Alex went on, "Besides the communication terminals, there's the video channel launched by the 'Wizard Radio Company' through this magic communication system. If that channel turns a profit, I plan to invest in a joint venture with them, a 'Wilson's Arcane Alchemica Magic Broadcasting Company' focused on growing the entertainment industry."
Alex added, "We'll also develop related alchemy products like magic projectors and video recorders, creating a full industrial chain that will keep generating income. Of course, the Ministry of Magic will get a 3% business share from this part, too."
Seeing the benefits this system could bring Fudge and the Ministry, Alex framed it as a win-win situation for both parties.
Curious, Fudge asked, "So, based on your calculations, once this industrial chain is fully set up, how much revenue could it bring in annually?"
Alex's eyes lit up as he replied, "It'll take two to three years to fully lay everything out. Just building the alchemy room for the base station will take a month or two, followed by testing.
But once everything's up and running, the annual turnover will be roughly this much."
He casually held up one finger.
"One?" Fudge questioned, surprised by the modest figure.
Fudge looked at Alex with a hint of doubt, feeling that the amount mentioned seemed too small.
"Your estimate is too low," he said.
Alex shook his head firmly.
"Could it be ten?" Fudge asked hesitantly, widening his eyes in surprise.
But Alex just smiled and shook his head again.
"Add another zero," he said.
"One... one hundred million? Are you talking about Galleons? Can this really be considered a gadget?"
Fudge's heart skipped a beat as he stumbled over his words, unable to fully grasp the magnitude of the number.
"That's a conservative estimate of the turnover," Alex explained, "but it doesn't mean the net profit is that high. So why are you so worked up?" he asked, giving Fudge a puzzled look.
"Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit," Fudge admitted, feeling his heart race.
He instinctively leaned forward, as if Alex were his
"Then, do we need to set up an alchemy lab in the Ministry of Magic to prepare in advance? How much will that cost?"
Bagnold, though surprised by Alex's ambitious plan, kept her composure.
Fudge's eyes widened nervously at the mention of costs, worried they might be too high to handle.
"Don't worry," Alex said calmly with a smile. "As the first 'alchemy transfer base station,' I can build it for the British Ministry of Magic free of charge. You'll only need to provide some basic materials."
He then pulled out a few lists and handed them over.
Fudge examined the list carefully and saw that most items were common stones, magical alloys, and the like.
The only costly materials were a few pounds of refined mithril, several kilograms of Ulim steel, and Iser mithril.
Although these would consume some of the Ministry's inventory, the benefits that followed would far outweigh the costs.
"No problem! Mr. Wilson has done so much for our Ministry. I really don't know how to thank you," Fudge said enthusiastically.
"Since Minister Fudge has no objections, let's sign the contract. I'll head to the Ministry soon to start construction," Alex concluded.
The construction of the alchemy room was expected to take about one to two months, with an additional six months needed for follow-up testing and adjustments.
"The sooner the construction is finished, the sooner we can get our project underway," Alex said with a smile.
He then pulled out a magical contract from his robes and slid it across the table toward Fudge.
At that moment, Fudge seemed even more eager than Alex and quickly signed his name with a flourish.
Budeno, standing nearby, couldn't help but stare blankly at Fudge's rushed acceptance.
'How could he be so quick to agree to this project with such a grin? Building an alchemy room for free, was there really such a thing as a free lunch? Everyone knows that free offers usually come with the highest cost down the line.'
And what about Alex's insistence on placing this alchemy room inside the Ministry of Magic? Was it really just to tap into the Ministry's magical energy?
That kind of excuse might fool someone like Fudge, but as a master alchemist, Alex could surely find a better source of magical power elsewhere.
He was more than capable of setting up the alchemy room independently outside the Ministry's walls.
The real reason he wanted it inside the Ministry was because he promised a lot of benefits in return.
Simply put, he aimed to tie the Ministry of Magic and Wilson's Arcane Alchemica together, creating a shared interest group, effectively allowing him to monopolize the market.
In the future, whenever new wizarding broadcasting companies, radio stations, or even video channels popped up, they would all have to answer to Alex.
Could anyone operate without Wilson's Arcane Alchemica's approval?
What if other alchemy companies tried to copy Wilson's Arcane Alchemica's model and build their own magical communication networks?
That wouldn't be allowed.
Not only would it threaten Alex's business, but it would also hurt the Ministry's interests, and they wouldn't hesitate to crush any competition.
The Ministry might even lead the charge against such challengers.
And piracy? Forget about it.
Over the past two years, some products had tried to imitate Wilson's Arcane Alchemica's alchemy devices, but Alex dealt with them by slashing prices until they were driven out of the market.
Once these new communication, recording, and projection products were fully launched, any pirated versions wouldn't just harm Wilson's Arcane Alchemica, they'd face harsh crackdowns from the Ministry of Magic, possibly even more severe than actions taken against Death Eaters.
Bagnold couldn't help but imagine that Alex was on the verge of taking over the entire entertainment industry in the British wizarding world, building a massive business empire.
But as someone retired, she had no authority to represent the Ministry of Magic, especially with Fudge in high spirits these days; speaking up might only earn her his resentment.
She glanced quietly at Alex, suspecting that he had waited for her retirement before making his move.
She shook her head in resignation.
'You shouldn't get involved once you're out of the game.'
Not wanting to overthink it, Bagnold asked out of curiosity, "By the way, when you say the communication system is 'quick,' what exactly do you mean by 'reactive alarm module'? Is that some kind of new product?"
Alex smiled and explained, "No, it's actually a little gift I've prepared for the Ministry of Magic. Once these communication devices are widely used, wizards will find it much easier to stay in touch.
And if they ever find themselves in danger, they can send out a distress call instantly. That's where the alarm module comes in, it helps the law enforcement respond faster."
He went on, "My idea is that the Ministry could set up a new 'Magic Communication Dispatching Center' within the Law Enforcement Department, staffed with people ready to handle emergency calls. This would speed up the Auror Command's response time a lot."