"Wait a second…"
Tom looked at Cassandra's delicate face, almost able to see the invisible tail behind her wagging triumphantly.
"You're telling me that two thousand standard editions and one hundred professional editions were all sold at Ilvermorny within a few days… at double the price?"
He deliberately repeated her so called feat.
"Well, not all at double," she replied, though the corners of her mouth were rising higher than she could suppress. "At first I was cautious and kept your original pricing. But during one lunch break, the entire batch I brought out was snapped up. That's when I realized your pricing was far too conservative. So I started increasing it gradually until it reached the current level."
Cassandra spoke as if it were nothing special, yet her tone clearly said, Hurry up and praise me.
She explained her strategy in detail.
First, she gifted a copy to several professors in her school. Then she promoted it to the most influential students in each House, leveraging their reputation to expand its reach. Through her own small circle, she spread the news into parents' social circles.
By yesterday, her stock had completely sold out. She was already sitting on over a thousand pre orders, and the money had been transferred in advance.
Tom listened, stunned.
In the Muggle world, this kind of marketing would not be extraordinary. But in the wizarding world, it was undeniably brilliant.
North America was filled with wealthy families, and the professional edition had actually outsold the standard one. Cassandra had made an enormous profit, perhaps even surpassing him in margins this round.
Yet Tom felt no envy. That was her capability. The agreed price was the agreed price.
"You're demanding such a large quantity all at once. That disrupts my schedule," Tom said with a trace of genuine concern.
"What schedule could matter more than Galleons in hand?" Cassandra shot back quickly, sensing his hesitation. "You're selling them somewhere anyway. My demand alone rivals an entire European market. If we don't strike while the iron is hot, what if someone copies your product?"
Tom lifted a finger and shook it.
"First, no one in this world can replicate WhatsApp. Not without Muggle technology, and even then it would take time.
"Second… if anyone truly tried, I can guarantee they would not see the sunrise the next day."
Competing fairly in business was acceptable. But if someone blocked his path to growing stronger… that would be an irreconcilable feud.
Seeing Cassandra's anxious expression, Tom chuckled softly.
"Relax. I'll just work overtime and make up your stock."
"That's more like it." Cassandra finally smiled again. "Remember, the more the better. Send extra blank notebook pages too. I'll transfer the money to your account this weekend. Send me the number."
"Oh, and anything above your original pricing, I'll split fifty percent with you. But you'll have to come in person during the holidays to collect it. Bye."
She finished in one breath and cut the video call before he could respond.
"So thoughtful?" Tom murmured in amusement.
He quickly understood. If he wanted his share, he would have to go to North America himself.
He wondered whether he would have time at Christmas.
Cassandra's business acumen had genuinely surprised him. If he could have someone like her handling commercial affairs in the future, it would save him considerable effort.
But their relationship was not there yet. They were not even proper friends. At best, they were somewhat awkward partners.
If necessary… sacrificing a little charm might not be off the table.
...
Tom headed into the Forbidden Forest, slipping into his private world to assess his current stock.
After gathering materials from various reserves, he managed to assemble three thousand standard editions and six hundred professional editions for Cassandra. Fortunately, the Acromantulas were now well nourished, and the Whomping Willows had increased production under the combined effects of nutrient solution and environmental adjustments. Otherwise, even if he exhausted himself working nonstop, he would not have had sufficient materials.
"Usagi!"
After packing everything into a single enchanted pouch, Tom called out.
About two minutes later, the dragon descended from the sky.
Usagi now stretched seven meters in length. The draconic aura radiating from her had grown far stronger. Tom had adopted a free range approach. Most of the time, Usagi roamed high above the clouds, only occasionally summoned down to accompany him.
She rubbed her head affectionately against Tom's cheek. He stroked her hard scales and handed over the pouch.
"Deliver this to North America. Give it to Mr. Scamander. And bring back the raw materials for me."
Usagi nodded lightly. She circled him twice before shooting upward into the sky, vanishing until she was no more than a distant speck.
Only then did Tom withdraw his gaze with a quiet sigh and return to the trunk to resume work.
He had diverted stock originally intended for France and Germany. Over the next two days, he would need to set everything else aside and focus on production.
While preparing potion solutions, Tom reached into the palace within his mind.
The five million Galleon objective was already one fifth complete.
That meant that in just a few short months, he had earned over one million Galleons.
If that figure were made public, countless wizards would lose their minds. Even a long standing and prosperous family like the Greengrasses would struggle to generate that amount in a single year. Ordinary pure blood families, let alone individual wizards, could not even begin to compare.
In truth, the ones most envious were not wizards at all.
They were the goblins of Gringotts.
Outsiders had no idea how much Tom had earned. But Gringotts knew perfectly well. Tom Riddle's vaults were spread across several countries. Each vault was piled high with mountains of gold, and the wealth was growing at a terrifying rate.