On June 18th, Wayne Enterprises' latest product Magical Communicator, was officially released.
This wearable communication device was groundbreaking. In 1995, when 2G networks were not yet widely available to Muggle, the Magical Communicator already boasted ultra-low latency and supported simultaneous connections to a massive number of devices.
The version with only basic communication functions is priced at 99 Gold Galleons. The top-of-the-line version, which includes all the hardware features such as projection, photography, music, games, office functions, and navigation, is priced at 299 Gold Galleons and can be added later.
Compared to magical home appliances with projection capabilities, the price of the Magical Communicator isn't much higher; the version with only projection and photo-taking functions costs just 139 Gold Galleons.
A typical wizard's monthly income is between $50 and $80. If they grit their teeth and save for two or three months, they can buy it outright. They can then gradually add more hardware features later.
On the day of its release, wizards wearing Magical Communicator could be seen on the streets and alleys of the Wizarding World around the globe, and Wayne Enterprises' new product was undoubtedly a success.
And all of this is just the beginning. On the surface, it's a one-time purchase with lifetime free use, but Wayne Enterprises has already been discussing with major magical appliance brands about bringing the series to streaming platforms.
Prongs was the first brand to agree to the partnership. Simply put, Wayne Enterprises bought out the series and then charged users for subscriptions.
The huge success of the Magical Communicator did not make Vincent complacent; on the contrary, he was troubled by an extremely serious problem.
This is precisely the problem that has prevented him from deciding on the release date. If Fudge hadn't opposed Wayne Media's news program, the Magical Communicator might not have been officially released this year.
The most serious problem is the very foundation of the subscription model: online payment.
The current payment methods in the Wizarding World are mainly cash-based. Credit and accounting systems are only available to wealthy individuals or magical families. Subscription models can currently be paid for in cash, but as the number of subscription items increases in the future, this will become an extremely inefficient process.
Vincent has been thinking about how to launch online payments all week.
The Goblin control Gringotts, and Wayne Enterprises cannot bypass them. Whether it's issuing a new currency or continuing to use the existing monetary system, Wayne Enterprises needs their consent.
Given the Goblin' greedy nature, and especially since they monopolize the Wizarding World's financial system, they will certainly maintain traditional currencies to consolidate their power. Even if they agree to cooperate, the transaction fees they charge will be unacceptably high.
If there were any other banks in the Wizarding World, even just two or three, Vincent would dare to bypass them and launch his own new currency.
After much deliberation, he decided to postpone online payments.
The Wizarding World is not the Muggle world after all; its population is not as large as one might imagine, and even with its low payment efficiency, it is still more efficient than the Ministry of Magic.
The day before the final event of the Triwizard Tournament, Vincent and his friends used the new map to double-check the identities of all the teachers and students in the school.
There were no hidden Death Eaters, and Beauxbatons and Durmstrang's students were all confirmed to be the real people.
But this doesn't mean we can relax. The closer we get to the last project, the more we feel the impending crisis.
On Friday, June 23, Ministry of Magic staff secretly arrived at the school to set up the arena.
They could fool the other students, but they couldn't fool Vincent and his friends who had the new map.
Whenever they weren't in class, they would stay in the Room of Requirement, keeping a close eye on the Ministry of Magic's every move.
Since Bagman is still recovering in the hospital, the setup for this match was led by Barty Crouch had just been discharged from the hospital.
A morning passed, and there were no abnormalities in either the name or the intensity of the magical characteristics.
At noon, everyone had lunch at the Room of Requirement.
"Umbridge!?" Fred stared incredulously at the gray name that walked into the campus.
George looked disgusted. "What's this pink toad doing here? Is it here to cause trouble?"
Hermione pondered for a moment, "Mr. Bagman's current physical condition is not suitable for the refereeing duties. The referees for the Triwizard Tournament have always been the three headmasters and two Ministry of Magic officials from the host country."
The twins stared blankly at the name that led towards the Forbidden Forest. "So, this pink toad is the fifth referee to replace Bagman?"
Hermione didn't answer, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Not only the twins, but Qiu was also in great pain.
With Umbridge's character, how can she be a good referee?
She spends all her time scheming how to climb the ranks. Even without the Death Eaters causing trouble, she alone could probably create some kind of accident in this final project.
Vincent took a sip of cream of mushroom soup to calm his nerves. "Such an arrogant person is bound to pretend to know everything and give orders randomly. It seems that wizards all over the world will have some fun to watch tomorrow."
His somewhat alarmist statement was unanimously agreed upon by his friends.
It's good enough if Umbridge doesn't make things worse; expecting her to do a good job as a referee is less likely than hoping Fudge will step down voluntarily.
Since no one had classes in the afternoon, they all stayed in the Room of Requirement, keeping a close eye on everything she did.
Whenever she approached a staff member, that staff member's magical abilities would suddenly become stronger, presumably because they had been instructed to use magic to make some kind of arrangement.
As the staff dispersed further and further away, the competition area for the Third Task also grew larger and larger.
The Champion already knew in advance that the final test would take place in a specially constructed maze, which, judging from the current situation, was clearly located in the Forbidden Forest.
"Aha—" The twins, who had been watching all day, were already sleepy before dinner time.
They took a nap on the sofa, and when they woke up, they found that Vincent was gone.
George looked at Hermione, who had a calm expression, and asked, "Dear Hogwarts Big Sister Head, where did your handsome boyfriend go?"
Hermione's lips twitched violently, and she pointed to the 3D Forbidden Forest map projected in front of her. "Go investigate the labyrinth."
George said "Oh," and then lay back down on the sofa.
Fred, however, perked up. "He won't be in danger by himself, will he? Maybe we should..."
Daphne extended her right hand, moving her index and middle fingers back and forth above her nose, indicating that she knew about his trick.
"Let's not make things worse. You and George got caught by accident. You'll probably never get back the things Aunt Molly confiscated from you."
Fred's smile vanished instantly.
Let's leave this kind of covert operation to our good buddies; they can just wait patiently.
Vincent's silver name was not only conspicuous, but it was also suspended in mid-air above the Forbidden Forest, suggesting he was conducting an investigation while wearing Flying Boots.
To be able to roam freely under the noses of dozens of Ministry of Magic staff is an ability few wizards in the entire British Wizarding World possess.