e-booksonline Chapter 116 Layout
Chapter 116 Layout
Chapter 116 Layout
Reggie nodded, confirming his guess: "That's right. Mr. Nick Lemaître has decided to start implementing it now, step by step, to realize the future you're talking about. He intends to start with the most basic and indispensable things in the lives of wizards. Floo Powder is one of them."
"So he went to the trouble of cracking the Floo Powder formula? That's no small feat." Lynch pressed, knowing that reverse engineering a strictly confidential, monopolistic product was no easy task.
"It's an engineering project for us, but not for Mr. Lemaître." Reggie's lips, hidden beneath his grey robe, curved into an almost imperceptible smile.
With a touch of melancholy for his long life, he continued, "According to the note that came with the recipe, Mr. Flamel cracked the Floo Powder recipe in the mid-15th century. However, he only did it on a whim and had no interest in competing with the Weysmith family for business. After completing it, he casually put the recipe away. Now, because of you, he has remembered it again and spent some time making several key improvements, making its production cost lower and its stability better."
"Low price - so are we preparing to directly impact the market with a price war?" Lynch's business mind immediately started working. "I remember that the current official price of Floo Powder sold to the public is two silver scoops per scoop, and this price has indeed remained unchanged for over a hundred years."
"That's right. The descendants of the Weysmith family understand that rashly raising prices will only force more wizards to abandon Floo Powder and choose flying brooms. So they precisely calculated the current price, which is just what ordinary wizarding families can afford with a little effort. It's not exorbitant."
"But it's not exactly cheap either." Reggie's tone was devoid of emotion.
"So, based on Mr. Lemaître's improved formula, have we calculated our costs? How low can we ultimately reduce the selling price?" Lynch's fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of his chair.
Reggie quoted a figure: "One silver sieco, and the profit is still considerable."
"Half the price—"
Lynch quickly calculated in his mind how attractive this price would be to an ordinary wizarding family. "This price is disruptive enough to tear down the Iron Curtain of the Weysmith family."
He raised his head, his gaze turning serious: "Let Lucius and those purebloods do the work for the Ministry of Magic, the Department of Magical Transportation, the Floo Network Management Office—all permits must be legal and compliant."
"Understood." Reggie's voice was flat, as if Lynch had just made a routine decision rather than a revolution that would shake up the commercial landscape of the British wizarding world.
Lynch paused for a moment, his fingertips continuing to tap unconsciously on the smooth armrest of the chair, making a very faint tapping sound: "However, let's send someone to contact the Weysmith family first. They're not some heinous black wizards, just a group of greedy businessmen spoiled by monopoly profits. There's no need to push things to the extreme, making it seem like we're trying to wipe them out. If they're willing to face reality, let them join the Chamber of Commerce with their channels and experience. Integration is sometimes more efficient than destruction."
"What if they refuse?" Reggie asked Lynch.
"Then let's fight a price war within the framework of the rules, one that they have no chance of winning." Lynch's tone was calm. "Our production costs are lower, and Mr. Flamel's improved product has more stable effects. Consumers will naturally make the right choice with their Galleons. In any case, Mr. Flamel's fundamental purpose in presenting the formula—to break the monopoly and allow Floo Powder to return to its essence as a convenient public service—will all be achieved."
He stopped tapping the armrest, leaned forward slightly, and added, "If it really comes to that, remember to send someone to take over, or rather, 'appease' their distributors and distribution networks all over the world as soon as possible. The system that can sell Floo Powder all over the world is still a very valuable asset; we can't let it fall apart."
After saying that, he lowered his head again and continued to look through the thick stack of parchment in his hand, occasionally looking up to have a brief exchange with Reggie about a certain clause.
Only the rustling of papers turning and the concise, calm conversation between the two men remained in the office at the top of the tower.
"We're also going to set up a Quidditch club under the Stone Tower Merchant Guild?" Lynch looked at a rather large expense in the budget report.
I was somewhat surprised, but mostly curious.
“Yes,” Reggie explained. “Although Wizarding Battle Cards are very popular, Quidditch is the number one sport deeply ingrained in the wizarding world. This will greatly enhance the Chamber of Commerce’s public influence and positive image, making it a long-term and effective publicity investment.”
"Alright." Lynch remained noncommittal, understanding that Quidditch's status in the wizarding world was like football's in the Muggle world—unshakeably number one.
He continued flipping through the parchment in his hand, when suddenly his brow furrowed, and his finger pointed to a line of clauses: "This...: 'Unlocking specific product purchase privileges in tiers based on bloodline purity and family history spending,' which 'genius' came up with this rule?"
Reggie didn't even need to look down at the proposal; he answered directly, "It was proposed and strongly recommended by Mr. Jenkins of the Marketing Planning Department. He's trying to curry favor with the pure-blood families who currently control most of the Chamber of Commerce's shares, hoping to gain leverage for his personal advancement."
"Fire him." Lynch's order was swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation. "And this plan, along with it, is immediately scrapped and rejected."
The Stone Tower Merchant Guild sells goods, not noble titles.
The minute hand of the bronze wall clock slowly turned half a circle, and Lin Qi finally finished reading all the contents of the parchment.
He leaned back in his chair, his left hand clutching the now-heavy stack of parchment, which hung naturally at his side. His right hand unconsciously rubbed his chin, carefully sorting through all the chaotic information in his mind and weaving it into a clear strategic framework.
A moment later, Lynch's voice rang out from the room at the top of the tower: "Simultaneously with the launch of our cheap Floo Powder, launch our 'Magic Message Board'."
Reggie looked up and reminded him, "The message board still has some technical problems that haven't been completely resolved, mainly the stability of long-distance information transmission. A hasty launch might..."
"Pack up all those problems, along with all our physical assets and current progress, and hand them over to Mr. Nicolas Lemaître," Lynch decisively interrupted Reggie's concerns.
"The Floo Powder incident should have made us realize that we underestimated this legendary alchemist who created the only Philosopher's Stone in history. His wisdom is probably far more profound than we imagine. The problems that trouble us may be insignificant in his eyes."
"Understood." Reggie made a note of it.
Lin Qi placed the parchment back on his desk and turned to look at the clock on the wall:
"It's almost time, we should get going."