William's inner alarm had escalated into an air-raid siren, its decibels high enough to shatter glass.
But on his face, he still maintained the professional, eight-tooth smile he had perfected over years in the workplace.
"Cooperation? Ms. Miller, you're too kind."
William flipped the high-quality business card over and over, as if it were a treasure map.
"Our small-scale insurance business primarily serves the neighborhood, handling trivial, minor risks."
"Your venture capital, that's a big business involving tens of millions at every turn. Our pond is too shallow; we can't support a big fish like you."
His words were watertight, both flattering the other party and completely absolving himself, perfectly embodying the image of a self-aware small-town citizen.
Barbara Miller, or "Mockingbird," maintained the same smile on her face.
She was like a precise lie detector, analyzing William's every subtle reaction.
"Mr. Rodriguez is being modest."
She spoke, every word seemingly carefully calculated.
"What we focus on is not the traditional return on capital, but rather… the preservation and appreciation of 'special assets.'"
"For example, 'human capital' that possesses extremely high potential but is also accompanied by huge uncontrollable risks. From what I understand, you are an expert in this area."
Here it comes, here it comes, riddlers get out of Gotham!
William was frantically complaining internally, but on the outside, he made a gesture of sudden realization.
"Oh! I understand! You're talking about employer liability insurance and personal accident insurance for high-end talent, right?!"
He slapped his thigh, his enthusiasm instantly rising eight octaves, like a salesman who had just spotted a potential big client.
"We're professionals at this! Ms. Miller, you wouldn't believe how valuable high-end talent is in today's society! Especially those in scientific research, extreme sports, or even certain…"
"Elites in confidential industries! High work pressure, high risk of accidents! If they get a bump or a bruise, that's a huge loss for the company!"
He paused, leaned forward, and lowered his voice.
He looked as if he was about to share a secret.
"Take your industry, for example, venture capital consultants, dealing with money all day. What if a project loses money, and the investors get desperate and hire someone to jump you? What then?"
"We have a specialized 'Anti-Malicious Retaliation Insurance'! Or, for instance, you travel frequently, flying on planes. What if you encounter turbulence, or a passenger next to you has bad breath affecting your concentration, leading to a wrong decision? We also have a 'Travel Experience Protection Plan'!"
Barbara: "…"
Her entire prepared speech about "superhuman social risk management" was stifled by William's barrage of sales pitches.
How did the conversation veer off to bad breath?
"Mr. Rodriguez, you might be misunderstanding."
Barbara tried to steer the conversation back on track.
"The 'human capital' I'm referring to, their unique characteristics… far exceed common understanding."
"I understand! I understand perfectly!"
William seized the conversation again, his expression as serious as if he were attending an academic seminar.
"You mean those exceptionally gifted geniuses, right! For example, some people are particularly sensitive to numbers, able to memorize the last hundred digits of Pi just by looking at it."
"Some people have an excellent sense of direction; they could be dropped into the Amazon rainforest and find their way out. For such talent, the brain is the most precious asset! We have 'Genius Brain Accidental Injury Insurance,' covering but not limited to being caught in a door, hit by a flowerpot, struck by lightning…"
Barbara picked up her coffee cup and took an elegant sip, using the action to hide her rapidly faltering composure.
She found that communicating with William Rodriguez was like playing Tai Chi.
You throw a punch, and he always manages to use your momentum to lead you to the neighborhood vegetable market.
"No,"
Barbara put down her coffee cup, deciding to use a stronger approach.
"My clients, their 'talents,' lean more towards the physical. For example, being able to lift a car with bare hands, or jumping from a ten-story building unharmed."
She finished speaking, staring intently at William, not missing any potential flaw.
Finally, the dagger was revealed!
The little person inside William was already beating drums and gongs.
On the surface, however, he showed a complex expression mixed with shock, curiosity, and "Can I even handle this business?"
"Wow! Ms. Miller, your clients… are they movie stunt performers, or the star attractions of a circus? This truly is… extraordinary talent!"
He exclaimed exaggeratedly, then changed the subject, instantly becoming fully professional.
"For this kind of client, the risk level is extremely high. Regular insurance companies definitely wouldn't take them on. However…"
He smiled mysteriously and picked up the black briefcase from beside him.
Barbara's attention was instantly drawn to it.
As a top Agent, she could feel that the briefcase was not simple; its material and structure exuded an indescribable strangeness.
William didn't immediately take out a tablet, but first produced an exquisite brochure and pushed it in front of Barbara.
On the cover of the brochure, written in cursive script, was — "Extraordinary Life, Worry-Free Protection."
"Ms. Miller, please see. For the kind of 'physical talent' clients you mentioned, we have a specialized 'Titan Series' insurance product." William's finger pointed at the brochure.
"First, we need to conduct a risk assessment for the client. For example, you said he can lift a car, so what is his upper limit of strength?"
"Is it a small car, or a fully loaded truck? The corresponding premiums and claim limits are completely different. We call this 'Strength Magnitude Assessment.'"
"Also, if he can jump from ten stories without injury, what about twenty stories? Will he sprain his ankle? Will his skin be scratched? How strong is his self-healing ability? All of these require data support. We have a very rigorous 'Physical Resistance Test' process."
Barbara was completely stunned.
She had come to probe, to fish, but the other party had directly turned the tables and started giving her a "business training"?
And making it so professional?
What strength magnitude, physical resistance—these terms weren't even detailed in S.H.I.E.L.D. reports!
William saw her silence and continued to press on.
"Of course, the most important thing is third-party liability. Did your client lift the car to save someone or to smash someone? What if he slips up and damages plants, or scares a child on the roadside? How is this responsibility divided?"
"Our 'Strongman Code of Conduct Rider' has clear provisions. If he is a registered strongman, he can even enjoy a ten percent premium discount."
"…Registered strongman?"
Barbara finally found a word she could insert.
"Exactly!"
William answered as a matter of course.
"Just like driving requires a license, and practicing medicine requires a license. With great power comes great responsibility! Driving without a license… oh no, smashing things without a license, it's very difficult for insurance companies to handle if something happens."
He took out his tablet from the briefcase again and swiped a few times.
"How about this, Ms. Miller. Would you be comfortable disclosing your client's codename? I can check our system to see if he has been placed on the 'High-Risk Watchlist.' If he's on the list, the premium might increase by thirty percent."
Mockingbird felt her brain was overloading at this moment.
She had envisioned a hundred ways of confronting William Rodriguez; William might panic, deny, or try to probe her back.
But she never expected that he would treat her as a genuine client, using an "insurance theory" she had never heard of, yet logically self-consistent, to pitch business to her.
This made her feel less like a top Agent on a secret mission and more like an ordinary aunt preparing to buy insurance for a relative, only to be confused by the salesperson.
"…I need to go back and confirm these details with my client."
Barbara ultimately chose a strategic retreat.
"No problem!"
William enthusiastically handed her his business card.
"Contact me anytime! Oh, by the way, if you have more than one client, we also have group discounts!"
Barbara took the business card, stood up, maintaining her last bit of professional demeanor.
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Rodriguez."
She turned and quickly left, her departure even seeming a bit hurried.
William watched the top Agent disappear around the corner, his smile instantly fading.
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