Chapter 688
Chapter 688
In the lounge above Weasley's Joke Shop, Liam, Hermione, and two Panda People were seated on two large sofas. On the coffee table in front of them were freshly brewed green tea and several plates of Chinese-style tea snacks, all of which had been obtained from Uncle Kiu in the past.
"This traditional flavor is rare even in the Chinese Wizarding World, especially the Lotus Flower Pastry. Achieving a fragrant yet non-greasy texture is not easy, considering it needs to be deep-fried. Back in China, I only had it once at a teahouse in my hometown in Sichuan", the Panda Person named Xiong Duosu, who was leading the group, remarked.
"And the Biluochun tea is equally exceptional", the other Panda Person, Xiong Guangcai, said as he deftly picked up a small teacup with his paw and took a sip. "Top-tier Biluochun from the hills of West Tai Lake in Suzhou is something I rarely get to taste."
After savoring the tea and snacks, the two Panda People finally began discussing the reason for their visit to Ryan and the others. "It's a pleasure to meet you all the way here in Britain. We heard about your recent activities before we came, especially you, Mr. Liang. Your rapid growth in power has impressed us. That's why we're here. We originally planned to send you an owl post after leaving Hogwarts."
"So, what exactly is the situation?" Hermione asked curiously. "We were quite surprised to see you here just now. After all, this place is far from your homeland, and we've never seen any members of the Pandaman clan here before."
"Well, I think you'll be seeing us a lot more often because I've been promoted. I'm now the Bank Manager of Tianchao Fangshi Bank's Hogsmeade branch", Xiong Duosu said, lifting his head slightly with a hint of pride.
"Congratulations, congratulations!" Liam and Hermione both clasped their hands together in a traditional gesture of respect. Then Liam inquired, "By the way, where is your bank now? I haven't seen it in Hogsmeade before."
"It's still under renovation and hasn't opened yet", Xiong Duosu replied in his characteristic Panda People's childlike voice. "It's in the former location of Elegance Wizardwear. But before we open, we have some matters to attend to."
Xiong Duosu then flashed a bright smile at Ryan and the others. Upon seeing this smile, Liam immediately became more alert. He still remembered the warning he received from the sorcerers in China: while Panda People are kind creatures, they have a strong passion for money and are skilled at sales, so one must be cautious.
As a kind and intelligent species, Panda People do sell genuine and high-quality products. However, they will do their best to empty your pockets, making you buy a lot of things you don't really need.
Sure enough, Xiong Duosu presented a highly attractive investment opportunity. "You see, we came here from China to make money. To do that, we need to build good relationships with the locals. Therefore, Tianchao Fangshi Bank only holds 50% of the shares in the Hogsmeade branch, with the remaining shares to be distributed among you."
"Just now, at the negotiations in Hogwarts Castle, we reached an agreement with Headmaster Dumbledore and Minister Bones. The Hogsmeade Ministry of Magic will hold 22% of the shares through land, labor, and a series of preferential policies, while Hogwarts will hold another 22% through gold and various other guarantees. The remaining shares will be offered to the public", Xiong Guangcai explained, pulling out several contracts to show Liam.
"Why did you choose to come to me?" Liam asked. "I know there's no bank here right now, and people really need one. In this situation, there should be countless people willing to invest. Why specifically come to me?"
"You're right; there are countless people willing to invest, but that's just willingness", Xiong Duosu shrugged and spread out his bear paws. "The problem is that those who are currently supporting Hogsmeade don't have much money to invest. And due to our internal restrictions, I can't raise funds in London."
Xiong Duosu pointed out a very practical situation. While it might seem that the British Wizarding World is evenly divided into two factions, with both sides appearing to be on equal footing, it's undeniable that the majority of the wealth in the British Wizarding World is concentrated in the hands of the Pureblood Families who support the London Ministry of Magic. Especially after the London Ministry of Magic blockaded Gringotts, Hogsmeade found itself with very little money.
If it weren't for the significant amount of gold that Liam contributed after becoming a Hogwarts Board Member, and the subsequent efforts of the Headmaster to convert this gold into Galleons and use it to stimulate production and economic circulation through orders, the economy here might have already collapsed.
Given this, there aren't many people in this place who can come up with a large amount of hard currency. Therefore, Xiong Duosu's visit to Liam was likely guided by Professor Dumbledore. After all, Dumbledore knows that Liam has a significant amount of hard currency and, as an Alchemy Master with the Philosopher's Stone, is not likely to be short of money.
Moreover, there are two unspoken reasons why Xiong Duosu is seeking investment from Liam. One is that as a new bank, it will inevitably face opposition from established banks. Gringotts, being the sole bank in the Western worlds, remains a formidable entity even after the various national Gringotts were forcibly split and maintained independent status following several Goblin Rebellions. Each national Gringotts is still not to be underestimated.
Fortunately, the Magic World operates on the principle that power is paramount. Therefore, for the Tianchao Fangshi Bank to operate successfully in Britain, it must have a powerful backing. Liam, a wizard capable of directly confronting Voldemort, is naturally their top choice. Similarly, their other partners, such as Hogwarts School and the Hogsmeade Ministry of Magic, were chosen for their influence.
In Xiong Duosu's view, a single Voldemort can make all of Europe tremble. If their bank has two wizards of Voldemort's caliber as its backers, there would be no need to worry about the Gringotts Goblins, who stand to lose from this, resorting to underhanded tactics.
The other reason is personal. The Tianchao Fangshi Bank naturally hopes for partners who are friendly towards the Chinese Wizarding community. Liam, with his heritage and past actions, can be considered a friendly figure.
"So, how much equity can you sell me?" Liam asked the Panda People in front of him. It was clear that these Panda People had already tried to sell their bank shares elsewhere.
"If you have the money, we can sell you up to 5% of the shares", Xiong Guangcai said, giving a surprising number.
"5%!" Hermione's eyes widened in surprise. Having parents who were dentists, Hermione had a certain understanding of economic matters and knew that a 5% stake as an individual shareholder in a bank like this was already quite significant.
"Yes, 5%", Xiong Guangcai said, somewhat reluctantly. "In the previous fundraising efforts, all the wizards had very little hard currency. We met over a dozen people and only managed to raise 1% of the shares."
"Let's cover the rest", Liam decided after a brief discussion with Hermione via the Phoenix Mark. He then stood up, went downstairs, and entered the Multiverse General Store in a secluded area. A few minutes later, he emerged with a Spatial Bag.
"Is this enough?" Back in the lounge, he handed the Spatial Bag to Xiong Duosu. "If it's not enough, I can add more."
"This is not only enough, but it's more than we need", Xiong Duosu said, extending his paw to open the bag and carefully inspecting its contents. Liam had placed five cubic meters of gold inside, along with several hundred gemstones of various colors, each about the size of a soybean, in transparent plastic containers.
"No problem. If there's extra, it can count as our deposit", Liam said. "After all, I'm not short of money right now."
(End of Chapter)
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