The mistress just wanted to be bad, but she took off after being replaced

The shopkeeper and the clerk could only frantically use their thin bodies to prop up the crumbling wooden door.

Just when the crisis was imminent, a clear but majestic female voice penetrated the noise, "Stop!"

Han Yue'er was dressed in plain clothes, and she looked intimidating without even getting angry. Her firm and sharp words miraculously shocked the boiling crowd.

Si Qi raised a playful smile and took out a small bag of melon seeds from her sleeve. She picked out half of them and handed them to Sheng Junwei beside her: "Look, this woman is really capable."

Sheng Junwei took the melon seeds, but it was obvious that her mind was not entirely on this small snack.

Then, suddenly, a handful of carefully peeled melon seeds appeared in front of her, each of which was plump and tempting.

She was stunned for a moment, but finally reached out to take it.

Seeing this, Si Qi naturally took the unpeeled nuts from Sheng Junwei's hand and started enjoying them on her own, enjoying the crunching sounds.

Inside the bookstore, Han Yue'er looked at everyone in front of her one by one with a sharp gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, what is going on that requires such a large mobilization?"

The burly young man in the lead, although dressed as a scholar, did not have the slightest elegance of a scholar, but instead was full of the air of a gangster.

He was a talented man who seldom appeared in public at a certain university in the capital, but at this moment, he was standing at the center of public opinion, contrary to his usual behavior.

"Xinhua Bookstore, you deceived consumers and you still dare to ask us why we did this?"

The young man's voice was slightly hoarse, revealing uncontrollable anger.

Han Yueer was agitated by this question: "When has Xinhua Bookstore ever cheated anyone? When has it ever treated any customer in a dishonest way?"

The young man's face flushed red, and his eyes were almost spitting fire: "You used the name of preferential treatment to defraud the money of poor students, and you still want to evade responsibility? You black-hearted merchants, unscrupulous shopkeepers, do you deserve the trust and praise of the people of Beijing?"

Si Qi, who was standing by, was anxious as she listened to the young man's fierce but ineffective speech. She could not help but complain, "Oh, what bad things did Xinhua Bookstore do? After all the talk, can't you just get to the point?"

Sheng Junwei smiled faintly and explained slowly, "It's just a dispute over the word 'wealth'."

Her tone was calm: "Han Yueer adopted a series of measures to attract customers, such as providing free tea and snacks, allowing poor scholars to copy books for free, etc. On the surface, these seemed to sacrifice profits, but in fact they were to cultivate customer loyalty."

"To put it bluntly, it's all about long-term considerations. Even if there is a temporary loss, we must win a good reputation."

After hearing this, Si Qi suddenly realized but was also a little surprised: "So, those who benefited from it are actually taking advantage of it?"

Sheng Junwei slowly started the topic, with a bit of helplessness and deep meaning in her tone: "You see, this is actually a clever strategy to attract customers, aiming to pave a secret path to profit. And these people who come here in droves are the most direct responders to this strategy."

"The membership system launched by Han Yue'er is very cleverly designed. With just a meager amount of two taels of silver, you can step into the door of the palace of knowledge and become a distinguished bookstore member."

"The free tea feast in the early days actually had a hidden secret. Seven days ago, this sweet gift was gone. If you want to continue that leisurely reading time and the warm encounter with free tea, the only way is to join the ranks of members and pay the symbolic fee."

"Unfortunately, only a few students from the academy are willing to pay the two taels of silver. Most people are attracted by the temptation of 'free', which has attracted many non-academic people to flock in, trying to get a piece of the pie in this place of learning."

"During that time, no expense was spared in order to attract people. Tea and snacks were supplied like water. The daily bill easily exceeded the threshold of ten taels of silver. When accumulated, the monthly expenses were close to several hundred taels of silver. It was undoubtedly a considerable burden for the bookstore."

"As customers surged, the demand for books also grew like mushrooms after rain. In a short period of time, the inventory expanded several times, and the funds consumed were astonishing, approaching 5,000 taels."

"On the other hand, the funds recovered through the membership system are only around 500 taels. The gap between the two is staggering."

After hearing this, Si Qi couldn't help but exclaim, lamenting the huge contrast.

Sheng Junwei nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips, and continued, "In fact, the consumption of tea and snacks is just a trickle, fluctuating only around ten taels a day, and only a few hundred taels in total, so the bookstore can barely bear it. The real financial black hole lies in the purchase of books. Each book, even the simplest version, costs close to one or two taels of silver, not to mention those beautifully bound classic versions worth two or three taels. The huge purchase of thousands of books instantly pushed the cost to a peak."

"This is undoubtedly a gamble. A huge investment of more than 5,000 taels was only exchanged for a return of more than 500 taels. Miss Han Yue'er's actions are like the money-giving boy beside Mr. Pei Yu, generously spreading warmth to everyone and becoming the soft and caring little cotton-padded jacket in the hearts of the people."

The corners of her lips slightly lifted, revealing a subtle smile: "Those who come here to seek a moment of tranquility or academic exchange have mostly paid the membership fee willingly. Han Yueer promised that as long as you become a member, you can freely read both paperbacks and rare collector's editions within a month, and refreshments will also be provided in unlimited quantities."

"Unfortunately, the good times didn't last long. This large-scale operation lasted only half a month. The bookstore's finances were already in trouble. We couldn't even afford the small expenses of buying snacks and tea. We had no choice but to close the door to customers."

If Han Yue'er's plan had not come at a time when Pei Yu was running out of money, perhaps the bookstore could have lasted a little longer.

Pei Yu's small treasury had long been empty, and Zhang had witnessed his recent absurd behavior, so she would not easily extend a helping hand.

"What a dramatic scene." Si Qi said as she handed over a handful of carefully peeled melon seeds.

At this moment, a young man stepped forward, his voice full of dissatisfaction and anger: "Remember your promise? Once you become a member, you can read any book you want, enjoy tea and snacks as you like, and you can win prizes by participating in competitions. But what about now? We have just paid the membership fee, and you are declaring bankruptcy?"

"If this isn't fraud, what is? Either open the door and let us in, or give us our money back!"

"Yes! Refund!"

Facing the crowd's condemnation, Han Yueer said firmly: "I repeat once again, once the membership fee is collected, it will not be refunded. This is clearly stated at the beginning of joining the club and there is a contract to prove it!"

Her momentum was like a raging storm, causing the young man and the people around him to step back unconsciously. Only those who did not feel the oppression from her were still shouting indignantly, "Give me back my money."