While Viktor Krum was secretly speculating about Hermione's position, Fanny, having recovered from his daze, rubbed his hands together somewhat embarrassedly.
"Um... Viktor, may I have your autograph?"
"No problem."
Fanny took out a cube from his suit pocket, the same one Hermione had, and then took out a poster inside that had been enchanted with various protective spells.
This is a limited edition poster officially released by the International Quidditch Association some time ago, and now it's being resold for hundreds of Gold Galleons.
Fanny carefully unfolded it; it was printed with a close-up photo of Viktor Krum catching the Golden Snitch in the first game of the semifinals.
Viktor Krum took the quill pen he was offered and signed his name in the spot next to him.
"Thank you, Viktor." Fanny, overjoyed, carefully put the poster away after expressing his gratitude.
Not only is it a limited edition, but it also comes with an autograph.
He might not sell it for thousands of Gold Galleons, let alone thousands.
Viktor Krum looked at the poster that he was treating like a family heirloom and suddenly remembered his agent's recent instructions.
With the finals approaching, the top eight teams have become the hottest topic in the Wizarding World.
The Bulgaria team is already quite strong, and is one of the most promising teams to win the championship. Viktor Krum even has a chance to win the title of the World's Number One Seeker, and he undoubtedly receives much more attention than other players.
His agent advised him to always be mindful of his image and words.
As a public figure, his every word and action can have a huge impact.
What makes him so popular with fans? Is it his talent?
No, ability is only part of it; more importantly, it's the fans who place their hopes on him.
He will live up to their expectations and will definitely win this year's championship.
After Fanny put the poster away, he noticed that Viktor Krum's expression had become serious.
Uh... were you scared off by being too enthusiastic?
To avoid putting more psychological pressure on him, Fanny decided to talk about something lighthearted.
"By the way, Viktor, haven't we introduced ourselves yet?"
Fanny casually straightened his suit. "My name is Fanny, Deputy Director of Security at Wayne Enterprises."
This title sounds impressive, Viktor Krum paused for a moment before he understood.
The Ministry of State Security sounds prestigious, but frankly, it's just a security guard department.
He returned a polite yet courteous smile, "Hello, Fanny, it's a pleasure to meet you."
After another warm handshake, his gaze fell on Hermione standing to the side.
She extended her small hand. "I am Hermione, Hermione Granger, the chairman's secretary at Wayne Enterprises."
After shaking her hand again, Viktor Krum whispered her name, "Hermi... Her-Mie-On..."
Hermione looked a little embarrassed. "It's Hermione, HERMIONE, Hermione."
"Her-mi-one?" Whether Viktor Krum did it on purpose or not, he still mispronounced her name.
Hermione taught him several more times, but in the end she had no choice but to give up.
She gave an awkward but polite smile. "Mr. Krum, you seem to have trouble distinguishing between vowels and consonants."
"I'm sorry..." Viktor Krum somewhat guiltily, "I didn't mean to."
Hermione smiled wryly, "The way you pronounce my name sounds like there's some ambiguity to it."
She shook her head helplessly. "Never mind, Mr. Krum, you probably won't call me by my name anyway."
Viktor Krum looked even more guilty. "Miss Granger, thank you for your understanding."
He's Bulgaria, so it's normal that he can't distinguish between vowels and consonants in English.
However, his pronunciation does indeed have some ambiguity.
Hermione
Her-mi-one
Her-my-own
They have ulterior motives!
However, Hermione had only just met him, and Fanny had a biased view of him, so neither of them realized his true thoughts.
The three chatted casually for a while when Bo Ye, who was concentrating on deciphering the design drawings, suddenly screamed and then pounced onto the lawn.
The thin card he tossed into the air emitted a blinding light, then burst forth with tiny flames.
Even though they were quite far apart, Viktor Krum hurriedly stepped in front of Hermione to shield her.
He looked at the small card lying on the lawn, which seemed to have completely stopped firing, and turned back somewhat uncertainly, "This thing shouldn't be spitting fire anymore, right?"
"Definitely not." Fanny shook his head, then stepped forward and kicked Bo Ye, who was lying on the lawn. "Still playing dead? Did you buy your certificate?"
Bo Ye stood up abruptly. "You fatso, you know the chairman's personality. If his things could be easily unpacked, they would have become commonplace items long ago."
Aside from Gwent, which has relatively low technical barriers, none of Wayne Enterprises' products have actually been completely cracked.
Fanny ignored him and pulled out his wand to draw the small card over.
A fall won't break it, but it will require starting the decryption process from scratch.
Bo Ye snatched the card and plopped down on the lawn. "You fatso, get out of here and don't bother me."
"You stupid Di—" Fanny quickly shut his mouth, turned around and silently went back.
Viktor Krum was relieved to see that this was just a matter of secrecy.
Hermione looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Mr. Krum, I made you worry."
"No... no need." Viktor Krum smiled shyly. "As long as you're alright."
His reaction was fairly normal, and Hermione didn't think too much about it.
Fanny returned and briefly explained the situation. She then raised her wrist and glanced at the time on the Magical Communicator.
The first attempt to decrypt failed and took more than ten minutes. At this rate, we'll probably be busy until evening.
Taking into account the time required for repairs, it will probably be evening at the earliest.
She looked at Viktor Krum and apologized to him again, "I'm really sorry, I hope the little accident just now didn't spoil your good mood today."
Viktor Krum shook his head repeatedly, "Of course not, Miss Granger, you yourself said it was just a minor accident, so of course I won't take it to heart."
Hermione smiled and nodded. "Thank you very much for your understanding, Mr. Krum."
She then looked at Fanny and said, "I should go back to the Ministry of Magic. I'll leave this place to you."
When Viktor Krum heard that she wanted to go back, his eyes immediately dimmed.
He stammered as he called out to Hermione, his eyes filled with expectation, "Miss Granger, will you be coming to watch the match in three days?"
Hermione turned around in confusion. "We'll see, but I'll be here all day, so I should have time to watch the match."
Viktor Krum's lips curled into a wide smile. "That's great. I'll definitely do my best then."
Hermione was even more confused. "Go for it, Mr. Krum."
She gave him a strange look, then turned and walked toward the stadium exit.
Viktor Krum didn't look away until her figure disappeared from sight.
Fanny squinted at him, seemingly noticing that something was amiss.
We've only known each other for a short time, why are you already concerned about whether they'll come to the game?
It was probably just a polite inquiry.
Fanny didn't think much of it and glanced back at Bo Ye.
He smiled warmly. "Viktor, you're here to scout out the competition venue, right? If you don't mind, I can be your guide."
In a good mood Viktor Krum did not refuse his kindness and expressed his gratitude.
Being able to get up close and personal with top football stars is the biggest dream of many fans.