In 1881, inside St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, admiring the reliefs and oil paintings hanging on the walls, Li Mu (now Ferdinand) once again had a sense of disorientation.
He repeatedly compared the current St. Stephen's Cathedral with how it would look a hundred years later.
Just three months prior, the original Ferdinand had suddenly fainted inside St. Stephen's Cathedral, and then Li Mu had taken over his body.
Ferdinand, born on February 26, 1861, into the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha-Koháry, had the full name: Ferdinand Maximilian Karl Leopold Maria.
His father was Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and his mother was Princess Clémentine of Orléans.
His godparents were Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his wife, Princess Charlotte of Belgium.
Ferdinand was the grand-nephew of Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and King Leopold I, the first King of Belgium.
His mother, Princess Clémentine, was the daughter of King Louis Philippe of France.
His father, Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, was the younger brother of King Ferdinand II of Portugal, and a first cousin to Prince Albert, the Empress of Mexico, Princess Charlotte of Belgium, and King Leopold II of Belgium, and a first cousin to Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Among them, because Princess Louise, the mother of Charlotte and Leopold II, was Ferdinand's mother's older sister, the three of them were not only uncle/aunt and nephew/niece but also first cousins.
To be honest, Li Mu (Ferdinand) was quite satisfied with this transmigration; his birth was noble enough.
If nothing unexpected happened, he would still be the future King of Bulgaria.
As a commoner who ran a Taobao store, barely a businessman, and a part-time military and history enthusiast, Li Mu (Ferdinand) felt immense pressure thinking about the original Ferdinand's historical actions.
Ferdinand achieved tremendous success in the first twenty years of his rule in Bulgaria, but with the defeat in the Second Balkan War, he was forced into the World War, and everything vanished.
As a transmigrator, he should seemingly defy fate, conquer the world, and dominate the universe.
However, Li Mu (Ferdinand) didn't think that far.
Anyone with some understanding of Bulgaria knows that it's a small Balkan country, at most good at fighting.
It has no industry, no resources, and no population—a typical 'three-no' country.
If he had transmigrated as Wilhelm II, he might have to make a comeback, and perhaps truly conquer the world.
Immediately after transmigrating, Li Mu (who will henceforth be referred to as Ferdinand) set a goal for himself: at least to be a wealthy grand aristocrat, but then he felt that was too passive.
Now, he's slightly raised the bar: to keep the throne, which seems achievable as long as he doesn't pick the wrong side, so it's not too difficult.
However, anyone who understands the Balkans knows that unless Bulgaria wins both Balkan Wars, the surging nationalism within the country will still push it into an abyss.
When poor, one cultivates one's own virtue; when prosperous, one benefits the world!
Currently, Ferdinand is not yet the King of Bulgaria; he is just a junior officer in the Austro-Hungarian Landwehr.
As a nobleman, he only needs to report for duty daily; oh, it doesn't even matter if he doesn't go.
From this aspect, one can see that the Austro-Hungarian Empire was already in decline, but this also conveniently facilitated Li Mu's actions.
After more than three months of investigation, Ferdinand had a preliminary understanding of the situation.
The Koháry family was still very wealthy, with a multitude of prominent relatives.
However, their greatest wealth was land, owning large tracts of land in Abov and Gemer within Slovakia.
While this seemed excellent at the time, Ferdinand knew that these fixed assets would drastically shrink after World War I, being confiscated by the Soviet Republic.
He felt he should do something, create more fallback options; after all, as long as he had plenty of money, he could live comfortably no matter what happened in the future.
What exactly should he do? The first thing that came to mind was "arms," but that was quickly ruled out.
Arms trade usually involves politics, and there were only so many powerful buyers in the international market; large-scale arms trade had long been divided up.
Should he engage in small-scale deals of a hundred or so guns? That would be too undignified for a nobleman, and the money earned wouldn't even be as much as his pocket money.
"Drugs" was immediately ruled out as well; he was going to be a king.
If he got involved with drug dealers and was branded a "drug king," the thought of that scene was too terrifying.
Walking the streets of Vienna, Ferdinand ruled out one money-making plan after another, when suddenly a light bulb went off: "department store supermarket."
In fact, department stores had already originated in Paris, France, in 1852, and quickly spread worldwide.
Vienna also had department stores, but unlike later supermarkets, they weren't as convenient.
It wasn't until 1930, when such a store opened in New York, USA, where customers could freely pick items from shelves and only pay at the exit, that the world's first supermarket was established.
History has already proven the superiority of supermarkets, and their competition with department stores was not very intense.
1. Different positioning: Department stores primarily deal in durable goods, with merchandise typically in the mid-to-high price range. Supermarkets primarily deal in fast-moving consumer goods and daily necessities, with merchandise typically in the mid-to-low price range.
2. Different profit models: Department stores seek efficiency through management, meaning they primarily earn profits by leasing space; supermarkets, on the other hand, seek efficiency through procurement, earning profits by increasing sales volume.
3. Different sales methods: Sales associates are particularly important in department stores, guiding consumption with professional advice, and customers pay at separate counters. Supermarkets primarily rely on self-selection by customers, generally adopting a "no-disturbance service" unless needed, and payment is centralized at a single checkout.
After a calm analysis, Ferdinand believed that Vienna's economic situation at the time was already sufficient for a supermarket to be profitable.
Without delay, Ferdinand immediately began market research, as the times were different from now.
There weren't as many types of goods, nor was there such a thing as home delivery, so he had to decide for himself which goods were suitable for a supermarket.
No matter what, in that era, he was the most professional person in this field; at least he had seen a supermarket, while others had no impression of one, so many things he had to do himself.
Working from dawn to dusk, bustling for over a month, Ferdinand finally understood the basic situation of Vienna, this international metropolis, and gained a thick notebook of insights.
"This can also be considered historical material, right! In the future, when people study Vienna of this era, this will be the best evidence, covering all aspects of life, food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and most importantly, it has annotations! It can be placed in a museum for future generations to admire!" Ferdinand thought happily, lying on his bed.
With a 'bang,' the door was kicked open."Ferdinand, what on earth have you been up to lately? Where do you run off to every day? You're not seen at noble banquets, and you don't report to the city guard!" The person who entered was Ferdinand's mother, Princess Clémentine.
"No, Clémentine, my dear mother, you know noble etiquette, don't you! Barging in without knocking is immoral and will affect your reputation!"
"Damn it, to hell with noble etiquette! Don't change the subject. You know no one will know about this; you wouldn't tell anyone, would you!" Princess Clémentine said.