Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 266 New Business, Huge Opportunities

"The most prosperous areas in Luscan are the two docks and the wealthy district, but they have already been divided up by various forces, making it difficult to get involved."

Lawrence calmly explained his point of view: "The market area is a mixed bag, which is good for hiding oneself, and it is also close to the bridge that runs through the north and south areas."

"What's the use? There's practically no trade industry in that area of ​​the North District," the female thief retorted.

Lawrence rolled his eyes, and the mage explained, "Don't forget why we're here. Although the North Wharf is far less prosperous than the Dragon Coast in the South, it handles most of the warship docking and bulk trade. After all, most of the gangs' headquarters and the Red Dragon Station are located in the North Wharf."

“That’s right. Kurzer’s human trafficking from Neverwinter can only be done in secret and cannot be exposed. Compared to the crowded and chaotic South Wharf, the Free Coast in the north is undoubtedly more suitable for the needs.”

Lawrence also pointed out his final considerations.

The final result was revealed amidst complaints from Nancy and Kegan, and Captain Zhang readily adopted Lawrence's suggestion.

As for Kegan?

"The wealthy area is indeed rich, but those are all the families of big businessmen and captains. The former are the big investors, and the latter are their own people. Who would dare to extend their reach so far?"

Lawrence rejected the dwarf's suggestion as soon as it was uttered.

However, a good plan is nothing but empty talk if it is not implemented. The market area is a mixed bag, and there are many people trying to make a living from it. Even if it is called black marlin, it does not necessarily mean that others will obediently hand over their territory.

"If you ask me, I'll just grab my weapons and go door-to-door to visit each shop. I'll see who dares to disrespect me. I'll just overturn their stalls."

Without even looking, it was clear that only a reckless person like Kegan could have such a style and tone. Zhang Yuan and the others, who were somewhat frowning, even had Bard pull his cousin along.

"Pretending to join a gang is a temporary measure. We're all civilized people, not bandits. Tell me, what's the most important thing in managing territory?"

"Fist!" Kagan said without hesitation, and Bard beside him nodded in agreement.

The monk listened without commenting and continued to look at the other team members.

Lawrence paused for a moment, then uttered a single word: "Prestige!"

After giving the old thief an approving look, Master Zhang looked around at his teammates and said, "That's right, it's about prestige. The problem now is how we can establish prestige in the market area as quickly as possible."

Kegan, always resourceful, pulled out his axe and slammed it on the table: "Will this establish our authority?"

Zhang Yuan shook his head: "Violence and crude methods alone are not enough."

Lawrence pulled out the Blackfin logo he had just received that day and placed it on the table as well: "With this added, is that enough?"

"It's enough, but it's no different from other gangs. Not to mention the problem of shifting allegiance, the efficiency is just too low."

Zhang Yuan shook his head again. It wasn't that his teammates' ideas were wrong, but rather that they were still limited by their own perspectives and hadn't been able to break out of this cycle.

He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, on which something was written in dense writing, and handed it to his teammates so that they could read it one by one.

The teammates who finished reading had different expressions. Those who didn't understand were completely bewildered, while those who did understand were stunned and speechless, feeling a little dizzy.

"Commercial insurance? Shining Gold Coin Commercial Insurance Co., Ltd."

Lawrence murmured these two sentences, as if he had suddenly realized something, yet also as if he didn't understand anything at all. The other team members also cast questioning glances at him.

do not know?

It’s okay not to understand!
This was the highly profitable industry that Master Zhang made a fortune in in his previous life. Now that he has come to this world, this unprecedented new thing has appeared in this vast blue ocean. What kind of waves will it create? It's really something to look forward to.

"Therefore, we not only did not harm the interests of those businesses, but we also protected their property and ensured the stability of their business operations."

After explaining the basic operation of this system, Zhang Yuan was quite proud, and his teammates gave him a warm round of applause.

However, there were also those who were oblivious, and Talinda stepped forward and asked:
"But why do I feel like this is still protection money? It's just under a different name, but the money is still being paid, isn't it?"

The rest of the teammates had already shifted their attention, some coughing, others drinking tea.

Mr. Zhang, who always respected democratic principles, did not change his expression; instead, he patiently explained:
"How can these be the same? They're completely different!"

As he spoke, his voice rose eight octaves: "The insurance we're promoting isn't mandatory; it's voluntary. Businesses have every right to choose."

"Why should they pay that money?"

“There are not only kind-hearted people like us in this world, especially in a place like Luskan.”

Mr. Zhang's face was full of compassion, but then his expression changed, revealing a rather sinister look:

"Once we drive away those gangsters who dare to extort our clients, won't those resentful guys, who can't do anything about it, try to get compensation from some stingy people? Hehe~"

The teammates who were listening all looked like they had known this would happen, but the naive female elf was dumbfounded and stood there stunned.

In fact, the insurance industry had already developed to a very high level in the previous life, with various categories of products and services being developed in an incredibly diverse way.

Especially compared to the relatively stable social security, the various tricks and schemes of commercial insurance are hard for Zhang Yuan to recall even with his current memory. The dazzling array of financial products that have emerged from them are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people unless they are professionals or have put in a lot of effort to study them.

However, Zhang Yuan was still familiar with the most basic types of insurance.

For example, the property insurance we use nowadays compensates the insured for losses or lost benefits to their property and related economic interests when an insured event occurs.

Don't underestimate this short sentence; it took Zhang Da Guan Ren quite a bit of spittle to explain it clearly to his teammates.

As for Münster and the cannibal brothers, let's just pretend we've never heard of them.

"I find the insurance business you mentioned very interesting. If we don't just use it for extortion—no, to help those small vendors—but widely promote it in various commercial activities, then the value and significance of this model would probably be far more than that."

Nancy's words made Zhang Yuan stare at her for a long time, his expression more serious than ever before. After a long while, he sighed and said, "Good insight. I didn't expect you to have this brain."

The first half of the compliment made the female thief beam with joy, but she immediately became unhappy upon hearing the second half.

"What do you mean? What do you mean I have that kind of brain?"

"Slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue. What I meant was that you were absolutely right. Insurance is not just about compensation, but also about risk sharing and interest binding, which greatly promotes business itself."

(End of this chapter)