"No, sir, that number won't work… it's a bit too much… Professor, please consider me too; business isn't great right now. Can't we both take a bit of a cut?"
"The idea itself is clever, but it's actually very easy to replicate… You must know how rampant piracy is… If the cost is too high, people will just buy fakes… and I won't make much money either…"
"Two-Way Mirrors and Floo Powder can both serve the same purpose, so in reality, it might not be as popular as you think. We're just testing the waters initially; no one knows how it will truly sell… If your price is too high, I'll just have to give up…"
Everyone surrounded Professor Murray, speaking over each other, almost like an ambush.
When Marchioni started quoting prices, Wade finally realized that Professor Murray's party was actually a product launch for his Book of Friends.
No wonder he didn't let Wade sell the Book of Friends at school himself—if information about a similar product leaked early, it might not have achieved today's effect. Besides, Wade dabbling in sales at school would only earn him a bit of pocket money from students, which couldn't compare to the efficiency of these "multinational corporations."
Every unfamiliar wizard in the small garden could be called the head of a "multinational corporation"—because of the Floo Network and Portkeys, it was much easier for wizards to travel across different countries than Muggles. And with the Undetectable Extension Charm, the cost of logistics and transportation was negligible, so wizards could easily sell goods to different countries, even different continents.
Wade stayed by Professor Murray's side, watching him debate fiercely with these wizards about how much to pay for the patent licensing of the Book of Friends—one person offered to buy it outright for 100,000 Galleons, almost getting thrown out by Professor Murray. He raised his offer to 200,000 Galleons, but Professor Murray stubbornly refused, only willing to sell the right to use it.
At this point, these wizards showed none of their previous flattery and respect towards Professor Murray. Instead, they haggled over every penny, some clinging stubbornly, some finding fault with everything, some pretending to give up, and others trying to play on emotions. But Professor Murray was like a rock pillar in a river, unaffected by the currents from all directions.
He initially named an unbelievably high price, then slowly bargained with these people, constantly highlighting the advantages of the Book of Friends—it was fast, convenient, inexpensive, wizards worldwide would buy it, and they would repurchase it throughout their lives… Did they know how elegant and stable its structure was? Counterfeit items simply wouldn't have the stability of the Book of Friends; try it yourself if you don't believe him! Your Transfiguration Charm might fail beyond fifty meters and can't transmit complex information…
Someone, seeing they couldn't convince Professor Murray, simply bypassed him and approached Wade. But Wade just smiled without speaking, as if shy, and hid behind Professor Murray.
He knew that at eleven years old, there was no need for him to act overly smooth, mature, or sharp; he just needed to leave everything to the adults. And he also knew himself well, because if it were just Wade, he might have agreed directly to that 100,000 Galleon buyout price…
After all, before this, Wade's best idea for the Book of Friends was just to earn a few hundred or a thousand Galleons from his classmates at Hogwarts, and that would require him to manufacture large quantities of the Book of Friends in his dorm day and night, like a production line worker.
But now, he was about to sit at the capitalists' table.
Of course, he handed over the decision-making power because the adults in front of him were trustworthy and truly had his best interests at heart.
Wade looked up at Professor Murray, who was going all out for him—the old man's lean back was like a towering cliff. Wade's eyes held a hint of confusion and complexity.
Seeing Wade being pestered and looking a bit pitifully lost, Professor Murray waved his hand, telling Steven to take Wade to play and not get in the way here. Then he rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for a fight.
Steven, quiet as a plant and once again categorized as a child: …
He hesitated to speak but finally closed his mouth and obediently led Wade away. After stepping outside, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
"If you have something to do, you can go ahead. I can just find somewhere to read," Wade said, looking at him considerately.
Who would enjoy taking kids out to play? He didn't even like it himself.
"No—it's not because of you—" Steven looked dejected. He didn't want to say anything at first, but under Wade's gaze, he slowly voiced his troubles: "I'm already thirty-six, but my father always treats me like a child—actually, I want to follow in Scamander's footsteps, travel the world, and become a Magizoologist. But my parents don't want me to go far, saying it's too dangerous…"
Wade looked at him, puzzled: "But—they haven't put you under house arrest, have they?"
A thirty-something-year-old, and a wizard at that, couldn't leave if they wanted to?
"If I left without saying goodbye, how sad would my mother be—and my father would definitely be angry—" Steven worried, "I still hope to get their understanding and support, otherwise, I wouldn't dare come back once I leave."
Wade was speechless. He hadn't expected Professor Murray's son, who looked like a bear, to have a soft personality like a rabbit. He thought for a moment and asked, "Why don't you write to Scamander?"
"—Write a letter? Write, write what kind of letter?"
"I heard that Scamander himself raises many magical creatures. Maybe you could ask him for a job as a caretaker or something. The salary isn't important; what's important is that you could learn about magical creatures from Scamander. If one day you could handle all sorts of magical creatures as calmly as he does, Professor Murray should feel at ease letting you travel, right?"
Wade thought of the magical case Scamander had, with its various environments and changing climates, and felt genuinely envious.
"That's right, why didn't I think of that!" Steven was overjoyed. After a moment of delight, he hesitated: "How should I write this letter then? Would it be offensive?"
He meticulously sought advice, anxious about gaining or losing, despite the person in front of him being just a child.
"Just tell the truth," Wade suggested. "Clearly write down your troubles and your aspirations, and your knowledge of magical creatures. That way, even if Scamander doesn't agree, he won't be angry about it."
—He just wondered if Scamander, upon receiving the letter and merely reading the tone and wording, might think the sender was a recently graduated student.
When they first met, Wade thought Steven was a very formidable person; then he found him gentle and steady; but after spending some time together, he felt that Steven's true personality was like a child's, even simpler than many children.
No wonder Professor Murray didn't dare let him out of the house; if Steven were his own son, Wade wouldn't dare let him wander the world alone either.
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