Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
On a map of the United States, it was an utterly unremarkable little town. But when it came to the American economy, especially the financial order of the United States, it held enormous weight.
If Wall Street controlled the finances of America, and even the world, then this place controlled the order of Wall Street.
And today, the people who held that power had, on a rare occasion, gathered inside a luxurious estate that looked inconspicuous from the outside.
"Russell, I do not know what game you are playing, but if that professor of yours cannot produce something worth our time today, something worth us sitting here with you, then I guarantee your little company will be used to compensate for the loss of our time."
Inside the conference room, an impeccably groomed old man with white hair angrily tapped the table with his finger, instantly shattering the calm atmosphere and drawing the attention of the other tycoons present.
Ian Russell, seated at the head of the table, frowned.
He knew perfectly well that the little company the old man was referring to was not just the business that made facial masks, but every industry he had built up through years of struggle.
And this meeting had only happened because he had initiated it, which was the only reason he had barely managed to sit in that seat.
If they were going strictly by power, then in the eyes of these financial oligarchs, who toyed with capital and had connections reaching the highest levels, a businessman like him, who could stir up storms across Europe, would not even qualify to sit at the end of the table.
Seeing this, Bulstrode, who stood slightly behind him like the other assistants, bent forward a little.
"If the professor says he will attend the meeting at ten thirty, then he will appear at ten thirty."
The voice was calm and completely emotionless, yet it eased Ian considerably.
After a year of working together, he had already come to trust this capable assistant without reservation.
Even if Bulstrode had been sent by that professor, and even if the professor had said Bulstrode stayed by his side only out of a pursuit of magic...
The moment he thought of that miraculous magic, Ian looked confidently at the old man who had spoken.
"Do not be so impatient, Williams. There is still time before the agreed hour. I guarantee this meeting will stay with you for the rest of your life."
Those words were not just for Williams, but also for everyone else in the room.
They had not said anything, but their impatience was written plainly across their faces. Williams had merely been the first to speak.
Williams did not appreciate it. He pointed irritably at the exquisite clock on the wall.
"There is less than a minute left until ten thirty, and not a single person from the estate's security team has reported any sign of anyone appearing within a kilometer."
"Unless he can fly in like a fly, I cannot think of anyone who could possibly arrive here in under a minute."
"Calm down, Williams. Ian knows the consequences of deceiving us, does he not?" A beautiful woman curved her lips into a faint smile, her gentle gaze drifting between Williams and Ian.
But somehow, the temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Of course, Madam Diana," Ian said carefully.
Even with magic on their side, the professor had already warned him that they could not use magic recklessly in this world, or they would easily attract trouble.
And Ian, who had always preferred doing business above all else, clearly could not afford to offend Madam Diana, a woman said to have business interests across the globe and connections just as far reaching.
"I will take your word for it, Diana, but our time is valuable. Surely we are not going to waste an entire morning sitting in a highly confidential meeting room just chatting?"
Williams sounded much more courteous now, but his eyes never left the clock on the wall.
"To be precise, there are less than ten seconds left. Eight, seven... If you want to reschedule, I have no objection, but there is no way anyone could show up that fast... three, two..."
"Sorry about that. This estate is even bigger than I expected. Maybe Ian should have given me a map or something."
At that moment, a burly bodyguard standing guard outside suddenly pulled the door open. Tver gave the stunned guard a polite smile, then strode straight toward Ian's seat.
The seat at the head of the table.
"Who are you?" Williams asked, frowning hard.
Given Tver's age, he found it difficult to imagine what corporation or financial foundation would send someone so young.
But what concerned him even more was the fact that not a single member of the estate's security had warned them in advance.
The entire area within a kilometer was under tight security. Even if the FBI tried to force its way in, they would still receive advance warning.
The moment their personal safety was involved, the other tycoons at the meeting, who had previously remained calm, all turned serious.
Their assistants picked up their walkie talkies almost in unison and started communicating with the bodyguards outside.
But the result was still the same. Even though Tver had apparently arrived in a taxi and walked in openly, they had come up with nothing.
Tver noticed their little movements, but he remained completely unhurried as he walked up to Ian.
"I am not late, am I?"
"Of course not, but I thought you might just come over directly, like that."
Ian hurriedly stood up and gave way.
He was referring to the method Tver had used to transport himself directly into his house. Even after a year and a half, the memory was still vivid.
But Tver did not sit down. Instead, he spoke to Ian with easy familiarity, as though they were chatting at some relaxed social gathering.
"That would have been too rude. Besides, the Ministry of Magic in America is always especially sensitive."
Ian froze for a moment. If they could not use that miraculous magic in America, then would that not mean they had lost the very bargaining chip that made this meeting possible?
"Then what about us..."
"There is no need to worry. America does not have anything worth making me wary of yet. I am simply using a little less magic."
Tver suddenly clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.
"All right, everyone. I assume your investigation is finished. Why do you not tell me the result?"
The tycoons exchanged grave looks, then all turned in unison toward Williams, whose status was only slightly above Ian's.
Williams pressed his lips together, knowing that here, he could only serve as the one testing the waters.
"Not a single bodyguard reported seeing any sign of your arrival. But after we reminded them, they found obvious tire tracks on the road leading to the estate, as well as..."
He hesitated and looked at Tver.
"As well as surveillance footage showing you walking in openly..."
"Did you bribe them?"
An old man of Japanese descent, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke up. As the only non white tycoon in the room, he had reached his current position precisely because of his cautious nature.
If Tver had the ability to bribe every bodyguard in the estate, then there was no point in continuing. They were already lambs waiting for slaughter.
"If it were bribery, then the bodyguards would not have told us about the tire tracks and the surveillance footage." Madam Diana stared at Tver with obvious interest.
"In that case, everything this young gentleman did just now is related to the purpose of today's meeting, is it not?"
...
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