Chapter 257: Communication Paper
At the workbench, Leonardo picked up his quill and wrote smoothly across the open magical notebook.
"The questionnaires went out even faster than expected," Harry wrote, the satisfaction of a job well done evident in every word. "Everyone seemed really curious about this kind of 'survey,' and besides..."
"And besides, there were voucher coupons," Leonardo finished with a smile.
That had been his plan all along. Every fully completed questionnaire came with a voucher redeemable at the Seventh Workshop.
The young witches and wizards got a genuine bargain, while the Galleons and Sickles they spent would ultimately find their way back into Leonardo's pockets.
Of course, the real objective was still advancing the loan progress for the Emerald Tablet Fragment.
At the same time, Leonardo had arranged for Fred and George to spread the word in advance. Along with the questionnaires, they handed out small potion samples with simple beautifying effects, as well as teasers for the new products planned for Valentine's Day.
The vouchers encouraged people to buy, the product teasers sparked curiosity, and the questionnaires gathered the young witches' and wizards' thoughts on Valentine's Day, laying the groundwork for the fire element rune loan.
All in all, it killed several birds with one stone.
The page was soon filled with Leonardo and Harry's back-and-forth exchange.
Then, as though washed away by water, all the writing faded, leaving the page blank once more, ready for the next conversation.
The previous messages hadn't disappeared, however. A simple magical command was enough to bring up the conversation history.
Drawing on ideas from things like WhatsApp and Messenger in his previous life, Leonardo had recreated many practical features within this little notebook.
Naturally, this first-generation version had its limitations.
Each specially crafted sheet of communication paper could be linked to only a single fixed contact.
Adding another friend required another sheet of communication paper.
Creating a group chat for several people likewise took up an entire sheet.
Yet this so-called "drawback" was, in Leonardo's eyes, a glittering advantage.
The truth was that, setting aside the cost of the notebook itself, the real source of profit was the communication paper.
What pleased Leonardo even more was that, according to the system's judgement, every single sheet of communication paper counted as a separate alchemical device.
The loan task for the Emerald Tablet Fragment required him to sell thirty thousand alchemical devices or potions and generate a total of one hundred and fifty thousand Galleons in sales.
If each sheet of communication paper counted as an alchemical device, then reaching the sales quota would undoubtedly become much easier.
As for the target of one hundred and fifty thousand Galleons in sales, that would have to be supported by high-end, high-value products, such as the East Wind flying broom...
Leonardo had also designed a deluxe edition of the communication notebook, complete with correspondingly enhanced features, aimed at pure-bloods who valued status, prestige, and a sense of standing above everyone else.
His quill paused for a moment as a thought flashed through his mind, and he murmured to himself,
"Perhaps... even the communication paper itself could have a deluxe edition?"
It could be made from finer materials, for instance, inlaid with a miniature family crest, or offer a faster message refresh rate...
The target customers would still be those pure-bloods who prized status and enjoyed the feeling of being a cut above everyone else.
Even Leonardo found himself raising an eyebrow at the idea. Still, going that far—even with the communication paper—wasn't it a little too ruthless? A little too much like profiteering?
Well, better to finish the Emerald Tablet loan first. Refining the product and finding ways for it to benefit the wizarding world could come afterwards.
Leonardo quickly put the thought aside. Once this magical communication notebook made its official debut at the exchange match, its revolutionary features were bound to cause a sensation.
The influence of the three great magical schools reached across the entire Continent, and the eyes of wizarding communities from many nations were fixed upon this event.
It wasn't hard to imagine that, so long as the product was impressive enough, it could sweep through the wizarding world of the Continent in a remarkably short time.
And with the centre of the magical world lying on the Continent, the impact that followed would only continue to grow.
Leonardo looked at the blank page before him, and it was almost as though he could already see countless sheets of communication paper, one day linking together into an unprecedented network of instant magical communication.