The Billionaire's Multiplier System-Chapter 78 - 72– Wine, Wounds, and a Line Crossed

The rooftop of the Crimson Circle’s private dining club had transformed from a venue for polite conversation into an arena where social standing was both weapon and prize. The air hummed with tension, thick enough to slice with one of the silver butter knives laid out on the linen-draped tables. This was no longer just a gathering of the city’s elite youth—it had become a battlefield.

Not of fists or blades—but of names, net worths, and unspoken hierarchy.

And tonight, Lin Feng had just thrown a chair at the pecking order.

---

### **The Spark That Lit the Fire**

It began with what appeared to be a simple gesture—a gift presented without fanfare.

To Xu Shanyue, the enigmatic heiress known for her discerning tastes and even more discerning company, Lin had offered a jade hairpin. Not the gaudy, ostentatious kind favored by those trying too hard to impress, but something far more dangerous: a piece hand-carved by a master artisan, understated in its elegance, expensive in the way that whispers rather than shouts.

He hadn’t bragged about its provenance.

He hadn’t even explained its significance.

He simply ordered it, handed it over with the same casual grace one might use to return a borrowed pen, and said, "Consider it rent."

That single move set the whole room on fire.

Quietly, of course.

In these circles, fire spread through glances and the careful clink of glasses—never through something as vulgar as smoke.

> "Did you see what he gave her?"

> "Is this guy for real?"

> "Did she actually accept it?"

The whispers slithered between champagne flutes and designer handbags.

And while they dissected his every move, Lin Feng simply sipped his tea.

Not the expensive French wine being poured for everyone else. Not the rare Japanese whisky Chen Yuan had specially imported for the evening.

Tea.

That alone was statement enough.

---

### **System Notification:**

> **Host has caused visible imbalance in the elite junior circle.**

> **Effect:** Rivalry multiplier activated (x1.3)

> **Interest Flags:**

> - **Guo Yuwei** = Intrigued (Favorability +5%)

> - **Xu Shanyue** = Complicated (Favorability fluctuating ±8%)

> - **Chen Yuan** = Borderline meltdown (Hostility +40%)

> **New Title Unlocked:** *"Agent of Disruption"*

> *Effect: Social maneuvers now carry 15% higher impact among elite circles*

> **P.S.** *The sharks smell blood. Unfortunately for them, it’s their own.*

---

### **The First Challenge**

Chen Yuan made his move with the precision of someone who’d been waiting for this moment all evening. His Ferragamo loafers clicked against the imported marble as he stepped forward, the crystal tumbler in his hand catching the light just so.

His tone was polished. His smile, practiced. His eyes?

Trembling with barely contained offense.

> "Mr. Lin," he began, pausing just long enough to ensure every ear in the room was turned his way, "We’ve all admired your... calm tonight. Your ability to move so quietly... and still be seen."

The barb was artfully concealed—a compliment wrapped around a dagger.

Chen continued, swirling his drink.

> "But I think some of us are curious... is there actual substance behind the style? Or is this just particularly well-funded theatrics?"

Lin didn’t immediately rise to the bait. He set his teacup down with deliberate care, the porcelain making not a sound against the saucer. When he finally looked up, there was something dangerous in the slight curve of his lips.

> "Curiosity is healthy," he allowed. Then, with razor precision: "Just don’t mistake curiosity for entitlement."

A choked laugh escaped one of the juniors near the back, hastily disguised as a cough.

Guo Yuwei, perched elegantly on a lounge chair, tilted her glass in silent salute, her crimson nails catching the light as she murmured:

> "Now this is getting interesting."

Chen’s smile froze for the briefest second before he recovered.

> "I only mean that many of us here earned our way up. We built, failed, built again. We didn’t just... walk in with anonymous capital."

Lin rose then—not abruptly, but with the controlled motion of a predator uncoiling.

> "You’re right. I didn’t knock." He moved toward the glass railing, the city’s skyline glittering behind him like a crown. "I walked in."

A beat. The entire room held its breath.

> "Because this room was full of people so busy toasting each other, flattering each other... they forgot to look outside their own circle."

> "So I stopped asking permission."

> "And now?" He turned back to face them all, the ghost of a smile playing at his lips. "I own the door."

---

### **The Silence That Followed**

The hush that fell was so complete one could hear the ice melting in abandoned drinks.

Even Xu Shanyue, who had observed the entire exchange with her characteristic detached amusement, arched one perfectly shaped brow.

But Chen, pride wounded beyond bearing, wasn’t done.

> "Owning a door isn’t the same as building a house," he spat, his carefully cultivated composure cracking at the edges. "What are you actually creating here, Lin Feng?"

Lin’s smile deepened.

> "Funny you should ask."

With deliberate slowness, he withdrew his phone, tapped the screen twice, then handed it to the nearest junior—a mousy-haired boy who nearly dropped it in his haste.

The gasps came in waves.

> "Wait—is that—?"

> "Jinghua Innovation Hub?"

> "That’s Chen’s family’s flagship property!"

> "How the hell—?"

Chen lunged forward, snatching the device. The color drained from his face as he scanned the document displayed.

> "This is a joke." His voice cracked on the last syllable.

> "Timestamped thirty-seven minutes ago," Lin said calmly. "Purchased through Chengwei Holdings. The option clause was triggered due to... what was it?" A theatrical pause. "Ah yes. Unpaid contractor fees. Your uncle was quite eager to sell."

> "To me."

---

NoSystem Notification:

> Combo Strike x2 Activated – Asset Acquisition + Public Reveal

> Passive Income Increase: ¥118,000/month (Projected annual: ¥1,416,000)

> Chen Yuan Social Prestige: -35% (Recovery estimate: 6-8 months)

> Social Shockwave: Status re-alignment in progress...

> Bonus Unlocked: "Silent Shark"

> Effect: Future hostile takeovers gain 20% stealth advantage

> P.S. You just collected rent at a dinner table. Legendary.

---

The Aftermath

> "You—you waited until I was here—" Chen’s voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "You ambushed me in public—"

> "You ambushed yourself," Lin corrected mildly. "You came at me with words. I answered with paperwork."

> "You were making noise. I was signing documents."

A soft, deliberate clink broke the tension—Guo Yuwei setting down her glass to applaud, slow and mocking.

> "Bravo."

Xu Shanyue remained silent, but her gaze—sharp and assessing—never left Lin’s face.

Wang Wei, ever the peacemaker, attempted damage control:

> "Okay, okay, let’s all just—"

> "Speak for yourself," Lin interrupted, his tone light but carrying an edge. "I’m perfectly calm. Just... collecting what’s owed."

> "Collecting what?" someone dared to ask.

Lin’s smile was all teeth.

> "Rent."

---

Scene Change – The Garden Balcony

Ten minutes later, Lin stood alone on the deserted balcony, letting the night air cool the adrenaline humming through his veins. He wasn’t shaken—far from it. But the main room had begun to stink of fear and desperation, and he’d needed space to think.

The click of heels on marble announced company before the familiar perfume did.

> "You didn’t come here to blend in," Guo Yuwei observed, leaning against the railing beside him.

> "No," he agreed, watching the city lights flicker below. "I came to remind them that real wealth isn’t inherited. It’s taken."

She turned to study his profile, her smile a dangerous curve in the moonlight.

> "You enjoy making enemies?"

> "Not particularly." He met her gaze evenly. "But I do enjoy turning fairweather friends into expensive lessons."

---

System Prompt:

> Yuwei’s Romantic Tension: +12% (Current: 67%)

> Social Flag Detected: "Queen with Chaos Kink"

> Warning: This dynamic may lead to either powerful alliance or career-ending scandal. Proceed with caution.

> Additional Note: Chen’s cousin manages two major gossip blogs. Expect hit pieces by morning. Estimated PR war intensity: Level 3/5. Recommended countermeasures: 1) Preemptive media strike 2) Strategic alliance 3) [REDACTED]

---

> "You’ve shaken the entire circle tonight," Yuwei murmured, watching him through her lashes.

> "Good." Lin turned to face her fully. "Maybe now it’ll actually roll somewhere useful."

She gave him that look—the one that had broken lesser men—long and measuring.

> "You know what terrifies them more than a wealthy man?"

> "Do tell."

> "A wealthy man who couldn’t care less about their approval."

Lin’s laugh was quiet but sharp.

> "Approval doesn’t pay dividends."

> "Neither do grudges," she countered. "Yet people cling to them all the same."

He held her gaze, unblinking.

> "Let them cling. I’ve got nothing but time."

---

Epilogue: The Ripples Spread

Group Chat: "Crimson Circle – Inner Ring"

Wang Wei:

> Okay but SERIOUSLY how did he even GET the Innovation Hub? That property’s been in Chen’s family for—

Guo Yuwei:

> Correction: *was* in Chen’s family. Currently leased back to him at 2.3x market rate.

Random Junior #4:

> This man really turned a dinner party into a hostile takeover showcase.

Chen Yuan has left the group

Xu Shanyue is typing...

...

Message deleted

---

Later That Night – Xu Shanyue’s Penthouse

The silence in her private lounge was absolute. No music. No lights except for the electric glow of the city beyond floor-to-ceiling windows.

On her phone screen, a leaked video played on loop—captured by a Crimson Club staffer smart enough to record but not brave enough to intervene.

Lin Feng, standing amidst the chaos he’d orchestrated, teacup in hand, voice calm as still water:

"I didn’t knock. I walked in. Because the room was locked."

Replay.

Replay.

Replay.

With sudden violence, she hurled the phone across the room, watching with satisfaction as it shattered against the far wall.

In the echoing silence that followed, a whisper:

> "So it begins."

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