The conspiracy between these Silver Spears was naturally observed by Alan through his surveillance spiders. Upon learning that the Thunderbird had come to Egypt specifically to deal with him, Alan couldn't help but feel a bit speechless. That man was remarkably vengeful—though, reflecting on it, Alan realized he was much the same.
However, now that he had learned of the opponent's plan in advance, there was no need to keep Hog there. To avoid exposure, he immediately ordered Hog to retrieve the surveillance spiders and return to their residence early.
At the market, with the help of the two Aurors, his alchemy products sold smoothly. The wizards attending the conference were people of status in their own countries, and they were quick to buy. By bringing these products home, they were essentially helping the Silver Lightning Trading Company promote itself to an international audience.
By the time the crowd in Karahei Bazaar thinned late into the night, Alan's goods were almost entirely sold out. In particular, the magic lamps and phonographs—which were both high-quality and inexpensive—were completely gone. Many amulet ornaments and even several humanoid targets had also been purchased.
Selling quickly had its disadvantages, though. He had originally booked the stall for two days, but tomorrow he would have no lamps or phonographs left. Alan decided to end his selling trip early.
After returning to his room, it wasn't long before Aseria knocked, reporting on her meeting with the two Silver Spears. She was very honest, explaining the location and the content of the conversation in detail. Although Alan already knew the specifics, he patiently had her repeat them.
"This is the black market invitation. According to Sphinx, this black market is a partner he developed in Cairo, but its current location is no longer in Abu Sawy. Also, Thunderbird hopes I will trick you into going there around ten o'clock tomorrow night," Aseria confessed.
"Good job. I'm aware of this. You can reply to him tomorrow and tell him I agree," Alan said, nodding.
"Then what should I do? Should I really take you there?" Aseria asked.
"Are you stupid?" Hog, who was playing with a furball toy nearby, interjected. "Of course, we should ambush him there in advance. Who would be foolish enough to actually play his little duel game?"
"That's right. The day after tomorrow, you don't need to do anything. You just need to keep an eye on the movements of the Egyptian Ministry of Magic for me and see if Sphinx shows any abnormal behavior," Alan added.
"Sphinx? I don't even know who he is. How can I keep an eye on him?" Aseria frowned.
"His name is Sebastian. He is the honorary chairman and a senior researcher at the Alchemy Research Center. He should be attending the banquet for the various Ministries the day after tomorrow. You just need to watch the Research Center then," Alan said. He was merely giving Aseria a task to keep her occupied; in reality, Hog would be the one monitoring Sphinx.
"You already know his identity?" Aseria was greatly surprised. She didn't know Alan could track people using the masks, and she felt that the young man was displaying increasingly terrifying power.
Alan looked at her surprise without much reaction, offered a small chuckle, and sent her away. Once only Alan and Hog were left, he didn't rest. Instead, he Apparated outside the tavern, donned his flying cloak, cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself, and sped toward Abu Sawy. He wanted to scout the location in advance.
The next evening, Bianca, dressed in a standard banquet gown, knocked on Alan's door. He appeared before her looking impeccably dressed and refined.
"Merlin's beard, if tonight's dinner were a social dance, wouldn't you just mesmerize all those young witches?" Bianca teased.
"Please don't make fun of me. I'm dressed modestly; I'm afraid the alchemy masters will think I'm frivolous," Alan said politely.
"You call this modest?" Bianca could observe the constant magic fluctuations emanating from Alan's clothes with her naked eye. To an ordinary wizard, he was just a young man in a dark suit, but to a perceptive scholar, Alan was practically a glowing target. "Enough of this. Did you set up your stall again today? I suspect your business will soon expand internationally."
"Unfortunately, my stock was depleted yesterday, so I stayed in my room today." Alan silently added to himself, *Of course, that was after I returned at noon.*
"Why didn't you say so earlier? I should have taken you to visit some local officials during the day," Bianca said regretfully. She leaned close to Alan's ear and whispered, "The products you sold last night attracted the attention of many local alchemists and department heads. Many of them even patronized your stall. In my conversations with them, many expressed their appreciation and showed interest in collaborating. Perhaps the British International Magical Cooperation Department will become very busy because of you."
Alan nodded. He had seen several wizards with the aura of superiors or scholars yesterday. "Isn't the British Ministry very strict about international trade? Won't trading with other countries be difficult?"
"It used to be strict to protect the local economy," Bianca explained. "For the past few decades, Britain hasn't had much impressive output. Aside from raw materials and herbs, only the products of a few flying broom companies are competitive, and not every country loves brooms. To support that industry, we put a lot of effort into promoting Quidditch. Even for the World Cup to be recognized by the International Confederation of Wizards, it took the efforts of several generations of Ministers."
"There's such a thing?" Alan asked, surprised. He had thought Quidditch's popularity was purely organic.
"Tell me about it," Bianca sighed. "In fact, many wizarding communities have their own unique sports. They haven't become popular simply because they don't involve profit or aren't valued by their respective Ministries. Previously, we limited alchemy products from other countries to prevent trade deficits—preventing domestic wealth from flowing out."
Alan understood now. If international trade were fully opened, the excellent alchemy tools he saw in Karahei Bazaar would quickly overwhelm the local British market.
"A trade deficit—that is the exact term. We controlled finished products strictly to protect our own interests," Bianca nodded, pleased that Alan understood the situation.
"So my company is helpful to our Ministry's international trade?" Alan asked.
"It's more than just helpful," Bianca glanced around to ensure they were alone and leaned in again. "Let me ask you: is the production efficiency of the Silver Lightning Trading Company guaranteed?"
Alan felt amused. His factory scale could be quadrupled at any time. "If raw materials are sufficient, I can produce the quantity sold last night in just three days. If I invest more, the speed can be even faster," he said confidently.
"Are you sure?" Bianca asked, surprised. The amount Alan sold yesterday was considerable.
"I guarantee it."
"Good. If that's true, then Britain's international trade treaties are very likely to be revised this year. We want to trade with other wizards, but we previously had to be conservative. With your company, we have the confidence to compete. We'll start gradually and increase our efforts based on the results," Bianca said excitedly.
"Will other Ministries agree?" Alan asked.
"Trade is reciprocal. If we sell more, we have to let more products in. As for the other countries, don't worry—they have long been coveting the British market," Bianca scoffed.