Sebastian, whom Alan was watching, was the Silver Spear member he had located using the tracker. Based on the man's status and identity, it was almost certain that he was 'Sphinx', the head of the Silver Spears in Egypt.
"His disguised identity is actually a senior researcher at the Research Center. It seems he will be a bit troublesome to deal with. Let's first see if he meets with Thunderbird to avoid any unexpected complications later," Alan mused.
Then, he picked up Hog, the young husky he always kept by his side, whispered a few words into his ear, and slipped a compass-like tracker into the dog's waistcoat pocket. With a flick of his hands, Hog scurried away, disappearing from sight.
On the other side, the procedures for leasing a stall were quickly completed with the help of Ilichan. Hog was already keeping an eye on the Silver Spear, and Alan planned to set up his stall while remotely monitoring the target with the wolf's help.
Led by Ilichan, Alan quickly found his spot. The street was exactly as described, boasting an excellent location and high foot traffic, easily accessible from the central market square. However, many stalls had already been set up on both sides of the street, all operated by foreign wizards. There was a French stall specializing in beauty potions and a street vendor selling African herbs; it looked like an exhibition for exotic goods. Because many people had leased stalls before him, Alan's position was toward the middle of the block.
He didn't care much; he was setting it up for fun, and even in a rear position, the foot traffic was dense. Upon arriving at his spot, Alan opened the leather case in his hand. This was a new spatial item he had made. Although he had studied for a long time with Scamander, he hadn't been able to replicate Newt's specific briefcase, but by referencing the Extension Charm arrays in the enclosure, he had managed to create an item with immense capacity.
He took out a magic phonograph, magic lamps, humanoid targets, and various talismans. Alan, now a qualified businessman, knew that overly complicated displays were not effective. He only needed to introduce the best-selling products from his company to secure customers and build brand loyalty.
Alan waved his hand, and his products flew out. He divided his stall into a grid, displaying one item in each section. Magic lamps and phonographs were placed in the front, while the back sections held five different styles of humanoid targets and dozens of exquisitely crafted talisman pendants levitated by charms.
Once the setup was complete, Alan activated the magic atmosphere lights. Instantly, colorful light spheres spewed from the mouths of fixtures shaped like dragons, owls, and griffins. His stall looked as if countless soap bubbles had been blown into the air, appearing quite delightful. He also turned on a dragon-style phonograph, and the loudspeaker played Celestina Warbeck's hit single, "A Pot of Fiery Love." The singer had some influence abroad, and this was a good opportunity to promote her, which would help sell more records later.
Alan's stall, with its excellent sound and light effects, immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding wizards, including the neighbors doing business next to him. Even in the market square at the end of the street, people noticed the scene and turned into the alley to visit.
"Goodness, young man, what is that thing spitting light spheres into the sky? It looks so beautiful," an uncle in his fifties from the stall next to Alan asked, peering over with wide eyes.
"This is one of the styles of magic lamp I sell. I call it an atmosphere lamp. It's meant to set the mood—many people buy them to decorate for festivals," Alan said with a smile, looking at the man, who sold ham, sausages, and cured meat.
"This is an alchemy item? Don't the Egyptian merchants usually set up on the other streets? And you don't look like an Arab, either."
The uncle saw the alchemy products and mistakenly thought Alan was Egyptian, as there were only two flying broom companies selling alchemy items on this 'Exotic Street,' and their business was particularly dismal. It wasn't that there were no alchemists or products outside of Egypt; it was mainly that most items sold abroad were already available here with better quality and newer styles. Bringing those products to Cairo was usually a lost cause.
The only rare alchemy product in Egypt was the flying broom, but locals preferred flying carpets. Another reason was that Cairo hosted the largest Alchemy Research Center in the International Confederation of Wizards. Talented alchemists from various countries came here for further studies, and those selling their own items weren't typically allowed on the exotic street.
"I am not a local. I am a British wizard," Alan explained.
"British? Is alchemy popular there? I only seem to have heard of your flying brooms," the uncle said, scratching his head. He quickly moved past the confusion and shouted, "Young man, I'm from Romania. Can you sell me two of these... atmosphere lamps? They attract customers so well. Look, your stall is already getting crowded."
Alan was secretly delighted. He didn't expect his first sale to be to another stall owner. However, his eyes immediately lit up. Compared to tourists, these vendors had a more urgent need for eye-catching decorations. It would be dark in a few hours, and the effect would be even better then. He could use this to help his promotion.
"No problem!" Alan replied. "My atmosphere lamps usually sell for five Galleons. But if you agree to let me hang the Silver Lightning Trading Company sign on the lamp, and you're willing to point people toward my stall if they ask, I can give you a forty percent discount—selling them to you for three Galleons."
In fact, back in Britain, these lamps only cost three Galleons. The real profit came from the energy storage components inside, which acted like light bulbs and would expire. He could earn a steady income just by replacing those components for customers.
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