Chapter 63 Mike's Small Business
Perhaps because he became rich overnight in his previous life, Mike has always been a spendthrift. Even so, Mike never thought of himself as a spendthrift.
There are only two ways to save money: increasing income and reducing expenditure. Mike believes that increasing income is far more important than reducing expenditure. Although blindly reducing expenditure can save money, it will also make people become bumpkins like Penelope who can't even spend money properly. Only increasing income can make people become rich in the true sense while saving wealth.
Due to the school holidays, the business of Dolphin Magic Drink had to stop. If there is no business to do, there will naturally be no income. It is not okay to live off the mountain like this.
Penelope's poor appearance yesterday gave Mike a lot of inspiration. This era is not like his previous life. The currency depreciated severely. In the UK during this period, the pound was still very strong.
For example, in 1989, an ordinary worker's hourly wage was about 3 pounds, which is 528 pounds per month if he works 8 hours a day and 22 days a month. It is now 1992, and only three years have passed. After accounting for inflation, he can now earn 600 pounds a month. With these 600 pounds, a family of three can have enough food and drink, of course, the premise is not in a first-tier city.
An income of 600 pounds a month can definitely represent the income level of most people in the UK now.
The exchange limit given by Gringotts is 100 gold galleons per year, which is 500 pounds. This is definitely not a small amount for these ordinary families.
In addition, the Ministry of Magic subsidizes the items on the Hogwarts admission list, so it takes far less than 100 gold galleons to buy all the items on the admission list. This has led to most Muggle-born wizards not exchanging 100 gold galleons.
In Mike's view, this is a naked waste, and Mike considers himself a good boy who is thrifty and will naturally not allow such a thing to happen.
As a result, at the entrance of Diagon Alley, two teenagers, one black and one white, appeared, doing nothing every day and staring at the entrance wall.
Whenever they see someone wearing Muggle clothes and coming to Diagon Alley alone, these two will approach and ask stealthily: "Friend, do you want gold Galleons?"
If they come with their family, these two will pretend to be kind people, introduce everything about the wizarding world to them, and finally tell them that they can provide them with pounds for free to exchange for gold Galleons, and the price is just a small commission.
Although it is said to be a small commission, it is actually very shady.
For each transaction, these two will charge 80% of the handling fee, of which the black and white boys will take 50%, and the goblins who specialize in the exchange of pounds for gold Galleons in Gringotts will take 30%.
These two boys are naturally Mike and Franklin.
Mike is a professional in observation. In his previous life, robbing banks and stealing things were essential, which also made him develop a pair of sharp eyes.
Who are Muggles and who are wizards? Whose family is in good financial condition and whose family is so poor that they can hardly eat. Mike could recognize these people with just a few glances, which made it much easier for them to do business.
Hogwarts was about to start school, and everyone wanted to buy the items needed for the new semester in the next two days, so the flow of people in Diagon Alley was very large.
As a result, Mike and Franklin's small business became bigger and bigger. Although the commission rate he gave was very exaggerated, it was gold galleons that were earned for free after all, so most people were quite satisfied with their services.
Of course, there were some blind people who tried to bargain with Mike, and even blackmailed Mike by reporting that the two people were speculating and infringing on the interests of the Ministry of Magic.
Mike was naturally not polite to these people. He told the other party his name openly and claimed that he would give him a good show when he arrived at the school.
Mike made a great reputation in the school last year. Now all the students in Hogwarts knew that he was Professor Flitwick's favorite disciple and was very strong. It was obviously inappropriate to offend such a person who would almost certainly become a prefect or even the president of the male student union in the future for a few gold galleons.
So these troublemakers had no choice but to give in and let Mike take a huge commission.
Facts have proved that most of the Muggles and half-blood wizards who go to Hogwarts have poor family conditions. In just three days, Mike and Franklin earned nearly 1,000 gold galleons.
On this day, Mike and Franklin met a few acquaintances while looking for business as usual.
"Mike? Franklin? What are you doing blocking the entrance?"
It was Mr. Weasley who spoke, followed by Mrs. Weasley and Harry, as well as the five children of the Weasley family.
"Uh..., we are shopping." Mike hesitated for a long time and made up an excuse.
"We are just going to buy new books, let's go together!" Harry, who was probably locked up during the summer vacation, likes the hustle and bustle now. Hearing that Mike and the others were shopping, he hurriedly invited them.
"No, we still have to wait for someone." Mike shrugged his shoulders.
"Waiting for who? Penelope?!" Percy jumped out and asked in an extremely sharp voice.
"I don't think this has anything to do with you." Mike realized that Percy's intentions were not good, but he did not show weakness. He answered word by word, "Percy - Mr. Weasley!"
This time Percy was unwilling, and poked his left chest with his fingers, where a Hogwarts prefect badge was shining in the sun.
"Look carefully! I'm the prefect! Prefect! Is that how you talk to the prefect?!"
"Wow, the prefect of Gryffindor is meddling in the affairs of Ravenclaw, Prefect Percy, you have such a great authority." Mike said in an extremely strange tone, and then he looked at Franklin, and the two of them burst into laughter.
Percy's face was twisted with anger, and his right hand was trembling as he fumbled around on his body, as if he was looking for his wand.
Mike's wand had already appeared in his hand. If Percy dared to point the wand at him, he would let Percy take a disarming spell. He had a close relationship with the Weasley brothers, so he would let Percy suffer a little.
But before Percy took out his wand, George on the side dragged him to Mr. Weasley who was shopping in front. Fred made a face at Mike, nodded and bowed in a weird manner. Mike understood what he meant, that he wanted Mike not to argue with Percy.
Due to the relationship, Mike couldn't get angry, so he had to wave his hand to signal them to leave quickly.
Fred didn't say anything when he saw this, he nodded to Mike and quickly caught up with George and Percy who hadn't walked far.
Looking at the three of them still pulling each other, Mike smiled disdainfully and spat in the direction they left.
Franklin, who was standing by, probably thought it was cool and spit as well, but he spit much farther than Mike and almost spit on a passing lady.