thefictionvixens Chapter 179 Negotiations on Broom Modification
Chapter 179 Negotiations on Broom Modification
Chapter 179 Negotiations on Broom Modification
A few days later, the afternoon wind was still biting, but the Quidditch pitch was a scene of intense activity. The Gryffindor team, led by their captain Oliver Wood, was conducting high-intensity tactical drills, their red figures darting through the air at high speed, shouts and the whooshing of brooms echoing throughout the stadium.
Karen and several members of the Spells Club—Kryon, Richard, Daisy, Elena, and Benjamin—were gathered in a makeshift shelter beneath the stands at the edge of the stadium. The shelter was filled with blueprints, miniature rune samples, and various lightweight materials (such as mithril sheets, supple dragonwood, and magical resin). They were discussing a half-finished, fingernail-sized, complex metal sheet—the prototype of a broomstick signal transmitter.
"The key is weight! It absolutely cannot exceed one pan!" Creon held a precision alchemical scale, repeatedly weighing a cut piece of mithril. "If the flight feel is even slightly off, the chasers and seekers will notice, and Wood will be the first to object!"
"The academy identification codes can use the most basic color rune variants: red, blue, yellow, and green, corresponding to the four academies. The differences in magical fluctuation characteristics should be obvious to avoid misjudgment by the tracking core—" Benjamin quickly listed the rune combination logic on the parchment.
"The anti-interference layer uses the 'steady-state resonance' rune array designed by Elena, covering the outermost layer of the launcher. It should be able to effectively resist most of the magical turbulence on the field and possible interference spells from the opponent," Richard nodded, looking at a complex rune array diagram.
Karen listened to the discussion, occasionally offering suggestions for modification or conducting verification calculations. His beam of light occasionally swept over the Gryffindor members training in the air, especially Harry's free-flying posture; it had to be said, Harry's flying talent was indeed quite remarkable.
Just then, a tall figure strode into the windbreak, braving the cold wind—it was Edgar. His short brown hair was slightly disheveled by the wind, but his face wore a hearty smile that mixed fatigue and a sense of accomplishment.
"Guys! It's settled!" Edgar's voice boomed, carrying an inspiring force that instantly drew everyone's attention.
"How was it?" Karen put down her slide rule and looked at him. The others also stopped their discussion.
"The process was a bit convoluted, but the result was good!" Edgar pulled up a chair and sat down, rubbing his hands, which were red from the cold. "I went to Wood first." He pointed to the red-robed figure in the sky who was roaring the loudest. "The Gryffindor lions are indeed the easiest to talk to! Oliver's eyes lit up when he heard that it could improve the accuracy of judgments, reduce the chances of Slytherin's 'tricks' succeeding, and allow for the recording and analysis of tactical movements! He patted his chest, guaranteeing his full support, and even offered to use their team's brooms for the first round of testing! He was so enthusiastic he almost knocked my shoulder off."
Everyone laughed; that was indeed Wood's personality.
"Hufflepuff's captain, Bernard Cattermole, is a very pragmatic person," Edgar continued. "He witnessed the Eye of Record's effectiveness firsthand in the last match and felt it would greatly help improve the fairness of the game and the players' training. He also said that Cedric mentioned you, Karen, to him privately, praising you highly, saying you're the most reliable freshman he's ever met—oh, you're a sophomore now. So Captain Cattermole also expressed his support and willingness to cooperate with the installation."
Karen nodded slightly; Cedric's approval was somewhat expected.
"Ravenclaw goes without saying," Edgar said, looking at Cullen with a smile. "Our captain, Professor Flitwick, has already spoken to him. He's a hundred percent supporter of projects led by his own school's geniuses! He even said he's really looking forward to seeing Ravenclaw's blue trails shine on the field through the Eye of Record!"
"Here comes the important part—Slytherin." Edgar's smile faded slightly, and his tone carried a lingering aftertaste of negotiation. "Marcus Flint—ugh, that guy, he's like a mad troll!"
This analogy made everyone inside the windbreak laugh.
"The moment he heard about adding a 'monitoring gadget' to the broom, his face immediately turned as long as a black lake!" Edgar mimicked Flint's gloomy expression and tone. "'Borns! What do you mean by this? Trying to monitor our Slytherin tactics? Or trying to curse our brooms? Let me tell you, no way! Slytherin doesn't need this kind of fancy stuff!'"
Edgar's imitation was so lifelike that Daisy couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.
"I told him it was for fair judging and to reduce controversy, but he scoffed, saying referees should have eyes anyway," Edgar shrugged. "I said it was to record brilliant moves and analyze techniques, but he was even more dismissive, saying Slytherin relies on skill and strategy, not on hype. He was completely unmoved! He was practically saying we wanted to harm them."
"So how did you convince him?" Richard asked curiously.
Edgar gave a sly smile: "If the hard approach doesn't work, we'll try the soft one. Incentives, and a little bit of reverse psychology."
"First, I brought in the endorsement of Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick, emphasizing that this was a school-approved project aimed at raising the overall level of Hogwarts Quidditch, not targeting any particular house. Then," Edgar leaned forward, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret, "I offered him a 'benefit' he couldn't refuse—priority testing rights."
"Priority testing rights?" Karen raised an eyebrow.
"Yes!" Edgar nodded. "I told Flint, 'Marcus, I know your concerns. So, to prove the reliability and impartiality of this technology, and to dispel your doubts, we're willing to let Slytherin become the first team to use the fully upgraded 'Eye of Record' system in an official practice match!'"
"He paused, clearly not expecting it," Edgar continued. "I went on to say, 'Think about it, you will be Hogwarts,'"
You might even be the first team in the entire wizarding world to experience this revolutionary technology! All the data—your tactical positioning, teamwork, and even every brilliant evasive maneuver—will be recorded with absolute clarity! This is not only recognition of your strength but also a fantastic opportunity to showcase Slytherin's power and sophistication to everyone! Moreover, being given priority to familiarize yourself with this system before the official competition means you can adapt to and even figure out how to utilize it earlier than your opponents! Isn't that a huge advantage?
"Then I subtly provoked him: 'What's wrong? The captain of Slytherin Quidditch, the reigning champion of Hogwarts Quidditch, don't you even have the courage to try new techniques? Are you afraid of being recorded doing something—something you shouldn't have?'"
"Flint, that guy, is most susceptible to provocation, and even more so to the temptation of 'first' and 'advantage'!" Edgar laughed. "His expression shifted for a moment; although he was still somewhat reluctant, he was clearly wavering. He snorted: 'First? Are you sure?' I immediately assured him: 'Of course! It's next weekend, during the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff training match! The entire system is solely for you!' He then made a bunch of demanding requests, such as the transmitters having to be inspected by him or Professor Snape before installation, and the data records having to be completely public to them, etc. I agreed to them all—we were going to release the test data anyway."
"Well done, Edgar!" Creon slapped Edgar on the shoulder, and this time Edgar grimaced.
"Impressive! No wonder you're a future sports official!" Daisy exclaimed sincerely.
Karen smiled approvingly: "Excellent negotiation, Edgar. You grasped Flint's core demands—honor and practical benefits. The priority testing right was a clever entry point."
"Haha, no problem!" Edgar rubbed the spot where Creon had slapped him, beaming with pride. "So, technical team! The pressure's on you! Next weekend, the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff practice match will be the first public appearance of the 'Quidditch Eye' broomstick launcher version! It has to be a success! Flint is waiting to find fault! Captain Wood and Cattermole are watching with bated breath too!"
"No problem!" Karen picked up the prototype launcher, about the size of a fingernail, her eyes sharp and focused. "Keep the weight under 0.8 ounces, use the most stable 'spectral anchoring' variant for the identification runes, and use Elena's 'steady-state resonant array' for the anti-interference layer." Daisy,
The outer casing features a miniature snap-fit design to ensure a secure installation at the end of the broom handle, while also allowing for quick and easy disassembly and inspection. (Kryon, Richard)
Tomorrow we'll begin the final assembly and basic functional testing. I'll be responsible for the final overall rune coordination and anti-interference verification. Time is tight and the task is heavy, so please bear with me!
"Yes!" the technical team members responded in unison, their eyes filled with the excitement of the challenge. The shelter was once again filled with the lively sounds of discussion and the rustling of blueprints, the howling wind above the Quidditch pitch seemingly serving as background noise to their efforts. Edgar looked at his energetic juniors, nodded in satisfaction, and joined the discussion, coordinating logistics and communication with the team.