allies, both within the magical community and beyond. The Order of the Phoenix and the International Confederation of Wizards could be valuable in this regard, though their effectiveness against a foe as nebulous and widespread as the Holy Mother was uncertain.

Moreover, Murphy recognized the need for a more direct approach to dealing with the Prime Minister. If magic could not sway him and his greed was insatiable, perhaps it was time to offer him a deal he couldn't refuse, one that would ensure his cooperation or, at least, neutrality.

Murphy's thoughts also turned to Umbrella. The corporation was at the center of this storm, its revolutionary technologies and vast resources making it a target for all sides. He pondered how best to protect it, to secure its future against those who would tear it apart for their own ends.

The game was complex, the stakes higher than ever. But Murphy was no stranger to such challenges. With a mind as sharp as his and a will as unbreakable, he was prepared to do whatever it took to navigate these treacherous waters, to outmaneuver his enemies, and to secure his position and the future of Umbrella Corporation.

As he stood there, contemplating his next move, the resolve in Murphy's eyes was clear. This was a battle he intended to win, no matter the cost.

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