Chapter 515 - 308: Old Money and New Money, Snakes and Rats Each Have Their Own Ways

Chapter 515: Chapter 308: Old Money and New Money, Snakes and Rats Each Have Their Own Ways

Without replying to Li Kexin just yet, Lin Chu looked up the Habsburg Dynasty online and couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.

From the sixth century to the nineteenth.

More than thirteen hundred years.

Spanning the long river of history, the Habsburg Dynasty maneuvered for power across the entire European continent. Although they aren’t prominent anymore, their status was roughly equivalent to... well, it was like greeting someone in China:

"Hey man, what’s your surname?"

"Ying."

"Whoa, so Emperor Qin is your ancestor?"

"Yup. (facepalm)"

Of course, in modern society, political and economic status are what really matter.

Status by bloodline—that’s all ancient history.

But in places like Europe, it still carried some weight a lot of the time.

After all, it was old money!

Lin Chu, for his part, didn’t think old money was any better than new money.

However, the main thing was that with so much time to develop, they had deep foundations in every respect.

It was like comparing a fresh college graduate to a mature, wealthy older man... What was there to even compare?

’Take me, for example. I’m twenty-four, about to turn twenty-five. In another thirty years, when I’m fifty-five... who knows how much my assets will even be worth.’

’It wouldn’t be impossible to reach the level of the legendary Rothschild Family.’

’Assuming nothing happens to me, of course.’

At the same time, Lin Chu sometimes reflected. ’Have I become a creature that only knows how to rake in cash? It feels like I’m being alienated by capital.’

’But on second thought, it’s not that I’m overreaching. The truth is, I still have the drive.’

’Besides, the timing is perfect.’

’If I wait a few more years until the Motherland becomes the world’s number one, and I realize I missed my chance to get on board for the ride... looking back, I’d be kicking myself forever. I’d wake up in the middle of the night and want to slap myself silly!’

’Adding flowers to the brocade can’t compare to the satisfaction of delivering charcoal in a snowstorm.’

’Let’s do this!’

’Time to roll up my sleeves and get to work!’

’At the very least, in the high-end luxury sector, I have to completely fill the domestic "market gap."’

’You could call it my own small contribution to the rise of a great nation.’

His thoughts returned to the present. Lin Chu looked at the message from Li Kexin, smiled faintly, and casually replied, "And now? What do the main Habsburg heirs do?"

’A true hero doesn’t rest on his laurels.’

’Past glory is one thing. Let’s see them put up 5 billion first, then we’ll see how capable they are.’

’In any case, I’ve never heard of them.’

’The title of world’s richest has gone from Microsoft, to Amazon, to Louis Vuitton, to Tesla... I haven’t heard a peep about the Habsburg Dynasty in all that.’

’Of course, if they’re really one of those hidden behemoths with tentacles everywhere... then I’ll have to get to know them properly.’

Regarding these so-called top-tier families...

Lin Chu’s current thinking was that there was an element of rumor to them, but definitely an element of truth as well.

It’s just that fortunes turn, and no family can stand at the peak forever.

Of course, a sudden collapse was also unlikely.

The difference between being the 100th richest in the world and the 1st, in terms of the sheer scale of wealth, wasn’t actually that huge.

It just depended on the direction of global trends, and whether an outstanding, heaven-sent genius appeared among their descendants—someone who could catch the next big wave and perhaps restore the family’s former glory.

This was the reasoning behind the saying, "more children, more blessings."

If you have a lot of children, even if most of them are ordinary people or even idiots, all it takes is one or two extraordinary individuals for the family to rise again.

’That’s a point worth taking for myself. It could form the core of my own philosophy on procreation.’

「At this moment.」

In Dubai, Li Kexin saw the message and was momentarily speechless.

Uh...

They had declined, of course.

A declining, old-guard aristocratic family.

The direct Habsburg bloodline had actually died out long ago due to inbreeding.

The political power they once wielded had been completely wiped out by the rise of new social classes.

Still, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

The current surviving members, though only a collateral branch, still constituted a business empire ranked within the top one hundred in all of Europe.

Of course, a powerful company is one thing...

For her personally, Lin Chu was clearly the easier one to get close to.

For a Chinese person to climb to a high-level position in that kind of family enterprise was nearly impossible; even reaching middle management was quite difficult.

But if she could get on good terms with a mega-rich tycoon like Lin Chu, that would be a completely different story.

With a hint of a desire to curry favor, Li Kexin quickly replied, "Currently, the Habsburg Dynasty has three core members."

"The patriarch of the family is named Karl von Habsburg. He’s quite prestigious, with all sorts of honorary titles. He’s a famous entrepreneur, a philanthropist, the vice-chairman of the Pan-European Business Alliance, a guest of honor at the Vatican, and the Grand Master of the Ostland Knight Order."

"Mr. Karl has a son and a daughter. The son is a race car driver, and the daughter is a famous jewelry designer."

’A race car driver?’

’A jewelry designer?’

Looking at these two professions, Lin Chu pursed his lips. ’Such decadent pursuits.’

’But they’re probably not that capable anyway. It’s to be expected.’

’In a declining economic cycle, and in a declining family, it’s enough for children with average abilities to just live off the family fortune.’

’If they actually try to make big moves, they’d just end up crashing and burning even faster.’

"Alright, I get it. If there’s nothing else, let them know that if they have time, they can come visit me."

"If they don’t have time, then forget it."

Lin Chu replied as such after a moment’s thought.

’I’ve spent nearly three billion USD at the Habsburg Auction House in less than half a month. For a major client like me, if they don’t come for a house call, they simply don’t know how to do business.’