Vampire in the Trash Bin

When it comes to the **"Ling Eagle Group"**, every business veteran has nothing but praise. The group isn't that old, with just over twenty years of history. Its founder, **Victor Ling**, started with a six-person company and seized the opportunity during Taiwan's economic boom to expand rapidly. Decades ago, he played an indispensable role in Taiwan's uniquely successful foreign trade. After the company grew, he wisely diversified its business ventures. Nearly twenty years ago, when he did this, most people called him crazy. They said he wasn't making enough money and was foolishly throwing cash into unpopular, unprofitable ventures. Jealous onlookers watched coldly, gleefully anticipating his failure and ready with sarcastic remarks. Yet, against all expectations, he succeeded! History proved his vision was fixed on the business battles decades ahead. His strategy wasn't to enter mature markets, but to invest in undeveloped, untapped sectors, catalyzing so-called "niche businesses." Victor Ling's foresight allowed him to build a multinational corporation spanning over ten countries with minimal initial capital. Such a shrewd and influential figure in the business world could easily be dubbed the "**god of commerce**" by fledgling entrepreneurs. But what about his private life? Heh, if you think a man this successful in business must have neglected his family, you'd be dead wrong. His family life isn't just happy; it could be the supermodel of model families. His wife, **Sophia Zou**, embodies the virtues of a traditional Chinese woman: gentle, lovely, beautiful, elegant, and utterly devoted to her husband. Her thoughtfulness ensures Victor comes home every night without fail, a habit maintained for over twenty years. Their affection is so sweet, it's like they're perpetually on their honeymoon. So... Victor Ling has... quite a few children... Six! That number seems staggering today, but back then, it was only considered "slightly" excessive. If Victor hadn't been so heartbroken seeing Sophia suffer through childbirth, given their devotion, Sophia could easily have borne ten more. Perhaps because they were "too loving," the children arrived in quick succession, roughly one every year and a half. This frequency resulted in all but the eldest child being born with what might be called "congenital disorders." Now, all six children are bright, attractive, and perfectly healthy – no missing limbs or intellectual disabilities. So how can they be defective? Well... this is the Ling couple's most nagging worry! It wasn't apparent when they were young, but as they grew up... Oh heavens! They'd raised a bunch of bizarrely eccentric kids? First, the eldest, **Eleanor Ling**. Undoubtedly female, she was the most "robust" from birth. Clever, adorable, empathetic, and possessing a super-sharp mind, she skipped grades all the way to a Harvard MBA. Victor's proudest daughter, at just twenty-eight, she's already the CEO of Ling Eagle Group's Asia-Pacific division. But she's dissatisfied and ambitiously aims to dethrone her father. While father and daughter are close at home, business is strictly professional. Her cold efficiency makes Victor frown, feeling chilled to the bone – a super-capable powerhouse rivaling **Margaret Thatcher**. She's the *most normal* of the six. Next, the second child – **Thomas Ling**, the eldest son. He showed zero interest in the vast family empire, readily handing the reins to his ambitious elder sister. The Ling family's eccentric genes started manifesting with him. Instead of being the proper young master, his passion is "**street sweeping**." Victor nearly fainted seeing him sweep the streets. He tried desperately to get Thomas into the family company, but the young master flatly refused. Under pressure, Thomas reluctantly opened a rice factory in southern Taiwan, becoming the "Rice King." He often works the fields himself. As for street sweeping... that's his hobby. A day without it, and he feels like his bones are being disassembled, his foul mood making everyone avoid him. This son... Victor finds nothing but frustration, frustration, and more frustration. Ah... he doesn't know how to make his eldest son a little more normal. The third child, **Ryan Ling**, is Victor's greatest heartache. Blessed with devastatingly good looks, he entered the entertainment industry against family advice and became the hottest male actor in the Far East. Having an actor son wasn't the problem; Victor's parenting is liberal. He supports his children's chosen paths and nurtures their growth. However... Ryan is gay! He has no interest in women and has brought numerous men home. Seeing his son so intimate with other men, Victor practically foamed at the mouth, too afraid to ask for details. If Victor ever confirmed Ryan was engaging in "mutual athletics" with men, he'd likely have a stroke and meet his maker early. The fourth child, **Arthur Ling**, looks ordinary but is severely autistic. Ironically, he's a **lawyer**! While he's eloquent in court, it's not rare for him to go days without speaking a word. His facial expressions are robotic, his smile always measured to the exact same angle – you could measure it with a ruler without a millimeter's deviation! But the truly terrifying part isn't that. When he closes his door, Victor and Sophia often hear eerie, idiotic giggles. He wouldn't explain why, so they secretly installed a camera. The final observation? He giggles idiotically at his pet turtle! He shows more affection for the turtle than for his parents. The couple exchanged helpless glances – should they compete with a turtle for their son's affection? The fifth child, **Eva Ling**, the sweet, adorable youngest daughter. Quirky and clever, she just earned her Master's in Anthropology and works as a teaching assistant at a prestigious private university. A daughter as thoughtful and filial as her is every parent's dream, deserving all the world's finest things. But... as long as she isn't doing "research," she's the perfect daughter. Once she starts her research... everyone scrambles back to their rooms to hide their belongings. Why? Does her research involve explosions? Of course not. It's perfectly safe – just utterly mortifying. As an anthropologist, her favorite research method is... **dumpster diving**! Imagine a pampered heiress crawling through trash piles! It looks like something only a stray dog would do, yet she revels in it. Victor fumes, wondering why he ever agreed to let her study "Anthropology." Finally, the youngest son, **Liam Ling**. Eerie and ghostly, people who see him think they've seen a phantom. With his parents' excellent genes, he's no **Hunchback of Notre Dame**; on the contrary, he's strikingly handsome, hailed as the "Number One Prince Charming" on campus and head of the student union. Ignoring his morbid personality, he's intelligent and quick-witted – girls fawn over him endlessly. If he could just stop his habit of silently "appearing and vanishing," the Lings might live longer. Only Eva dares enter his room – naturally, to search his trash. Sophia hasn't ventured in for "centuries." If she saw his room looking like a haunted house again, an ambulance would be a daily fixture at the Ling residence. Simply put! The Ling children are bona fide "**freaks**"! Victor thinks "freaks" is putting it mildly. If they weren't born to him and his dear wife, he'd seriously doubt if these terrifying kids were even human. Oh heavens! Why must he and Sophia suffer like this? Each child is stranger than the last. He dares not dream of holding grandchildren. Is there any kind soul who can save him and Sophia? He wants to see his grandchildren before he kicks the bucket – at least six of them. He's not greedy; just six little darlings. Someone, please pity these two helpless, miserable old souls!