The dining room of Malfoy Manor.
At this moment, the atmosphere in the dining room was somewhat out of place with its solemn and luxurious surroundings.
Lynn and Lucius Malfoy sat opposite each other at the head of the long table. Narcissa sat by her husband's side, her posture elegant, yet an imperceptible trace of helplessness seemed to linger between her brows.
Draco sat diagonally opposite Lynn, his face turning pale and green by turns, his eyes shifting as he wished he could shrink into his chair.
Everyone's gaze was focused on the center of the dining table, on the "main course" that had been ceremoniously served.
It was a... truly terrifying pie.
The charred and crispy—or rather, nearly carbonized—edges of the pie crust curled upward stubbornly.
At the core of the pie, several whole sardines, complete with heads and tails, had been inserted into the interior at a most bizarre angle.
The fish heads stubbornly pointed toward the ceiling, their wide-open eyes staring hollowly at the crystal chandelier.
A mixture of burnt smells, fishiness, and some unknown spice wafted faintly from the cracks in the pie.
Lynn stared at this "dish" and fell silent.
"Mr. Malfoy, perhaps I am ill-informed," Lynn pointed at the dish, "but... is this definitely edible?"
Lucius Malfoy's Adam's apple bobbed. His fingers tightened slightly around his snake-headed cane, his knuckles turning white.
He had weathered countless storms in his life, including facing the Dark Lord's wrath, but never had he wished more for a crack in the floor to swallow him whole.
He cleared his throat, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"Ahem—an oversight."
Why did this disastrous scene occur? Let's rewind to the conversation between Lynn and Lucius in the living room a bit earlier.
At that time, Lucius took an elegant sip of black tea and began the social pleasantries to bridge the distance.
"Mr. Lynn, to have such amazing achievements in Alchemy at such a young age is truly remarkable.
I wonder what hobbies you have that helped cultivate such an outstanding wizard?"
He was trying to find common ground.
Lynn held his teacup and thought seriously for a moment.
"Hobbies... cooking, studying magic—studying all kinds of magic, even those Unforg... ahem."
Lynn caught himself just before "Unforgivable Curses" slipped out. Without changing his expression, he corrected himself.
"—just cooking!"
The elder Malfoy sitting nearby suddenly choked and quickly lowered his head to hide it.
Did I hear that right? He was going to say Unforgivable Curses, wasn't he? He definitely was!
"Cooking..." Lucius's mind raced, trying to link this hobby to the House of Malfoy.
"...Mr. Lynn is truly a... well... an outstanding Hufflepuff who loves life." He struggled to find complimentary words.
"What a coincidence," he glanced at his son with unquestionable certainty, "Draco also has a... keen interest in cooking."
"Pfft—" Draco couldn't help but let out a short snort.
He stared wide-eyed at his father, his face screaming: Me? Interested in cooking? I don't even know how house-elves work!
Lynn looked Draco up and down. Interested in cooking? He didn't believe it for a second.
"Really?" Lynn's tone was thick with suspicion.
"Guaranteed!"
At this moment, to prove that the House of Malfoy could resonate with this genius youth in terms of "hobbies," Lucius decided to sacrifice his son.
Besides, he didn't think cooking could be that difficult.
"Draco, show our guest your... skills."
Draco's face fell instantly. Under his father's majestic gaze, he stood up stiffly and shuffled out of the living room, heading toward the unknown territory of his life—the kitchen.
Thus, amidst the terrified screams of the house-elves, Master Draco Malfoy conducted a "slaughter" of ingredients and a "trial" of kitchenware.
Finally, he brought out a masterpiece that combined "creativity," "courage," and an "aura of destruction"—the Malfoy Manor Limited Edition "Stargazy Pie."
This led to the awkward scene in the dining room, where everyone stared at this "Death Gaze" pie in dead silence.
Fortunately, there were other things to eat, and the lunch was enjoyed by both host and guest.
After lunch, Lucius invited Lynn to his study.
Here, the conversation finally reached the main topic.
After a deep and mutually probing conversation, Lynn had to admit that the House of Malfoy's ability to stand tall in the wizarding world for centuries was no accident.
The samples of core materials he provided—whether in purity, magical conductivity, or stability—perfectly met or even exceeded Lynn's requirements.
Finally, after a series of negotiations regarding price, supply volume, exclusive agency rights, and other details, both parties reached an agreement and successfully signed a contract.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Lynn." Lucius extended his hand, a sincere smile on his face after reaching a satisfactory deal, more genuine than any before.
"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Malfoy." Lynn also smiled and shook his hand.
The conclusion of this deal meant that his shop, "Alchemy Age," could finally escape its predicament of having no materials and officially set sail.
Just then, Lucius clapped his hands, and a house-elf appeared respectfully in the study carrying an object roughly the size of a watermelon.
Its surface shimmered with a pearly luster.
"This is a gift I specially prepared for you to celebrate the success of our contract signing. I hope you like it."
Lucius took the giant "egg" from the house-elf and handed it to Lynn.
Lynn examined the egg closely. Despite his broad experience, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Is this... a dragon egg?"
Lucius nodded.
"This is an Antipodean Opaleye egg from a Romanian dragon sanctuary. It's been carefully selected and is full of vitality.
All breeding procedures are in order, fully complying with the international appendix clauses of the 'Ban on Experimental Breeding Act.' You can raise it without worry."
As he spoke, he took a thick stack of documents covered in various Ministry of Magic stamps from his desk drawer and handed them to Lynn, proving its legal and compliant origin.
This gift was certainly substantial.
"This is far too expensive, Mr. Malfoy." Lynn took the dragon egg and documents, quickly calculating where in his trunk he should raise this thing.
At the same time, a thought popped into his head—he couldn't lose face! Since the other party was so generous, his return gift couldn't be shabby.
Did he have a ready-made gift? Even if he didn't, he had to find one.
"It's only polite to reciprocate," Lynn said solemnly, fumbling in his pocket.
Then he pulled out an extremely cool-looking "mobile phone."
"Mr. Malfoy, this is the first limited-edition prototype produced by my 'Alchemy Age.' It's the only one in the world.
As the beginning of our friendship and cooperation, it's the perfect gift for you."
"Truly... exquisite craftsmanship. Thank you very much, Mr. Lynn. I like this gift very much."
The two exchanged more pleasantries and compliments, and the atmosphere reached a peak of harmony.
Seeing that it was getting late, Lynn stood up, took his leave, and left Malfoy Manor.
As the carriage sped through the clouds, Lynn calculated:
I need to get back and return the carriage quickly; the rent is hourly and isn't cheap.
Watching Lynn's carriage disappear.
"Draco." Lucius looked at his son.
"In the future at Hogwarts, get closer to Lynn. It would be best if you could become friends... it will only benefit you and the House of Malfoy."
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