Vincent and Hermione arrived a little early; there were only two or three wizards in the large Entrance Hall.
After explaining their purpose to the staff, who were dressed in traditional Bulgaria attire, she led the two to a staircase made of marble.
"This is Minister Obransk's office. Gentlemen, please follow me."
At the top of the stairs is a short corridor with many beautiful dynamic landscape paintings hanging on the walls on both sides.
Led by staff, the two arrived at a stone door inlaid with gemstones.
She gently pushed open the seemingly heavy door, revealing a brightly colored room with a palatial style.
"Minister Obransk, your guest has arrived."
The middle-aged man in front of the ebony table looked up and his gaze quickly swept over Vincent and Hermione, who were standing in the doorway.
"Mr. Wayne, please come in."
Obransk, dressed in a magnificent robe, rose and walked over.
He nodded to the staff member in charge of reception outside, and then led the two into the room.
Compared to an office, this place is more like a banquet hall.
Obransk seemed particularly enthusiastic, even more so than Minister Scipio had been the day before.
Vincent and Hermione were puzzled.
Gwent has never been very popular in Bulgaria, and its sales have not been high. Moreover, Obransk is not a very hospitable person.
Such unusual behavior must mean something is wrong.
Vincent tentatively asked, "Mr. Minister, you didn't specifically wait for us, did you?"
Obransk's smile widened. "Mr. Wayne, I actually have a close relationship with your Minister Fudge. He revealed some information to me a long time ago."
Fudge?
That old bastard's mouth isn't as tight as his anus!
Vincent cursed inwardly, but put on a look of sudden realization.
"I see. So, Mr. Minister, you won't refuse to cooperate with us, will you?"
Obransk smiled and shook his head. "Of course not. Minister Fudge said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He said if I refuse, I will regret it for the rest of my life."
No matter how well he tried to hide it, Vincent could still see greed in his eyes.
As expected, we're not on the same wavelength; we can't get along.
Decorating an office like a banquet hall probably reflects a degree of vanity.
Vincent subtly shook his head at Hermione, indicating that he would take care of the rest.
Just then, the staff member who had been in charge of receiving the two earlier came in carrying a cup of freshly brewed premium black tea.
They've prepared quite thoroughly for this small benefit.
Vincent took a small sip of his black tea.
"Mr. Minister, our Minister Fudge probably didn't disclose the specific terms of the cooperation to you, did he?"
Obransk waved his hand, "I wouldn't dare ask about the details, and even if Minister Fudge wanted to, I wouldn't listen."
This kind of talk can only fool naive children.
It wasn't that he was afraid to ask, but that he knew perfectly well that even if he did ask, Fudge would definitely not tell him.
Selfish, vain, and hypocritical, the future of the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic is bleak.
However, dealing with these kinds of people is quite simple. As long as you can completely satisfy their appetites, they can even cross the line again and again, given the right conditions.
Greedy, huh? Then I'll let you be greedy to your heart's content!
Vincent asked Hermione for parchment and a quill, and quickly wrote line after line of text on it.
After writing a note, he handed the parchment to Obransk, saying, "Mr. Minister, I'm confident that the terms we've offered will satisfy you."
Obransk looked at it carefully with a broad smile.
Similar to the conditions set by the British Ministry of Magic, Wayne Enterprises only requires an exclusive operating right in the field of mobile communications.
Bulgaria magic can develop new alchemical equipment with anyone, including the International Alchemy Association, but the core components need to be purchased from Wayne Enterprises.
After the World Cup ends, the large Magical Projection used to broadcast the matches will even be donated to the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic free of charge, with only one condition: Wayne Enterprises will have priority access to use it.
What can mobile communications possibly achieve? Only Muggle television stations, computers, and even the internet have potential.
Simply set an entry fee and make the families who want to participate pay it; that would bring in at least hundreds of thousands or millions of Gold Galleons every year. Only a fool would take the initiative to lead research and development.
With such favorable terms, Obransk naturally agreed immediately.
As soon as the second parchment was written, he eagerly signed his name.
When Vincent also signed his name, the magic Contract officially took effect.
"Mr. Wayne, Miss Granger, it's still early. Would you like to stay and have lunch with us?"
Having lunch together? I'm about to throw up.
Vincent maintained a polite and appropriate smile.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Minister, we have already made an appointment with Minister Astrid, and it's time to head to Greece now."
Obransk looked disappointed. "What a coincidence!"
Vincent, fighting back nausea, said, "Yes, it's really unfortunate."
He and Hermione maintained proper decorum and quickly left the office, a place brimming with vanity and hypocrisy.
Staying inside for even a second longer would make both of them feel nauseous and vomit.
Although Hermione remained silent throughout, she could tell that Obransk was no good.
She thought Fudge was just an isolated case, but she was too naive.
Coming down the stairs, the once quiet Entrance Hall suddenly became lively.
The Bulgaria sorcerers, both men and women, were all gathered together, as if some important person had arrived.
Even the receptionists joined in, creating a scene comparable to Lockhart's before he was exposed.
Vincent and Hermione had absolutely no interest in this.
The two removed the roses pinned to their chests, placed them on the counter, and quickly walked past the crowd.
If it weren't for that unpleasant incident, I might have gone to join in the fun.
Let's forget about it for now; getting out of the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic as soon as possible is the most important thing.
At the very center of the crowd, a tall, handsome boy with thick black hair suddenly paused in surprise.
The wizards in front of him followed his gaze and saw two figures walking away, one in front of the other.
"Viktor? You know them?"
The boy shook his head. "No."
At this moment, a middle-aged male wizard who looked like his agent stepped forward.
"Alright everyone, Viktor has training this afternoon, so we need to hurry up and register with the Magical Sports and Games Authority."
The surrounding wizards remained fanatical, but they all consciously made way for him.
The tall, handsome young man and his agent walked towards another staircase deep inside the Entrance Hall.
The crowd slowly dispersed once their figures disappeared from sight.