Chapter Thirty-Three: The Blue Tycoon

Wang Ling gazed at Lan Tian, her playful smile suddenly giving way to a hint of seriousness. She grabbed a chair and sat down very close to him, staring straight into his eyes and asking bluntly, “Tell me, are you a martial arts master?”

“A martial arts master? What are you talking about?” Lan Tian lowered his head and took a sip of coffee, pretending not to understand.

“Hmph, don’t play dumb! You lifted that tall guy Zou Tao with one hand and flung him so hard he spat blood—how could that possibly be real?” Wang Ling’s eyes widened as she recalled the scene, still in disbelief.

“I was born with great strength. Hmm? Haven’t I told you that before?” Lan Tian feigned a sudden realization, then added, “As for him spitting blood, are you sure it was because I threw him? Maybe he was just so furious he coughed up blood?”

“Uh...” Wang Ling was at a loss for words.

“Think about it. In his eyes, I was always just a poor nobody, and now this so-called nobody suddenly turned around and took over his entire company. And it happened right when he was at the height of his confidence, on the verge of success. How could he not be angry enough to spit blood?” Lan Tian continued.

“You... actually, that does make sense.” Wang Ling nodded, but then eyed him suspiciously. “But I still think you’re hiding something. You’re way too mysterious!”

“Oh, come on, give me a break. Martial arts masters? That’s so lame...” Lan Tian pushed her pretty face away as she leaned in even closer, looking exasperated.

Any closer and she’d be practically pressed up against his face. This girl, she’s just short of using a magnifying glass to inspect me... Lan Tian shook his head inwardly, deciding that for now, he wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone about Bai and their training.

“Hmph, you’re no fun!” Wang Ling pouted and reluctantly returned to her seat.

“All right, all right, are you done eating? I’ll take you home, I still need to go back to the company.” Lan Tian smiled. “After all, I’m the chairman now. Even if I don’t handle much, I should at least get familiar with things, right? Haha.”

Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel amazed. Life’s twists of fate truly are strange. If someone had told him a week ago that he would become the richest person in Ning City, he’d have thought they were insane!

But now, not only was he the wealthiest man in Ning City, with Bai by his side, if he wanted, he could probably become the richest man in the world with ease!

“Heh, now you know to be grateful, don’t you? If you’re really thankful, hurry up and train. Once you help your master get revenge, maybe you’ll have barely repaid me~” Bai’s mischievous voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Lan Tian’s face darkened, and he inwardly roared, “Bai! You’re eavesdropping on my thoughts again!”

“Don’t be so stingy. I was just bored and listening in~” Bai replied in the same infuriating tone.

“Hey! What are you doing, changing expressions like that?” Wang Ling’s voice interrupted, snapping Lan Tian out of his mental conversation.

“Ahem, it’s nothing. Let’s go, I’ll take you home.” Lan Tian composed himself and saw Wang Ling waving her pale, dainty hand in front of his face, prompting him to quickly change the subject.

“Fine, President Lan is a busy man now. No time to waste on us nobodies~” Wang Ling pretended to be hurt.

“Oh, stop it. How about this—tonight, let’s invite Chen Xiaoxuan out and have dinner at the Jinning Hotel. My treat!” Lan Tian grinned, then paused. “Wait, isn’t the Jinning Hotel also owned by Forest Real Estate?”

“Yep, it’s yours too now! Looks like we’ll have to start calling you ‘Lan the Magnate’ from now on!” Wang Ling laughed. Thinking of the Jinning Hotel, her feelings were complicated. Who would have thought that just a few days ago, Lan Tian had been kicked out of that very hotel like a stray dog, and now he was its owner!

Karma, indeed...

She found herself sharing Lan Tian’s sense of wonder at fate.

After dropping Wang Ling off, Lan Tian drove back to Forest Real Estate.

As he walked through the company, wherever he went—whether people were idling or hard at work—they all immediately bowed their heads and respectfully greeted him as “President Lan.”

Clearly, the company’s senior management had already informed everyone about their new boss.

In fact, within just an hour, Lan Tian’s legendary story had spread throughout the company. Everyone knew they had a new owner, and this owner had, in just a few days, taken over the behemoth that was Forest Real Estate!

In the eyes of every employee, Lan Tian was now a powerful and enigmatic boss. He might be younger than most of them, but that did nothing to diminish his lofty, mysterious image—especially after he announced a 30% pay raise across the board, instantly eclipsing Zou Linsen’s standing in the company.

“President Lan, you wanted to see me?” In the Forest Real Estate president’s office, a middle-aged man of about fifty stood respectfully before Lan Tian.

“Yes, President Fan, have a seat.” Lan Tian smiled and gestured for him to sit.

“Thank you.” President Fan nodded quickly, sitting down with a noticeable stiffness.

He had been present at the morning meeting, and Lan Tian’s terrifying strength still haunted him. Facing a chairman as young as his own son, he dared not underestimate him in the slightest.

“Don’t be nervous. Take a guess—why do you think I called you here?” Lan Tian smiled gently and tossed out the question.

“Uh... President Lan, what do you mean...?” President Fan’s expression changed. He had always been fairly close with Zou Linsen, and now, hearing this from the new chairman, he wondered if he was about to be purged as an unwanted remnant.

Noticing his sudden pallor, Lan Tian chuckled. “No need to worry, President Fan. It’s good news, not bad. What I mean is, from now on, unless absolutely necessary, I’d like you to handle all matters requiring the chairman’s authority.”

Lan Tian watched as President Fan stared at him in a daze, secretly amused.

Thanks to Bai’s investigations, he already knew the company’s senior staff inside and out. Although President Fan was close to Zou Linsen professionally, it was more about shared work philosophies than personal ties. He was a member of the senior management team and a shareholder, but had a reputation for integrity. According to Bai’s analysis, he was reliable—a man worth entrusting with a kingdom.

“Uh... President Lan, what do you mean...?” President Fan repeated, but this time his feelings were utterly different.

“Exactly what I said. I won’t be coming to the company much, and I don’t know much about real estate. From now on, all company affairs are your responsibility. I’ll handle the board.” Lan Tian paused, giving him time to absorb the news. “Now, President Fan, do you have any questions?”

“N-no, none at all. Thank you, President Lan, thank you! I swear I won’t let you down—I’ll take good care of the company!” President Fan shook his head vigorously, his tone brimming with excitement.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined such a tremendous opportunity would fall into his lap!