Chapter 261: Meeting The Broker (1/2)

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The link is also in the synopsis.

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Quinn tapped his finger at the beautiful mahogany table. He was sat in a conference room inside the Switzerland West Headquarters. He glanced up at the clock in front of him that showed five minutes to eleven — ten minutes remaining to his last meeting in Switzerland before he went back home.

”They should be here by now,” said Quinn.

Helena looked up from her everyday paperwork, she might have been keeping Quinn company, but that didn't mean she wanted to take her regular duties back home with her. ”He will be here.. . it's just that the person has a reputation for being on time, and I mean, really on time, he won't be here a minute before its time to arrive,” she said.

”Is that so,” said Quinn and then closed his eyes to spend some time in his mind.

The next time Quinn opened his eyes was at the sound of the door opening and a loud voice that came from the said door. ”I am here, lovely people, so let's make some gorgeous gold for everybody.”

Quinn looked at the loud man. Hair set with wax, a finely groomed beard, a natural tan skin, a tailored grey checkered suit on his body, and an expensive watch on his wrist.

The man strolled into the room, pulled up a chair, and dropped himself down on it. He leaned back and spread his legs wide, and stared at Quinn, who sat in front of him. ”So, you're Quinn West, huh. Man, you're young, and with so much money.. . those born with silver spoons have it so good and easy.”

”It would be better if you don't—” Helena tried to say something, but Quinn raised a hand.

”You are?” Quinn asked.

”Eh? You don't know me?” asked the man, blinking in surprise.

”Of course not. Should I know you?” Though he noticed the American accent

The man's broad smile somehow stretched wider. ”I like you.. . I like you.. . I like you.” The man leaned forward towards the table, set his elbows on it as his fingers tapped a quick beat. ”My name is Jerome Walker, but I'm more popularly known as the Broker.. . It is a pleasure to meet you,” he smiled.

”Well then, Mr. Walker, I heard that you can help me invest my money in the non-magical world.”

”That I can,” the man raised his hands and wiggled his fingers. ”I am the Broker, the man who trades between the wizarding and the no-maj world. Anything you desire from the no-maj world, I'll get my hands on it — no matter what the item, the Broker will find it for you.”

”And how did you get into this fascinating business, Mr. Walker?” asked Quinn.

The Broker leaned back into his chair and drummed his fingertips against each other. ”I was born to a wizard father and a no-maj mother, or at least that's what I was told, but who can tell in America.”

Quinn raised a brow at that. He knew about the laws in America where first-generation magicals were taken away from their family because of the witch hunt history of the country and raised by the Ministry until they had completed their education; the same went for orphans. But this was Quinn's first time seeing someone like that.

”I wasn't that good with magic,” the Broker said with a satisfied smile, ”the worst at it really, neither was I good at Quidditch and because of my background, I couldn't make it into the Ministry — it's tough to succeed without some backing there. So, after I graduated, I struggled for a while, jumping from job to job, before I decided that there wasn't much of a future in the wizarding world, so I decided to try my hand at the no-maj world, and well, all sort of stuff happened, and here I am. The man who everyone wants to be, but not all can become.”

”It must've been tough,” said Quinn, ”venturing into the non-magical world after living your entire life in the magical one.”

”Na, it wasn't that difficult,” Broker waved it off, ”people are people — they're the same everywhere. It took a year at most before I was a person brought up in the no-maj world, and I have to admit, it was much more fun than the wizarding world.”

”Well, that side of the world has its own charm,” said Quinn before deciding to get to the point. ”I am looking to invest a little of my wealth into the non-magical world, and from the word around, the Broker's the best there is.”

”You have heard correct. I'm the best in the business. I was the only one when I started; there have been many who have tried to walk the path I took, but they can't beat the original, and that's why they call me THE Broker.

So tell me, what do you want to acquire, and I'll get it for you.”

The Broker looked up at the kid in front of him. What could a boy his age want — a car, maybe a computer, or a game console, or whatever a bratty teen these days wanted.

”I want companies.”

The Broker's hand stroking his beard stilled over his chin as he tilted his head. What did the kid say? Companies? Maybe he heard it wrong. ”Sorry I didn't get that. Could you repeat what you said?”

”I want to buy companies.”

Broker slowly leaned forward. ”Companies.. . as in?”

”Well, I have some in mind that I want to buy. Most of them have already gone public, so we're going to have to buy stocks, or if you approach the owners, who are looking to liquefy a part of their share, I don't mind buying from them directly. There are two that hasn't gone public, but one of them would soon, so I want to buy a lot during the IPO.”

Broker opened his mouth before closing it and repeated the process a couple of times before he finally uttered some words. ”You want to buy companies? You want to buy stock? As in the stock market? You.. . you actually know what stocks are.”