Chapter 322

"This year's operating growth is expected to exceed twenty percent, with profits rising over ten percent. Major expenditures involve several low-yield investment projects and tributes to the royal family. Also, the head of the household has requested personnel expansion."

The Hongmei Guild, or rather the Sudar Guild, is a major trading house renowned throughout Huicheng and even the entire kingdom.

It owns numerous physical enterprises, but its primary revenue streams come from the decentralized investments of its branch guilds—some managing licensed goods, others focusing primarily on financial services like lending and investment.

Just how wealthy it is, even the head of the household likely can't fully account for it. Though it belongs to the conservative old aristocracy, its business model is distinctly new-money: investments are widely dispersed and heavily physicalized, making them nearly impossible to trace.

"Good. I've reviewed all your reports this year—excellent. All personnel who received annual bonuses under ten percent will be transferred back to the guild headquarters. Marsil, Soren."

In a large conference room, facing the chairmen and general managers of each branch guild, Saliman spoke with ease and confidence.

Everyone's faces wore smiles—who doesn't like money and promotions?

Unlike large conglomerates or powerful factions that hold their year-end summaries late, the Sudar Guild conducts its annual review early every year.

On one hand, too many logistical adjustments require time—each guild must submit reports and personnel deployment summaries. On the other, as a great noble family, the Sudar household is exceptionally busy throughout the year.

Just the tributes dispatched to the royal family alone likely amount to a staggering sum.

The items submitted to the state treasury aren't merely wealth—many weapons, equipment, and rare foreign resources that cannot be bought with money become kingdom reserves through this channel.

Coordinating these resources takes time. Thus, the conventional year-end summary is always held early—after securing sufficient budgets, the next round of large-scale procurement and smuggling begins.

"That's quite impressive. Dainya trusts you a lot, doesn't she?"

This was Li En's first time accompanying Saliman to the annual meeting—and the experience was thoroughly unpleasant. His face ached from smiling, yet constantly, clueless people came up to greet him.

"Because we're sisters in private."

Saliman swirled the red wine in her hand, her smile blooming like a flower, her tone light and cheerful.

But the meaning behind those words—Li En suspected there was more to them.

"She saved me. I trust her. Before I became head of the household, she always called me sister."

That's... interesting. So should I now call you uncle? No—didn't Lex run away? How is that still affecting things!

"Er, so you're essentially an officially sanctioned merchant?"

Li En glanced around—many strategic materials were unobtainable through legal channels, yet the Sudar Guild bought them at high prices abroad and brought them back through its branches. These goods couldn't pass customs; clearly smuggling, then reclassified as "donations," they became the kingdom's strategic reserves.

In a sense, Sudar seems to fulfill the role of an "overseas state enterprise." No wonder it's grown so large.

"No, only a portion. Some guilds specialize exclusively in this—actual operators are mostly royal spies. I'm one of them too, but this segment is entirely separate from our main operations."

Today's business was serious—so the normal version of Saliman had come.

She shared these family secrets with Li En quite willingly, though her words always seemed to carry hidden meanings.

"After all, though we're sisters, what's mine is mine, and what's hers is hers. As long as she doesn't cross the line, we can remain sisters for a long time. Don't you think?"

Saliman set down her wineglass and looked at Li En, smiling sweetly.

She wasn't "Silly Liman." Some things still required caution.

Li En fell silent. Lately, rumors about the High Knight and the Princess had become too numerous—and the Princess had made no effort to deny them.

Even though Saliman was partly in the know, the fact that her fiancé and her superior were spreading gossip, with neither side refuting it—effectively tacitly approving—was like a direct blow to her head. No wonder, during today's meeting, other branch guild chairmen looked at the head of the household not just with respect, but with pity.

Perhaps, in many eyes, Li En and Saliman's engagement had become a cover—and Saliman had become the unfortunate woman keeping her superior's man.

"Don't joke. She's just a child who hasn't even matured yet—how could she compare to you? You were truly impressive today."

Li En quickly changed the subject. He'd been visiting Dainya frequently lately—after all, he had too many messy matters on his hands.

His good girl had endured injustice; if she needed comfort, offering kind words cost nothing.

"Child?! You—you big pork trotter! I'm already an adult! Are you blind?!"

The sudden voice behind him startled Li En.

On the floating mirror spirit appeared Dainya's furious face.

She had just connected and overheard them speaking ill of her—yet she was still busy working on Li En's behalf.

"You—" Li En glanced subtly at Saliman, only to see her bright eyes smiling behind a fan.