In a café under an apartment on Knight Street in central London.
"Ring."
With the crisp sound of the doorbell, David Stick immediately looked up and saw the man he had been thinking about walking into the shop.
Murphy wore a slightly formal coat, appropriate for the gradually cooling weather in London, though the style seemed a bit outdated.
After exchanging names and sitting down, Murphy took a small bottle out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
"This is the medicine you saw yesterday. It's called Bai... well, just call it White Medicine. You saw its effect yesterday, what do you think?"
"Amazing! Incredible! It's like magic!"
David clearly lacked negotiation experience.
In fact, his comment was already restrained.
He had never even dreamed of a healing medicine with such exaggerated effects.
Being able to stop bleeding and heal a wound in just a few seconds was beyond his imagination.
Unless... it was a scam.
"If possible, I'd like to..."
Murphy pushed the small bottle towards him, "Please."
After taking a few deep breaths, David actually took out a blade from his pocket and made a cut on his arm.
Then, hissing in pain, he poured the Essence of Dittany on it.
In just a few seconds, the wound disappeared.
Looking again, his arm was no longer bleeding, and after wiping away the blood beads, he found the wound had healed.
Even though he had anticipated this outcome.
Experiencing it firsthand, David was still wide-eyed.
Incredible!
A miracle!
Magic!
Except for a faint red mark, it was almost impossible to tell that the area had been injured. If not for the bloodstains, he would have thought the pain was just an illusion.
"How is this possible? Human cells can't divide this fast..."
Having been forced by his father to complete a bachelor's degree in pharmacy, he still knew the basic physiology.
Murphy smiled without answering.
"Did you develop this medicine yourself? Do you have a patent? Have you published any papers? Is it a biochemical product or a herbal formula?"
Murphy shook his head, "I developed this medicine myself, but I can't give you the formula. Since you've seen its effect, you should understand its value. I won't sell the formula to anyone. I'm here to discuss a partnership with you."
David then calmed down.
Indeed, if he had developed such a medicine himself, he would never sell it. It was an invention that could support generations.
"How do you want to partner?"
"Simple. We jointly develop this medicine. You provide the funding, I provide the technology, and within a year, I'll double your investment."
David was startled, "A loan? That won't do! I want equity!"
Such a powerful medicine, yet only seeking to double the profit, was foolish! Murphy wasn't surprised, "How much can you invest?"
"Ten million!" David immediately said, then hesitated, "At least five million!"
After thinking it over, "At least two million shouldn't be a problem."
He was just a rich second generation, unsure how much his wealthy father was willing to invest.
Ten million was going all-in, five million was a gamble, but two million was indeed just a regular investment size. In his mind, for such an explosive project, convincing his dad to try with two million was definitely manageable.
"Two million, and how much equity do you want?"
"60%!" David blurted out.
"Heh." Murphy just laughed.
"Half?"
Murphy shook his head.
"30%! No less!"
Murphy stood up, "Ten million pounds, I'll give you 10% equity, that's the limit. If you can only put up two million, then it's 2%." Murphy capped the bottle of Essence of Dittany and handed it to David, "Take this message and the bottle to your father."
Since the other party didn't have the decision-making power, stating his conditions was enough; there was no need to waste more time here.
"You have one day to decide. If you accept, call this number." After speaking, Murphy left a card with a phone number on the table and left the café.
That night, he received a call from Jim Stick in his rented Muggle hotel room.
"I can give you five million pounds, but I want at least 15% equity."
"Sorry, impossible." Murphy immediately hung up the phone.
The phone rang again shortly after, "Five million, 10%, that's my bottom line."
Murphy laughed, "Sorry, your bottom line means nothing to me."
There are so many pharmaceutical companies in the UK. If you don't want to play, there are plenty who do.
A while later, a man in a suit knocked on Murphy's door and handed him a mobile phone.
Having lived in the wizarding world all his life, Murphy had almost forgotten about mobile phones.
Seeing this retro-styled mobile phone, he was somewhat stunned.
It was 1987.
Nokia's Cityman had just been launched, basically considered the world's first real portable mobile phone.
This thing was outrageously expensive, only true magnates could afford it.
Murphy took the phone and heard from the other side, "Give me 8%, and I can give you a pharmaceutical factory right away, and you can start producing your medicine."
Murphy was tempted, "Deal."
"Good, my car is outside waiting for you, come to my villa, we have a lot of details to discuss."
A Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit was parked outside the hotel, and the driver opened the door for him.
Murphy didn't dawdle; this matter couldn't be explained in a sentence or two, and it was indeed necessary to meet in person.
Half an hour later, the Rolls-Royce stopped in an empty factory.
Murphy got out of the car, only to see in the empty factory, a chair and a small wooden table were placed in the center, a middle-aged man with blond backcombed hair sat in the chair, smoking a pipe, with two bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses standing on either side.
Murphy frowned, "This doesn't look like a villa."
Jim Stick grinned, "Indeed, it's not."
He casually pointed with the hand holding the pipe, "This is the factory I'm giving you. But it's closed down."
"What do you mean?"
Jim Stick took out a check and placed it on the table.
"This is a check for two million pounds, enough for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Take it and give me the formula. Or..."
As he spoke, two more strong men walked in from the door and closed it.
Murphy was speechless, "Are you threatening me?"
Jim exhaled a large smoke ring, "I'm a legitimate businessman, I usually wouldn't do this. So I hope you take the check."
Jim continued, taking a deep drag, letting the pungent smoke swirl in his lungs before exhaling slowly.
"Damn thrilling!" Jim stood up, "Everyone has desires they can't control, right? Like tobacco, or pounds. Money is a stimulant for me, always gets me excited."
"So, I'm compelled. I can't overcome my own desires."
Murphy watched Jim's self-righteous speech and found it somewhat amusing, "And if I don't agree?"
"Don't be unwise, kid. I don't want to make things ugly."
"I've investigated you. You're nothing. Not even registered. Maybe you're just a thief who smuggled in from some third world country."
"Guess what would happen if I killed you here?"
Jim spread his hands, "The answer is nothing!"
"No one knows who you are, no one will care why you died here. The smart folks at Scotland Yard won't bother themselves, you'll just become another unsolved case buried in their archives."
"Maybe you think I'm robbing you, and it's unfair, but this is a world where the strong prey on the weak, isn't it? The weak are born to be plundered by the strong. Think about it, kid, I'm at least paying."
Murphy silently watched Jim pacing back and forth with a look that suggested Murphy was still making a profit.
"Survival of the fittest... Okay..."
Faced with such robber logic, Murphy thought...
It was damn reasonable.
So, he drew his wand.