As for the remaining people, Hog understood that they didn't have a unified job title, so he collectively referred to them as handymen. In fact, these people included both wizards and Muggles, and their work was quite varied; some cooked, some prepared meals for magical creatures, and some cleaned, with most of them assisting the maintenance and medical teams.
However, the number of these so-called handymen secretly startled Alan.
"There are 113 handymen in this base? So, adding the other wizards, wouldn't there be over two hundred people?" Alan looked at Hog with some surprise.
"That's right, sir, and this is still an incomplete count, as some people haven't appeared on camera. Only about 20 of them are wizards; the rest are Muggles. Many of them are relatives of those wizards, and their work is very flexible; they basically go wherever help is needed." Hog shrugged helplessly.
"I didn't expect Golden Knight to be quite cunning." As soon as Alan saw this number, he understood the Silver Spears' intentions; they were clearly using this large group of Muggles as hostages. However, this alone was not enough to make Alan hesitate to act; it was expected that a large number of people would be in the breeding base, but he hadn't expected so many, nor that the proportion of Muggles would be so high. This was clearly intentional to create such a situation, because operating a breeding base of the current scale simply didn't require so many people.
After a quick calculation, Alan clarified the key points, but he didn't dwell on it too much, only looking at Hog again. "Anything else you found?"
"Yes, Shalltear tracked Clement; he is indeed the behind-the-scenes manager of this base. Here are their conversation and a brief report. Clement has now entered the place he calls the 'Core Hub' and hasn't reappeared for a long time." Hog reported to Alan quickly and concisely, then handed over a stack of parchment.
Alan took it, examined it carefully, and chuckled. "Very good, Shalltear did an excellent job; she has truly rendered a great service."
"Oh? Is there anything in here we can use?" Hog asked curiously.
"This intelligence is invaluable. From Clement's conversations, we can summarize the following points."
"First, in this breeding base, apart from Clement and his assistant Gail, only the Patrol Team members are truly trustworthy. Everyone else, whether wizard or Muggle, believes they are engaged in legitimate work, and these people may prove very useful in the future."
"Second, Clement wants to obtain the product agency rights for West Germany from us, and he has already revealed his bottom line. We might be able to use this to approach Clement and make him our helper."
"Third, that 'Core Hub' has a passage to the outside world, and Clement is the manager; the key to breaking the barrier is in there!"
Alan explained simply and directly to Hog. The information Shalltear uncovered today was too crucial, and with this intelligence, his actions could progress much faster.
"Make Clement our helper? He's not on our side, how could he help us? Are you planning to use the Imperius Curse on him to control him?" Hog looked at Alan, puzzled.
"No, using the Imperius Curse on someone associated with the Silver Spears would easily expose us. The club has methods to protect thoughts. What I mean by making him a helper is to have him work for us unknowingly." Alan chuckled, then shifted his gaze to the monitor screen. "Which one is Clement's office? Let me see."
Have him work for us unknowingly? Hog was somewhat confused but immediately obeyed, pointing out the footage of Clement's office. After Alan carefully observed the screen, a smile gradually appeared on his face. "There are three griffin ornaments in his office; it seems he really likes this creature."
"Ah?" Hog looked at Alan with bewilderment; he didn't understand why his master suddenly cared about the other party's hobbies.
Alan said nothing more, only instructing Hog to continue guarding the monitors, then returned to his alchemy laboratory.
The next day, Alan, dressed in formal attire, appeared in front of 'Clement's Magical Supplies' in the Duden Building; he had received an invitation from the other party early that morning. Although Alan had long known Clement's intentions, he didn't expect the man to be so eager. As he appeared at the shop, a formally dressed witch with a professional smile appeared before him.
"You must be Mr. Wilson, I presume. Mr. Clement has been waiting for a long time; please follow me." The young witch said to Alan with proper demeanor. They had long been instructed by their boss that a distinguished guest would be visiting and they must entertain him well.
Alan likewise smiled and nodded, while curiously surveying Clement's shop. It was evident that Clement possessed considerable strength; his Magical Supplies shop was large, spanned two floors, and was splendidly decorated. However, the other party seemed to have no independently developed alchemy products; most of the goods sold were imported, with the largest proportion being various alchemy tools from Egypt, and he also saw flying brooms from Britain.
As the witch ascended to the second floor and entered the inner office, Clement was seen standing very formally and politely at the main entrance, smiling and looking straight ahead.
"Welcome, Mr. Wilson, I didn't expect you to personally come to Germany on official business; I am truly honored." Upon seeing Alan, Clement enthusiastically spread his arms and came forward, excitedly shaking Alan's hand and speaking courteously.
"You are too kind, Mr. Clement. After all, I am still just a young man; you can simply call me Alan. I didn't expect you to personally come out to greet me; I should be the one saying I am honored."
Alan merely glimpsed the exquisitely prepared refreshments in the office; the vase had fresh flowers, clearly indicating that the other party had pulled out all the stops for the reception. Alan showed a surprised expression and only lightly shook the other party's hand.
"Haha, Alan, as the youngest recipient of the International Alchemy Conference's groundbreaking contribution gold award in history, your name has spread throughout the wizarding world of Europe this past year. So how could your reception be anything less than grand? Come in quickly, I have already prepared tea and refreshments for you. Come and have a good taste."
Clement was truly an old fox who had maxed out his hypocrisy; when facing a young man under twenty, he acted as if he were meeting the Minister of Magic. If Alan hadn't known the other party's background, he might have been fooled by the act. After Clement led Alan to sit on the sofa, he smiled and waved to the employees outside, dismissing them, then enthusiastically leaned down to personally pour Alan a cup of rich coffee.
"Come and try my coffee; this is top-grade coffee cultivated by Roman wizards using unique magic; I guarantee it won't disappoint you."
"Thank you, Mr. Clement." Alan took the coffee, smiling and nodding slightly. "I apologize for such an abrupt visit and for taking up your valuable time."
"What are you saying? As the person in charge of Silver Lightning Trading Company, you have traveled thousands of miles to Germany; it is we, the hosts, who should be entertaining you well." Clement looked at Alan with a smile, as if the person in front of him was not someone he had just met, but a good friend of many years.
"In any case, thank you for your hospitality." After Alan said another polite remark, he became serious. "Today, I am fortunate to visit your shop. I didn't expect your strength to be so formidable and your business scope so broad. I can even see the latest seasonal magical cameras from Egypt here."
"Haha, as expected, you are truly professional; I didn't expect you to notice it at a glance." Clement made a surprised expression.
"It's just a coincidence." Alan chuckled. "The latest seasonal magical cameras were designed by our trading company with Ms. Abdu's help. They belong to the same series as our latest magical lamps and gramophones, co-released as a joint product. This series also collaborated with several tools from other alchemy companies in Egypt, but I didn't see them here. Is it because their sales are too good, or are they not suitable for your market here?"
Clement's smile stiffened, and he secretly cursed. *This young fox is deliberately trying to give me a warning.* But Clement was also startled by the soft power Alan displayed; it seemed this young man was truly not famous for nothing. He could get along so well with those alchemy masters in Egypt and even organize joint commercial ventures. However, he maintained his beaming smile. "We can't compare to you; we are already very lucky to introduce a few new products. Perhaps in the future, we will still have to rely on you to help us get more sales licenses from Egypt, otherwise I will eventually go hungry."
Alan's smile didn't fade, but his eyebrows slightly raised. This guy truly was an old fox, so adaptable. *He's playing hard to get, isn't he? Is he trying to praise me to death?*