Visiting Cho Chang
July 16th.
In the dim light of dusk, Skylar stood in front of Cho Chang's house, carefully examining the uniquely styled wizard's mansion.
The main body of the house is a typical English country building, with lush ivy climbing on the gray brick walls and dark brown wooden window frames, exuding a rustic charm. But upon closer inspection, some oriental elements subtly appear in the house: a string of brass wind chimes hangs under the eaves, making a crisp sound when the wind blows; there is an exquisite stone lantern in the courtyard, surrounded by verdant bamboo and several elegant plum blossoms.
The path in front of the house is paved with white pebbles on both sides, as if extending a road to tranquility and harmony.
The door slowly opened, Cho Chang stood in the doorway, wearing a simple sky-blue long dress, looking both elegant and approachable.
Upon seeing Skylar's arrival, she exclaimed with barely concealed delight, "Skylar? What brings you to my house today?"
"As the leader of the Sleeping Dragon Society, isn't it normal for him to occasionally care about his subordinates' lives outside of school?" Skylar smiled slightly, took out an exquisite Broomstick from his cloak, and handed it to her along with a delicate silver-rimmed admission ticket box. "This is for you; I hope you like it."
"What's this?" Cho Chang's eyes lit up. She took the broom and admission ticket box with both hands and examined them carefully.
Cho Chang's current Broomstick is still the old model "Comet 260" produced by Comet Company. Before the Nimbus 2000 was released in 1991, that Broomstick was indeed the leader in the Broomstick market at the time. Even Draco was once very fond of it. However, Draco and the entire Slytherin Quidditch Team upgraded their Broomstick to Nimbus 2001 in their second year.
Comet 290 is a new model that appeared this year. According to the latest edition of the "Broomstick Encyclopedia," this broom can increase its speed from zero to sixty miles per hour in ten seconds, but only under tailwind conditions. Compared to the Cleansweep Eleven that was just released last week, it is indeed slightly inferior.
However, the Comet Series products have never been known for their speed. Instead, they use the patented "Horton-Cage Brake Curse" technology to allow Quidditch players to better control their Broomstick, reducing the possibility of off-field scoring and offside flights.
The Broomstick in Cho Chang's hand was clearly different from the ones that could be bought elsewhere.
The broom handle is made of dark brown Mithril wood with a faint sheen. The handle is also engraved with the emblem of the Tutshill Tornados: a winding silver tornado with a shining star in the middle. It is obviously a custom-made broom for the Tornadoes by the Comet Trading Company and cannot be bought anywhere else.
Skylar coughed lightly, interrupting Cho Chang's thoughts as he was still stroking the broom, and said, "The person who gave me this broom said it's a specially customized version, different from the versions sold outside. It seems they secretly added an accelerator specially forged by Goblin to the end of the broom. If activated at full power, its speed can reach ninety miles per hour. Although it's not as fast as the 150 miles per hour of the Firebolt, it's still easy to surpass the seventy miles per hour of the Cleansweep Eleven."
Cho Chang immediately opened the silver-rimmed admission ticket box, and upon seeing the admission ticket inside, she excitedly exclaimed, "This is... a VIP admission ticket?"
"Yes, this is a ticket to watch all Quidditch Match, and it's a free VIP seat all year round. You can watch up close and even get to meet the players and ask for autographs after the game." Skylar said with a smile, as if looking at a little girl who had just received her favorite toy. Skylar himself wasn't a fan of Quidditch, so he found it hard to understand the feelings of crazy fans who idolized their players.
"Is... is this real? A team crest version of Comet 290? And VIP seats too?" Cho Chang looked up at Skylar, her voice filled with disbelief and surprise. "Skylar, you actually went to so much trouble for this?"
"Uh..." Skylar said somewhat embarrassedly, "Actually, no, it's just that this morning, through Professor Horace Slughorn's connections, I contacted the Tornadoes's management and invested 3,000 Galleon in their team, and then they gave me both of these things..."
Yes, Skylar was busy this morning as well. He personally went to Tutshill in western England early to meet with the Tornadoes management to discuss investment and sponsorship. The Tornadoes had a glorious history in the early 20th century, winning five league titles and being a strong team, but they were gradually replaced by newer teams.
Now that the Tornadoes have risen again, maintaining this momentum requires significant financial investment in training equipment, consumables, staff salaries, and upgrading Broomstick. Skylar's proactive arrival is a timely boon for the team. Both sides were interested in cooperation, so they quickly reached an agreement, and Skylar ultimately bought a quarter of the Tornadoes' shares for 3,000 Galleon.
As a result, two of the top three teams in the current British and Irish Quidditch League are owned by Skylar (the other being Puddlemere United, in Skylar owns one-third). It is foreseeable that Skylar will have a very strong influence in the future of Britain sports.
"I remember you told me that you've been a loyal supporter of this team since you were six years old, so I thought I'd give you these two things. What do you think? Do you like them?" What Skylar didn't say was that he didn't like flying on Broomstick or watching Quidditch, so these two things were completely useless to him and a waste. Giving them to Cho Chang was just perfect.
"I love it! I love it so much!" Cho Chang hugged the broom and admission ticket tightly, a bright smile spreading across her face. She approached Skylar, her eyes filled with genuine gratitude. "You're so thoughtful, Skylar. This gift means so much to me."
Skylar's tone was calm, yet carried a hint of barely concealed smugness. "As the leader of the Sleeping Dragon Society, I'm also very happy to see my most trusted right-hand man happy."
Suddenly, two blushes appeared on Cho Chang Qiubai's face. She quickly tiptoed and playfully and decisively placed a kiss on Skylar's cheek. Her movements were light and natural, her face flushed, but she did not hide her joy at the moment.
Skylar paused slightly, but then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips, and he said softly, "It seems my gift suits your taste."
Cho Chang took a step back, still smiling, but the blush on her face was even more pronounced. "Not only is it to my liking, it's a wonderful surprise. Now I finally understand why so many girls like you."
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, all in one look!
"Alright, stop flattering me." Skylar's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Morrie and Luna have moved into the Greengrass Manor, but I'm still a little worried about you here. I'll be going abroad in a few days, so please be careful, understand?"
Seeing that Skylar didn't resist her kiss, Cho Chang was overjoyed. Hearing Skylar's caring words, she felt a warm sense of happiness. She whispered, "Yes, I'll be careful. You be careful too. I... I'll wait for you to come back."
"Well then, have a pleasant evening, goodbye!" Skylar turned and left, waving as he went.
As the last rays of the setting sun faded, the faint sunlight cast a long shadow on Skylar's departing figure. Cho Chang Qiu stared at Skylar's back, a strange thought swirling in her mind.