Chapter 98: From Tycoon to Magnate

"Thank you, Young Master." Xiao Fang and Xiao Fei lowered their heads, their faces flushed. Ling Tian's words were far too brazen. Although they had already shared a bed with him, they still felt embarrassed in front of the other servants.

"You're welcome. Hehe, you two are mine, after all. Where are my parents?" Ling Tian genuinely missed his enthusiastic mother and composed father. Having grown up without parents in his previous life, he had truly come to view Ling Kun and Li Meijun as his own flesh and blood.

"Madam and her friends have gone shopping, and Master is working. We have already notified them, and they will be back soon." Xiao Fang and Xiao Fei remained silent, so the old butler replied on their behalf. Notifying the master and mistress was within his scope of duties; the two young girls were merely Ling Tian's personal maids.

"Understood. Prepare dinner. I'll be staying home tonight. Now, I'm heading to Father's study. Xiao Fang, Xiao Fei, make sure you scrub up well, haha!" Ling Tian looked at the blushing girls, enjoying teasing them further.

In the presence of the old butler, the two girls said nothing, burying their heads deeper as their faces turned even redder.

Ignoring the others, Ling Tian walked straight into his father's study. He hoped to find some useful information there. In truth, he found it strange: he was the only son and the future heir, yet why had they never spoken to him about business or family affairs? His mother was the same—she only cared about what he ate or wore. Did they not have any ambition for their son?

It was still that luxurious, Chinese-style study: golden nanmu flooring, sandalwood desks and bookshelves, and ebony coffee tables and chairs. It was extravagant! Truly extravagant! Every time Ling Tian entered, he couldn't help but marvel at it.

The only thing that felt modern was the computer—a black desktop with no brand. However, Ling Tian knew it was custom-made; its processing speed and performance were far beyond anything available on the market.

This was the first time Ling Tian had carefully examined the items in the study, especially the books and documents, hoping to find clues about his family. Of course, he would ask his parents that evening, but it wouldn't hurt to do some research beforehand.

He recalled what Dai Jin and the others had said—could his father be some kind of gang leader? Where did all the family's money come from? Yet, his father looked every bit the businessman.

The books on his father's shelves were diverse but generally fell into two categories: those focused on self-cultivation—mostly Chinese classics like the Four Books and Five Classics, and the teachings of Huang-Lao—and books on corporate management.

Judging by the books, his father was a traditional Chinese merchant, a "Confucian businessman." What Ling Tian found disappointing was that he couldn't find any documents related to a specific enterprise. He couldn't determine what his father did or even which industry he was in.

Ling Tian frowned and opened his father's computer. It required a password. Fortunately, it didn't require a fingerprint, which made him breathe a sigh of relief—if it had, he would have needed to lift his father's print. As for the password, that was trivial. He wasn't a top-tier hacker, but he could crack most computers, even those requiring fingerprints, though his father's machine was no ordinary device.

With a few quick movements, Ling Tian bypassed the security and his fingers flew across the keyboard, searching for the information he needed.

Good heavens! Ling Tian stared at the data in shock. There were financial reports for thousands of companies, all of them large-scale enterprises. Was his father a shareholder in all of them? These companies spanned over a hundred countries globally and reached every province in China. Furthermore, they covered every industry imaginable, including some that were state-monopolies.

Ling Tian felt dizzy. Upon closer reflection, he thought it seemed impossible. These included state-owned monopolies; if his father were truly a shareholder, it wasn't just a matter of money, as some of these companies weren't even publicly traded. Some were even defense contractors!

Ling Tian’s jaw dropped again. His father wasn't just some nouveau riche; he wasn't "tacky" at all. Ling Tian concluded that if his family had ties to all these enterprises, then his father was a tycoon—a genuine plutocrat. They were on an entirely different level from the average wealthy person.

During the Republic of China era, those who held military power and carved out territories were called warlords, while those with massive financial power who influenced the national economy were known as plutocrats.

The most famous in history were the Jiangzhe plutocrats, centered around the "Ningbo Clique" in Shanghai, including capitalists from provinces like Jiangsu and Anhui. Key figures included Yu Qiaqing, Zhang Jia'ao, and others. They dominated Shanghai's commerce and banking, controlling most of the money shops, textile mills, shipping companies, and coal merchants. In 1927, they funded Chiang Kai-shek’s coup, becoming a pillar of the Nationalist regime.

In Japan, the six major Zaibatsu were famous, as were the four major Chaebols in South Korea, all of which had a profound impact on their national economies.

In the United States, there were the ten major financial groups, such as the Rockefeller and Morgan groups.

Ling Tian deeply suspected his family was exactly this kind of plutocratic dynasty. In a place like China, where hidden dragons and crouching tigers were everywhere, the Forbes list was merely a farce. The true billionaires never appeared on those lists.

Of course, there was another possibility: his father was a professional investor. That would explain the financial reports, though it didn't explain the state monopolies and defense firms, as such entities were rarely open to private speculation.

Based on this, and the extent of his family’s wealth, Ling Tian leaned toward the idea that his father was a plutocrat. As he continued to flip through other documents, it only confirmed that the Ling family’s foundation was unfathomable. Ling Tian even felt that he could spend his life squandering wealth and never run out.

However, Ling Tian still wanted to build his own career without relying on the family. He had boasted to Han Bing that he had the ability to earn hundreds of millions. A man of his word, he intended to follow through. From now on, Ling Tian would grasp the world's wealth in his hands and wake up beside beauties. If necessary, he might even enter politics—what if one of his future wives liked a man in office?

Ling Tian had a plan for his future: women as the core, earning money when necessary, pursuing office if needed, and navigating the underworld if the situation called for it.

Dinner time arrived, and Ling Tian's parents returned. Seeing Ling Tian, his mother, Li Meijun, was as affectionate as ever; her son had always been her pride. His father smiled kindly, doting on him immensely.

"Father, I wanted to ask, what does our family actually do?" Ling Tian asked during dinner, feigning indifference to probe his father's intent.

"That goes without saying, we’re in business. How else would your mother have so many gold, silver, and diamond accessories to wear? Son, why do you ask? You’ve never cared about the family business before; you only ever cared about money. You really have grown up." Li Meijun felt her son had matured.

"Hehe, it's nothing. At school, everyone talks about their family business, and I’m the only one who doesn't know. I figured we were in trade, but I don't know what kind. Father, which industry are we in? Which companies belong to us?" Ling Tian asked his father directly, feeling that his mother only cared about shopping and money and knew nothing else.

"My son has truly grown up, taking an interest in family affairs. I thought you would be a second-generation playboy forever. It seems school was worth it. Well, let me tell you: our family does a bit of everything. If you have to define it, we are in investment. We do whatever makes money, and we sell what doesn't. Does that make sense?"

Ling Kun thought it was good enough for his son to understand this, so he explained it simply.

Ling Tian wanted to ask if defense companies could be bought and sold as well, but that would give him away—his father would know he had accessed the computer. Since his father didn't want to tell the full truth, he would let it go. He would have opportunities to find out later.

Ling Tian nodded with a smile and said, "I understand, thank you, Father. There is one more thing I need to tell you." He remembered his promise to Han Bing.

"What is it?" Ling Kun asked kindly.

"Well, I'm currently pursuing a girl. She's hard to win over. She said that only someone with hundreds of millions in assets is qualified to court her. I told her our family definitely has that, but she said the money can't come from the family—I have to show I have the ability to earn it myself. So, I told her I could absolutely earn hundreds of millions without relying on home." Ling Tian summarized the situation.

"Who is this girl? How can she be so picky? Son, that's easy. Just start a company, and your mother and I will wire you money every day. You'll have hundreds of millions in no time." Li Meijun was unhappy that a girl was giving her son a hard time, but considering her son liked her, she began offering advice.

"Xiao Tian, are you serious about wanting to earn it on your own?" Ling Kun saw the determination in his son's eyes and wanted to be sure. Perhaps his son was not as hopeless as he had imagined.