"No, sir, that figure just won't do... it's a bit too much... Professor, please consider my position too. Business isn't good right now; can't we both make some concessions?"
"The ingenious part is just the idea; in reality, it's easily replicable... You know how rampant piracy is... If the cost is too high, people would rather buy fakes... and I wouldn't make much money either..."
"Two-way mirrors and Floo powder can serve the same purpose. It might not be as popular as you think. We're just testing the waters; no one knows how well it'll actually sell... If your asking price is too high, I'll have no choice but to give up..."
A crowd surrounded Professor Morrey, speaking over each other as if laying siege to him.
When Marchionne started quoting prices, Wade finally realized that Professor Morrey's party was actually a product launch for his Book of Friends.
No wonder he hadn't let Wade sell the Book of Friends at school himself. If information about such a product had leaked out beforehand, it might not have achieved today's effect.
Besides, Wade's small-scale selling at school would only earn him a bit of pocket money from students, which was no match for the efficiency of these "multinational corporations."
Each of the unfamiliar wizards in the small garden could be called the head of a "multinational corporation." Thanks to the Floo Network and Portkeys, wizards could cross different countries much more easily than Muggles.
And with the Undetectable Extension Charm, the cost of logistical transportation could be ignored, so wizards could easily sell their goods to different countries, and even different continents.
Wade stood by Professor Morrey's side, watching him engage in a fierce debate with these wizards over how much they should pay for the patent licensing rights of the Book of Friends.
One person offered to buy it outright for 100,000 Galleons, almost getting thrown out by Professor Morrey. He then raised his offer to 200,000 Galleons, but Professor Morrey steadfastly refused, only willing to sell the right to use it.
At this point, these wizards no longer showed the same deference and respect they had for Professor Morrey earlier. Instead, they were haggling meticulously. Some were relentless, some were picky, some pretended to give up, and others started playing the emotional card. But Professor Morrey was like a stone pillar in a river, unmoving despite the currents crashing against him from all directions.
He started with an incredibly high asking price, then slowly negotiated with these people, continually highlighting the advantages of the Book of Friends: it was fast, convenient, inexpensive, and wizards all over the world would buy it, repeatedly 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. They could try it themselves! Their Transfiguration spells might fail beyond fifty meters, and they couldn't transmit complex information...
When some realized they couldn't persuade Professor Morrey, they simply bypassed him and approached Wade. But Wade just smiled and said nothing, as if shy, hiding behind Professor Morrey.
He knew that, at his eleven years old, there was no need for him to appear sophisticated, mature, or sharp. He just needed to leave everything to the adults. He also had self-awareness, because if it were just Wade on his own, he might have agreed directly to that earlier offer of 100,000 Galleons to buy it out...
After all, before this, Wade's best vision for the Book of Friends was just to earn a few hundred or a thousand Galleons among his Hogwarts classmates, and that would have required him to work day and night in the dormitory, making a large number of Book of Friends, like a factory worker on an assembly line.
But now, he was on the verge of sitting at the capitalists' table.
Of course, he handed over the decision-making power because the adult in front of him was trustworthy and truly cared about him.
Wade looked up at Professor Morrey, who was fighting fiercely for him. The old man's thin back was like a towering cliff, and Wade's eyes held a hint of confusion and complexity.
Seeing Wade being pestered, looking a bit helpless with his bewildered expression, Professor Morrey waved his hand, telling Steven to take Wade to play and not get in the way. Then he rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for battle.
Steven, who was as quiet as a plant and once again categorized as a child: "..."
He wanted to speak but stopped himself, finally closing his mouth and obediently taking Wade away. After they stepped out, he couldn't help but let out a deep sigh.
"If you have something to do, you can go ahead and handle it. I can just find a place to read," Wade said, looking at him considerately.
Who would enjoy taking a kid to play? He didn't even like it himself.
"No—it's not because of you—" Steven sighed dejectedly. He hadn't wanted to say anything, but under Wade's gaze, he slowly revealed his troubles: "I'm already thirty-six, but my father still treats me like a child. Actually, I want to follow in Mr. 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 imprisoned you, have they?"
A wizard in his thirties, surely he could leave if he 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 after leaving."
Wade was speechless. He hadn't expected Professor Morrey's son, who looked like a bear, to have a gentle personality like a rabbit. He thought for a moment and asked, "Why don't you write a letter to Mr. Scamander?"
"—Write a letter? Wr-write what kind of letter?"
"I heard that Mr. Scamander himself keeps many magical creatures. Maybe you could ask him for a job as a caretaker or something similar. The salary isn't important; what's important is that you can learn about magical creatures by his side. If one day you can calmly deal with all kinds of magical creatures like him, Professor Morrey should feel at ease letting you travel, right?"
Wade thought of the magical suitcase in Scamander's hand, which had various environments and even climate changes, and felt genuinely envious.
"You're right, how come I didn't think of that!" Steven was overjoyed. After a moment of delight, he hesitated again: "But how should I write this letter? Would it be offensive?"
He asked seriously, anxiously weighing his options, even though the person in front of him was just a child.
"Just tell the truth," Wade suggested. "Write down your troubles and your ideals clearly, and also your knowledge of magical creatures. That way, even if Mr. Scamander doesn't agree, he won't be angry about it."
—He just wondered if Mr. Scamander, upon receiving the letter, would think the writer was a fresh graduate, judging solely by the tone and wording.
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 the man's true personality was like a child's, even purer than many children.
No wonder Professor Morrey didn't dare let him out. If it were his own son, Wade wouldn't dare let him wander the world alone either.