“He is a PhD in Finance from Cambridge…
Oh, right, Rayleigh, you may not be clear.
Cambridge’s status in the Muggle World, how should I put it, is somewhat similar to Hogwarts’ status in the magical world.”
“Thank you, Thompson.” Rayleigh nods and walks over to warmly extend his hand.
“I have heard of Cambridge.
It and Oxford are called the only two universities in Britain.”
“Of course!
There is no doubt about this point.” Thompson highly agrees with Rayleigh’s view.
A wizard’s acknowledgment, especially a pure-blood family wizard’s acknowledgment, makes Andrew feel even prouder of his identity as a Cambridge man.
He speaks of his alma mater with great delight, which also helps his whole person relax.
“Mr.
Rayleigh, during my university years, I relied on extraordinary trading skills to win the national stock investment competition championship for the school team.”
“After graduation, I immediately received invitations from large investment banks.
I have designed many high-risk operation plans, including securing super-high leverage support for clients, and shorting the stock markets of multiple countries through derivatives.
I…”
“Cough, cough…” Thompson reminds Andrew, ‘We are wizards.
Your achievements in the Muggle World are worthless here.’
“Mr.
Rayleigh, you want to invest in the City of London?
I wonder how much capital you have on hand?” Andrew immediately reacts and faces the young wizard’s straightforward question.
“At present I have 800,000 pounds on hand.
To be honest, it is somewhat little.
Please do not mind.” Rayleigh opens the Undetectable Extension suitcase, inside which are neatly stacked large bundles of pound banknotes.
“Mr.
Rayleigh, you jest.” Andrew is secretly shocked, but only his eyelid twitches once.
At present, the average annual salary of ordinary workers in London is about 25,000 pounds.
800,000 pounds means they would need to work 32 years without eating or drinking.
The private bank where he works has a minimum investment threshold of 500,000 pounds.
The principal Rayleigh has on hand is already a quite considerable personal asset.
He quickly adjusts to a professional state: “800,000 is indeed enough for you to carry out preliminary investment operations.
But to enter the City of London, capital alone is not enough.
You also need connections and business acumen…”
“Mr.
Andrew, perhaps some things were not made clear to you.
I need you to help me obtain sufficient leverage support, and use your connections to secure enough credit lines from major banks.”
“Please rest assured, this is completely no problem.
I wonder what credit line you need…
How about 10 times leverage?” Andrew pats his chest, guaranteeing this amount of leverage is no problem at all.
“No.”
“50 times?” Andrew nods.
“A bit difficult, but not a big problem.”
“Is it not?” Seeing Rayleigh shake his head, Andrew’s heart trembles.
“Could it be 100…” Andrew cannot believe it and widens his eyes.
“Andrew, 100 times is only using leverage twice. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
If the principal plus this real estate, can you borrow enough funds, and then short Soviet-related financial products?”
Andrew immediately crashes.
His head is buzzing.
He completely cannot believe what Rayleigh is saying.
He of course knows the Soviet Union is currently in political turmoil, but it once rivaled the United States and was called the European steamroller.
Their army could even push to the English Channel in two weeks.
‘Who on earth?
Who gave this boy the courage to short a superpower?
Is it because wizards are ignorant of Muggles?’ Andrew cannot help thinking, nervous and afraid, his lips trembling slightly, unable to speak.
“I do not need you to monitor the international situation day and night.
I need you to short everything related to the Soviet Union.
Short government bonds, short the ruble, stock market indices, and commodity futures such as oil and natural gas…”
“Then!
At the appropriate time point, complete the closing.
See, very simple.” Rayleigh sees Andrew’s stunned expression and asks lightly: “Where is your wolf nature, Mr.
Andrew?”
“I…
I…” Andrew makes strange noises from his mouth, making it impossible to hear clearly what he is saying.
His last deal was also a short, and then he was directly liquidated by the counterparty.
To be honest, he is already on the verge of bankruptcy.
Again…
and still the Soviet Union…
Andrew cannot believe what the outcome will be.
Perhaps he will jump from a financial tower, perhaps he will be thrown into a steel furnace by the KGB.
Rayleigh stands up and pours Andrew a glass of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky, then says slowly: “You know, the City of London has no shortage of geniuses and hard workers, but very few people can grasp a fleeting opportunity.
And I, precisely, have an opportunity, but lack the person to execute it.”
Andrew takes a sip of whisky.
His hands no longer tremble, his lips no longer shake, his eyes no longer show fear.
He is already standing on the edge of a cliff anyway.
Sooner or later, he will fall.
Better to gamble big.
Andrew has thought it through.
He puts down the glass, and his tone also seems steadier: “Mr.
Rayleigh, I wonder if you need a professional Muggle asset manager?
I can provide you with a full set of financial planning proposals.”
“Oh, good question.” Rayleigh asks with great interest.
“Then it depends on whether the investment plan can impress me.”
Andrew thinks for a moment and quickly organizes his words to build a detailed investment blueprint for Rayleigh: “First, I need to know the valuation of this property.”
“Mm, the valuation on paper is only 600,000 pounds.”
“600,000?” Andrew does not know which blind fellow estimated it.
By his unprofessional judgment, this real estate is at least 1.5 million, let alone the valuable decorations around it.
You can recalculate it using your own measurement system.”
“I understand.” Andrew nods and continues: “The first round of leveraged funds can be magnified 8 times.
Real estate is 5 times.
By conservative estimate, there can be 7 million in usable funds.”
“Very good.
That way we have sufficient funds on hand to use freely.” Rayleigh listens with relish and nods frequently.
“Exactly.
This is the multiplier effect.
We take this money to Barclays, HSBC, and other major banks to continue opening high-leverage accounts.” Andrew’s voice grows more confident.
“I have connections in all of them.
For example, the Barclays branch manager is my old classmate.”
When Andrew reveals these financial terms, a flash of light passes before Rayleigh’s eyes, ‘It seems I have found my breakthrough point and best partner for entering the Muggle financial world.’
“7 million pounds, 10 times leverage, can obtain 70 million pounds.”
“Wow, already quite considerable!
But I hope to go one step further.” Rayleigh nods.
As a wizard, his courage should always be a little greater.
“One step further?” Andrew takes a sip of liquor and says confidently: “No problem at all.
But…
Rayleigh, do you know what a betting agreement is?”
“A bet?”
“Yes.
A zero-sum game.
More thrilling than shorting.” Andrew ponders for a moment and laughs.
“70 million in funds taken to over-the-counter betting can add another 20 times leverage.
That is 1.4 billion…”
When Andrew says this number, his tone cannot help trembling.
With such a huge amount of funds, losing everything would be the least of it.
If Rayleigh were not a wizard, if Rayleigh were not from a pure-blood family, if not for Thompson’s guarantee, he would never dare play like this even if beaten to death.
“1.4 billion…” Thompson is stunned when he hears such a huge amount of funds.
The black tea spills on him and he does not even notice.
A full 140 million Galleons.
Perhaps enough to buy the entire British magical world.
“Rayleigh…
are you confident?” Thompson asks the soul-searching question, which is also what Andrew wants to ask but does not dare to.
“Confident?
I dare not say 80 percent, but 100 percent is completely no problem.” Rayleigh looks at their doubtful eyes and gives a convincing answer.
“The reason I am so certain is because of prophecy.”
“Prophecy?”
“Yes.
This very month, the Soviet Union will undergo violent turmoil.
At Christmas, it will disappear.”
“Believe in the power of magic.
Fate never makes mistakes.”
Thompson lights a cigarette and takes a fierce drag: “Rayleigh, count me in.”