Wade noticed Will glancing around cautiously, assuming no one was paying attention. He led the blonde girl to a corner, then pulled out a handful of money from his pocket and handed it to her.
The blonde girl shook her head in refusal, still gripping his sleeve as she spoke, as if pleading.
Will shook his head firmly, pressed the money into her hands and gestured for her to leave. He then returned to his duties.
At that moment, a new customer entered the store. Will greeted them warmly and began introducing the shop's new products.
The girl stood motionless, staring at him. After a while, she pulled up her scarf to cover her face and slipped away through the edge of the crowd.
Wade thought for a moment, then mused aloud, "That Will…"
"You noticed? He's a werewolf too," Marchionne said casually, as he poured himself a cup of coffee.
Wade asked, "You don't mind?"
Marchionne raised an eyebrow and replied, "Wade, didn't you hire a werewolf as your teacher?"
"Remus is different," Wade said. "I trust him."
"Oh, I wouldn't say I trust Will, but he's cheap, reliable, and makes me money."
Marchionne grinned. "As for his little furry problem, that's what Wolfsbane Potion is for, isn't it? Plus, he doesn't even have to come to work during those few days of the month."
Wade felt somewhat reassured. "As long as you know what you're doing."
"But you, Wade…" Marchionne looked at him curiously. "Why is it that you trust Remus, but you're wary of Will? Did you notice something unusual about him?"
Wade froze, and thought to himself:
—How could they be the same? Remus Lupin is someone who upheld justice until the day he died.
Of course, he couldn't say that directly. After some thought, he replied:
"I'm worried that you trust Remus because of me, and then you hired Will because of Remus. If he were to do something bad while working at Aslan… I'd feel partly responsible."
Marchionne stared at Wade, surprised, as though he were observing some rare and exotic creature.
After a long pause, he suddenly burst into raucous, booming laughter.
"Hahahahahahaha…"
His laughter was so loud it sounded like a drumbeat in his chest, drawing the attention of everyone in the shop below. Leaning against the railing, Marchionne waved at the curious onlookers as he continued laughing.
Though the people below didn't know what had happened, they found his laughter infectious and joined in.
Only Wade, listening to his laughter, felt his face growing steadily warmer.
When Marchionne finally caught his breath, Wade asked bluntly, "Is my reasoning that ridiculous?"
"No—no—of course not—"
Marchionne's body shook as he laughed, and he said, "It's not ridiculous, Wade. I just think—hahaha—this is really cute—"
"With all due respect," Wade raised an eyebrow, "that doesn't sound like a compliment to me."
Marchionne covered his face, his shoulders still shook for a moment before he managed to suppress the sudden wave of laughter.
"In our world, people with too much moral integrity often get taken advantage of, and those who suffer losses tend to come across as endearing."
"But that's not it today… not now… When I say you're cute, I'm not trying to gain anything from you…"
"Wade, I just feel… you're still just a kid… well, of course, you're only twelve…"
"Thirteen!" Wade emphasized, feeling a bit guilty.
Well… in this lifetime, I have just turned thirteen. That is true enough.
"Of course, of course, thirteen…"
Marchionne still used a tone as though coaxing a child. Wade glared at him in dissatisfaction until Marchionne rubbed his face and finally reined in his beaming smile.
"You don't have to worry," Marchionne said warmly.
"Remus didn't recommend Will to me. His support for those people was limited to providing some funds, making Wolfsbane Potion affordable for them, and helping them clean themselves up to look presentable."
"He believed that having a good image makes it easier to find work."
"As for me hiring Will, that had nothing to do with Remus. It was simply for the reasons I mentioned earlier—"
"Will only takes one person's salary but can do the work of three. He's willing to take on the dirty and tiring jobs, and during full moon transformations, he disappears.
"With such a cost-effective employee, why wouldn't I hire him?"
Wade looked a bit embarrassed and admitted, "I over thought it."
Marchionne laughed again and said:
"You give me too much credit… If someone can't create value for me, whether it's Remus's friend or even Remus himself, I wouldn't continue working with them. It might sound harsh, but that's the kind of person I am."
"That's right, this guy is that opportunistic… So if one day, you or I lose our value, he'd discard us without hesitation!"
A cold voice suddenly came from behind. Marchionne immediately jumped and smiled obsequiously.
"How could I, Professor…? You've always been the teacher I'm most grateful to!"
Professor Murray snorted, took the seat where Marchionne had been sitting, and placed a box he was holding on the table.
Marchionne had no choice but to wave his wand, causing a chair nearby to slide over perfectly behind him.
"Professor, did you buy a Streaming Mirror too?" Wade asked curiously.
Professor Murray's alchemical creations had earned Marchionne considerable profits, so before the Streaming Mirror even hit the market, the Aslan Magic Workshop had gifted Professor Murray the finest mirror as a token of appreciation.
"This mirror is quite interesting. I thought I'd buy a few to give to some old friends," Professor Murray explained, his tone was noticeably gentler when addressing Wade.
"You know, there are some old fellows who haven't stepped outside for decades. They're practically molding in their homes. This mirror could add a lot of excitement to their dull lives."
"You're planning to send one to Nicolas Flamel too, aren't you?" Marchionne interjected with a faint tone of mockery. "Just to show off how brilliant your student is. Honestly, Professor—it's a bit childish."
The veins on Professor Murray's forehead visibly twitched. Suddenly, he turned to Wade with a smile and said, "Wade, you came with friends, didn't you?"
Wade hesitated for a moment. "Uh… yeah."
"Then go find them. Don't leave them behind—it's not polite," Professor Murray said.
"Oh, alright." Wade glanced at Marchionne slowly before taking his leave.
Before Wade had even descended the stairs, he heard Professor Murray's voice: "Now, Marchionne, as your teacher, let me assess whether your magical skills have regressed."
Marchionne immediately protested, "That won't be necessary, Professor. I'm very busy today—"
"Heh."
Professor Murray chuckled coldly, and suddenly a white-haired, golden-eyed magic figurine grew in size, grabbed Marchionne by the collar, and began dragging him away.
Marchionne let out a wail. "Professor! Professor, I was wrong—please—!"
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⭐Harry Potter: Becoming a Study God (HP:BSG)- +235 Chapters
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