Chapter 504: Profligate Merchant
"Hand-crank printing press? What is this thing?" Zhao Si didn't understand what it was, but when he heard that it was the secret of Mu Xin's comics department, his eyes suddenly lit up.
He took the drawing and looked at it carefully for a while, and found that it was full of things he couldn't understand.
In order to increase the production capacity of the comic book shop, Hu Xiner proposed the idea of a printing press to the craftsmen in the Princess's Mansion.
She originally just wanted to give it a try, but she didn't expect that the craftsman, inspired by her, actually built a printing press.
Although it is far inferior to modern printing presses due to the materials used, it is still considered a cutting-edge invention in this era.
"How can ink be made of wood? This should be used to print picture books?" Zhao Si guessed the purpose of this so-called printing press.
Hu Xin'er nodded: "Since you're partnering with me, I won't be able to sell those shoddy comics from the past anymore..."
Zhao Si was already furious when he said, "How can this be possible? We still have so many comics from the past, at least thousands!"
Although it is crudely made, the labor and material costs are all money. The cost of thousands of books added together makes the production cost alone very high, not to mention its market price?
"If you can sell those thousands of low-quality comics, that would be a skill, but now no one in Qingzhou City is willing to buy your comics, isn't it?" Hu Xiner asked back.
Zhao Si was a little confused: "That being said, we can think of other ways to increase sales. Isn't that what Mu Xin Comics Shop in the capital does?"
Hu Xin'er shook her head and said, "There is a way, but I can't tell you."
"My dear sister, if you are afraid of damaging your reputation, we can just sell those things quietly without using our name, right?" Zhao Si's heart bled when he thought of the money.
Seeing him like this, Hu Xin'er sighed, "I'm also a money-grubber. I understand your thinking. But if you only care about the petty profits in front of you, this business is destined to be a small success."
Although Zhao Si kept silent, his face was full of disbelief.
In fact, he begged Hu Xin'er to join him not only for that vague intuition, but also because he believed that Hu Xin'er was really from the capital.
He felt that Hu Xin'er must know many inside stories of Mu Xin Comics Shop's operation, and was very interested in his face, so he wanted to use his advantage to seduce Hu Xin'er.
With Mu Qing around and Hu Xiner pregnant, she would definitely not dare to do anything to herself. Isn't this the ideal rich woman?
If it weren't for the money, why would he give up his dignity to accommodate Hu Xin'er? But now Hu Xin'er hadn't let him earn a single cent, and she was asking him to build a printing press and give up thousands of comics. This was too much of a loss!
"Do you think that if those thousands of comic books were sold at your price, it would be a huge sum?" Hu Xiner felt helpless when she saw him like this.
Zhao Si softened his voice and advised, "Sister, that's not a small amount of money. I'm not like you who were born in wealthy families in the capital and treat money as dust. As long as I have that money, I can do anything in the future."
What he said actually made a lot of sense. Everything Hu Xiner said was based on Zhao Si's intention to keep the shop open for a long time.
But what Zhao Si wanted was to make a quick buck and run away!
He doesn't like the comics industry, which can be seen from his attitude towards comics.
He just wanted to make a quick buck in this industry, and he didn't care how many people he would cheat.
But Hu Xiner can't help but care about these.
Because Zhao Si made a fortune in the Qingzhou industry and ran away, which destroyed the ecology of Qingzhou's comics industry. From then on, when people thought of comics, what came to mind was the shoddy and fraudulent Mu Xin Comics Shop.
The people of Qingzhou will naturally resist comics. In the public opinion, this picture book is indeed inferior to those books of sages. Now that it is labeled as inferior, won’t it be even more difficult to sell it?
Once prejudice is formed in people's minds, it is very difficult to break it. From now on, when people come to Qingzhou or when the people of Qingzhou go to other places, the notoriety of Mu Xin's comic shop will spread imperceptibly.
There are already many merchants coming and going in Qingzhou. If she helps Zhao Si sell all those thousands of low-quality comics, although it may not have any immediate impact, it will cause great obstacles to Mu Xin Comics Shop's future plan to open a national chain of stores.
Mu Xin Comic Shop is the hard work of Hu Xin'er. It is the name she and her husband decided on. It is more like a bond that condenses the emotions between her and her close friends.
Although she may have to temporarily withdraw from the management of the comic book store, her feelings for it will not change.
In the future, if the princess opens comic book stores across the country and Hu Xin'er roams freely in the wild, those comic books will also carry their thoughts.
Zhao Si didn't know the inside story, so naturally, Hu Xin'er wouldn't tell him on her own initiative.
Otherwise, with his cunning nature, who knows what he would do.
In order to convince Zhao Si, she thought for a moment and explained, "To expand sales, people usually resort to low prices or create a gimmick. In short, they need enough popularity to sell all the books."
Zhao Si thought she had been convinced by him, and immediately showed a happy expression: "Sister, what do you think?"
Hu Xin'er said, "For other businesses, more popularity means retaining more die-hard fans and greater momentum, but for your comic book shop, this is like drinking poison to quench thirst!"
Zhao Si's tense temper suddenly deflated, and he looked at her speechlessly: "Good sister, I've already said it, I don't care about quenching my thirst, I just want to make money!"
"You have the life to earn money but not the life to spend it?" Hu Xiner asked suddenly.
Zhao Si was startled: "Sister, what do you mean?"
Hu Xiner was tired of standing, so she sat down at the table, tapping her hands on it, thinking about how to convince Zhao Si, the profit-seeking "villain".
Zhao Si had cheated her so many times before, she would not be so stupid as to help Zhao Si just out of sympathy.
It’s not too much to trick him now, right?
She looked at Zhao Si and said, "If you make a lot of money from this business, you'll definitely cause people to complain. You're just a small businessman with no backing. You'll be a ready-made fat sheep in their eyes. Who else can they rip off if not you?"
Zhao Si hesitated and said, "You mean..."
After plotting in the room for a long time, Zhao Si walked out again with confidence.
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