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Lockhart sat at a desk near the glass window in Vientiane Book Cafe, leisurely flipping through a book. Occasionally, he glanced at Coulson, who was busy talking with the store manager. Lockhart wanted to complain about Coulson. Honestly, if he had sent one of his agents, they could have solved this easily. But Coulson had to stage this scene in front of him, as if it were a negotiation.
Lockhart understood this tactic well. It was a show to demonstrate how dedicated and hardworking S.H.I.E.L.D. was, aimed at gaining his favor. In his previous life, he had played this trick smoothly. Now, looking at the slight beads of sweat on Coulson's forehead as he walked toward him with a contract in hand, Lockhart could hear the tiredness in his tone.
"Professor Lockhart, I managed to secure this book cafe for you. You just need to sign your name on this contract."
"Okay, thank you," Lockhart replied. He picked up the contract from the desk and quickly scanned it. After confirming there were no issues, he signed his name: Gilderoy Lockhart.
Even if there were problems, Lockhart was not afraid. He handed the signed contract to Coulson, who briefly read it and then stood up to finalize the details with the shop owner. Seeing this, Lockhart remained silent. Free labor, why not take advantage of it? The gift he had prepared in advance was enough to offset this favor.
Lockhart sighed softly, recalling when Kaecilius took him to see the Ancient One. Regardless, for gaining access to Kamar Taj's magic, he owed Kaecilius a favor, which a few bottles of magic potion couldn't repay. He pondered, How should I break the debt I owe to a future demon?
After a while, Lockhart saw Coulson returning with the shop owner. After a brief communication, the shop owner left, and Coulson sat in front of him.
"Professor Lockhart, you can transfer $3.85 million to this bank account." Coulson handed Lockhart a piece of paper with a series of numbers written on it.
Lockhart recalled the price information in the contract, checked it, and found no errors. He nodded. "Okay." He handed over a small wooden box to Coulson. "Coulson, I'm sorry to trouble you this time. This is a magic amulet I made. It should be very helpful to you as an agent."
Lockhart opened the wooden box to reveal a small brown wood chip with intricate and mysterious patterns carved on it. "This magic amulet has a warning function. If you encounter a fatal attack, it will automatically release a shield spell to resist the attack. It should be very helpful for agents like you."
Coulson showed a hint of surprise. They had previously obtained potions and now a magic item. It was simply amazing. His eyes lit up as he looked at the mysterious patterns on the wood chip, thinking they might be deciphered with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s technology. Whatever the outcome, they needed to research it.
Lockhart had no idea what Coulson was thinking, but even if he knew, he wouldn't care. The magic amulet he gave was different from the ones given to the little wizards at Hogwarts. The Hogwarts amulets had three clear runes to spark interest and pave the way for promoting the magic system. The amulet given to S.H.I.E.L.D. had runes integrated into the talisman, and the surface patterns were just imitations from an ancient book. If S.H.I.E.L.D. managed to produce results by studying them, Lockhart would express his admiration.
As a researcher, Lockhart took patents seriously, especially after suffering losses in his previous life. Unless he was willing to share, it was impossible to obtain his technology without paying a hefty price. The patterns were a means of preventing theft.
Watching Coulson carefully put away the gift, Lockhart spoke again. "Mr. Coulson, there's something I want to entrust S.H.I.E.L.D. with. Can S.H.I.E.L.D. find a metal I need?" He handed over a gold Galleon.
Coulson examined the gold-like currency, especially noting the dragon pattern, and various guesses flashed in his mind. But he maintained a gentle smile. "Okay, Professor Lockhart. I will notify you as soon as I find it."
Feeling Coulson's affirmative tone, Lockhart continued, "It is a magic metal, similar to gold, but not gold. If enough similar metals can be provided, I'm willing to trade more potions and magic items."
Coulson's eyes lit up. He had been worrying about how to maintain a trading relationship with Lockhart. Due to their relationship with Thor, the prince of Asgard, and Lockhart's powerful strength, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't want a direct confrontation but rather to break through from the side.
However, they found that S.H.I.E.L.D. and Lockhart didn't seem to have common interests. Despite being rich and powerful, Lockhart wasn't money-grubbing and couldn't be easily controlled. If he hadn't needed a normal identity, perhaps they wouldn't even have communicated. Like parallel lines, they existed but never intersected.
Now, Lockhart's needs were finally clear. Even a small need was enough for S.H.I.E.L.D. to find a breakthrough, tear it apart, and expand it. S.H.I.E.L.D. excelled at this.
Looking at the gold Galleon and considering Lockhart's request, Coulson's mind filled with various guesses.