Holding the hefty brick phone, Murphy grimaced.
He had thought Jim using such a device was terribly outdated, and now, unexpectedly, he had to carry one himself.
Well, when he finds the time, he might as well sort out the muggle world's technology.
Although he didn't understand many of the scientific principles, knowing the development path of the next thirty years should make introducing some technologies ahead of their time not too difficult.
In the following days, Murphy busied himself in the basement concocting potions with the many ingredients he had purchased, aiming to launch the next potion product soon.
Relying solely on Dittany Medicine was too slow for generating income.
His new potion candidates included Blood-Replenishing Potions, Skele-Gro, and Energizing Elixirs, all of which were healing potions and complemented Dittany well.
Given their significantly faster effects compared to existing muggle remedies, they should sell just as well.
However, after careful selection, Murphy chose another potion.
The Beauty Potion.
In simple terms, it's a potion that makes one more beautiful.
It brings the drinker closer to their ideal body and appearance.
The effects are akin to an instant version of cosmetic surgery, physical photo editing, and live beauty filters.
One could imagine how attractive this would be to muggles concerned about their looks.
And compared to serious medical potions, the beauty industry is far less regulated, requiring no safety reviews, lengthy clinical trials, and product registration is much easier than for medicines.
It was perfect for immediate monetization.
Even the potion's inability to have permanent effects played right into Murphy's hands.
If a single dose permanently beautified someone, how would he continue to profit? How would he continue to make money?
He also thought it wise to follow the success model of Dittany Essence, reducing the effective dosage of the Beauty Potion, mixing it with various plant essences, and producing it as beauty masks, foundations, moisturizers, essential oils, etc.
Selling the scarce Beauty Potion by the drop.
Does this seem unscrupulous?
No, Murphy felt he was far more ethical than those cosmetics companies that made money off meaningless terms like "repair essence."
At least, his potions genuinely worked.
Having decided on the next potion to promote, Murphy emerged from the basement, planning to rest in the muggle world for a few days.
Just then, an owl landed at the manor's mailbox, dropped a letter, and flew away.
Murphy approached the mailbox, reaching inside.
He retrieved several letters, including a couple of responses to job applications and an advertisement from a Quidditch boutique, surprisingly delivered here.
The last one was from Alex Wood.
The recent owl delivery was likely this letter.
Alex Wood? Who? Murphy was momentarily puzzled before remembering he had recruited a certain Potioneer of Poop.
Ah, he had completely forgotten about that.
He opened the letter.
"Dear Mr. Peter Parker,
I achieved an A in Potions at the Basic Wizarding Level Examination and am skilled in concocting Soothing Solutions, Strengthening Solutions, and Fire Protection Potions. If you can offer a salary of over 70 Galleons per month, I would be glad to serve you."
70 Galleons wasn't a high salary, even lower than Murphy's job at the Ministry of Magic.
See what the terrible job market has done to young wizards.
Not even daring to ask for a higher dream salary.
Murphy immediately replied, "I'll give you 60 Galleons a month. Bring your potion equipment, and show me what you've got at 10 AM tomorrow at the following address."
Hmph, daring to ask for 70 Galleons, spoiling you.
The next morning, Murphy arrived at the address he had given Wood in the reply.
It was a muggle farm on the outskirts of London, which Murphy had purchased a few days ago.
Alex Wood was already waiting at the barn door, dressed in ill-fitting and mismatched clothes, with a pair of leather boots and a high-top hat, looking like a lunatic beggar.
But this was standard for wizards, so Murphy wasn't surprised.
He opened the barn door and let Alex in.
"I need you to concoct a Beauty Potion. Do you know the ingredients?"
"Be-beauty Potion?" Alex was nervous, having expected to make something like Weedosoros or Fwooper Spray. A Beauty Potion was not his specialty.
But since he was already there, he tried hard to recall the potion techniques he had learned, "Fairy wings, petal powder, ginger root... and... unicorn hair, not horn powder..."
"Unicorn hair, not horn powder. The rest is almost correct." Murphy said, not wanting to make it difficult for him, and placed a paper with the formula and steps in front of Alex.
"Follow this. If you succeed, you're hired."
He was hiring a wizard assistant, not conducting an exam. With the formula provided, there was no need to force someone to memorize it, especially since he had prepared all the potion ingredients.
"Okay!" Alex breathed a sigh of relief.
He set up his cauldron, skillfully ignited a flame with his wand, and floated the cauldron above the flames. Then he carefully began the process according to the steps.
Half an hour later, Murphy checked the purple solution in the cauldron and extracted a test tube's amount.
"How do you think you did?"
"It should... be successful?" Alex was uncertain.
Murphy handed the test tube to him, "Drink it, let's see."
After hesitating for a moment and double-checking his steps to ensure he hadn't made poison, Alex took the test tube and downed it in one gulp.
The potion took effect quickly.
Alex's freckles gradually faded, his round cheeks visibly slimmed down, becoming chiseled, his flat nose became sharp, and his puffy eyes elongated, with the eye sockets deepening and the brow bones protruding, as if a sculptor was rapidly carving and shaping on Alex's face.
Moments later, a handsome man with thick eyebrows and deep eyes stood before Murphy.
His appearance was so different from Alex's previous one that they were unrelated.
Besides the overall layout of the facial features, almost no trace of the original Alex remained.
In half a minute, a random passerby was transformed into a magazine-worthy handsome man.
The Beauty Potion was terrifyingly effective!
Murphy checked Alex's now evenly muscled body with six-pack abs, nodding, "Didn't expect you to have a talent for this potion."
Alex scratched his head, "Heh, I didn't expect it to work so well."
Tsk.
Dressed in rags, he had looked like a beggar before, but now, even in those clothes, he had a certain reckless charm.
His shy smile, which would have seemed sleazy and lowly before, on his handsome face now appeared shy, cute, and charismatic.
Truly, the unjust beauty standards!
Unfortunately, this potion was of no use to himself.
After all, there was nothing about his face that needed improvement.
"You're hired," Murphy patted Alex on the shoulder and removed a pouch from his belt.
"Now, let's talk about your job."