Shortly thereafter, at the coronation ceremony for Leopold II as the King of Bohemia, the French envoy publicly presented a gift—an exquisite villa model along with a set of gold-inlaid keys. This represented a luxurious property in "Star Garden" in Paris, valued at 50,000 florins.
Since Leopold II was to inherit a dozen royal titles subsequently, this gift was considered the most expensive at the coronation ceremony.
Immediately, Austrian nobles and congratulatory foreign officials began inquiring about the "Star Garden." The French envoy's entourage eagerly acted as "salespeople."
Soon, as a villa in "Star Garden" was adorned with the Habsburg Family's emblem and numerous Germany wealthy inquired about the properties there, the French affluent could no longer sit still.
Then, they encountered the unprecedented matter of property raffles which further fueled their desire to purchase, with a spot being bid up to 5,000 francs.
Over a fortnight later, all properties in "Star Garden" were booked out, and some already began inquiring about the phase-two project.
On the other hand, Joseph had already launched a development plan for the wasteland between Paris and the Palace of Versailles. It included constructing numerous affordable homes to offset the impact of "Star Garden" on Paris property prices, ensuring the housing needs of ordinary Parisians.
Inside a civilian house in the Paris Louvre District, a salesman from the French Royal Insurance Company, Antony, was fervently explaining to a couple facing him, "Whether it's an attack by criminals or being knocked down by a carriage, as long as there is injury, you can receive a substantial compensation from the 'personal accident insurance.' Let me see…"
He flipped through the documents in his hand, "A common injury would entitle you to a compensation of 800 francs. In case of unfortunate death, the compensation would be 1,500 francs. And all these protections only require an annual premium of 10 francs. Oh, the premium for women and children is as low as 7 francs."
The Evans couple exchanged glances, both somewhat tempted.
They had just decided to purchase an educational insurance, having had a son this year and discussing his future education. This educational insurance demanded an annual payment of 80 francs, and after paying for six years, all tuition fees for both regular school and university attended by their son would be covered by the insurance company, with an additional monthly food allowance of 6 francs.
What satisfied them most was that if their son chose not to attend university later, all the money would be returned when he turned 18!
After that, the insurance salesman introduced them to "property insurance," "medical insurance," "pension insurance," etc., all being the latest types offered by the French Royal Insurance Company.
Of course, all this was planned by Joseph.
These insurances, which would be common in the future, were novel and attractive compared to the current insurances limited to "marine insurance" and "fire insurance."
However, the chances of accidents in the 18th century were much higher than in the 21st century, so the Royal Insurance Company temporarily targeted only nobles and wealthy merchants for sales—people who were both willing to spend money on insurance and less prone to accidents.
In the end, the Evans couple subscribed to an educational insurance and also bought a personal accident insurance for Mr. Evans.
Salesman Antony immediately took the deposit, issued a receipt, noted down an appointment for processing, and then hurried off to the next client.
Recently, the sales of insurance were booming, with him even selling over a dozen policies a day, earning a hefty commission.
And like him, there were already thousands of salesmen across France, actively promoting the company's latest insurance products.
The Royal Insurance Company's daily income approached a staggering 400,000 francs, its capital absorption capacity rivaling that of banks!
Meanwhile, in places like the Netherlands, Austria, and Sardinia, the French Royal Insurance Company also established branches. Beyond the ordinary insurance schemes mentioned, salespeople were making efforts to push a financial product dubbed "investment insurance."
Purchasers "only need" to pay a certain amount of premium to the insurance company annually, and after completing payments for 15 years, they could draw a monthly interest of 3% from the insurance company until their death. Additionally, at the age of 50 or upon death, the premiums would be fully refunded!
People in the 21st century were aware that this type of insurance was actually a trap, but it's undeniable that, without meticulous calculations, the investment insurance seemed highly profitable at face value.
Especially for people still living in a feudal society who greatly preferred a sense of stability and security, investment insurance sales were booming in various countries. Just this alone, each month, could add between two or three million francs to the Royal Insurance Company's income.
Regarding England, the Royal Insurance Company did not directly establish a branch there but instead opened a new "Atlantic Insurance Company," ostensibly unrelated to the Royal Insurance Company.
If the British dared to pursue anything like the forcible equalization of wealth against France in the future, this insurance company might simply show them a forced closure.
According to Joseph's plan, by the time tax farming was to be abolished and tax collection returned to government control, through real estate and the insurance business, it was possible to raise over 50 million francs.
Southern Suburb of Paris.
In a luxurious yet stylistically understated villa, Godemid stepped into a spacious conference hall led by a manservant.
Already, around a dozen people were clustered around an oval conference table, chatting in pairs or small groups.
On hearing someone's arrival, they casually glanced at Godemid but didn't pay much attention and continued their conversations.
Godemid wasn't offended; he was merely a small-time banker whose main business was in England. Being invited to this meeting was a difficulty in itself; naturally, he wouldn't mind others' attitudes.
At the manservant's indication, he sat down in a chair close to the end of the table, immediately noticing the "Suitable for living" logo branded on the conference table in front of him.
He was somewhat surprised; "Suitable for living" was Paris's most popular "synthetic panel" furniture recently, very expensive. This large conference table in front of him must cost nearly a thousand francs.
Yes, currently, due to the low production of casein glue, synthetic panel furniture was much pricier than real wood furniture. However, with the hype of being "termite-resistant" and "non-deformable" and the previous personal promotions by Joseph, synthetic panel furniture had indeed become the trend in high-end furniture.
Godemid sniffed the table's unique scent, silently admiring: What an enchanting aroma; this must be what they call the "scent of industry"!
If Joseph heard his thoughts, he would awkwardly tell him that it was actually the smell of formaldehyde, which, inhaled in excess, was bad for one's health.
[Note 1] 18th-century Europe's "regular schools" were roughly equivalent to today's middle schools.