"What?" he asked cheerfully while sipping his soup. Every meal meant more energy, and more energy made it easier for Lan Feng to regain his strength.
"Is insurance an advanced martial arts skill?" Gao Yan asked with wide eyes and a hopeful expression, drawing laughter from Yan Xiaobao.
"No," he calmed down, wiping away a tear at the corner of his eye. "Insurance is... uh, I don’t know how to explain it," Yan Xiaobao said thoughtfully.
"Imagine this: every full moon, we pay a silver coin into a shared golden memory stone. Then, if our house were to burn down, that shared golden memory stone would cover the cost of repairs—as long as we didn’t intentionally destroy it." The others furrowed their brows uncertainly. It didn’t seem like a profitable venture. Seeing their expressions, Yan Xiaobao sighed and decided to explain it differently.
"Alright, envision this. You own the entire Liluo City, with each house paying between one copper coin and one silver coin depending on its size. That’s a lot of money. Yes, incidents like the Shan Family’s misfortune can be costly for the insurance company, but how often does such an event occur? Not very often, right? So, insurance is a good thing."
At the time, Ma Kong, who was studying at the Black Market Auction House, was the first to calculate this idea, and the results left him stunned. Yan Xiaobao noticed the shock on his face and smiled faintly.
"Of course, it can also work in other ways," he continued, preparing to fully integrate Ma Gang Insurance. "Imagine cultivators paying a monthly fee of one copper coin and one gold coin, and in return, the insurance company promises to provide a substantial payout in the event of their death. This money would be transferred to the family of the deceased cultivator. In this way, cultivators can ensure that even if they perish, their families can enjoy a better life."
When Gao Yan heard the insurance theory, he was deeply surprised. As an ordinary person who grew up in the impoverished areas of Liluo City, he had always worried about what would happen if he died while exploring or fighting in wars after joining the military.
"Obviously, if you commit suicide, or if your death is due to your own actions, insurance wouldn’t pay out—such as provoking a higher-ranked expert. But beyond these scenarios, it should work fine. This concept could easily catch the interest of many guards and mercenaries," Yan Xiaobao added, clearly tailoring his pitch for Ma Kong.
Gao Yan, the Rong twins, and Deng Wu all stared at Yan Xiaobao with wide eyes, astonished by the idea he presented. Even Deng Wu, who had already been amazed upon hearing about the water mill before, now realized that Yan Xiaobao couldn’t have simply stumbled upon all of this during his time in the magical forest. Deng Wu finally recognized that Yan Xiaobao was far more mysterious than initially assumed.
"Take the day off tomorrow and come with me to meet the manager of the Black Market Auction House," Ma Kong offered. Yan Xiaobao quickly nodded in agreement. He had achieved what he wanted. Even if only one percent of those exposed to the insurance concept showed interest, it would be worth it—especially since his primary goal was to repay his friends.
However, Yan Xiaobao also knew he couldn’t reveal all of his thoughts at once. Today, he had already introduced the concepts of Dengwu Water Mill and Ma Gang Insurance. If he went on to present ideas about increasing family income to Gao Yan and the Rong twins, instead of gratitude, he might risk suspicion from his clever companions about the true source of his profound knowledge.