"Forget all that. Anyway, let's get inside. Dean Bernas should be in there!"
Only then did Charles remember that he seemed to have forgotten to mention something. Feeling a little awkward, he changed the subject and led his father and uncle inside.
At that moment, the Saiwode brothers exchanged dazed looks and supported each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.
They had no idea what exactly had happened. Their extreme nervousness had left their memories jumbled.
All they remembered was that when they followed Charles into the room, an elderly silver-haired man had already been waiting for some time.
"Dean, I've brought my father and uncle."
Charles stopped and spoke respectfully.
"Dean Bernas, hello. I'm Saiwode."
At the sound of his son's voice, Saiwode finally came to his senses. He immediately bowed with the utmost respect.
After all, this was a Saint Realm expert. He wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect.
Even after years of traveling far and wide, Saiwode had never been this nervous.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, President Saiwode, Vice President David. Please, sit."
Bernas spoke warmly, still smiling, yet he had an air that made people want to bow before him.
That was only natural. Saint Realm experts all had a presence of their own, and Bernas was no exception.
Before Lord Huosi, he was a respectful subordinate. Before young master Adkins, he was an elder—and also a butler.
But to the outside world, he was the dean of Huosi Academy and the chairman of the Xuanshen Island Council, the highest ruler on the entire island.
His presence alone was enough to make ordinary people feel immense pressure.
Saiwode and David froze for a moment, hesitated, then carefully sat down and studied Bernas's face.
"As expected of a Saint Realm expert. What an imposing presence. It's awe-inspiring!"
The atmosphere grew somewhat awkward.
"May I ask, Dean Bernas, what do you need us to do?"
After a moment of silence, Saiwode cautiously ventured the question.
"President Saiwode, take a look at this first."
Bernas kept smiling and didn't answer directly. Instead, he casually took a document from his spatial ring and handed it over.
"Hm? Th-this is!"
Saiwode took one look, and his whole body began to tremble.
The hall fell silent, broken only by the occasional sound of pages turning.
Bernas wasn't in a hurry. He simply sat quietly in his chair, as though none of it had anything to do with him.
"Phew. Dean, may I ask why you chose me?"
Saiwode took a deep breath, then couldn't help asking.
"Because we need a merchant association that regularly operates across the major empires. Your ability, character, and reputation are all outstanding among the major associations."
Bernas glanced at Charles and continued:
"Not only that, but your successor—your son—is a doctoral student at our academy. That gives us a natural bond."
Silence. A long silence. At last, Saiwode looked at his son, then gritted his teeth.
"Dean, I'm willing to join Xuanshen Island and serve as president of Xuanshen Military Industry Enterprise. I'll also invest all the merchant association's available funds into the enterprise's operations. All thirty billion gold coins!"
"Additionally, I'll bring in all the channels, goods, and staff under my association."
"Good. You've got guts. Someone will coordinate the next steps with you."
Bernas nodded, approving Saiwode's decision.
"A very wise choice!"
A calm voice rang out, and Huosi appeared in the room.
"Lord Huosi, you're here."
Bernas immediately bowed respectfully.
"Lord Huosi?"
Saiwode was startled. With a thump, he instinctively pulled his younger brother to his knees.
"All right, get up. You're one of us now. There's no need for that."
Huosi gave a slight nod, indicating that they didn't need to be so formal.
"Charles, take your father and uncle outside for now."
Bernas glanced at the two dazed men and hurriedly addressed Charles.
"Yes, Lord Huosi, Dean Bernas. We'll take our leave."
After speaking, Charles immediately led the two elders out of the hall, leaving Huosi and Bernas alone.
"My lord, Saiwode was the last one. Over this period, I've met with and recruited merchants from all over. After careful selection, we settled on twenty-five."
Bernas reported.
He had met with many merchants over this period and had a general idea of who they were and what their associations were like.
"Mm. This should be enough for now."
Huosi nodded slightly.
With the academy reaching final agreements with numerous merchant associations, Xuanshen Island began undergoing a massive transformation.
During this period, many merchant association leaders joined Xuanshen Island and established enterprises with the island's support.
These enterprises covered all kinds of fields. Those aimed at ordinary people included large restaurant chains and major delivery and transport companies—businesses closely connected to everyday life.
Others were focused on external trade, processing and selling all sorts of products: refined wines, soda, fruit juice, and entertainment venues for nobles, such as various game parlors and video game arcades.
The nobility never lacked money. Some of them had talent for cultivation, but most preferred a life of luxury.
Before, the young nobles had few forms of entertainment and sometimes seemed to have more money than they knew what to do with. Now that they had found an outlet, they went wild.
What was more, as more enterprises were established, commerce would flourish even further in the future.
That, in turn, would attract more talented students, who would gradually become outstanding professionals at the academy and continue developing science, forming a virtuous cycle.
Six months later, a multitude of enterprises began expanding into the kingdoms belonging to the four great empires and three major churches.
The entire continent was shaken, and countless people began discussing it.
All kinds of luxury goods circulated wildly among the nobility. Even for an ordinary meal, they went to branded restaurant chains.
Various board and card games became mercenaries' favorites. They were used to drinking and indulging themselves, having spent their lives walking the line between life and death. But now they had more ways to have fun, and they immediately poured the money they'd earned risking their lives into them.
One gold coin could produce a whole batch of Coca-Cola. In some distant kingdoms, a bottle could sell for a hundred gold coins, leaving even the heads of soda companies dumbfounded.
Many of the new drinks weren't all that complicated. With a little know-how, any faction could make them.
The problem was that their costs were relatively high, making it impossible to supply an entire nation.
Of course, the most profitable business was still the military industry. As the saying went, while the neighbors stockpiled grain, we stockpiled guns.
Wars had never ceased between the four great empires and the three major churches. Although the divine-level experts had reached an agreement that Saint Realm experts wouldn't interfere in battle, the wars never stopped. Every year, the number of casualties remained high, and the resources seized from one another amounted to an astronomical sum.
The nations tacitly accepted this arrangement. After all, becoming a powerful fighter required bloodshed.
Training only in the mountains inhabited by magical beasts couldn't make someone a true expert. So every year, many warriors joined the army to gain experience on the battlefield.
Even the divine-level experts approved of this. Some of their disciples had been gifted fighters who emerged from military service.
Xuanshen Military Industry Enterprise sold some of Xuanshen Island's outdated weapons at exorbitant prices to the militaries of various countries, as well as to many mercenary bands and assassin organizations. The price was fixed—no haggling.
What? You don't want to buy? If your enemies buy them and use them against you, that has nothing to do with us.
These weapons were of little use against experts at levels eight and nine.
But on the battlefield, level-eight and level-nine experts were exceedingly rare. Most ordinary soldiers were only level one or two.
If their firepower was inferior to the enemy's, they could only be suppressed.
The happiest people were the old fellows at the research institute. During this period, their research funding had gone through the roof.
The funds drawn in by the various enterprises were used to purchase all kinds of materials and resources.
Materials the Academy of Sciences had once been reluctant to use, and experiments it had once been afraid to conduct, were now being carried out on a massive scale.
For a time, Xuanshen Island became the continent's most prosperous city, earning the title of the continent's pearl.
Of course, not everyone was happy. The one suffering most was the emperor of the Linggeste Empire, Aorji Linggeste.
"Smash!"
"What did you just say? Say that again."
In the Linggeste Empire's capital, Thunder City, the emperor smashed a wineglass and gazed calmly at the kneeling minister of finance.
Those who knew him understood that when the emperor was truly angry, he became very calm.
"Y-Your Majesty, at the end of this year, the taxes submitted by the various provinces totaled about half of last year's amount, according to our calculations."
The minister of finance barely dared to breathe as he forced himself to answer.
He knew the emperor was furious, but there were some things he couldn't do anything about.
"Imbecile! What kind of minister of finance are you?"
Aojier sprang to his feet, undisguised killing intent in his eyes.
As an emperor, he had executed countless ministers. One more minister of finance wouldn't make a difference.
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, it's not that I wanted this to happen, but most of the merchant associations in our country have gone to Xuanshen Island. Commercial taxes have fallen to less than twenty percent of what they were."
"Besides, most of the nobles have spent their money on Xuanshen Island's products. Many of our industries have been affected. This year's finances are simply... there's nothing I can do."
The minister of finance could only force himself to answer.
He felt wronged, too. He was responsible for managing the empire's finances, but all he could do was collect money.
He couldn't spend it, and he couldn't force the nobles to pay.
Too many merchants had left, and commercial taxes had dropped. He couldn't force merchants to come back.
The nobles had spent much of their household savings on luxury goods. He couldn't exactly stop them.
He really wanted to say, "Your Majesty, if you're so capable, go collect it yourself. Why put all this pressure on me? I collect money; I don't make it. What am I supposed to do?"
Of course, he could only think those words. He would never dare say them aloud.
All he could do was kneel quietly, plead guilty, and silently await his punishment.
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