Vientiane Book Cafe.
May was so disappointed with her boss Lockhart that she even considered resigning. But when she thought about how difficult it was to find a job now, she immediately gave up the idea. All this stemmed from the fact that the business plan she submitted was rejected.
She was originally in a good mood on the day of the physical examination. After all, free physical examinations were only available in large companies. But after she returned to the book cafe and met the boss, she put her carefully crafted business plan, with the help of Iron Man Tony Stark, in front of him.
The plan was laid out in detail. She had specially customized 20 Iron Man dolls and put up 10 Iron Man posters, including the placement. It could be said that as long as the boss approved, it could be started immediately. And the most important thing was that it was authorized by Tony Stark beforehand. Well, actually, Iron Man agreed mainly because he was dissatisfied with being rejected that day. Tony Stark also wanted to see his image occupy the wizard professor's territory, and with the support of this bad thought, he readily agreed.
Of course, May didn't know this. She only knew that according to her plan, the traffic of the book cafe would increase explosively. The first high-end Iron Man-themed book cafe in New York authorized by Iron Man himself was about to be established. You don't have to think twice to know how hot this would be.
But the result...
Damn it, the boss actually blocked her plan to make money. Suddenly, she wanted to buy this Vientiane Book Cafe herself and then launch her grand plan. Unfortunately, she had no money. Not having money is the original sin! She couldn't think about it anymore; the more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. While May was reading the book, she kept reminding herself, "Don't be angry, don't be angry. The boss is a business idiot, and you don't deserve to have the same level of knowledge as him."
May only felt that she couldn't control herself at all, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly! An idea came to her mind, and she decided to give it one last try. Once the idea arose, it seemed to be deeply ingrained and continued to grow and expand in May's mind. While thinking about it, she looked at study room 101. This morning, she saw her boss sitting in the study room and never coming out. After thinking about it, she stood up and decided to give her boss one last push. So, with firm eyes, May strode towards study room 101.
At this moment, Lockhart looked at the three lists in front of him and briefly checked the general information. When he found that there was no problem, he nodded slightly. Although he knew that the two mages would not do anything because of such a trivial matter, the actions that should be taken are still necessary. In the long run, people managing people cannot be better than mechanisms managing people. Just follow the process and do what was agreed in advance so that everyone can rest assured. Friendships aside, business is business after all. Mixing friendship with business will basically ruin either the business or the friendship. Lockhart understood this truth in his previous life. This is a valuable experience that he gained at the expense of several friendships.
Almost at the same time, the two mages also raised their heads, indicating that everything was fine. Then Lockhart stood up and waved his wand gently across the study.
"Space extension!"
"Space extension!"
After several spatial extension spells were cast, the space of the entire study expanded more than three times in an instant. Immediately afterward, Lockhart controlled the desk to move to a corner. Then he waved his wand to control the resources earned from this potion business in his space bag and placed them in front of him. The same was true for Kaecilius and Morin. The three of them looked at a pile of various magic metals, magic items, and other magic resources placed in front of everyone.
To ensure that his business can continue, he believed that he must provide effective stimulation to everyone for the first time. And what is the most effective stimulus? In his previous life, after a project was successfully completed, he would go to the bank to withdraw cash, put a thick stack in it, and place it in front of each researcher according to each person's contribution. Maybe he could transfer the money directly, but what he liked best was direct cash. The stimulus given by cash is much higher than the stimulus brought by digital changes.
As he specifically emphasized, the resources earned this time must be taken out and placed in front of the three of them. Let them see for themselves how much benefit the potion business brings them. Only in this way, Lockhart believes, will they continue to do it with heart without saying anything. Although the method is a bit crude, it is quite practical. Of course, it's definitely not appropriate to do this every time, but you must give enough stimulation the first time.
To be honest, after seeing the massive magic resources, he felt a surge of heat rising in his chest, which could be said to be full of motivation. At the same time, Kaecilius and Morin were very excited when they saw such a large amount of magic resources in front of them. They believed that this business was very necessary to continue.
Then, Lockhart waved his wand and controlled each magical resource to be placed together in different categories. It has to be said that the magic in the world of Harry Potter is far superior to the magic of Kamar Taj in terms of practical life. With a slight wave of the wand and a movement of thought, a large amount of magic resources floated in the air, and then slowly landed in various locations on the ground in a very orderly manner, slowly outlining a large rectangular shape.
At this time, Kaecilius and Morin looked at the various magic resources classified into categories and placed in front of them, with a trace of satisfaction flashing in their eyes. According to the previously signed contract, Lockhart received 50% for providing core resources, while Kaecilius and Morin each received 25%.
At this moment, Lockhart was concentrating on identifying each type of magical resource. This time when he returns to the Harry Potter world, he will definitely show off his talents, and he must consume these magical resources no matter what. Otherwise, how could he not get back his money after working so hard to sell so many potions? And he still owes Snape a large sum of gold galleons. Lockhart, Kaecilius, and Morin were concentrating on identifying and counting all magic materials, magic items, magic metals, and other resources.
Suddenly, Lockhart frowned slightly. He sensed that someone outside was approaching the study.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
There was a knock on the door.
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[More Chapter available at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]
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"Boss, it's me."
Hearing a familiar voice coming from the door, Lockhart glanced at the magical resources on the floor. He shook his head helplessly. At this moment, Kaecilius and Morin once again looked at the resources. Obviously, they knew that it was impossible to collect these magic resources now, after all, the other party was right outside the door. Now they were looking forward to Lockhart's solution. Such interesting scenes are rarely encountered.
Lockhart, of course, saw the expressions of his two friends watching the show and naturally knew what they were thinking. But this was not something difficult for him to deal with. Just a few spells. He didn't like to complicate simple things. Even if May saw it, her memory could be altered, and nothing would happen. Then, Lockhart waved his wand towards the surrounding space.
"Confundus!"
After a confusion spell was cast, in the eyes of ordinary people, the surrounding scene changed instantly and returned to the original appearance of the study room. Kaecilius and Morin, with their strong mental power, could easily see these illusions clearly. But they didn't say much. After all, they wanted to watch the show!
"May, what's the matter?"
After tidying up the study room slightly, Lockhart walked to the door, opened it, and asked May in front of him.
"Boss, can I come in and talk?"
May glanced around and felt that there might be a heated discussion later, so she asked.
In response, Lockhart turned slightly sideways and said, "Please come in."
With that said, Lockhart walked to the desk, poured a cup of tea, and handed it to May, who followed closely behind. After May took it, she put it on the table and asked in a deep voice, "Boss, there is something I think it is necessary to talk about again."
"Sit down and talk." Lockhart sat on a chair, pointed to the chair opposite, and said calmly.
"Okay, boss."
After sitting down, May spoke first, "Boss, I have carefully planned the previous plan. As long as it is implemented, whether it is the book cafe's reputation or traffic, it will definitely usher in explosive growth. And with the licensing of Tony Stark's image, this is a unique advantage for book lovers. We can completely focus on this theme."
"And we can find new profit models, such as the classic membership card model, or provide more exquisite drinks."
"In the later stage, we can completely use the franchise chain model."
Lockhart listened to May's continuous explanation of her plan without interrupting. He just listened silently and looked into May's eyes with an indifferent expression. In the entire bookstore, May was the only one who continued to talk, while Kaecilius and Morin, who were hiding, also found a chair and sat on it. At this moment, May felt that the atmosphere was getting more and more serious. She kept talking, but the boss didn't respond at all, and his expression didn't change at all. She knew that this time it would probably be in vain again. However, she really couldn't bear to let her carefully planned plan go to waste.
At the end of the explanation, she still asked silently, "Boss, what do you think is wrong with the plan?"
Lockhart asked silently after hearing May explain the entire plan, "May, do you think I'm short of money?" Lockhart questioned May. "The plan you just mentioned is very good. However, don't forget that the core of your plan lies in the licensing of Tony Stark's image. This is your core advantage."
Having said this, Lockhart glanced at Kaecilius, who was sitting next to him, and Morin glanced at him, and said with some hint, "Think about it, if you lack this core advantage, all your plans, all your efforts will eventually be gone. And when you talk about image licensing, do you have a signed contract? Let me ask one thing, why did Tony Stark give you the authority? Have you ever thought about this question?"
Hearing this, May was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to reply.
Immediately afterward, Lockhart said something meaningful to May, "Everything we do has its own purpose, even if the purpose is just to make ourselves happy. Have you ever thought that with Tony Stark's character, what he promised you was purely a prank, or a way to vent his dissatisfaction. If you really follow your plan, Tony Stark will probably be very happy. Because, his prank succeeded."
After hearing this, no matter how stubborn May was, she understood that she had been thinking in the wrong direction before. Then...
"May, I remember you have only been here for two weeks, and you are still in the probation period." Lockhart's calm tone was like a sharp thorn, peeling away the truth of the matter. May's face turned a little pale, as if she knew what the next words meant.
"I originally bought this book cafe just to have a place where I could drink tea and chat with friends. But at that time, I thought I couldn't let resources be wasted, so I just let the book cafe open naturally. Now it seems that the book cafe's business strategy needs to be adjusted to become a place for private reception. You should know what I mean."
At this point, May nodded blankly and said in a bitter voice, "Okay, I understand what you mean." What doesn't she understand? She is about to be replaced.
After saying that, May stood up and walked outside in a hurry. Seeing May's leaving figure, Lockhart shook his head slightly. He saw May's intentions with his own eyes. But the problem is that the direction is completely opposite! If the direction is reversed, the harder and harder you work, the greater the price you pay in the end.
Think about it, a man as talented as Iron Man has made a huge contribution by standing in the righteous camp. But if he completely goes dark, no matter how much his original contribution is, the harm he causes to the world will only expand exponentially. After all, it is easier to destroy than to create. Therefore, the direction of decision-making is very important, or the initial strategy is extremely important.
In this case, if he wants to reform the wizarding world and promote a new magic, what should be the core direction or strategy? As Lockhart kept thinking, he came up with a general idea. At the same time, he has also made a decision to return to the Harry Potter world and prepare to find a suitable candidate to serve as store manager. So a situation like May's cannot happen again. He initially thought poorly and forgot about May as Spider-Man's Aunt. Peter was quite active, so her Aunt May was definitely not a quiet person.
At this point, with May completely gone, Lockhart released his control of magic. Kaecilius and Morin also revealed themselves. At the same time, the illusions arranged around him began to dissipate, revealing their original appearance. A large number of magic resources were placed on the floor in batches.
"Lockhart, I feel that you are not very good at caring for women. You should speak more tactfully," Kaecilius said jokingly. "Look at your store manager. After hearing the truth from you, she seems a little sad."
"Kaecilius, sometimes long-term pain is worse than short-term pain." Lockhart replied softly, "It would be good for everyone to talk things out a little bit."
"Besides, the most essential problem in this matter is that May, the store manager, is not a mage. She has no access to our information at all, and it is impossible for me to tell her directly. Her thoughts are naturally very different from ours."
"Of course, there is also my problem. When the book cafe just started operating, I didn't tell her about my concept. At that time, I just wanted it to operate as a normal book cafe and gain some popularity. Now that we know the root of the problem, we must solve it in time and not let the problem expand."
After hearing what Lockhart said, Morin nodded in agreement. Kaecilius was thoughtful and did not continue the conversation. Afterward, after chatting for a while, the three of them discussed the allocation of resources. Well, Lockhart prefers some magic metals, magic potions, magic herbs, etc. There is not a strong demand for magic items. After all, in Hogwarts, with Dumbledore guarding it, safety is still very guaranteed. And his current strength is not weak either.
Kaecilius was more interested in magic items and wanted to improve his combat power. As for Morin, he preferred some resources for magic practice. After the three discussed it, everyone quickly got their share of resources, feeling very satisfied. Lockhart, on the other hand, gently touched the space bag on his waist, with a bright smile on his face. This trip to the Marvel world had been fruitful. Next, it's time to return to the world of Harry Potter.
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