Lucius returned to the Malfoy Manor at around 8 p. m.
He sat wearily on the luxurious leather sofa in the living room, his Serpent-head Cane casually leaning against the black Walnut Wood coffee table in front of him.
Narcissa came out of the room after hearing the noise.
She stepped forward and took off his silk coat, gently massaging his shoulders. "So late today? Did they lock you in that Little Black again?"
Lucius shook his head. "After laying the groundwork for several days, they finally came to me for a bloodletting."
He rubbed his temples. "Where's Draco?"
"He's been staying in his room," Narcissa sighed softly. "He's been much quieter than usual since what happened that day."
A child in his early teens witnesses the wizards in a panic, and his own father is "invited" to the Ministry of Magic every day. No one would act normally then.
Except for Wayne.
The boy wasn't scared at all; he even chased after them with Dumbledore.
If he weren't Muggle-born, Lucius would actually admire him quite a bit.
A maturity far beyond his years, exceptional magical talent, genius-level creativity...
Lucius's eyes suddenly lit up, and he sat up straight on the sofa.
Narcissa looked worried. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just remembered some things."
During the earlier insincere pleasantries, Fudge mentioned that Wayne Enterprises would proactively open up the terminal interfaces of the Magical Base Station, which meant that any wizard could get a piece of the pie in this emerging market.
The greater the initial investment, the greater the return will naturally be.
Having witnessed the amazing effects of the Magical Projection firsthand, Lucius believed that the market size was probably not small.
The Malfoy Family has connections Gold Galleons spare, so they're sure to get the biggest slice of the pie.
The problem is Wayne Enterprises, a company founded by Muggle-born wizard, a company that had a grudge against him.
Lucius's furrowed brows slowly relaxed.
Since Fudge is determined to continue leeching off others, why give up this market that can continuously generate revenue?
Sirius Black is back, Black Family's fortune is completely gone.
Everything is for profit. Besides, the Ministry of Magic Magical Base Station, and Wayne Enterprises has no right to decide who can join and who cannot.
However, before sharing the cake, one will probably have to pay a hefty entrance fee.
That damn Fudge! He was being tricked all along!
Lucius quickly calmed down and gave Narcissa a reassuring smile.
The Malfoy Family has been able to stand strong for centuries because their ancestors had a keen eye and were always able to seize the most opportune moment.
Wayne is still too young and his foundation is not solid.
If the development of the Magical Base Station were handed over to the Malfoy Family, they could monopolize most industries in the Wizarding World within a year, eventually developing into an unprecedentedly vast commercial empire.
In order to accelerate its expansion, Wayne had to give up absolute control and even large amounts of profit.
Muggle-born is still just Muggle-born. No matter how outstanding their talent or how ingenious their creativity, they will eventually be bound by the rules.
What goes around comes around; no one escapes the wrath of Heaven.
So what if Wizard Cards lost to Gwent? Lord Lucius can still personally pluck the juicy peach that is Magical Base Station.
August 8,
The highly anticipated Quidditch World Cup semi-finals officially kicked off in the France Alps.
Fans from all over the world had arrived at the scene well in advance, and most of them had set up tents on the nearby mountains, apparently wanting to watch all the semi-final matches.
Mont Blanc venue for the competition, has erected more than a dozen grandstands, each with its own Magical Projection.
It's only noon, and the screen is showing an advertisement for Wayne Enterprises.
Global live broadcasts have begun, but the situation on-site only occupies a small part. The main focus is on the sports departments of various countries' magical governments analyzing the strength of the semi-final teams in detail.
The British Ministry of Magic even sent Ludo Bagman, a former renowned Quidditch player, to provide commentary.
However, no matter how eloquently he spoke, only a very small number of wizards were able to go out and watch the broadcast.
By nightfall, the number of viewers had dwindled to single digits.
During his break, Bagman made a point of going to the Entrance Hall to take a look.
It's all colleagues from the department; there probably aren't many people on Diagon Alley.
This is bad.
The Ministry of Magic has been preparing for the finals for over a year. What will happen to its grand plan to make a fortune if all the wizards who come are foreign?
Foreign wizards would place bets through their own country's bookmakers, not through him.
"Hmm..." Bagman's eyes suddenly lit up.
If they partner with foreign bookmakers, they might earn even more by manipulating broadcast delays.
Although he wanted to take action right away, the work still needed to be done first.
Back at the Mont Blanc stadium in the Alps, fans discovered that there were Magical Projection screens around the stands.
They came in various sizes, and just as everyone was wondering, Wayne Enterprises' broadcast suddenly ended.
Before the vast expanse of white snow-capped mountains, the Magical Projection created an incredibly realistic forest.
Before the fans could even gasp in amazement, a round, golden ball of fluff flew from the tree in the middle of the stadium to each and every stand.
"It's the Golden Snidget!" Veteran fans shouted its name.
Before the invention of the Golden Snitch, Quidditch Match typically featured the extremely fast Golden Snidget.
It has a round body, a particularly long and thin mouth, and a pair of Winky, ruby-like eyes.
Because its wing joints can rotate flexibly, it can change its flight direction with incredible speed and skill.
Golden Snidget is a Level XXXX Fantastic Beasts, not because it is dangerous, but because its feathers and eyes are particularly precious. As a result, it was once in danger of being hunted to extinction by wizards. A higher level of classification would be that any wizard who captures or harms it would be severely punished.
Why would such a rare and protected Fantastic Beasts appear in the arena? Could it also be an illusion created by Magical Projection?
Before the fans could think further, the round and chubby Golden Snidget quickly returned to the tree in the very center.
After a series of clear and melodious bird calls, countless Golden Snidget flew down from the trees.
They flew in flocks to every stand, and the fans' enthusiasm only increased, even though they already knew it was an illusion.
Most wizards may never see Golden Snidget in their lifetime, let alone witness the awe-inspiring sight of hordes flying towards them now.
Even if you know deep down that it's fake, the joy of being surrounded by it is real.