The Grand Plan

Sean saw the cunning and expectant look in his father's eyes. Although it was impolite to say it, he had to admit that his father looked like a Greed old fox.

"As I said at the beginning, using the Wizarding World's primitive financial system to cause trouble is too dangerous for me, your father, an ordinary person, because the uncertainties are too high, and we can't directly get involved..." Allen narrowed his eyes, "But what if we don't cause trouble?"

"Not causing trouble?"

"That's right, we don't even need to show our faces."

"Not showing up?" Sean pondered for a moment, then had another question. "If I want to gain some influence in the Wizarding World without attracting attention, then my first choice is definitely not to show up. That's my original intention."

"No, no, no, my child, you're too fixated on the surface-level concealment. Considering the current situation, try to dig deeper," Allen coaxed patiently.

"Dig deeper..." Sean lifted his chin.

Logically speaking, even if his father obtained information about the Wizarding World through irregular channels, the value of that information was only relative. Sean knew far more than his father. However, his father had clearly only gleaned certain layers of information from newspapers, weekly magazines, and books available to every wizard, without ever having deeply considered them.

Sean tapped rhythmically on his father's expensive wooden desk with his index and middle fingers, trying to think from his father's perspective—that of a private hospital owner and a capitalist with a conscience.

Given the current situation... Principal Newmontgard has been replaced, the investigation team is still on campus, and things are definitely in a mess there... Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Magic is preparing for ministerial elections, the political situation is heating up, and several candidates are doing their best to win votes... The Supreme Mugwump will also be facing a change of leadership, and the situation is equally tense.

The Wallop family's only advantage in gaining some say in this matter lies in Allen's financial resources. However, as his father said, they cannot openly interfere in the Wizarding World's financial system; they lack a truly powerful and reliable wizarding backer, and they cannot afford the consequences of a wizard overturning the table.

Dig deeper... Sean frowned and thought for a long time, but still couldn't find a suitable entry point.

In the end, he chose to look at Mr. Wallop with pleading eyes.

Allen smiled and shook his head, "Child, we need to understand where the danger comes from?"

"Where? No matter how we operate or which sides we choose, it will naturally come from the party whose interests we have harmed," Sean replied.

"Yes, we want a voice, and a voice means benefits. If we gain it, someone will inevitably suffer losses. Obviously, we can't handle an ordinary person like me or someone who is only in the third grade of school... But what if we want to gain new voices? What if we want to explore a new field?"

"A new field?"

"Think about it, my child. With the political situation so tense, those Wizarding World politicians—yes, they manipulate politics just like our foolish cabinet. They want votes, they want public support, but the entire Wizarding World is in a lot of trouble."

Allen sat down next to Sean and put his arm around his shoulder. "It's still that word, profit. Sean, you've fallen into a trap. You're too eager to think about how to safely and risk-free seize profits, which is the power you want. You're thinking about how to gain more profit with less effort, which is certainly not wrong, and that's what we're supposed to do. But you've also found that no matter what you do, there will always be people whose interests are harmed who become hostile towards you."

Sean nodded. "That's right."

"Let's change our perspective..." Allen laughed. "What are our advantages, the Wallop family?"

"Well, Mr. Wallop is quite wealthy, but you can't get involved in the financial system..." Sean suddenly stopped mid-sentence.

He realized the key point, the one he had been overlooking.

Seeing his son's dazed expression, Allen patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction. "Looks like you figured it out."

Sean stared wide-eyed at Allen: "We're giving away money?!"

"That's right, Sean." Allen smiled.

He continued, "We don't go looking for trouble with anyone; we help them solve their problems."

Allen picked up a Daily Prophet and flipped through it casually. "Look, Mrs. Hali, who lives in Bellingham, unfortunately fell while tending to her Potions ingredients, and she can't even afford St. Mungo's's medical bills."

"And this Mr. Dodd has placed several rental ads in the smallest corner of the Daily Prophet —he's been driven crazy by his neighbor's Muggle machine lately, and I reckon his friend probably bought a new lawnmower?"

"These are just minor issues. There are too many problems like these: raising and enrolling orphans, finding jobs for dropouts, caring for elderly, widowed wizards, and the exorbitant costs of wizarding treatments..."

Allen spoke eloquently, "The entire wizarding society has almost no Fawley system. For example, for orphans, I only read in one book that the Ministry of Magic would subsidize part of the tuition fees, and that was it."

"And what is the current situation? The political system of the Ministry of Magic is so similar to that of ordinary people like us. They want to get the votes of wizards, but they can't come up with any policies that would actually benefit wizards. To be honest, I don't even understand how this group of people can get the votes. Although they are as brainless as the idiots in the cabinet, at least the cabinet knows how to lie to the public. Haven't the people in the Ministry of Magic done nothing?"

Sean was speechless; this was indeed the current state of the Ministry of Magic.

Mr. Wallop became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, "Then what should we do? It's very simple: help the Ministry of Magic improve social Fawley!"

"Orphans? Great, we'll provide educational grants. Having trouble finding a place to rent? We'll offer agency assistance—the kind without agency fees. Destitute and alone? That's even easier. We'll launch a program to support elderly people living alone, making regular home visits. And staffing is simpler—aren't there people who can't find work? We can even encourage kind and compassionate people to help, not for free, but by paying their salaries. Medical care is expensive? Good heavens, we can just modify our hospital's medical insurance and copy it."

Mr. Wallop stood up, took a new cigar from his drawer, took a deep drag, and said with a satisfied expression, "Sean, whose interests do you think we'll harm?"

Giving money certainly won't harm anyone's interests... and after that, a new Fawley and insurance system will gradually take shape...

"A completely different approach..." Sean murmured.

Allen smiled smugly, "And after that, in just a few years, you will have enough influence to speak for you. In fact, when you are strong enough, if you want, I can easily build up a team for you and short the entire British Wizarding World."

Sean shook his head in admiration, then raised a question, "This trick is indeed very useful, but we have to consider the cost. The number of British Wizarding World is not too large, but if we support these people for almost nothing, it seems that our family's assets cannot last long—by the way, Dad, how are your assets now?"

Allen patted his increasingly protruding belly and smiled, "Assets, so-so. Of course, supporting so many people for free is a huge burden, and the hospital's cash flow can't support such costs, but we can get others to pay for it."

"Other people?"

"I read in a book that the only Wizarding World with the right to mint coins is the Goblin of Gringotts, and the Ministry of Ministry of Magic's revenue, which is almost tax-free, comes from that seigniorage, which accounts for as much as one-third of its income. What a huge exploitable flaw."

"But aren't we here to solve the problem?"

"Yes, so a little arbitrage is enough. One Galleon Silver Sickle, and the casting cost ratio for silver and gold ingots in Gringotts is the same. Although I don't know why gold and silver are called metals that can possess magic, I do know one thing: wizards use the same gold and silver as we do." Allen tapped Sean on the head with his cigar.

"Oh right..." Sean's eyes lit up.

In the Wizarding World, the gold-silver exchange rate is always constant, but in London, in England, and throughout the world, this rate is constantly fluctuating. Moreover, compared to Gringotts, the gold-silver exchange rate on the exchange is far different.

Mr. Wallop said leisurely, "It's a simple arbitrage transaction. We don't need much. Our costs will be borne by the entire Gringotts and the entire Ministry of Magic. Obviously, wizards who have lived under this economic system for thousands of years will only be puzzled and will not be able to figure out the key to the problem—and the impact on the economy will not be too great. After all, an institution like Gringotts is not called a bank. It's just a custodian."

"Of course, we shouldn't go too far. The generous Wallop family is also willing to cover a portion of the expenses of the Wizarding World's Fawley system."

"You've already thought it through, haven't you, Dad?" Sean laughed.

"It's not hard to imagine, but, if I may be so bold, the wizards are far too proud." Wallerup straightened his collar.

Sean then raised another question, "But there's another point. As our system grows larger, regardless of which faction it is, they will inevitably want our support as a political bargaining chip. They want our Fawley system to become part of their political achievements. Whether through coercion or bribery, we might end up being targeted by two or even more factions, right?"

"That's right, but we can raise a big flag!" Mr. Wallop smiled like an old fox.

Sean immediately understood, and then a sly smile appeared on his face, "Professor Dumbledore..."

"That's right. He holds a transcendent position but has no real power. This kind of thing is essentially beneficial to the entire wizarding society. I don't believe that this person, who is praised in every book I've read, would oppose it. He will most likely acquiesce. Hmm, our trump card is this venerable old gentleman. Do those people in the Ministry of Magic have a way to get to him?"

That's right. Based on Sean's understanding of Dumbledore, the other party would definitely acquiesce, and most likely just want to talk to Sean to keep him from going astray—isn't that exactly what Sean wants? He was just worried about not being able to get close to this old man.

Now Sean was completely convinced. He looked at his father and exclaimed, "As expected of you, Mr. Wallop."

"A compliment from my son, please allow me to be proud for a moment," Allen said with a smile.

The two discussed the general direction of the plan again, such as finding opportunities to Hogwarts the Hogwarts or even the School Board of Newmontgard. After a long talk, Sean truly learned a lot from his father.

The conversation ended when Mrs. Wallop called softly from outside for the two to go and rest.

Goodnight, Dad. Thank you for your guidance.

You're welcome, son. Goodnight.

As Sean reached the study door, Mr. Wallop called him back from behind.

Sean turned around and saw his father's loving and gentle expression. "There's something else I need to say."

"Hmm, Dad?"

"Sean, we've talked a lot because you've always been so smart since you were little. You've never let us down, so even at this age, I support you in doing what you want to do. I want you to know that your parents and your family have always been supporting you."

Sean felt a warmth in his heart and nodded solemnly. "I know, thank you, Dad."

"No," Allen shook his head, "You're welcome. I'm just adding something to my previous long speech."

Sean didn't speak, but quietly looked at his father.

The somewhat overweight Mr. Wallop came over and hugged Sean. His voice was strong yet gentle. "We were talking about interests earlier, but I must correct one point. There is one behavior that does not need to be driven by interests, and that is love."

He straightened up, his face filled with tender love and his eyes brimming with pride. "I, your mother, your sister Ayla, we all love you deeply. I'm not emphasizing that, but rather expressing that—no matter what, we are your strongest support."

Sean stared blankly at his father, a surge of strength and emotion that he usually kept hidden suddenly welling up. He hugged his father tightly, his voice low and powerful.

"I know, I know, Dad."

The father and son hugged for a while, and then Allen patted his son's shoulder hard. "Safety first, then go for it. I'm proud of you."

The all-night talk with his father gave Sean clear ideas, and he felt more confident in doing things. The next morning, he began to think about the candidates.

Yes, the person chosen to implement this Fawley system.

Mr. Wallop would be responsible for recruiting a group of professionals to offer advice, though of course, they wouldn't know the current state of the Wizarding World. Allen came up with an excuse: his beloved son wanted to write a novel—the kind with a detailed setting. This surprised many by Mr. Wallop's excessive pampering of his child.

So much money is being thrown into a child's hobby.

Of course, Sean wasn't writing a novel; he was looking for the right person to act in.

I don't know if it's a problem with my WPS or something else, but I copied a lot of duplicate content. Sorry everyone, it's been corrected. Just reload the chapters.