"Tony, come on, drink."
"This bottle of wine was given to me by a good friend of mine. It contains a lot of magical plants. It's of very good quality and has a nourishing effect on the body," Lockhart said, shaking the dark purple wine in his hand with a smile.
Tony Stark glanced fiercely at Lockhart and then at the large number of magic jammers on the ground emitting cold air.
"Jarvis, pack this garbage away. Also, bring out my collection of diamond glasses and all my wine cabinets."
He snorted. Magic he didn't understand, but showing off wealth? He was unmatched.
Soon, a set of crystal-clear, sparkling diamond glasses were placed on the table in front of Lockhart. Nearby stood a tall wine cabinet filled with a variety of wines, each with a price tag beneath it.
When it came to flaunting wealth, the price had to be right, and the sense of value had to be sufficient. Otherwise, it wasn't showing off; it was just acting alone.
Lockhart, observing Tony's display of wealth, felt a tinge of envy. Indeed, starting from scratch and inheriting an industry were two different concepts. Tony, a wealthy businessman who inherited a family business, spent money as if it was nothing. Unlike Lockhart, who, although spending generously, did so with purpose, rarely using it for pure enjoyment.
Seeing Lockhart's lack of response, Tony's face bore a proud smile. He was a professional at showing off wealth.
Pretending to be generous, he said, "Come on, Lockhart, try this set of diamond-polished wine glasses. This set cost me a million to collect. If you weren't such a 'good' friend, I wouldn't usually show it."
Lockhart, smiling, picked up a diamond glass, examining it for a moment before opening the wine Kaecilius had gifted him.
In an instant, a refreshing fragrance spread around. Tony's eyes lit up at the aroma.
Thoughts flashing, Tony watched Lockhart pour the wine. Then, he picked up the glass in front of him and tasted it slowly. The taste was good—above average, though not top-notch. He felt a warm current flow through his body, likely the effect of the magical plants Lockhart mentioned, similar to potions.
Lockhart was also slowly savoring his glass of red wine. The atmosphere between them began to calm.
Their earlier actions were merely jokes, teasing each other. Neither could truly harm the other. Tony gained some verbal advantage, and now it was time to discuss business.
"Tony, regarding gold galleons, last time I heard Coulson talk about radiation. Can you elaborate?" Lockhart asked, bringing the conversation back on track.
Understanding the question, Tony said, "Lockhart, you provided multiple doses of magic radiation. Our challenge is adjusting the properties of the magic radiation to match that on Gold Galleons as closely as possible. I developed an algorithm and had Jarvis adjust it, achieving a 95% approximation. The rest is difficult with current technology."
With that, Tony ordered Jarvis, "Jarvis, bring the No. 145 Gold Galleon from my laboratory."
Taking Lockhart's wine, Tony poured himself a glass and began to taste it. Lockhart smiled, placing his empty glass in front of Tony, who poured him another.
Lockhart took a sip, waiting quietly. Soon, a robot arrived with a box. Lockhart's eyes lit up at the sight of the golden coin inside.
Tony handed the synthesized Gold Galleon to Lockhart, explaining, "Lockhart, this is a Gold Galleon I synthesized. The magic radiation is fine-tuned to a 95% standard. Does it meet your needs?"
Lockhart compared the synthesized galleon with a real one from his space bag. After a long examination, he was surprised. The difference was subtle, something he might have missed without a sample for comparison.
Excluding the subtle property difference, the synthetic gold galleon could replace real ones for alchemy. However, Lockhart needed the currency attribute of Gold Galleons more than the alchemy property.
Thinking, Lockhart decided to consult the goblin Bruno, an expert in counterfeiting. He waved his wand, opening a sparking portal.
Bruno was refining magic cards, a task assigned by Lockhart. The Vientiane Book Cafe would need more magic cards as it attracted more customers.
Seeing Bruno engrossed in his work, Lockhart called, "Bruno, come here."
Hearing his master's voice, Bruno quickly turned and trotted over. "Master, what do you need Bruno for? I have refined 352 level 5 magic cards and 50 level 4 ones. The third-level magic card is under research, and I need your guidance on integrating space teleportation."
Lockhart wasn't surprised by Bruno's excitement. The magic cards project was designed to stimulate him. Bruno devoted himself to constructing the magic card system.
Lockhart handed Bruno the two gold galleons. "Bruno, examine the difference between these two gold galleons."
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