A day at Hogwarts.

Chapter 670: Inviting people to join the gang
After several rounds of rigorous testing and adjustments, Charles finally gave the large recipe model his approval.

Although Hermione's "beef stew in vinegar" that sent everyone to the school infirmary was a disaster, Charles found after reviewing the incident that there was nothing wrong with it at all. Dumbledore even ate two bowls, proving that the problem was with the cook and that the recipe provided by the large recipe model itself did not have any fundamental errors.

Charles believes that this project, which aims to test the feasibility of large-scale magical models, can be temporarily concluded, and it is time to move on to the next, more challenging area that touches the core of the magical world—large-scale potions models.

Potions, an ancient discipline as precise as art and as dangerous as black magic, contain profound magical principles in every bubble and wisp of steam; the slightest carelessness can lead to disaster.

If the potion system can be successfully constructed into a large-scale potion model that can accurately assist or even guide potion making, it will be of great significance and pave the way for the final large-scale magic model.

To create a large-scale model of Potions, one cannot ignore Snape, the Potions professor at Hogwarts, a man with exceptional talent in Potions.

Dumbledore had previously expressed his full support for the development of the Potions model, but that did not mean Snape would cooperate willingly, nor did it mean he would easily share his treasured secrets.

That evening, Charles went to the Potions professor's office.

Snape was sitting behind a huge wooden table grading papers. The sound of his quill pen tracing across parchment was hoarse and grating, like scraping the bottom of a crucible with a spoon, conveying a sense of suppressed irritation.

He saw that it was Charles who came, and subconsciously looked at his clothes to make sure it wasn't a bathrobe before he felt relieved.

Charles did not immediately explain his purpose, but silently walked to the table and gently placed a palm-sized piece of parchment on the homework he was about to grade.

Snape's quill stopped abruptly, the screeching sound abruptly ceasing.

He glanced at Charles, then put down his pen, picked up the parchment, and his eyes darted quickly across the paper.

At first, there was the usual indifference and scrutiny, then that indifference was replaced by a very subtle surprise, and finally it became solemn.

The paper contained the recipe for a magic potion called "Throat-Locking Gas".

The preparation of this toxic gas is extremely difficult, with stringent requirements for heat control, material purity, and operational sequence.

The formula in front of us has subtle but crucial differences from the common version today in the pretreatment of key materials and the timing of adding several important ingredients.

Experts can see the details. Although Snape was seeing this recipe for the first time, he could easily tell who the author was from the style of the improvements.

"What are you going to do?" Snape asked, his voice lower than usual, feigning ignorance of the prescription's origin.

He naturally assumed that Charles had come to him to concoct this powerful potion or to seek an antidote for this dangerous recipe.

Charles met his almost piercing gaze and spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather: "This prescription comes from Voldemort."

"He knew I wanted to make a large magic model, so he provided a lot of help; his valuable knowledge was extremely helpful."

The air in the office seemed to freeze instantly, and even the crackling of the fireplace flames seemed to pause for a moment.

Snape's body tensed almost imperceptibly, like a fully drawn bow, his eyes fixed on Charles's face, pupils slightly contracted, as if rapidly assessing whether the words concealed a trap, a test, or a suffocatingly insane truth. "The Dark Lord," Snape repeated slowly, each syllable as if pulled from an icebox, "fully supporting your...magical grand model?"

His voice was filled with an unbelievable sense of absurdity, as if he had heard the most illogical thing in the world.

Even if the rumor were true, this wouldn't happen.

“Yes,” Charles replied matter-of-factly. “From the perspective of the development of magic, he would also like to see it happen.”

“Now,” a faint smile played on his lips, “I need your knowledge.”

He paused for a moment, then threw out a bargaining chip that should have been quite substantial.

“Furthermore, if you are willing to lend a helping hand, I will provide an interest-free loan,” Charles said earnestly. “The amount will be enough for you to rebuild a fully equipped private mansion and exclusive laboratory befitting a Potions Master, in Spider’s End Alley, or anywhere you are satisfied.”

Snape's lips twitched. So what if you're rich?

After what felt like an eternity, he took a deep breath, his eyes flickering in the dim light, and finally spoke again, his voice regaining its usual calm tone, saying, "What do you want me to do? What specific support do you need from me?"

Charles showed no surprise, only a slight upturn of his lips. He nodded gently and said, "When I'm ready, I will formally invite you to add your knowledge to the database, including your potion recipes and experimental insights from over the years."

He paused for a moment and added, "It's October now, so we'll probably start this step around Christmas."

“The problem now is database entry,” Charles frowned, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. “I’m short on time. System integration and data processing both require a lot of effort. I don’t know if I can solve this problem in time.”

"If there is a delay, the entire plan will be affected."

“The Potions Championship will be held at the Magic Institute next spring,” he said, his tone becoming firm. “My goal is to release a preliminary version of the large potion model at the Potions Championship, thereby attracting more professionals to participate.”

Snape neither agreed nor disagreed with his plan, but merely glanced at it coldly and said in a deep voice, "Knowledge is never free."

“Yes.” Charles nodded, his gaze turning into the shape of a butcher’s knife. “Dripping water makes the Thames. I think that just the scattered knowledge that people are willing to contribute, when gathered together, will be enough to create brilliant results and propel the entire potions field forward by leaps and bounds.”

"Of course, the more you contribute, the more convenient the functions you can use, such as priority access to advanced algorithms or customized services."

Users are categorized into different tiers based on their contributions, with varying levels of service offered. For example, no contributors can only access basic recipes, while top contributors can unlock real-time simulations and optimization suggestions.

At the same time, users can try out the highest level of service for a month to experience the full functionality. When the service is terminated after the trial period, users will be furious.

This is basic practice; Charles has already used it at his internet company with good results.

Charles was certain that once potion masters experienced the benefits of the potion master model, they would strive to improve their levels and proactively share more core knowledge, creating a virtuous cycle that would ultimately accelerate the improvement of the potion master model.

(End of this chapter)