Chapter 502: It's Over (Edited)

"I believe I can fulfill your request, but there will be an additional cost for the modification," said Tom. In reality, he didn't want to take Lucius's commission unless he paid more.

"How much?"

"Why don't you go and steal it?" Lucius exclaimed, almost jumping in indignation.

"Because that would be practically like making a new ring. Charging only two hundred Galleons makes me feel like I'm doing charity," Tom explained.

Lucius took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He decided to completely abandon the idea of modifying the ring and took out four luxury banknotes from his pocket and placed them on the counter.

"The deal is done. We're even," he said as he put the ring back into its box and tucked it into the deepest pocket of his robe, making sure it was secure in the safest place. After stowing away the ring, Lucius took out his wand and headed for the door.

Before his hand touched the door handle, it opened. Of course, it wasn't because Tom or Mr. Penney had installed a sensor door; it was because a new customer had entered the shop.

The new customer consisted of four individuals. Leading the way were the one-eyed witch, Naya, and the proud veteran, Dawlish. Behind them, there were two officials from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with golden glasses and a refined appearance. One was the secretary of the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, and the other was from the Ministry of Magic.

The reason for the visit of these four individuals was straightforward: to negotiate a deal with Mr. Seven.

The Auror Office was willing to purchase the spell-proof gloves in bulk, but Pius Thicknesse opposed it, leading to a confrontation that culminated in a meeting with Minister Bones.

Minister Bones had high expectations for this project, so she personally sent an assistant to negotiate with Mr. Seven from the Alchemy Workshop, along with representatives from Thicknesse's side and the Auror Office.

"Miss Monica, I didn't expect to see you here." Lucius knew Monica from the Minister's office and greeted her, nodding to the other three.

Lucius was familiar with the four visitors. The Ministry of Magic wasn't a massive organization with tens of thousands of employees, so the more common faces were known to him. Moreover, his primary job was quite relaxed, so he knew almost all Ministry of Magic officials, at least by hearsay, and could recall their backgrounds as soon as he saw them.

This was also a must for a pure-blooded noble. An impetuous noble had no future. Someone who confronted everyone without thinking would hit a brick wall someday. But Lucius was different. Towards most people, he had an attitude of haughtiness and disdain. Before opening fire, he reflected a bit and only directed hurtful words at those he could confront or who wouldn't have a negative impact on him.

Regarding key figures, Lucius was quite observant and adaptable. It was an instinct engraved in the Malfoy family's genes.

"Good morning, Mr. Malfoy," Monica replied politely after the greeting. "We have some matters to discuss with Mr. Seven."

But she only said that there was something to discuss, and Monica didn't want to reveal the details of the conversation.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Lucius bid farewell to the four of them and left the alchemy shop.

Once outside Knockturn Alley, Lucius squinted.

'Business discussion?' He stroked the ring in his pocket while connecting the appearance of the Department of Aurors' representatives with Dawlish himself. He assumed that the purpose of those four was, in general, to discuss cooperation with Mr. Seven and purchase some magical accessories. Later, he could inquire about the cost of customized accessories.

With that thought in mind, Lucius walked away from Knockturn Alley.

...

Once the group of four from the Department of Magic entered the alchemy shop, they got straight to the point and began negotiations with Tom.

"These spell-proof gloves are very limited. After each use of the spell, it needs to be recharged, and, worse yet, it suffers wear and tear. In my opinion, they are not worth what you're asking," stated Monica as she sat in the chair created by Tom, with a defiant attitude.

In front of her was Naya's glove. She lifted it, showing a disdainful expression. "Furthermore, the spell on this glove is activated manually. It's simply unbearable."

Tom: ...

He could see that the witch in front of him was looking for trouble. Her main goal was to haggle over the price.

Tom was quite puzzled by this situation. How was it possible that the Department of Magic, with all its financial resources, would try to haggle when purchasing something? They weren't buying common items but cutting-edge equipment for the Aurors. These were the types of items that had no price on the market.

You should be grateful that a selfless alchemist like me is willing to sell you an unlimited number of defensive magical items; why are you haggling with me?

The Ministry of Magic's stinginess infuriated him. Across the ocean, in the United States, they would never haggle when buying weaponry. They would just report to Congress after making the purchase, increasing the prices to the point where a cup for the Air Force cost more than a thousand dollars. Of course, the supplier wouldn't get a thousand dollars, so you shouldn't haggle over the original price!

Tom's expression turned stern immediately. He didn't want to deal with Monica, but the woman kept chattering on, "In principle, we are interested in the spell-proof gloves you can provide. Although their performance is quite mediocre and falls far short of our expectations, it meets our standards and reaches the minimum threshold. However, I believe you should make a certain concession in terms of the price. In my opinion, we shouldn't pay more than ten Galleons for the wholesale purchase price... I will do my best to persuade the Ministry of Magic to increase the order quantity and make a bulk purchase. It would be even better if there can be an after-sales service included."

Tom rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Mr. Dawlish, I didn't expect to see you here in my shop today. I believe it's not yet time for your custom ring to be delivered." Tom addressed Dawlish, who was seated next to him.

Monika: [?_?]

Dawlish: っД)っ

The other two: ...

Though Dawlish was a bit surprised, he didn't dare to ignore the alchemist's question and replied quietly that he was there as a representative of the Aurors.

"You're in luck; your ring is already ready. I've been in good shape these days. Do you have enough money right now?"

At first, Dawlish was surprised, and then a wave of joy flooded over him. It was like receiving a pre-ordered collectible item without price inflation and with timely delivery.

"I'll go get the money." In these days, Dawlish had found Scrimgeour and applied for extra hours, joining the security team during the Quidditch World Cup. He had then done his best to gather the eight hundred Galleons, even borrowing some money from Kingsley.

Seeing Dawlish's appearance, Monica suddenly slammed the table. "What's going on here? Weren't we discussing the order for spell-proof gloves?"

Tom slammed the table harder, shouting, "It's over!"