Chapter 358: Persuasion
Chapter 358: Persuasion (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
After eating two pastries, Mrs. Weasley finally got to the main reason for her visit today.
"Liam, I know their grades have improved a lot with your help. But I hope they can do even better, so they can enter the Ministry of Magic in the future. Not just me, Arthur feels the same way. If they start a shop, it will distract them too much."
"Mrs. Weasley", Liam thought for a moment after hearing her words and then nodded seriously. "I understand your expectations for them. As parents, you naturally want your children to have a better future. But, if I may be frank, you should ask your two sons what they think. Not everyone is suited for a career at the Ministry of Magic."
"But Arthur and Percy—" Mrs. Weasley was cut off by the Weasley Twins.
"Mom, we're different from Dad and Percy. Working at the Ministry from morning till night would bore us to death, and we might get into all sorts of trouble. We might end up paying more in fines than we earn in salary each month."
"Indeed, Mrs. Weasley", Liam said, looking at her. "They are older than me and almost adults. They should have their own mature thoughts. Forcing them to do something they don't like, or pursue a career they don't enjoy, isn't a good idea."
After hearing this, the Weasley Twins nodded vigorously, their faces showing strong agreement.
Mrs. Weasley might not have been very firm about her stance on this issue, so she moved on to her other concern. "But they're just making children's toys. It's fine for now while they're in school, but how will they support themselves after they graduate?"
It seems parents everywhere are the same, especially when their children choose emerging or unconventional careers. They always think a stable job is better for their future.
"You don't need to worry about that, Mrs. Weasley", Liam explained carefully. "Fred and George have a very high talent for inventing new magical toys and even magical artifacts. They've even mastered the basics of alchemy in a short time. Opening a magical artifact shop has a very bright future."
Mrs. Weasley's expression began to soften. Liam quickly pressed on, "For example, there's a shop in Hogsmeade called Zonko's Joke Shop. The shopkeeper, Zonko, is quite old, so the items in the shop haven't been updated much in the past decade. Even so, the shop earns more Galleons in a day than a regular Ministry of Magic employee makes in a month. I think, with Fred and George's new inventions and some of my own creations, surpassing Zonko's Joke Shop won't be very difficult."
"Besides", Liam spread his hands. "As a Muggle-born wizard, I'm willing to invest most of my wealth in the wizarding world into them. As their mother, please give them more trust."
"Have you really thought this through? Are you really determined to open a magical artifact shop as your future goal?" After listening to Liam's persuasion, Mrs. Weasley looked at the Weasley Twins seriously. "In this area, the family can hardly help. Are you prepared to face all the challenges and difficulties on your own?"
"Yes, Mom. We've thought it through", the Weasley Twins looked at each other and then said in unison. As they spoke, their faces showed unprecedented seriousness and determination.
"Very well, remember your choice today. As a mother, I bless you with success. This weekend, when the shop opens, I, your father, and Percy will all be there."
After finishing a cup of tea, Mrs. Weasley and the twins left. Before Apparating away, Liam could see the twins wearing happy smiles.
The weekend arrived, the day before they were to go to Sirius's ancestral home. After packing their bags early in the morning, Liam and Hermione went to Diagon Alley to attend the opening ceremony of Weasley's Joke Shop.
"If it weren't for some Wizards' despicable bloodline prejudices, your name should also be on the storefront", Hermione said as the fireworks began to light up the store.
"Running a business is all about making money. Fame isn't that important", Liam replied. "Well, let's go inside and take a look. Although I'm the major shareholder and helped a lot with the opening, I've never actually seen all the products in the store."
The store had been completely renovated, looking much brighter and more vibrant than its former warehouse appearance, almost to the point of being too dazzling. The walls on the first floor had been replaced with large display windows. The left window was filled with colorful, rotating, twitching, flashing, jumping, and screaming items, while the right window displayed more serious products. Liam noticed his Brass Bracelet placed at the top of a pile of items in the right window.
"Liam, Hermione, welcome, welcome." With the store just opening, a crowd had flooded in, and Liam and Hermione had to squeeze their way to the back to see the busy Weasley Twins and the Weasley family.
They had barely exchanged a few words when they were called away by a store clerk, leaving Liam and Hermione to explore the various products on their own. The first floor mainly featured joke items, such as prank candies and sweets, trick wands, and feather quills. There were even one-time Rune Stones created by the Weasley Twins after learning the basics of Alchemy, each capable of inducing a perfect half-hour daydream.
"Truly, only a genius—” Liam recognized it at a glance. He and the Weasley Twins had previously reconstructed an ancient illusion defense array setup method found in the Library. Liam had used this knowledge to create a full set of quickly deployable illusion arrays for fixed-location defense. He hadn't expected the Weasley Twins to simplify this knowledge for their own use. They were indeed very talented in mischief.
The second floor was dedicated to Magic Artifacts, primarily Dark Arts Defense Items. Unlike the first floor, this area was mostly adults and much quieter.
"Hey, Liam, Hermione." George greeted them as they ascended the stairs.
"Thanks to you, the market for these Magic Artifacts is doing great", George said after calling a clerk to take over. "Even though the Ministry of Magic keeps boasting about how safe everything is, at least the escape of those ten Death Eaters has made many people look for ways to protect themselves, and we can provide that."
"So, are you requiring real-name registration for some of the more important items?" Liam asked, getting to the point he was concerned about.
"Of course. We don't want our goods to be used against our loved ones by Death Eaters, even if it means losing some business", George said, picking up a few items that looked like pieces of coal. "For example, this Invisibility Smoke Bomb, which can only be dispelled with a specific spell, and your Defensive Bracelet, which is very useful in real combat, we require customers to purchase these with their real names. Of course, items like decoy bombs to distract attention or minor hex-resistant clothing don't need such measures."
"By the way, we have an opening gift for you." Liam pulled out a wooden box from under his Wizard robe and handed it to George. George opened the box to find a pair of headbands that seemed to be made from patterned steel. He looked at Liam, puzzled.
"I made these using Arcane Metal. As a defensive item, this headband can withstand ten Stunning Spells in a week. Additionally, it allows the wearer to enter a Mechanized Mind state for half an hour every three days, during which they can make decisions without any emotional influence, which is very useful in combat and can even save lives."
"That's too valuable, I can't accept it. Some so-called Pureblood Families with shorter histories might not even have something of this quality", George said, surprised after Liam's explanation.
"Don't worry. After all, I'm the main investor in this store. In the current situation, I believe that only by ensuring your safety can my interests be protected."
In the end, Liam convinced the Weasley Twins to accept the gift by emphasizing the protection of his interests, and then they left the store.
(End of Chapter)
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