Chapter Sixty-Two: Truly Haunted

To Lan Hua’s astonishment, after he entered Lan Tian’s name into the search engine, the web page exploded with news headlines like “Ning City Welcomes Its New Wealthiest Resident,” “Lan Tian: The Twenty-Five-Year-Old Legend,” and “Virtual Network Will Change the World.” He randomly clicked on one article, and the moment he saw the content and accompanying photo, his hand trembled so violently he nearly dropped the tablet.

“Zhou… Zhou Ru, our son… it seems he’s really become the richest man in Ning City…” Lan Hua’s expression was one of utter disbelief, as if he had seen a ghost. He stared at his wife in terror, stammering out the words.

Zhou Ru—Lan Tian’s mother—startled, snatched the tablet from his hands and quickly examined the news. She clicked through the photos, content, and videos one by one, enlarging each image to its maximum size, checking again and again. At last, she was certain: the person in the news was indeed their son, Lan Tian!

“What… what on earth is going on?” Zhou Ru finished scrolling through the first page of headlines and looked at Lan Hua, who was equally incredulous.

“What do you mean, what’s going on?! Call our son, quick! That rascal didn’t breathe a word of this to us!” Lan Hua grabbed his phone and hurriedly dialed Lan Tian’s number, muttering under his breath, “This is unbelievable…”

They had no idea that their son was not merely the richest man in Ning City. Lan Tian now stood at the very center of global attention, facing both worldwide acclaim and skepticism.

In less than a day, the virtual network had gone viral online. Many foreign websites had picked up the story, marveling at this unbelievable invention. Some radical media outlets were already deifying the virtual network, predicting humanity’s imminent entry into the era of virtual civilization!

Of course, praise was matched by doubt, and the voices of skepticism were numerous. The internet was aflame with endless, borderless arguments. Netizens spontaneously formed two camps: one side firmly believed in the existence of the virtual network and considered Lan Tian the greatest person of the century, convinced that everyone would soon experience this marvel. The other side denounced Lan Tian as a shameless trickster, accused him of creating hype and courting attention, insisting that even if a virtual network did exist, it could never deliver a fully authentic experience, labeling him the greatest fraud of the century.

This heated debate raged through the afternoon and well into the night, with terms like “virtual network,” “Lan Tian,” and “new era” saturating every corner of the web. The virtual network’s press conference swept away all other news of the day like a tidal wave.

Eventually, exhaustion set in. Both camps declared a temporary ceasefire, agreeing to wait for the real launch of the virtual network. Any further argument would be mere speculation, ripe for contradiction once the truth came out. By four o’clock in the morning, the nationwide—and even worldwide—debate gradually faded, and everyone tacitly stopped discussing the matter. All that remained was anticipation, as people eagerly awaited the arrival of the virtual network.

It is worth mentioning that, whether people believed or not, nothing could halt the meteoric rise of the Virtual Network Company and Lan Tian’s fame. The company’s stock price soared from near suspension to heights almost too astonishing to believe.

Lan Tian, the new tycoon of Ning City, had truly earned his title and was now advancing toward the ranks of the wealthiest in the nation—and perhaps the world.

Meanwhile, the protagonist of this storm, the most scrutinized figure on earth, sat in Chen Xiaoxuan’s car. Under her mischievous gaze, he clutched his phone meekly, receiving a lecture from his parents.

“You rascal, explain yourself! What’s all this about? What virtual network? Have you grown wings now? Why haven’t you told us anything? If your second uncle hadn’t called, I’d still be in the dark! Huh? So you really have wings now? You don’t even tell your father about something this big?” Lan Hua’s voice grew louder and more agitated as he spoke.

“What are you yelling for? Let me talk to our son!” Just as Lan Tian was about to explain, his mother’s voice chimed in, and then she was on the line. “Son, don’t be afraid—do whatever you need to do. Your father and I will always support you. But the most important thing is, now that you have money, bring me some daughters-in-law! Did you hear me? That’s the number one priority!”

“Oh, mom, really… several daughters-in-law? What logic is that? Just because I have money, does that mean I can marry several?” Lan Tian chuckled wryly and shot a fierce look at Chen Xiaoxuan to stop her from laughing. “And, mom, please tell dad that I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark. Things have been changing so fast lately, I really haven’t had the chance to update you both. Ask him not to be angry.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll send someone to pick you up. I’ll explain everything to you properly then.”

“Tomorrow? How can we do that? If your father and I aren’t at the store, what about the business?” Zhou Ru hesitated.

“That’s right. Maybe my third brother can fill in tomorrow. We can’t leave the store without family,” Lan Hua chimed in.

“Come on, mom, dad, you both know now—your son is the richest man in Ning City. Money is no object! What’s a little supermarket compared to that? Just close up for the day and come over. Dad, didn’t you always want to visit Ning City? Once you’re here, you won’t want to leave!” Lan Tian laughed, his tone now full of confidence since his parents had found out. He no longer had anything to hide.

“Well, you rascal, at least you still have some conscience. Just wait—I’m coming tomorrow to set you straight! With such a huge business, you didn’t tell your mother and me a thing!” Lan Hua burst into hearty laughter, unable to conceal the excitement and pride in his voice. “You should’ve heard your second uncle when he called—his tone made me feel so proud, happier than winning the lottery!”

“Lottery? That’s nothing—your son makes more in a minute than that! By the way, dad, I bought a villa in Ning City. Tomorrow I’ll have someone bring you and mom over. We’ll talk about everything once you’re here.” Lan Tian chuckled, clearly delighted by his father’s happiness. Making his parents proud—wasn’t that what he had always strived for?

“Alright, that’s settled then. Don’t work too hard—money is never enough, but take care of yourself. We can discuss the rest tomorrow when your mother and I arrive.” It was late, so Lan Hua gave a few more reminders before hanging up.

“Look at you! Turns out our grand tycoon is pretty filial, isn’t he? Not bad, not bad!” Chen Xiaoxuan started the car, teasing him. The way Lan Tian spoke to his parents—like a child hoping for praise—made her want to laugh.

How amusing. She never expected him to have such a childish side.