"But merchants from out of town don't know that the location represents the status. As long as other bookstores can offer similar quality and price, why should they choose us?"
This thing is like a capitalist's luxury watch and luxury car. You don't like to enjoy yourself, but most of the time you need to show your economic strength to your partners through them.
You know, Jiangcheng is the most prosperous city in the world, and Li country is also the country with the most powerful aristocratic families. If you want to get a store in a prime location, you must have a relationship, otherwise it will be useless no matter how much money you have.