Alright, let's break down the problem –23 × –8 as a story:
Imagine there are two friends, Tim and Sarah, who both have negative numbers of apples. Tim has –23 apples, meaning he owes 23 apples, and Sarah has –8 apples, meaning she also owes 8 apples.
When Tim gives Sarah 8 apples, the negative 8 apples he owes cancel out with the negative 8 apples Sarah owes. Now, Tim still owes 15 apples left because 23 - 8 = 15.
However, since Tim is now giving apples instead of owing, the number becomes positive. So, Tim giving Sarah 8 apples means the answer to –23 × –8 is 184.
In summary, –23 × –8 is like two friends with negative apples owing each other, but when one friend gives the owed apples to the other, the result becomes a positive number.