22nd century.
Another year, another change in the world's wealth rankings.
Some people emerge like dark horses, while others fall from grace and never regain their glory.
However, the name at the top of the list has remained unchanged for many years.
The only thing that has changed is the string of numbers representing assets.
It has been growing continuously, never stopping.
T·H Group.
This behemoth single-handedly boosted global GDP, propelling China to become the world's largest economic power.
Han Haocheng, the head of T·H Group, recently celebrated his 80th birthday and officially handed over power to his eldest daughter.
This move caused a huge uproar.
Han Haocheng has a son, so the fact that such a large conglomerate was handed over to his daughter instead of his son surprised everyone.
Although the heiress had always been the one representing the group, it was rumored that Han Haocheng's youngest son had inherited his mother's artistic talent and had no interest in business. However, in the conservative mindset of many people, the son was the one who could inherit the family business, while the daughter would eventually get married.
Wouldn't all the wealth that generations have worked hard to build up then belong to the husband's family?
What outsiders might speculate about Han Haocheng's intentions, or what conspiracy theories might circulate, were not of concern to the Han family. At Yunxiao Manor, the eighty-year-old Han Haocheng still stood tall and straight. The wrinkles on his face did not diminish his good looks in the slightest; instead, they added a mature charm that younger men lacked.
He stood by the window, backlit, holding his phone and talking softly on the phone. Behind him, his wife gently placed a plate of fruit on the coffee table and smiled tenderly at her husband's back.
You could tell from his tone who he was calling.
Aside from those two... there's probably no one else in this world who can make my usually emotionless husband speak in such a flattering tone.
Thinking of her legendary in-laws, the woman, still elegant and dignified in her seventies, revealed a hint of nostalgia in her eyes, as well as a trace of envy and longing that she herself might not have realized.
"Mom and Dad, you're trending again." Han Haocheng's voice, no longer young, carried a hint of schadenfreude and a touch of grievance.
He's always been spotted by passersby, but he never comes back to see his son...
A clear and melodious female voice came from the other end, sounding like a vibrant young girl: "Sweetie, take it down for Mom and Dad. It's not a big deal if we don't, I've seen the photo, it only showed a side profile, I can't recognize her, but let's not take up public resources, okay? Okay, I'm not talking to you anymore, we saw a super cute little penguin!"
The call was abruptly ended, followed by a busy tone.
Han Haocheng looked at his phone and gave a helpless bitter smile.
He didn't pause for long before switching the interface to one of China's most popular social media platforms. The page displayed a photo posted by a travel blogger who frequently shared beautiful scenery, delicious food, and local customs encountered during their travels. The blogger had a large following. The caption for the photo read: "Seeing the aurora borealis in Antarctica, I bumped into a couple who looked absolutely stunning, and they seemed vaguely familiar~"
The photo shows a man and a woman sitting on a rock, surrounded by a white, snowy world. They are leaning on each other, with the woman resting her head on the man's shoulder. The man is turning his head to say something to the woman. The photo only shows less than a third of the man's profile, but just from that angular profile, one can imagine how handsome the man must be from the front.
Despite being in Antarctica, the two were dressed very lightly, wearing only thin windbreakers that clearly offered little insulation, and without gloves, scarves, or anything like that.
The comments from netizens were varied, with some praising their good looks, others speculating that the two were planning a double suicide due to their revealing clothing, and still others suggesting it might be a publicity stunt by some newcomers in the entertainment industry.
Many sharp-eyed observers also posted comments that were not far from the truth:
[This man's profile looks really familiar, he looks like Chairman Han.]
[Could he be Chairman Han's son? But Master Han looks like his mother. I'm guessing... he's an illegitimate child? [Shocked face]]
Because it involves the family of the world's richest man, this otherwise inconspicuous photo has become a trending topic.
Han Haocheng looked at the comments speculating that he was his illegitimate child, rubbed his temples, and made a phone call: "Take down the trending topic... What illegitimate child? You brat, you can't even recognize your grandfather? Be careful he doesn't come back and beat you up!"
After disciplining his daughter, Han Haocheng turned back to the sofa, looked at his wife, and suddenly said, "Let's go travel around the world together?"
Who knows, I might even bump into his unreliable parents...
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