"Look," he began, causing Ma Kong to give him a massive stare. Lan Feng couldn’t help but burst into laughter. "I heard that the poor Shan Clan had to leave the comfort of Liluo City because they were unjustly targeted. Some extreme experts attacked them, then disappeared without compensating for the damage."
"Pwhahahahahahaha... Child, what have you done to your voice?" Lan Feng laughed uncontrollably; his laughter reverberated even in Yueyue’s mind.
"Now cut it out, I need to focus. I just used a bit of Qi to alter my voice slightly, making it sound different. Let me fully commit to this act, or I won’t be able to perform well."
"Got it," Lan Feng chuckled, and while he quieted down, he couldn’t completely stop laughing.
"My idea is that households pay a fixed amount of money every month. Depending on the size of the house, this could be as little as one copper or as much as ten gold. They would keep paying every month, and if their house gets destroyed by fire, natural disasters like weather, or even by an unknown expert, then the insurance would cover the repair costs," Yan Xiaobao patiently explained.
As Yan Xiaobao paused for a moment, the manager nodded, amazed at how this concept could be turned into a profitable business.
"Miss Yang also mentioned that you might have an idea of how we can apply such insurance to cultivators?" The manager continued, his tone now slightly more curious than before.
"Indeed," Yan Xiaobao adjusted his voice, causing both Lan Feng and Ma Gang to let out a small hum of approval, though Ma Kong was utterly baffled by the sudden change.
Even though Yan Xiaobao felt a twinge of guilt about placing Ma Kong in such a perplexing situation, he recognized this was the only way to ensure his own safety during the managerial meeting. Besides, for a boy, it wasn’t unnatural for his voice to fluctuate at his age.
"We have many cultivators in this city with families. I can’t help but wonder—if a cultivator dies, what happens to their family?"
Yan Xiaobao looked regretful. "Think about it—a cultivator has been bringing wealth home for generations, and their sudden death... it would be devastating. So, my proposal is similar to how we handle houses, but with slight modifications."
Yan Xiaobao paused briefly to see if the manager was following. The manager kept his eyes fixed intently on the young boy, treating him not like a child, but as a respected consultant.
"To clarify, the amount they pay varies. For example, mercenaries pay more than guards. Additionally, high-ranking experts pay much less than lower-ranking ones. If an expert is the cause of their own death, then they will not qualify for compensation."
Yan Xiaobao first laid out the basics. This was insurance, not just child’s play. To establish an insurance network, the Black Market Auction House would need mathematicians and bookkeepers to account for all possible scenarios, or else they might suffer heavy losses. However, if they managed to iron out the kinks, they could rake in an enormous fortune, particularly in a quiet town like Liluo City.
"What do you mean by ’caused their own death’?" Ma Kong asked curiously, then leaned back in his seat. Thus far, he hadn’t intervened in anything, but this topic intrigued him. He could see the potential profits behind it.
"Let’s say I insult an extreme expert, and that leads to my own death. Or if my family is impoverished and I can’t earn enough money, so I choose to commit suicide. In these cases, I would be the cause of my own death. Insurance wouldn’t provide compensation according to the terms of the agreement, because you wouldn’t want to encourage self-destructive cultivators," Yan Xiaobao explained.
After hearing this explanation, Ma Kong nodded slightly, glancing at the manager, who lifted his finger from the Memory Stone he’d been pressing.
So far, none of his recordings of "insurance" had been inscribed onto the Memory Stele. He intended to discuss this topic with the other elders at their next family gathering.
If they carried out a trial, this could become an essential part of their business. Yet, the managerial team wasn’t rushing into implementation. The manager understood well that patience was a virtue—doing things the right way would yield better results.
Yan Xiaobao nodded in satisfaction, noticing the manager wasn’t making any immediate commitments. He also realized how dangerous it would be if their preparation wasn’t thorough.
"So, after proposing such an excellent business strategy, what do you hope to gain?" the manager finally asked, tucking the Memory Gem into the pocket of his robe.
"One percent of the revenue," Yan Xiaobao replied solemnly. He could’ve requested a higher percentage, but he knew this was already a precariously high tax rate. If he demanded more, it wouldn’t be worth it for the Ma family.
Moreover, a portion of the revenue was technically his family’s money. To them, one percent of the profits from the insurance business was an unreasonably large sum. For himself, he still had a fifth of the income from the water mill, as he was fully confident the Ma family members would agree to his request.