After Aseria paid and left, Alan returned to Hog's side and sat down. Hog looked at Alan with a strange expression. "Sir, that woman was clearly problematic. Why didn't you expose her?"
"Even you noticed?" Alan's expression turned playful. "To be honest, her composure is quite ordinary. I'm actually curious why the Silver Spears would recruit someone like her. Is it because her background is clean enough to infiltrate the Ministry easily, or is there another reason?"
"What do you plan to do next? Just observe her quietly?" Hog was very clear about Alan's usual methods. "She even came to steal from us; she's practically an enemy now, isn't she? Why not just arrest her and use Legilimency or Veritaserum to find out what you want?"
Alan shook his head at the suggestion. "No, we can't act rashly yet, or we'll risk exposing our strength. In their eyes, we are just ordinary merchants right now."
"Moreover, I know very little about the true nature of the organization behind her. Although this woman's skill is good, she's clearly not the mastermind. What if she knows very little herself? What if they have methods to prevent information leaks? From what I know, there are many ways to protect memories from being probed. Without knowing their methods, it's better to remain hidden. Escalating the conflict will only bring more variables."
Hog nodded in realization. "What if their operations bypass Aseria entirely? She doesn't seem very smart. Perhaps she's just a small fry in that organization."
"Indeed," Alan agreed. "Tracking her before didn't yield much. But now that they've stolen those jammers, things are different. I believe they went to such lengths for a reason, not just out of curiosity. As soon as they use them, I'll catch them red-handed."
"I see." Hog thoughtfully scratched his neck with a hind paw. "But that woman seemed like she had something she wanted to say to you—like she was hesitant. Was there something she wanted to tell you?"
"You noticed that too?" Alan glanced at Hog with surprise. "That's also something I find perplexing. Logically, she should prioritize her organization's interests, but I sensed some unusual emotions from her. Perhaps her connection with the Silver Spears is more complex, which is why I didn't make a move."
"So you want to use her as a breakthrough? What should we do after we uncover their secrets? Should we eliminate them all? These smugglers are all trouble, and it's highly likely they're in league with that werewolf." At this, Hog's expression became uncharacteristically serious, his eyes revealing deep-seated hatred.
"We definitely need to clean them up. I can't stand having people with ulterior motives playing schemes near where I sleep." Alan's eyes narrowed. "However, no matter what I do, I like to seek maximum profit and prioritize my own safety. If we can resolve them with the help of the Ministry without exposing ourselves, that would be ideal. As for Griffin, that werewolf..." Alan's eyes flashed with killing intent. "He's too good at running. Even now, I can't figure out where he's hiding. If we can find him through the Silver Spears, that would be perfect."
"Understood, Sir." Hog bared his sharp fangs, all traces of his usual husky-like demeanor gone. "Kiki and I will take turns monitoring them. I must have my revenge personally."
"Hmm." Alan nodded coldly.
When another customer entered the shop, the man and dog fully demonstrated the art of acting. Alan instantly transformed into a smiling shop owner, and Hog immediately reverted to his adorable, innocent expression.
Over the following period, besides returning to Hogwarts once or twice a week to supervise the academy, Alan spent most of his time at the company. He spent his days minding the shop or researching new products in private. As Christmas approached, the shop was decorated to create a festive atmosphere, and several new holiday products were launched. Since his alchemy items were quite exquisite, they were favored by many wizards, becoming the preferred choice for Christmas gifts.
Due to the positive reception, several newspapers and wizard radio stations reported on the shop. Alan declined interviews but took the opportunity to purchase advertisements in The Daily Prophet, The Quibbler, and the Wizard Wireless Network, which triggered a shopping spree. Decorative lights and gramophones were the most popular; in the eyes of many customers, the prices were shockingly cheap.
This was actually an effect Alan created through the 'anchoring effect.' Just as some coffee shops display ridiculously expensive items to make other prices seem reasonable, those low-performance products were only there to highlight the value of the shop's main stock. Customers entering the shop, anchored by the high prices in the display windows, naturally felt they were finding a bargain when they encountered luxury items that only cost a few Galleons.
During this period, various civilian products sold exceptionally well, bringing in hundreds of Galleons for the company every day. Alan was happy to see this; for every light fixture and gramophone sold, these customers were essentially tied to the shop, needing to return for new records or to replenish the energy storage components in their magic lamps. However, despite the booming business, Alan did not relax his surveillance of Aseria in the slightest.