Mysterious Journey

Chapter 585: Fury

If we take the dissolution of the Soviet Union as a starting point, then the entire event spans more than half a century. This is a long and complex non-magical political upheaval, and the mortgaging of Hogwarts also involves the decline of an ancient pure-blood family, encompassing untold historical depth and intricate relationships.

At this moment, billions of people outside are being affected by this. After leverage amplification, capital exceeding millions of billions of US dollars is trapped in the quagmire of financial warfare, unable to escape. This involves goblins and Muggles alike.

Such a vast financial system manipulation, if orchestrated by Lios, who participated in the establishment of the First French Empire, would still shock the Gringotts Goblin Elder Council, but not be entirely incomprehensible.

However, at this point, just when they finally thought they had found the mastermind, saw clearly the key traitor who conspired to overthrow Gringotts Wizarding Bank and control the fate and direction of the goblin race, and were preparing to compromise...

The other party lightly stated that the real ambitious figure was a little girl who had just turned eleven years old?!

The elderly Goblin Chief Elder raised his head and looked at Douglas, his face full of absurdity.

"You..."

"Ahem, Chief Elder, please be careful with your words..."

Douglas looked at the Gringotts Goblin Grand Elder, twitched the corner of his mouth, and said with a serious expression.

"According to Elder Lios's suggestion, I suggest you address her as the Supreme Goblin Empress when the young lady arrives. Otherwise, although you may not die, you will definitely experience a recovery process more terrifying than death - considering the time, the trial at Hogwarts is almost at its final stage, and the young lady should be arriving at Gringotts soon."

"...The Hogwarts public trial was also planned by her, wasn't it?"

"Yes, it was."

As if finally entering the script Douglas expected, the middle-aged goblin nodded sincerely, his voice not raised, but sounding like a huge sound impacting metal in the ears of all the goblins.

"Elder Lios was the first to realize this. At that time, their main focus was on how to make a small profit from the dissolution of the former Soviet Union. However, since realizing the potential risks in Gringotts's capital chain, and the hasty entry into the market to counter the American Goblin Gringotts, the young lady saw the possibility of completely swallowing Gringotts."

Douglas said in a peaceful tone, as if telling a story unrelated to himself.

"Even without the Elder Council's intervention in the risk investment department, these plans wouldn't have changed much. As a Gringotts Wizarding Bank that exists based on the trust of depositors, the attribute of being 100% goblin-owned is simply too terrible - human distrust of us is stronger than of any other bank in the world."

"So... are you saying this is also an investment that fully complies with goblin principles?"

Chief Elder Groin grinned, revealing his yellowed teeth, and retorted in a hoarse voice.

An absurd atmosphere enveloped the entire marble hall of Gringotts Wizarding Bank. As the most outstanding group of people in the goblin financial field, now, looking back from the result, they can easily understand what Douglas said.

Even why Lios chose to betray, and how they have gradually moved towards failure these days, these contents now, with the appearance of Douglas and the simple explanation of the middle-aged goblin, seem to be transforming from absurdity into rationality.

"That's right. When losses are inevitable, the best course of action is not to continue to hold on stubbornly or cut losses immediately, but to find a way to change your position, actively stand on the side of the victor, and ensure that your own interests are not damaged by the division."

Douglas answered in a matter-of-course tone, took out a piece of parchment and glanced at it.

"Hogwarts can provide financial support for Gringotts Wizarding Bank by purchasing shares with cash, totaling approximately 750 million Galleons when converted... to purchase the invalid Salazar Slytherin deed and 70% of the shares of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, including, but not limited to, the right to mint coins, appoint personnel, and daily operations."

"Just as I entrusted the guard to help convey earlier, this is not a commercial cooperation that can be bargained over. Gringotts Wizarding Bank only has the right to agree or refuse. And if Gringotts chooses to refuse, then the contents on this parchment are the proposal for reorganizing Gringotts... Of course, the share ratio will be adjusted slightly..."

A group of goblins looked incredulously at the former head of the risk investment department, unable to organize suitable words to respond to Douglas for a while. Douglas was not in a hurry. After reading the contents of the parchment, he continued to open the Muggle scholar's paper on the counter and study it carefully.

After a long while, Groin took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth.

"It seems that Miss Elena Kaslana believes that Gringotts is already hers, right?"

Douglas frowned, first shaking his head and then nodding.

"Well, how should I put it, my authority is only to explain... The specific content will have to wait until the young lady arrives before it can be determined. But your statement is also correct. From the current point of view, Gringotts will eventually be hers sooner or later."

Groin's cheeks twitched violently as he stared at the parchment in Douglas's hand.

"Then, Mr. Chief Financial Officer, when that young lady arrives later, is there anything we need to pay attention to?"

"Just agree to whatever the young lady says." Douglas suggested rather sincerely, "This way, the young lady will be in a better mood, the handover will be more efficient, and time won't be wasted too much."

"She's just a ten-year-old girl, who knows what kind of demands she will make?"

"Ahem, as far as I know, she's already eleven years old now. As for the demands, anyway, no matter what, they won't exceed the assets possessed by Gringotts Wizarding Bank. As long as the attitude is correct, everything can definitely be satisfied..."

"...Even the entire Gringotts Wizarding Bank?!"

"That's right, that's how it is."

The two goblins looked at each other for a long time. The coldness and irony on Groin's face became more and more intense. Douglas's expression was serious and earnest, as if he were a primary school student answering a teacher's question, without any hint of joking.

"You're crazy, you're crazy... You're under the Imperius Curse of a wizard, aren't you?"

After a moment, Groin took another deep breath. "Do you know what the entire Gringotts Wizarding Bank means? It's not just this marble hall in front of you, nor is it just the pile of magically protected vaults underground."

"Of course I understand. In fact, Destiny Group has already prepared for the reception of some industries."

Douglas smiled slightly, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the counter, calmly answering as if counting family treasures.

"For example, all the popular shops in the former Soviet region, the former Soviet heavy industry enterprises acquired by Gringotts, the several Muggle commercial banks controlled by Gringotts in the non-magical world, the war bonds issued by European countries such as Britain, France, and Germany during the two Muggle wars, um, and of course, the thousands of goblin clerks of Gringotts, including the risk investment department, and the wizards and Muggle employees they are connected to..."

Bang!

Before Douglas could finish speaking, Groin grabbed the cane in his hand and forcefully struck the wooden counter next to him, making a huge noise, looking at the "traitor" in front of him with a ferocious expression.

"Douglas! You shameful traitor! Are you going to hand over the future of goblins and Gringotts to human wizards?! Do you want to turn goblins into the next house-elves?!"

"All... probably not." Douglas replied calmly, "Perhaps there will be relatively large rights restructuring and organizational structure adjustments in the non-magical world's business, but for a long time, the financial foundation of the magical world will still be calculated by us goblins. Human wizards are very scarce in talents in mathematics and economics, especially in the fields of auditing and accounting, which require time to accumulate. The advantages of goblins are still irreplaceable..."

"Bullshit!" Groin roared angrily. "Do you really think Gringotts has no way out?! Just because of this little difficulty with the run? In thousands of years, the difficulties Gringotts Wizarding Bank has experienced..."

"But never like this time, hurting the foundation of the bank."

Douglas calmly interrupted the old goblin's roar, stood up, and looked down at Groin.

"A bank, in the final analysis, is a business of managing credit and managing risk. If depositors do not trust the bank, then the foundation of this business is shaken. No bank can withstand the simultaneous withdrawal of all depositors. Isn't this the problem we have already discussed? Facing the run, Gringotts has no way out..."

"Gringotts can release the original contract to divert attention, and mobilize everyone to raise gold to fill the loopholes..."

Groin said through gritted teeth, his eyes flashing with a last hint of ferocity.

"Oh, that's the method I just told you..."

"So you continue to incite people to run on Gringotts. Even if you can empty Gringotts, as long as the scam over there cannot hold up, the gold will eventually come back. What's more, at that time, Hogwarts and the little witch who signed the contract will first have to find a way to explain to the angry wizards, right?"

"Alas... You seem to only remember the first part of the content again. Didn't I also say that these roads have been blocked?" Douglas glanced at Groin and sighed helplessly.

"Well, you're right. In fact, this morning, the shop in Knockturn Alley was already closed."

"In order to complete the impact on Gringotts Wizarding Bank as soon as possible, the young lady has adjusted the rate of return to an almost crazy value - wizards don't have much savings in the first place. Even six hundred million Galleons were not even used up, and it had already almost pried away the wealth of the entire magical world. It's really terrible. Guess where this anger might eventually erupt?"

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Chapter Two! OMG!!!