A business model that outclassed the competition! Lucius was thoroughly impressed

Arthur froze.

The important figure he had spent so long guessing about had been standing right beside him!

In his mind, Argus was only about his son's age.

He had thought the boy might need his help and care someday, yet in the blink of an eye, Argus was standing shoulder to shoulder with his boss!

Arthur might not even have been able to strike up a conversation with the dignitaries surrounding them.

For a moment, he could hardly believe his eyes.

Beside him, Ginny's eyes had already turned into hearts.

Ever since she first met Argus, she had been drawn to this gentle, poised young man.

After receiving his gift, that attraction had shifted toward a young girl's adoration.

He had made a name for himself at a young age, had exceptional looks, and carried himself with refined grace.

Combined, those qualities were simply too devastating for a young girl dreaming of romance!

Mrs. Weasley had no particular reaction and merely urged him on from the side.

"Dear, hurry along. Don't keep everyone waiting!"

"All right, Mrs. Weasley."

Argus looked perfectly composed, without the slightest hint of nerves.

With elegant, unhurried steps, he walked onto the ceremonial platform and joined Fudge.

"Mr. Grindelwald, over here, please!"

The Daily Prophet reporters had already been arranged for. Seeing Argus standing beside Fudge and the others, they naturally would not miss this opportunity.

Fudge beamed, putting an arm lightly around Argus's shoulders in a show of great closeness.

Argus certainly would not turn down this chance to borrow someone else's influence.

Wasn't this exactly why I gave the British Ministry of Magic so much money?

At the sight, quite a few members of pure-blood families around them silently made up their minds.

They had to get their children to spend more time with Argus!

They had seen Argus a few times at gatherings before, but because of the age gap, they had mostly regarded him as an admirable member of the younger generation.

Even knowing how popular he was among his peers, they had never entertained any other thoughts.

Now, however, it seemed his methods and vision had long since surpassed those of his age.

Shrewd pure-bloods naturally would not pass up a genius whose future prospects were so clear.

"Thank you all for coming!"

After taking pictures with Fudge and the other senior officials, Argus bowed slightly to the crowd.

His elegant manners drew countless murmurs of admiration.

"To thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend our opening ceremony, every item in the Acolytes' shops will be sold at a discount today."

"Buy one item for ten percent off, two for twenty percent off, and three for thirty percent off!"

"We also have a group-buying promotion. You can invite any three people and receive a discount based on the total number of items the three purchase! The more you buy, the more you save!"

Those words sent the crowd into another frenzy!

Countless people surged into the Acolytes group's various shops.

The corners of Argus's mouth lifted.

You can't resist even this?

If I introduce a wizarding version of Pinduoduo or Singles' Day later, won't you all go crazy?

In his previous life, plenty of people had already used these sales tactics to death, but at this point in time, they were certainly novel.

That was especially true in the backward wizarding world.

Fudge was smiling so broadly that his eyes were almost squeezed shut.

No matter how much these shops sold, the British Ministry of Magic would get a share.

Of course he hoped they would sell as much as possible!

Unlike everyone else, Lucius had unconsciously drawn his brows into a tight frown.

While the others were busy socializing, he approached Argus and asked quietly.

"Mr. Grindelwald, I greatly admire your promotional methods."

"But... regarding our stock reserves, shouldn't we..."

Argus remained calm.

"Don't worry, Mr. Malfoy. I prepared everything long ago."

"Please follow me."

The two passed through several long, narrow tunnels and arrived at an underground warehouse.

With a wave of Argus's wand, all the Fantastic Beasts materials he had previously purchased from Hagrid were revealed before Lucius.

Lucius stared.

He rubbed his eyes hard to make sure he was not hallucinating.

"Mr. Grindelwald, th-these materials are all..."

"Exactly as you think. They're all stock for our shops."

"Incredible. Absolutely incredible!"

Lucius reached out and touched a Unicorn Horn beside him.

The Malfoy family's collection, accumulated over centuries and millennia, was indeed far larger than this, but the amount kept in a collection and the amount available for sale were two entirely different things.

He would never dare sell Fantastic Beasts materials in bulk the way Argus did.

"Mr. Grindelwald, I know this question is rather presumptuous, but I would like to know whether these materials came from the Acolytes' reserves, or..."

"Of course they came from suppliers in Britain."

Argus smiled faintly.

"Speaking of which, I ought to thank Britain's pure-blood families. They delivered these supplies right into my hands."

"Delivered them right into your hands?" Lucius asked in confusion.

"Mr. Malfoy, don't you think these materials look a little familiar?"

"You may well have encountered these Fantastic Beasts before!"

"I've encountered them?" Now Lucius was baffled.

The Malfoy family had always speculated in land. When had they ever traded in Fantastic Beasts materials?

Seeing his expression, Argus stopped keeping him in suspense.

"The Hogwarts Forbidden Forest!"

"All these materials came from the Hogwarts Forbidden Forest!"

"Hogwarts!" Lucius was astonished.

As a School Governor at Hogwarts, he knew all too well the depth of its resources.

So many people had their eyes on them!

He had never expected Argus to get his hands on them!

There was just something he did not understand.

"But what does this have to do with the pure-blood families?"

"You should know Hagrid, the keeper of Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest. The half-blood Giant." The smile in Argus's eyes deepened.

"He previously tried to sell some Fantastic Beasts materials to the pure-bloods in Diagon Alley."

"But the people there looked down on him and drove the prices down to an appalling level."

"I bought all the materials he had for nothing more than the market price."

"And we established a long-term partnership. Whatever materials he picks up in the Forbidden Forest, I'll buy them all!"

Lucius was utterly dumbfounded.

He had never imagined that a Forbidden Forest keeper could bring in such enormous profits!

Along with his regret, he inwardly cursed those shortsighted pure-bloods!

A mountain of Galleons had been sitting right in front of them, and they had failed to seize it!

They had simply handed Argus a bargain!

If they had shown even a little sincerity, Argus would never have had a part in this!

Just a cursory glance at the goods here was enough for him to judge.

They could earn at least tens of thousands of Galleons!

Argus quietly savored Lucius's expression.

He was not worried about Lucius secretly making a move or anything of the sort.

Hagrid was stubborn to a fault and had an innate dislike of pure-bloods. He would never work with them.

As for forbidding Hagrid from taking things out of the Forbidden Forest...

Come on, you're going to police him even when he's just picking things up off the ground?

What a joke!

Lucius remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a long sigh.

"Mr. Grindelwald, your discernment is truly admirable."

"The Malfoy family will be your most loyal partner."