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Seeing that Adam hadn't replied for a long time and seemed inclined to refuse, Fred gritted his teeth and said:
"If you agree, we can give you 60% of the profit from the quick-acting skip-school candy!"
Robert added:
"No more than that, we need to at least recover the research and development costs for the quick-acting skip-school candy."
This was already their psychological bottom line.
Adam's thoughts were interrupted by their words, and he looked at the two of them in surprise.
What he didn't realize was that his small shop had inspired Fred and Robert. They felt that their genius ideas could be monetized, which spurred them to speed up the research and development of the quick-acting skip-school candy. As a result, it was ahead of schedule, but at the cost of further draining their already poor funds.
In other words, they might... probably... need to borrow more money from Adam to produce the first batch of the candy after it was developed. But they were too afraid of scaring him away to reveal everything at once.
Moreover, Fred and Robert had to consider the uncertainty of whether the candy would sell well. They needed someone with business experience to help them.
It was true that the earlier stages of development hadn't gone as smoothly as expected, and this setback had dented their confidence.
Coupled with the ongoing research, what they needed most was a partner with experience in dessert production, store management, and sufficient capital.
In short, if they wanted to make their dream business a reality quickly, they needed Adam's cooperation.
Seeing the mix of unease and hope in their eyes, Adam thought for a moment before replying:
"Alright, we can try collaborating on the quick-acting skip-school candy first."
"Marvelous!"
The twins surged forward, ready to hug him, but Adam raised a hand to stop them:
"Wait, don't get too excited. I need a detailed plan—how you plan to control production costs, your target market, and so on. You'll also need to draft a contract outlining the terms of our partnership."
Seeing Adam's professional demeanor, the twins quickly nodded, took notes, and promised to deliver everything by the next night.
"See you later!"
Watching them run off, Adam shook his head. There was no way they could complete everything in one day. They'd figure it out soon enough.
After rushing to the Great Hall for lunch, Adam didn't expect to be approached again on his way back.
"Adam! Do you remember us?"
"Hermione, Ron, and Harry, of course."
Adam looked at the trio with a hint of confusion.
"What can I do for you?"
They seemed pleased that Adam remembered them, especially Ron, who blurted out:
"We were wondering when your shop is open."
"Ron?!"
Hermione shot him a disbelieving look.
"Oh, uh, there's also something else—do you know Nicolas Flamel?"
Ron quickly corrected himself, clearly embarrassed.
"Except for holidays or special circumstances, my shop is open every Saturday afternoon in the North Tower."
After answering Ron's first question, Adam turned to Hermione:
"As for Nicolas Flamel, I've never heard of him."
"Is that so... alright."
Hermione sighed in disappointment.
Unlike Fred and Robert, who were more interested in Adam's business, Hermione had been following his academic performance. Over the break, she had hoped that asking Adam, a top student, might lead to some clues.
Now it seemed that he didn't know anything either.
"Why are you looking for that name?"
"Well, we..."
To Adam's surprise, Harry and the others shared everything they had uncovered, even asking him to keep it quiet. But considering how openly they told the story, did they really mean "quiet"?
"If you come across anything about Nicolas Flamel, let us know."
Adam smiled awkwardly and quickly excused himself, his head spinning from the sudden flood of information.
"Something's off," Hermione mused, watching Adam retreat.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
"I can't quite put my finger on it, but Adam's reaction to hearing Nicolas Flamel's name was too... calm."
Hermione glanced at Harry.
"Usually, when someone hears that Snape caused your broom to malfunction during the Quidditch match, they'd react somehow. But Adam acted like..."
"Like he already knew!" Harry exclaimed.
"Exactly. I think we've stumbled onto something."
Hermione nodded thoughtfully, looking between Harry and Ron.
"You two should take turns following Adam to see if you can uncover any clues."
"Us?!"
"Or you could spend your time in the library while I follow him?"
"Uh... okay."
Harry, daunted by the thought of endless reading, agreed that following Adam sounded more appealing.
Ron, meanwhile, remained skeptical, but with no better ideas, he went along with the plan in silence.
After that, Adam began to notice that Harry and Ron often seemed to be around. Not both at the same time, but one of them was usually lingering nearby, keeping their distance but clearly watching him.
Even the Hufflepuff students picked up on it. During one meal in the Great Hall, Cedric approached Adam:
"What's up with those Gryffindors? Need us to help you deal with them?"
Saviors or not, they couldn't bully Hufflepuffs—especially not the one who ran their kitchen!
Adam glanced over at the Gryffindor table, where the trio were busy eating. He sighed and shook his head.
"No, they don't mean any harm. I'll handle it."
It seemed like it was time to speak with Gazz.
However, when Adam arrived at the door to the headmaster's office, he found that the password he had used before no longer worked.
Could the new password be one of the desserts he had created?
Adam wasn't about to stand at the door listing off dishes. He suspected Gazz was either not in the office or didn't want to be disturbed, so he decided to try a different approach.
One day, while Ron was following Adam from a distance, someone suddenly jumped out and grabbed him.
"Hey, Ron! Long time no see! Want to try some new candy my brother and I came up with?"
"What are you talking about? We just saw each other this morning! Let me go, I'm in a hurry. Ugh—"
Ron struggled, caught off guard by the unexpected hug.
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