"A good idea?"
Dumbledore lifted his teacup and tilted his head slightly, settling into an attentive listening posture.
"Yes, I was thinking..." Zhang Xiao frowned, struggling to organize his thoughts as he spoke slowly. "Our goal is to sneak into a heavily guarded vault and bring out Hufflepuff's Cup."
"Mm, that is indeed our goal," Dumbledore agreed. As a prime Western example of wisdom acquired with age, he could naturally tell that Zhang was at a crucial juncture. Inspiration was still gathering in his mind, flickering in and out of reach.
The most important thing now was to follow his train of thought and encourage him, helping that inspiration take shape until he could finally put it into words.
"It's difficult... but perhaps we could... find more people to help us think of a solution?"
Zhang Xiao murmured, an idea springing naturally to mind. If two people couldn't figure it out, why not call in reinforcements?
After all, three ordinary minds could outthink Zhuge Liang, even a hero needed allies, and the wisest person could still overlook something.
Right! Why not just call in reinforcements?
Zhang Xiao's eyes lit up. All those films and novels churned ever more vigorously through his mind. Wasn't this the standard opening of a blockbuster?
"So... we need someone experienced in things like infiltration and disguise to handle planning and coordination."
Mm, in films, that was usually some scruffy middle-aged man. The wrinkles on his face and the world-weary look in his eyes made him seem full of wisdom and charm.
"Then... we also need someone with exceptional technical skills, but limited ability in the field, to provide backup support and help us get past those troublesome goblin security measures. His knowledge needs to be extensive.
"And he needs to be able to handle all