A magical journey that begins in Azkaban

"He is a doctor of finance from Cambridge... Oh, by the way, Roger, you may not know. Cambridge's status in the Muggle world is, how should I say, a bit similar to Hogwarts' status in the wizarding world."

"Thank you, Thompson." Roger nodded, walked over and extended his hand warmly.

"I've heard that Cambridge is the only university in the UK along with Oxford."

"Of course! There is no doubt about this." Thompson highly agreed with Rogge's view.

The recognition of a wizard, especially a wizard from a pure-blood family, made Andrew feel proud of his Cambridge identity.

He praised his alma mater with joy, which also made him relax. "Mr. Rogge, when I was in college, I won the national stock investment competition championship for my school team with my extraordinary trading skills."

"After graduation, I immediately received an invitation from a large investment bank. I have designed a number of high-risk operation plans, including obtaining ultra-high leverage support for clients and shorting the stock markets of many countries through derivatives; I..."

"Ahem..." Thompson reminded Andrew that we are wizards, and your achievements in the Muggle world are worthless to us.

"Mr. Rogge, do you want to invest in the Financial City? I wonder how much money you have on hand?" Andrew reacted immediately and faced the little wizard's straightforward inquiry.

"I currently have 800,000 pounds on hand. To be honest, it's a bit small. Please don't mind." Rogge opened the traceless expansion box, which contained neatly stacked large bundles of pound cash.

"Mr. Rogge, you are joking." Andrew was secretly surprised, but his eyelids only twitched.

At present, the average annual salary of ordinary employees in the City is about 25,000 pounds, and 800,000 pounds means that they need to work without food or water for 32 years.

The private bank where he works has a minimum investment threshold of £500,000. The principal on Rogge's hand is already a considerable personal asset.

He quickly adjusted to a professional state: "800,000 is indeed enough for you to make preliminary investment operations. But to enter the financial city, capital alone is not enough, you also need connections and business acumen..."

"Mr. Andrew, there may be something I haven't told you clearly. I need you to help me obtain enough leverage support and use your connections to obtain sufficient credit lines from major banks."

"Please rest assured, there is no problem with this. I don't know the credit limit you need...how about 10 times leverage?" Andrew patted his chest to ensure that there was no problem with this leverage.

"No."

"50 times?" Andrew nodded, "It's a bit difficult, but it's not a big problem."

"Isn't it?" Andrew's heart trembled when he saw Rogge shaking his head.

"Is it 100..." Andrew couldn't believe it and his eyes widened.

"Andrew, 100 times is just magnifying it twice with leverage. If the principal is added to this set of real estate, can you borrow enough funds to short-sell Soviet-related financial products?"

Andrew immediately shut down his computer, his head was foggy, and he couldn't believe what Rogge was saying. Of course he knew that the Soviet Union was currently in political turmoil, but it once rivaled the United States and was known as the European steamroller. Their army can even push to the English Channel in two weeks.

Who is it? Who gave Rogge the courage to bet against a superpower? Is it because wizards are ignorant of Muggles? Andrew couldn't help but think, nervous and scared, his lips trembled slightly and he couldn't speak.

"I don't need you to monitor the international situation day and night, but I need you to short everything related to the Soviet Union. Short government bonds, short rubles, stock market indexes, and commodity futures such as oil and natural gas..."

"Then! Complete the closing at the right time. You see, it's very simple." Rogge saw Andrew's frightened expression and asked lightly: "Where is your wolf nature? Mr. Andrew?"

"I...I..." Andrew made a strange noise in his mouth, making it difficult to hear what he was saying.

His last business was short selling, and his position was immediately liquidated by his opponent. To be honest, he was on the verge of bankruptcy. One more time... the Soviet Union... Andrew couldn't believe how it would end. Maybe he will jump from the financial building, maybe he will be thrown into the steel-making furnace by the KGB.

Rogge stood up and poured Andrew a glass of Haig Tianbao, and said slowly: "You know, there is no shortage of geniuses and hard workers in the Financial City, but few people can seize fleeting opportunities. And I, just have an opportunity, But there’s a lack of people to implement it.”

Andrew took a sip of whiskey. His hands no longer shook, his lips no longer trembled, and there was no longer fear in his eyes. He was already standing on the edge of a cliff anyway, and would fall off sooner or later, so he might as well take a big gamble.

Andrew figured it out. He put down his glass and his tone became more steady: "Mr. Rogge, I wonder if you need a professional Muggle asset manager? I can provide you with a complete set of financial planning solutions."

"Oh, good question." Rogge asked with interest. “Then it depends on whether the investment plan shines in my eyes.”

Andrew thought for a moment and quickly organized his words to build a detailed investment blueprint for Rogge: "First of all, I need to know the valuation of this property."

"Well, the valuation on paper is only 600,000 pounds."

"600,000?" Andrew didn't know which blind guy had estimated it. From his unprofessional perspective, this real estate was worth at least 1.5 million, not to mention the valuable decorations around it.

"This is not important. You can recalculate using your own measurement system."

"I understand." Andrew nodded and continued: "The first round of leveraged funds can be enlarged 8 times, and real estate is 5 times. It is conservatively estimated that there will be 7 million available funds."

"Very good, this way we will have enough funds on hand for free use." Rogge listened with interest and nodded frequently.

"Yes, this is the multiplier effect. We use the money to open high-leverage accounts at major banks such as Barclays and HSBC," Andrew's voice became more and more confident, "I have connections there. For example, the president of Barclays He's my old classmate."

When Andrew confided these financial terms, a bright light flashed in Rogge's eyes - he had found a breakthrough and the best partner to enter the Muggle financial world.

"7 million pounds, 10 times leverage, can get 70 million pounds."

"Wow, it's already impressive! But I hope to go further." Rogge nodded. As a wizard, you always have to be bolder.

"Go further?" Andrew took a sip of wine and said confidently: "There is no problem at all, but... Roger, do you know the gambling agreement?"

"On gambling?"

"That's right, a zero-sum game. More exciting than short selling." Andrew pondered for a while, then smiled: "With 70 million funds for OTC betting, you can add 20 times the leverage. That's 1.4 billion... "

When Andrew said this number, his tone couldn't help but tremble. With such a large amount of capital, it would be easy to lose everything if you lose. If Rogge wasn't a wizard, if Rogge wasn't from a pure-blood family, and if it wasn't for Thompson's guarantee, he wouldn't dare to play like this even to death.

"1.4 billion..." Thompson was stunned when he heard such a huge amount of funds, and he didn't even feel the black tea spilled on him. A full 140 million gold galleons might be able to buy the entire British wizarding world.

"Roger...are you sure?" Thompson asked a soul question, which Andrew wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask.

"Are you sure? I dare not say 80%, but 100% is absolutely no problem." Rogge looked at their doubtful eyes and gave a convincing answer.

"The reason why I am so sure is because of the prophecy."

"prophecy?"

"Yes. This month, the Soviet Union will be in violent turmoil. By Christmas, it will disappear."

"Believe in the power of magic and destiny will never go wrong."

Thompson lit up a cigarette and took a long drag: "Roger, count me in."