In the blink of an eye, another week had passed.
Just as Zhang Xiao had expected, a mere sixty-odd thousand Galleons meant little to the pure-blood families that had been raking in money lately.
One thing did surprise him, though. When Malfoy handed him the list of contributors, the pure-blood families on it had already settled on appropriate contributions according to their respective influence.
That saved Zhang Xiao quite a bit of trouble. All that remained was to wait. An order for thirty-two broomsticks at once had certainly caught Quality Quidditch Supplies off guard.
Since this was a new model that had yet to be officially released, Quality Quidditch Supplies simply had no way to fill the order.
Even their flagship store in Diagon Alley, the heart of the European wizarding world, had only a single broomstick on display.
The combined influence of the pure-bloods really was formidable. With Zhang Chengdao coordinating matters, the manufacturer of the Nimbus actually agreed to produce an early batch for Hogwarts!
But production in a workshop where everything was made by hand still took time.
While they waited, Zhang Xiao also commissioned some badges to distinguish friends from foes.
Each was a gleaming gold badge, its front depicting an Azure Luan looking back over her shoulder. Bird Sis herself had served as the model, and magical effects gave the design a special touch.
The Azure Luan on the badge seemed alive. Sometimes she preened her feathers, sometimes she closed her eyes for a nap, and sometimes she spread her wings, poised to take flight.
As for the back...
Bird Sis tilted her head, her crystal-clear eyes fixed on the badge in Malfoy's hand.
She seemed fascinated by the badge bearing her likeness. She plucked it straight out of Malfoy's hand with her beak and