"No! No! Five Galleons is absolutely impossible!" Mr. Borgin said angrily.
To be honest, he himself would haggle fiercely when acquiring goods… but this fellow in front of him!
He clearly looked wealthy, yet his bargaining was even more ruthless than Borgin's own.
Mr. Borgin was beginning to suspect he had run into a fellow trader.
"But this Vanishing Cabinet has already lost its function. It's useless to me," Wade said with a regretful expression.
Mr. Borgin patiently explained, "It's not entirely useless, respected sir. First of all, the craftsmanship of this cabinet is exquisite, and it's quite old. Even as an ordinary antique cabinet, it shouldn't be worth only five Galleons. Secondly, look at the patterns, the finish… it's a work of art. And although we can't locate the other cabinet right now, you can't deny that there must still be a connection between them. If one day you find the other through that connection, that's pure profit for you!"
Normally, Mr. Borgin would not waste time talking like this with an ordinary customer.
But Wade had already demonstrated his means the moment he entered, patting that bulging purse of gold.
With so many Galleons, if he could only get five out of it today… Mr. Borgin felt he would not be able to sleep tonight.
Besides, the cabinet had cost him more than five Galleons to acquire.
Wade pretended to think for a moment before asking hesitantly, "Then what price are you offering? Let me be clear, if you're still asking five hundred Galleons, I'll turn around and leave."
Mr. Borgin hesitated as well. He knew that for a pair of Vanishing Cabinets, five hundred for one would not be unreasonable.
But the problem was, he only had one…
"Four hundred?"
"You're treating me like a fool, shopkeeper…"
"We can negotiate step by step," Mr. Borgin said with a grin.
"Fifty."
"Come on, a bit more. Three hundred fifty?"
"Fifty."
"Three hundred?"
"Fifty."
"…"
Sweat began to form on Mr. Borgin's forehead.
In truth, a single Vanishing Cabinet was indeed difficult to sell. Only collectors who did not lack Galleons would be interested.
But such collectors were few, and they would hardly set foot in Knockturn Alley.
Moreover, selling it for fifty Galleons would already bring Mr. Borgin a considerable profit.
He kept raising the price only in hopes of earning a bit more.
Wade saw through this clearly, so no matter how Borgin raised the price, he remained firm at fifty Galleons.
Since Borgin was unwilling to miss this rare opportunity to sell, there was no need for Wade to hurry.
"Selling it to you for fifty Galleons really puts me in a difficult position…" Mr. Borgin's face twisted in discomfort. "At least add a little more?"
Wade stroked his chin, then smiled. "You know, as a piece of art, while it has sufficient age, it lacks a certain heritage. Once it loses its practical function, its value can only reach about sixty Galleons at most."
"Ah? And what do you mean by heritage?" Mr. Borgin asked.
Wade smiled. "If you could prove it once belonged to a famous figure, for example… if it were Slytherin's cabinet or something similar, then it could be sold for a hundred Galleons."
Mr. Borgin's eyes widened. So it could be done like this? Noted. I'll use that trick next time I sell something.
"How about you add just a little more?" Mr. Borgin made one last attempt.
"This is my first time in Britain. Since I've come into your shop, it's a matter of fate. Let's make it sixty Galleons… but I have a small request. You only need to sell me a piece of information as well."
Mr. Borgin was overjoyed. He had thought he would only get fifty Galleons, but now he would earn an extra ten.
"What kind of information is worth ten Galleons?"
Though pleased, he remained cautious.
"It's not that the information itself is worth ten Galleons. It's just something I happened to think of… as I said, this is my first time in Britain, and I plan to develop here. So I need a place to settle, preferably in Knockturn Alley. Since you can run such a large shop here, you must be quite capable. I assume this request won't be difficult for you?" Wade asked with a smile.
Hearing this, Mr. Borgin relaxed immediately. Ten Galleons for a piece of information… he had thought it might be something dangerous. In the end, it was only about finding a place to stay.
It also made sense. Only someone planning to establish themselves in a new country would carry so many Galleons.
Perhaps he had come to Knockturn Alley today precisely to look for a place, and buying something in the shop was just incidental.
"I understand… but are you looking to buy a shop, or a residence?" Mr. Borgin asked cautiously.
His caution stemmed from the fact that this man clearly knew his trade. If he intended to open a similar shop in Knockturn Alley, helping him find a location would only create trouble for himself.
If that were the case, he might as well not sell the cabinet at all.
"I'm looking for a residence. Preferably something spacious," Wade said with a smile.
"Ha, of course there is! No need to look elsewhere. I just happen to have an old house in Knockturn Alley," Mr. Borgin said with a broad smile.
Since it was not for opening a shop, he felt at ease.
And since it was about buying a house, he was confident he could transfer every last Galleon from this middle-aged man's bulging purse into his own pocket.
"That's good. In that case, could you take me to have a look?"
"Of course. May I ask your name, sir?"
Wade answered without hesitation, "John… John Wick."
…
The house Mr. Borgin brought Wade to was located at the far end of Knockturn Alley.
In Wade's view, the place was not small, over a hundred square meters, with two floors.
However… the condition inside was far from ideal…
The moment the door was opened, a swarm of pixies flew out, nearly colliding with Mr. Borgin's face.
Dilapidated… decayed…
That was Wade's first impression of the house.
"Er… no one has been here for a long time, so it's a bit messy," Mr. Borgin said with an awkward smile.
"And these two patches of blood…?" Wade pointed to the clearly visible dark stains on the ground floor.
"Oh… the previous owner had enemies come to settle a score. They ended up killing each other and bled out on the floor. It was half a year before I discovered them. You know… that's Knockturn Alley for you." Mr. Borgin shrugged.
"Half a year?" Wade's expression darkened.
"In fact, if the previous owner hadn't owed me money and I hadn't come to collect it, they might still not have been discovered," Mr. Borgin said.
"That explains how the house ended up in your hands," Wade replied.
"That's how property works in Knockturn Alley… it's not like Diagon Alley, where there are deeds and ownership papers. Here, whoever takes it owns it. There's never been any such thing as a deed," Mr. Borgin said casually.
But Wade could hear the warning in his words.
First, under such brutal rules, the fact that this house was still in Mr. Borgin's possession meant no one dared to take it from him, which spoke to his strength.
Second, it was to make Wade understand the rules of Knockturn Alley. Without strength, one should not try to establish a foothold here. And… I, Borgin, am not afraid of anyone trying to take what is mine.
Originally, Mr. Borgin had expected this Mr. Wick to retreat or at least become cautious.
But instead, he saw an extremely pleased expression appear on the man's face…
"You said just now… as long as I can take something, it becomes mine, correct?" Wade asked with a smile.
"Y… yes…" Mr. Borgin suddenly felt the air around him grow colder.
"Does that rule apply only to houses?" Wade asked, his expression almost expectant.
"N… no, of course not. It applies to anything," Mr. Borgin replied, glancing involuntarily at the pouch where Wade kept his money.
If this John Wick did not seem so dangerous, he might have already…
"So that means 'anything' includes people as well?" Wade asked, grinning.
"In theory, yes… but… you're not planning to take people as well, are you?" Mr. Borgin took a couple of steps back, tightening his robes.
The weather was warm, yet he felt a chill spreading through the air.
"Relax, Mr. Borgin, I'm not interested in you," Wade said, turning his attention back to the house.
As Wade's gaze shifted away, the oppressive feeling pressing on Borgin vanished instantly.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead…
By now, if he still could not judge the strength of the man before him, he would never have survived running a shop in Knockturn Alley.
In this regard, his instincts had never been wrong.
"Then… are you satisfied with the house?" Mr. Borgin's tone became unconsciously more flattering.
"Very satisfied," Wade said with a smile.
"Then… how about two… two hundred Galleons?"
Originally, Mr. Borgin had intended to ask for two thousand Galleons out of habit.
But after meeting Mr. Wick's gaze, he immediately lowered the price from two thousand to two hundred…
Because his instincts told him there was a deadly threat!
"Two hundred? That cheap?" Wade looked at Mr. Borgin with pleasant surprise.
"Ahem, just making a friend…" Mr. Borgin forced a smile.
"Very well. Since you're showing me respect, I'll pay for it," Wade said with a smile.
Mr. Borgin was startled. In other words, if he had not shown goodwill just now, this man would really have taken it by force?
After completing the transaction, Mr. Borgin stood at the door, letting out a long breath before heading back toward his shop.
This man must be a lunatic! And I was actually thinking of robbing him earlier? That was far too close…
Before he had gone far, he suddenly heard a loud bang behind him.
Turning around, he saw Mr. Wick kick open the door of a neighboring house.
"Open up! This is a robbery!"
"...."
Mr. Borgin turned his head away. "I knew it. He's a madman…"
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