How did a street urchin from the film crew end up in a Northern Song Dynasty drama called "The

"Get lost! You want the imperial edict again? You little brat, are you trying to provoke me? Tell me now, or I'll give you a beating. Hehe." Zhao Zhen laughed in anger, but still pretended to be serious as he threatened.

"Xi-ge'er, tell me quickly, I'm also very curious about how to make money without spending any money." Empress Cao couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Your Majesty has two options. One is to plan ahead and then sell the shops to recoup your investment in one go, and then collect taxes and management fees later. The other is to rent out the shops in a shareholding system, which will generate annual rental and tax revenue, and you only need to pay the staff's wages. This method requires a larger initial investment and has a slower return on investment, but it can generate stable long-term returns," Jin Shuai explained patiently, a confident smile on his face.

"Which method do you think is better?" Zhao Zhen asked.

Jin Shuai immediately realized that Zhao Zhen didn't understand the business models of later generations, so he began his performance. He said to Zhao Zhen, "Your Majesty, the choice of which model to use actually depends on your needs. If you need to quickly obtain a large amount of funds to solve your financial problems, then the first model may be more suitable for you; but if you hope to obtain stable returns in the long term and build a business empire, then the second model may be more appropriate." He thought to himself, "I'm not stupid. If I help you choose, you might dig a hole for me later."

Zhao Zhen frowned in thought after hearing this, seemingly still somewhat confused. Seeing this, Jin Shuai continued to explain, “Your Majesty, let’s analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the two models in detail. First, let’s look at the first model, which allows for a quick return of funds through a one-time sale of shops. Assuming we can build 200-300 shops and sell each for 1-2 strings of cash, we can sell a total of approximately 600 million strings. After deducting construction costs, we expect to earn a profit of 300-400 million strings. This model can quickly meet your current funding needs, but the disadvantage is that after the one-time income, the subsequent profit margin is relatively small.”

Next, Jin Shuai introduced the second model to Zhao Zhen: "For the second model, we need to invest 300-400 million guan in construction first. Then, we can generate revenue by collecting rent and management fees annually. Depending on market conditions, we expect to receive about 10 guan in rent and management fees each year. Adding taxes and other factors, the total revenue should reach around 15 guan. Although this model requires a larger initial investment, it can generate stable and continuous revenue in the long run, making it suitable for long-term operation." He thought to himself, "Knowing you're short of money, I'll definitely take advantage of you. Do you think the shareholding system will tell you how to play? The country is the biggest, and if I try to play the shareholding system with you, you'll probably really dig a hole and bury people alive."

After listening, Zhao Zhen finally understood the difference between the two models. He pondered for a moment and then said, "I understand. The first model can quickly solve the problem of capital shortage, but the returns are limited; while the second model focuses on long-term, stable profits. Now tell me what other advantages it offers." Jin Shuai nodded in agreement, secretly rejoicing that he had successfully fooled the emperor.

"There are so many benefits! First, the people will have a great place to go, where they can enjoy shopping, entertainment, and all sorts of activities; the merchants who move in will be able to make money, promoting commercial prosperity; at the same time, this will provide a large number of jobs, relieving social pressure; and for the imperial court, tax revenue will increase, so you'll never have to worry about not having money to spend again. With so many benefits, it's truly a win-win situation, so why not take advantage of it?" Jin Shuai said with a smile.

Zhao Zhen nodded slightly after hearing this, thinking it was indeed a good idea, but he still felt that something was not quite right. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "This is indeed a good method, but I always feel that something is missing."

Empress Cao, standing to the side, couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at the Golden Marshal and saying, "Your Majesty, you've made it to the land, Xi-ge'er..."