Chapter 232
"Teacher, the number of Kamar-Taj masters visiting the Vientiane Book Cafe has significantly decreased recently. To be precise, it's the decrease in the number of Sorcerers who come to trade."
"From my observations, I've noticed that the Sorcerers who used to come to us to buy potions have hardly appeared lately. We have reason to suspect that they've made an agreement with some other Sorcerers not to visit the Vientiane Book Cafe, leveraging their advantages in potions and alchemy."
Hearing this, Lockhart nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Anything else you've discovered?"
Vera paused, as if trying to organize her thoughts, and then said solemnly, "Teacher, I spoke to some of the Sorcerers from Kamar-Taj and learned something that I'm not sure is true or false. If it's true, it could be very problematic."
"When a friend was talking with me, they mentioned that there's a teahouse in Kamar-Taj that completely imitates the Vientiane Book Cafe in every aspect."
At this point, Vera hesitated, glanced at Lockhart, and then continued slowly, "Including the magic card you created, I heard that they've copied it as well. The effects are exactly the same, but the name has been changed. The magic card has become a 'Sorcerer Card,' and magic points have been renamed 'Sorcerer Points.'"
Lockhart showed no expression after hearing this but nodded to indicate his understanding.
In fact, he had already asked Kaecilius and Morin to investigate the situation.
After all, he had only been involved with Kamar-Taj for less than two months, whereas Kaecilius and Morin had lived there for many years and were well-connected.
Based on their feedback, Lockhart had determined that the rival teahouse had a premeditated plan to counter Vientiane Book Cafe.
After Lockhart refused to cooperate with them, they opened the teahouse in a very short time. The most important thing was that, except for the name, everything was an imitation of his establishment.
Lockhart believed that if Kamar-Taj didn't already have a library, the rival might have directly chosen to open a book cafe instead.
If that had happened, it wouldn't just be imitation—it would be outright copying.
"Vera, did you gather any other information?" Lockhart continued to ask.
This time, Vera shook her head, and Lockhart encouraged her by saying, "Vera, do you have any good solutions to the problem?"
"Mentor," Vera hesitated, but seeing Lockhart's encouraging eyes, she expressed her thoughts: "I personally don't have a perfect solution. Although the other party imitates us, their advantage is that they are located in Kamar-Taj, which is a natural gathering place for Sorcerers."
"And we're in New York. Because of your relationship with Master Kaecilius, the Sorcerers from the New York Temple tend to visit us, but there are very few others."
"But..."
"I discussed this with Ms. Peggy, and she gave me a suggestion that sounded promising. She suggested rebranding the Book Cafe, raising the threshold for entry, and specifically catering to elite Sorcerers with strong abilities or special talents."
"This would allow Kamar-Taj's teahouse to become a gathering place for ordinary Sorcerers, while we would become the trading hub for high-end Sorcerers. At that point, if the other party tries to compete with our Book Cafe, they won't be able to."
Vera's tone became more excited as she continued, "According to Ms. Peggy, the advantage of this approach is that it would completely change how Sorcerers perceive us."
"In their minds, the Sorcerers associated with the other shop would be seen as ordinary or low-level, while we would host the elites. This would immediately set us apart. Those elite Sorcerers would consciously avoid the other side and choose our Book Cafe. The most important thing is that elite Sorcerers are more powerful, wealthier, and have more valuable items to trade, which could further increase the income of the Vientiane Book Cafe."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
After listening to Vera, Lockhart gently clapped his hands, his eyes filled with approval.
Peggy, being the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., indeed had a wealth of experience.
This plan was very effective and could completely help the Vientiane Book Cafe overcome its current predicament.
It aligned almost perfectly with what he had been thinking.
If they were to compete directly with the rival teahouse, even if they won, it would likely be a costly and bitter victory.
So, he didn't want to directly confront them head-on.
"But..."
Lockhart detected the concern in Vera's tone and instantly understood her worries. He reassured her, "Don't worry, Vera. Don't be concerned about resources."
"I won't boast, but when it comes to money and magical resources, even the average pure-blood family can't compare with me."
After all, he had emptied the Lestrange family's treasury and taken many of Voldemort's precious magical items.
Not to mention, he had made a significant profit by reselling magic potions and items from the Marvel universe earlier.
In short, he was wealthy, with no concerns about resources.
Hearing this, Vera nodded silently, feeling somewhat relieved.
Immediately afterward, she heard her mentor ask with a testing smile, "Vera, aiming for a high-end market is a very good idea, but Ms. Peggy should have mentioned that to be a high-end cafe, the most important thing is to raise the threshold and decline entry to unsuitable Sorcerers. If you don't know how to refuse, it will be difficult to maintain a high-end standard."
"Secondly, you must increase the price. The most obvious difference between high-end and low-end is the price, which is also a key factor in many people's judgment. Currently, we have quite a few members, most of whom are ordinary Sorcerers."
"So tell me, how would you handle these ordinary Sorcerers when we raise our standards and fees?"
At this point, Lockhart smiled lightly and continued to ask, "One more thing: have you thought about how, if we go high-end, we can ensure that the other party can't imitate us?"
After hearing her mentor's series of questions, Vera felt excited, sensing that her mentor supported the direction she was proposing.
So, she organized her thoughts and spoke slowly but clearly, "Mentor, I think the first thing we need to do is redecorate the Book Cafe environment."
"..."
"To make it impossible for the other party to imitate or dare to imitate, we could..."
"..."
As Vera continued to speak, her tone grew more excited. Lockhart nodded slightly, looking at her with eyes full of admiration.
Peggy was right—Vera truly had a talent for management and should be nurtured.
In the future, Vera might become his right-hand woman.
That night, at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, the Triskelion Building...
Nick Fury, sitting in his office, looked at the old boss in front of him with a dazed expression.
It was as if he had been transported back more than 20 years, to a time when Director Peggy Carter was at the height of her power, leading S.H.I.E.L.D., along with Pierce and himself, under Chief Howard.
Step by step, they had fought against the FBI, CIA, military, and other forces, winning each battle and gradually growing to become the world's top organization.
Soon, Nick Fury came back to his senses, his tone tinged with excitement, or perhaps with a hint of respect that he wasn't even aware of.
"Director Peggy, congratulations on your return to youth. I wonder how the Wizard Professor's affairs are being handled."
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