Chapter 24: Mom Is Not Home Today

"He holds a PhD in Finance from Cambridge... Oh, right, Rogge, you might not be aware. Cambridge’s status in the Muggle world is, how should I put it, somewhat similar to Hogwarts’ status in the wizarding world."

"Thank you, Thompson." Rogge nodded, walking over to offer a warm handshake.

"I’ve heard of Cambridge; it and Oxford are known as the only two real universities in Britain."

"Indeed! That is beyond any doubt." Thompson highly agreed with Rogge’s assessment.

The approval of a wizard, especially one from a pure-blood family, made Andrew feel immensely proud of his identity as a Cambridge man. He beamed with delight as he praised his alma mater, which helped him relax completely. "Mr. Rogge, during my university years, I relied on extraordinary trading skills to lead our school team to victory in the national stock investment competition."

"After graduation, I immediately received offers from major investment banks. I have designed numerous high-risk operational schemes, including securing ultra-high leverage for clients and shorting the stock markets of various countries through derivatives; I..."

"Ahem..." Thompson reminded Andrew that they were wizards and that his achievements in the Muggle world were worthless to them.

"Mr. Rogge, are you looking to invest in the City? May I ask how much capital you have on hand?" Andrew reacted immediately, dropping the formalities to address the young wizard directly.

"I currently have 800,000 pounds on hand. To be honest, it’s a bit meager, so please don't mind." Rogge opened his Undetectable Extension Case, which was neatly stacked with thick bundles of British pound notes.

"Mr. Rogge, you’re joking." Andrew was secretly shocked, though he only let his eyelids twitch once.

The average annual salary for an ordinary professional in the City was currently about 25,000 pounds. 800,000 pounds meant they would have to work for 32 years without eating or drinking. The private bank he worked for had a minimum investment threshold of 500,000 pounds. The principal in Rogge’s possession was already a considerable personal asset.

He quickly adjusted to a professional state. "800,000 is certainly enough for your initial investment operations. However, to enter the City, capital alone is not enough; you need connections and a sharp business mind..."

"Mr. Andrew, perhaps there are some things I haven't made clear. I need you to help me secure sufficient leverage and use your connections to obtain adequate credit lines from major banks."

"Please rest assured, that will be no problem at all. I’m not sure what credit line you require... how about 10x leverage?" Andrew patted his chest, guaranteeing that such leverage was perfectly fine.

"No."

"50x?" Andrew nodded. "That’s a bit difficult, but it shouldn't be a problem."

"Not that either?" Andrew’s heart trembled as he saw Rogge shake his head.

"Could it be 100..." Andrew couldn't believe it, his eyes widening.

"Andrew, 100x is merely doubling the leverage. If we take the principal plus this real estate, can you borrow enough funds to short financial products related to the Soviet Union?"

Andrew crashed instantly. His mind went blank, and he couldn't believe what Rogge was saying. He certainly knew the Soviet Union was currently in political turmoil, but it had once rivaled the United States and was known as the "European Steamroller." Their army could have reached the English Channel in two weeks.

Who was this? What gave Rogge the courage to short a superpower? Was it just a wizard's ignorance of the Muggle world? Andrew couldn't help but think, feeling nervous and terrified, his lips trembling so much he couldn't speak.

"I don't need you to monitor international affairs day and night; I need you to short everything related to the Soviet Union. Short the government bonds, short the ruble, stock indices, as well as commodities futures like oil and natural gas..."

"And then! At the right moment, close the positions. You see, it’s quite simple." Seeing Andrew’s stunned expression, Rogge asked calmly, "Where is your killer instinct, Mr. Andrew?"

"I... I..." A strange noise emanated from Andrew’s throat, making it impossible to tell what he was saying.

His last business deal had been a short position, and he had been liquidated by the counterparty. Honestly, he was on the verge of bankruptcy. To do it again... and against the Soviet Union... Andrew couldn't imagine the outcome. Perhaps he would jump from a City skyscraper, or perhaps he would be thrown into a steel furnace by the KGB.

Rogge stood up and poured Andrew a glass of Haggety-Timbuktu whisky, saying slowly, "You know, the City is not short of geniuses or hard workers, but few can grasp fleeting opportunities. And I happen to have an opportunity, but I lack the person to execute it."

Andrew took a sip of the whisky. His hand stopped shaking, his lips stopped trembling, and the fear in his eyes vanished. He was already standing on the edge of a cliff; he would fall sooner or later, so he might as well make a big bet.

Andrew thought it through. He put down his glass, his tone becoming steady. "Mr. Rogge, I wonder if you require a professional Muggle asset manager? I can provide you with a full range of financial planning strategies."

"Oh, good question." Rogge pursued the matter with interest. "That will depend on whether the investment plan can dazzle me."

Andrew pondered for a moment, quickly organizing his thoughts to construct a detailed investment blueprint for Rogge. "First, I need to know the valuation of this property."

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

"600,000?" Andrew didn't know which blind fool had made that estimate. To his professional eyes, this property was worth at least 1.5 million, not to mention the priceless decorations scattered around.

"That’s not important. You can recalculate it using your own metrics."

"I understand." Andrew nodded and continued, "The first round of leveraged funds can be increased by 8x, and the real estate by 5x. Conservatively, we should have 7 million in usable funds."

"Very good. That way, we have plenty of capital to use freely." Rogge listened with relish, nodding frequently.

"Exactly, that is the multiplier effect. We will take this money to major banks like Barclays and HSBC to open high-leverage accounts," Andrew’s voice grew more confident, "I have connections within them. For instance, the chairman of Barclays is my old classmate."

As Andrew rattled off these financial terms, a spark flashed in Rogge’s eyes—he had found his breakthrough into the Muggle financial world and his perfect partner.

"7 million pounds, 10x leverage, that can yield 70 million pounds."

"Wow, that’s already quite considerable! However, I hope to go even further." Rogge nodded; as a wizard, one’s courage must be greater.

"Go further?" Andrew took a sip of his drink and said confidently, "No problem at all, but... Rogge, are you familiar with 'Betting Agreements'?"

"Betting agreements?"

"Yes, a zero-sum game. Even more exciting than shorting." Andrew mused for a while and smiled. "If we take the 70 million in funds to off-market betting, we can add another 20x leverage. That would be 1.4 billion..."

When Andrew said this number, his voice trembled involuntarily. With such a massive amount of capital, losing would mean far more than just bankruptcy. If Rogge weren't a wizard, if Rogge weren't from a pure-blood family, and if it weren't for Thompson’s guarantee, he wouldn't have dared to play like this even if he were killed.

"1.4 billion..." Thompson was stunned by the massive figure, not even feeling the black tea spilling onto him. That was a full 140 million gold Galleons—perhaps enough to buy the entire British wizarding world.

"Rogge... are you sure about this?" Thompson asked the soul-searching question, which was exactly what Andrew wanted to ask but didn't dare to.

"Sure? I wouldn't say 80 percent, but 100 percent is absolutely no problem." Looking at their skeptical eyes, Rogge provided a convincing answer.

"The reason I am so certain is because of a prophecy."

"A prophecy?"

"Yes. Within this month, the Soviet Union will experience violent turmoil. By Christmas, it will have vanished."

"Believe in the power of magic; fate never makes a mistake."

Thompson lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. "Rogge, count me in."