"Please change your shoes, Young Master Snape." The house-elf placed Severus's shoes in front of him.
The shoes were completely transformed; the worn parts had been mended by magic, and the surface was polished to a gleam, as if they had become a brand new pair.
"Severus, Kreacher will Apparate us to the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley." Regulus held Kreacher's hand and gave the house-elf a look of approval.
Kreacher puffed out his little chest, feeling delighted; he liked Young Master Regulus the most.
...
Under the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, Regulus and Severus were eating dessert under colourful parasols.
"I want to open a shop here, at least two shops, a flagship store—" Regulus took a sip of the grape juice in front of him, set down the cup with a confident posture he had practiced repeatedly, and said ambitiously, "I currently have two business plans. We might not open a flagship store right away, but we can start planning—"
A child under one and a half meters tall talking about this might sound very childish, right? But he had no one else for the moment, so he could only plunge ahead—
At least an idea like this could help Severus financially.
As the Muggles say: Money gives people courage and a sense of security.
The effect was quite good—Severus was indeed listening very seriously. Compared to the other childish, boastful classmates at the school, Regulus truly always delivered on his promises and was excellent in all aspects; he believed Regulus was highly credible.
"The first is a magical items shop," Regulus pulled out a silver ring with a coiled, rising serpent from his pocket. "I found this at home; it contains magic and can passively cast the 'Shield Charm' seven times."
He pushed the ring towards Severus, letting him observe it carefully.
"I've tried it with Sirius during duelling practice; it's very useful."
"I don't know if you've been reading The Daily Prophet lately, but as far as I know, the security situation in the Wizarding World is continuously deteriorating... Under this trend, Wizards will greatly need items like this to ensure their safety—there's something called insurance in the Muggle world, you've heard of it, right?"
Severus nodded; he hadn't expected this pure-blood Little Wizard to know so much about the Muggle world.
"Then you must know—people are very willing to spend money to ward off disasters that haven't happened, spending money to avert misfortune! Even during times when nothing is happening, there will be buyers for products like this."
That makes a lot of sense, Severus agreed.
"And for a ring like this, as long as you find the right Wizard, one skilled in Transfiguration and Alchemy, the actual production cost isn't high, not to mention we can make them disposable."
"Of course—you can't say the production cost isn't high—" Regulus looked steadily at Severus, "As Rowena Ravenclaw said—extraordinary intelligence is humanity's greatest treasure."
"Galleons can be earned by anyone, but your Potions talent—that's priceless." Regulus looked at Severus's cheeks, flushed from concentration, and thought, 'There's a chance,' continuing to press on, "Potion-making is a precise science and a strict craft; not everyone can do it. And with talent like yours, reputation and glory are just a matter of time."
(Author's Note: Selling Snape his own inspirational speech)
Severus straightened up slightly, a smile appearing on his face.
"The second plan is related to your Potions talent!"
Severus listened even more intently, eager to know more, but heard Regulus create suspense, saying:
"But before that, let's go investigate the competition!"
...
Diagon Alley, Number 275. The two stepped into Madame Primpernelle's Beautifying Potions shop, with its dizzying aroma and pink-bubbled decorations.
"Welcome... uh, welcome, gentlemen..." The shop assistant looked at the two black-haired boys entering the shop full of ladies; he wasn't quite sure of the situation. "Young sirs, do you need any help?"
"No, thank you, we're just browsing, looking for a gift for Mum," Regulus said. Several middle-aged witches nearby who were selecting products cast several approving glances.
Various styles of acne Potions, anti-wrinkle creams, skin serums... these were all things Severus paid no attention to. He followed the serious Regulus, looking around the shop, and even saw Potter shampoo and conditioning Potions on the shelves.
In front of them, a beautiful, arrogant blonde Witch waved her wand, putting several Potter products into her already full shopping basket.
Hmph.
But what did any of this have to do with his Potions talent? Severus boredly picked up a beautifully decorated sample vial and shook it, then widened his eyes in shock—
Judging by the texture and color, wasn't this just Scab-Removing Potion with some fragrance added and the color changed?
The price was one Galleon and twelve Knuts?
He sniffed the Potion again uncertainly, almost completely certain that there were no expensive Potion ingredients inside.
Is this robbery...
"Good day, Madam Zabini." At the checkout counter, another shop assistant greeted loudly and enthusiastically. Severus heard the clinking sound of Galleons and Sickles.
Using the maths he learned in Muggle primary school, he did some calculations in his head—he started to understand.
...
After browsing around the Potion shop, which emitted a pungent smell, and understanding the prices.
"Brand," "Initial Investment," "R&D," "Technology Stake," "Trial," "Mail Order," "Business Investment"... Outside the coffee shop, Severus listened blankly as various words he had never heard before tumbled out of Regulus's mouth.
As a gamer, Regulus had played no fewer than five different management simulation games, so his theoretical knowledge was sufficient to support his "boasting".
He really had to thank the game designers—when everyday life was so narrow, it was games that allowed him to learn many things and access a wider world.
"Also, I have a great idea, inspired by my mum—I'm going to launch a brand new product; if promoted properly, it will definitely sell like hotcakes."
The more Regulus spoke, the more he felt like a marketing guru.
If it were Voldemort, he wondered if he would be so inelegant when promoting something.
"If it succeeds, then I can get the family to officially invest."
He took out a piece of parchment and started writing and drawing on it.
Something resembling a skull face appeared on the parchment—
What is this?
"My ace business plan—sheet masks!"
...He explained everything in detail to Severus. And Severus clearly knew nothing about such girlie things.
This was something that would drive girls crazy in later generations; Regulus had great confidence in it. If it really didn't work, he could always sell the business idea to Procter & Gamble—come to think of it, P&G exists now, right?
"Right now, we've only taken the first step, but a glorious future definitely belongs to us—are you willing to invest in the future with me?"