"Sorry, n-no..." the wizard managed to choke out. "It's just strange. If you're in construction, then why did you come to us? Are you trying to lure us into your company? We build exclusively with magic, so we can't work in the Muggle world."
"Mr. Spencer," the coldness had left Richard's voice, "let me tell you how it all works. I need to build a large building for artifact production and magical research. Three floors, a spacious garage/workshop for several Muggle cars, a potion brewery and alchemy lab, offices, laboratories, and break rooms. I also need a separate hangar for several aircraft. The main things I'm interested in are the time frame and the price. If your price is lower and the construction time is shorter than the Muggle ones, and the quality is no worse, then I'll hire your company. If I'm not satisfied with any of these points, then I'll use the facilities of my corporation.
- I see, sir... Uh... A large building, then. Do you need a large hangar for these planes?
- About twenty by fifty meters.
"Oh!" the wizard pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his sweaty forehead. "So the house is... About fifty by twenty meters, three stories?"
- Possibly. Do you have designers? We could at least give you a preliminary estimate.
- I'll be right back! I'll be right back. Just don't leave.
The bald man jumped up and dashed into the utility room, the door to which was behind the desk. Rustling and banging sounds came from behind the wall. Soon the magician returned with a crystal ball on a bronze stand. He placed the ball on the floor between Richard and the chair, sat down, and pointed his wand at it.
Richard watched with curiosity as the crystal ball began to glow blue and an illusion of a black rectangle appeared above it.
"Damn it!" Richard screamed mentally. "It's a holoprojector! My precious! Why the hell do wizards get to fly around in flyers and use mind-controlled holoprojectors, while ordinary people don't have any of that?"
That the wizard was controlling the crystal ball with his thoughts was clear at first glance. The hologram began to flow and now resembled the stone frame of a house. After a while, the frame acquired window and door openings, a garage door, a roof, columns, balconies, gargoyle statues, spires, and chimneys. Two walls disappeared, and an interior plan began to emerge: corridors, rooms, staircases. A large house, resembling a stable, appeared nearby.
- I presume, sir, this is supposed to be a hangar?
Richard pointed at the hologram of the stables.
"Yes," Mr. Spencer nodded. "Is something wrong?"
- The hangar should be semicircular in shape so that it is high and so that snow does not accumulate on it.
- We can do that easily.
The stable disappeared, and in its place appeared a hologram of a semicircular stone hangar with giant wooden gates.
- Hmm... Original. And how long will this building stand?
- Dear Lord, our company assures that the building will last for at least a hundred years.
"Impressive. If it's going to stand for a hundred years, then we could make a unique hangar like this. Is the house equipped with electricity and modern steam heating?"
"Electricity, like the Muggles have?!" the wizard was horrified.
"I see," Richard chuckled. "Judging by the number of chimneys, you're proposing to heat this entire structure with fireplaces."
"Of course, sir," the wizard nodded. "And how do you... Well, are you planning on heating the ferry? Are you going to splash water into a red-hot fireplace?"
- Okay, forget it. How much will it cost to build a box with a roof and a hangar?
- Unfinished, sir?
"No finishing. I'll still have to invite Muggle specialists to do proper electrical wiring, heating, and ventilation. So there's absolutely no point in finishing."
"Well, it's a big order. It'll take a whole week, maybe even two," the wizard calculated. "It'll take a long time to Apparate to the mountains, gather stone, and collect wood from the forest."
Richard didn't betray his utter astonishment. The construction timeframe was normal for the future, but definitely not for today. Building a stone house in a couple of weeks was unrealistic. The material didn't seem the best to him-stone's thermal insulation properties are among the worst-but if the price was right, it would do.
- So, you use the stone because you mine it yourself?
"Yes, yes. How else? Buy it, or what?! Ha-ha-ha!" the construction mage chuckled cheerfully.
- And what about the money?
"If you only need a box with a foundation and roof, then..." The wizard's expression showed greed struggling with the urge to name too high a price, lest he scare off the client. "Only three thousand seven hundred Galleons!" he blurted out.
- Hmm... As much as three thousand seven hundred... I don't even know...
Richard rubbed his chin thoughtfully. In reality, he was making a tremendous effort not to scream.
"Are you kidding me?! Less than nineteen thousand pounds for building a house and a shed, including materials? Who even charges that little?! Do you work for food?"
Seeing the client's hesitation, Mr. Spencer thought that Muggles charged much less for construction, and he had charged too much.
- Lord Rich, sir, we can give you a discount. Three five hundred for everything!
"A good price, I agree," Richard answered calmly, while in his soul he was rejoicing and writhing in ecstasy.
A standard wizarding contract was signed with Spencer & Phillips, requiring the wizards to construct two buildings within two weeks: an office building with a garage/workshop, and a hangar. Payment under the contract would be made from Richard's Gringotts account upon presentation of the contract and proof of completion to the goblins.
Richard spent his next day off carrying all his gold to Gringotts Bank in a suitcase with an Undetectable Extension. Thus, the young wizard's account was replenished by one million, six hundred and thirty-two thousand, nine hundred and fifty-three Galleons. A simply astronomical sum by wizarding standards.
Goblin Rickbet was over the moon. He'd earned the bank over sixteen thousand Galleons on this deal, which would earn him a hefty bonus. He didn't regret one bit asking to be the young lord's personal manager. Now he'd show everyone who'd laughed at him for believing the boy's words about exchanging millions of pounds! Yes, Rickbet would be pleased to see the sour faces of his kinsmen who'd missed their chance.
A couple of weeks after the visit to Spencer & Phillips, the three-story house shell and stone hangar were ready.
Richard signed a contract with his father's company for finishing work, which he intended to pay for with the remaining funds in his account. There was quite a bit of work to be done: installing a sewer line, drilling a well and running water, as well as installing ventilation, heating, electrical wiring, and finishing work. The only remaining issue was connecting electricity, but Richard planned to install a diesel generator. The boy even had ideas for how to make the generator run on a budget. One option would involve enchanting it with magicians so it would run without fuel; the other would involve hiring magicians to restore the fuel supply using the Hausdorff-Banach-Tarski paradox.