"Aren't you afraid he'll actually encounter danger if you let him patrol the perimeter?" Gail chuckled, teasingly.
Clement couldn't help but roll his eyes at her words. How could they not know whether patrolling the perimeter was dangerous or not? Didn't those patrol duties eventually become more like a leisurely stroll? After joking with Clement, Gail became serious. "But is it really a good idea for you to promise them new protective equipment? Even the club hasn't been able to acquire many of those Tactical Vests, and we'd have to compete with the other two bases for them. Although we're the largest in terms of size, we probably won't be able to get them in the short term."
"I'm aware of that," Clement said, stroking his goatee, then continued, "But the Maintenance Team does face real risks every day. As time goes on, many magical creatures that were not very dangerous have slowly grown, and the pressure they exert on the maintenance personnel is increasing daily."
"If we don't find a way to strengthen their protection, the probability of accidents will only increase later on. If this happens too often, the conflict between the Maintenance Team and the Patrol Team will also escalate."
"Your consideration is indeed good, but don't we lack the conditions?" Gail shrugged helplessly. "Those Tactical Vests can't be bought even with money. Even in Britain, ordinary wizards shouldn't dream of getting this equipment from the Silver Lightning Trading Company."
Then, as if realizing something, Gail said, "Do you mean you plan to first purchase some Protective Gloves and Protective Amulets to use?"
"With all due respect, while those alchemy tools might be useful in the hands of ordinary wizards, their effect is not significant in the park. These toys can only cast the Protego."
"In front of dragon flames, under the sharp claws of griffins, a Protego can at most give them a little more reaction time. What's more, members of the Maintenance Team already know the Protego, yet they still frequently get injured. Don't waste money for nothing."
Gail mercilessly poured cold water on Clement. When the Silver Lightning Trading Company first entered Germany, they had indeed considered those Protective Gloves and Amulets. However, they also discovered that while these items were very effective for ordinary wizards, they were lacking when facing high-risk magical creatures. An ordinary Protego cannot have as obvious an effect as a powerful Humanoid Iron Armor Curse. Furthermore, the durability of these gloves and amulets is not strong. After activating the built-in magic, they have to go back to replace the core components. However, the current German distributor cannot provide timely replacements and has to wait for goods to be shipped from Britain, which is very inefficient. Therefore, considering both practicality and cost, these second-tier items cannot become standard equipment for the park.
"I understand that, but perhaps I can find an entry point from another direction." Clement smiled mysteriously, then picked up a beautifully decorated letter from the table and handed it to Gail.
Gail took it and saw that it was an invitation. She then read its contents curiously.
"Alan Wilson? Is this the founder of the Silver Lightning Trading Company? He actually wants to invite you to meet?" Gail's mouth widened in surprise. "This important figure has actually come to Germany in person?"
"Hehe…" Clement smiled somewhat smugly. "You've been staying in the park, so you might not know, but Mr. Wilson sent me an invitation today. It's said that his trip to Germany this time is to find stable distributors."
"I even specifically checked and found that it's true. Because the distributor agreement signed in Egypt before was only a short-term cooperation of one year, he now needs long-term, stable partners. He has been in Germany for several days and has even met with several local business owners."
"Oh? Do you mean…?" Gail seemed to understand Clement's idea.
"That's right. Since we can't get equipment from the club, we'll try to find a way through Mr. Wilson. If my magic item company can really secure the distribution rights for the Silver Lightning Trading Company, perhaps we can get Tactical Vests from the Silver Lightning Trading Company."
"Even if this equipment is prohibited from private sale, getting more Protective Amulets would allow them to become regular equipment in the park. Although it's a bit troublesome to replace the core every time it's used, at least it can appease the Maintenance Team."
"This is indeed a good opportunity, but are you confident you can secure the distribution rights for the Silver Lightning Trading Company? Many merchants will probably compete for this spot. Although I spend most of my time in the park, I still know how popular the Silver Lightning Trading Company's products are." Gail once again tried to discourage Clement.
"Why are you always so pessimistic?" Clement glanced at her helplessly. His secretary was good in every way, except that she liked to pour cold water on others. "Everyone knows the benefits of securing distribution rights, but it also requires ample financial resources."
"Currently in Germany, there are only three or four merchants who can compete with me. We don't need to consider merchants from East Germany, because if Mr. Wilson makes even a slight inquiry, he should already know that the products distributed in East Germany and West Germany are not consistent. I guess that's also why he's so eager to find a new agent."
"If we only look at West Germany, then there's only one or two left to deal with. Coincidentally, my relationship with one of them is quite good, so I can talk to them privately. At worst, I'll concede some profits."
"This way, as long as I'm willing to invest heavily, I'm very confident in securing the distribution rights," Clement said with considerable confidence at this moment.
"So that's how it is." Hearing Clement's explanation, Gail felt like there might actually be a chance. "Then I'll wish you success in advance."
"Hmm, then the work in the park these two days will have to trouble you. I need to focus most of my attention on the Silver Lightning Trading Company's distribution rights. I'll leave after I finish inspecting the Core Hub, and I might not be back tomorrow either," Clement said with a smile, instructing Gail.
"Understood. Then I shall take my leave first."
Gail nodded slightly and then left the room. Clement didn't waste any time either. After tidying up the room slightly, he also left the office.
Outside, Shalltear, who had been listening, learned that Alan had actually met Clement and knew that her master was also taking action. He hadn't been intimidated by the sheer scale of this breeding base, so it seemed he was determined to destroy this park. After deducing this information, Shalltear finally felt a little relieved. After all, constantly lurking here wasn't a permanent solution, and she couldn't stand living as a bat all the time.
After leaving the office, Clement walked straight toward the very center of the base. Seeing this, Shalltear quickly followed him. Along the way, people in the park, including both wizards and Muggles, politely stopped and acknowledged Clement when they saw him. Clement also greeted everyone around him warmly, showing that this administrator was well-loved within the base.
Clement entered the central spire directly after arriving. Shalltear also guessed that the Core Hub he mentioned must refer to this place. However, the area around the spire was very open, and she couldn't find a way to blend in and follow him. What concerned Shalltear more was that Clement hadn't come out since entering the Core Hub. She waited across from the spire for two hours but still didn't see him again.
"It seems this Core Hub has a way to leave the base directly. Is it a separately set up Floo Network, or does it have an area where Apparition is possible internally?" After discovering this secret, Shalltear couldn't help but wonder what was inside this spire.
Meanwhile, Alan, who had been busy all day outside, once again came to Hog's side.
"How is it? Have all the details of this base been recorded clearly?" Alan looked down at the busy Hog.
"Hehe, although I can't guarantee 100% accuracy yet—after all, the scope of this base is too large, and the number of surveillance cameras is not enough to cover everything—but the general situation has been figured out," Hog said confidently, handing a parchment to Alan.
As an old hand in surveillance, when he was at Hogwarts, he could simultaneously keep an eye on hundreds of Slytherin students in uniform and remember all their names. Now, he had simply changed locations. The only trouble was being limited by the slightly fewer surveillance points. Alan was secretly surprised when he saw the record sheet Hog handed over, not expecting there to be so many people in this breeding base.
The wizards in this breeding base could be roughly divided into four categories based on their functions: the Patrol Team, the Maintenance Team, the Medical Team, and the Handymen.
The Patrol Team's duty is to be responsible for the security of the park. There are a total of thirty-six people, sixteen of whom work the night shift and twenty work during the day. They are further divided into internal and external patrol teams. At night, six people patrol externally, and during the day, it's ten people. Internal patrol personnel, regardless of day or night shifts, are ten people, divided into five two-person teams. This arrangement is quite normal. Those patrolling externally are more likely to encounter Muggles who come for exploration or camping. The probability of encountering them is higher during the day, so more people are arranged to patrol outside during the day.
The Maintenance Team consists of wizards responsible for internal work in the park, mainly for the escort, placement, and dangerous creature control of magical creatures. There are a total of thirty-five people, divided into seven teams of five people each, with each team having a captain.
As for the Medical Team, they are wizards responsible for caring for the magical creatures, including scholars proficient in magizoology and ordinary healing wizards. The total number varies from twenty-five to thirty people. Most of these wizards spend their time in the giant sheds, so Hog's records were not very clear.