Rebirth Of The European Billionaire

Bait On The Riviera Auction Table

News of the arrival of a mysterious new Asian billionaire in Paris began to spread like wildfire among the haute-volée elite. Arthur's name was suddenly a hot topic among the investment bankers of La Défense and the socialites who used to sip champagne on Place Vendôme. However, inside a luxury villa on the outskirts of Paris, the news was received with disdainful laughter.

Julian, the heir to the Bourbon Group, took a deep drag on his cigar before exhaling a thick cloud of smoke into the air. Beside him, Chloe sat massaging his shoulders, her face still raw from the trauma of the wedding dress burning incident at the Maison de L'Élite boutique.

"A new billionaire? The new owner of L'Élite Group?" Julian chuckled sarcastically, staring at his phone screen displaying rumors about Pendelton Capital. "He probably just won the EuroMillions lottery or received a blind inheritance from a distant relative in Asia. Someone like Arthur has no corporate background, no connections, and most importantly, no brains to manage that kind of money. That kind of windfall would be gone in an instant in the hands of an amateur."

Chloe immediately nodded in agreement, trying to console herself. "You're right, honey. Arthur was once just a poor man counting pennies to pay his rent. Seeing him act all over the place in Paris yesterday made me sick. He must have spent all his lottery winnings on purpose just to show off in front of me!"

Julian smiled slyly. His eyes glinted with a sinister plan. "Then let's help him spend the rest of his lottery winnings. Coincidentally, there's an exclusive land auction on the French Riviera tomorrow night. All the nouveau riche fools will want to show off there. I'll invite him. We'll see if his poverty-stricken mentality can withstand the pressure of a real price war."

***

The following evening, the Hotel Negresco in Nice, on the French Riviera, was a dazzling display of crystal chandeliers and jewel-encrusted evening gowns. The Riviera Elite Real Estate auction was attended by only one hundred of Europe's most influential people.

As Arthur stepped into the auction hall, all eyes were immediately drawn to him. He was no longer wearing casual jeans. Tonight, Arthur was wearing a custom-made black tuxedo from Savile Row that perfectly fit his toned frame. His strides were calm, exuding an aura of dominance so strong that even some of the older businessmen involuntarily bowed their heads as he passed.

"Oh, look who's here. It's Mr. Arthur, the lottery billionaire," a sarcastic voice greeted him from the front row of VIP seats.

Julian stood with a condescending smile, while Chloe beside him stared at Arthur with a mixture of hatred and undeniable admiration. Arthur now looked far more handsome and sophisticated than when they were together.

"Julian," Arthur said curtly, his face emotionless. "Thank you for the invitation. I hope you have something interesting tonight."

"Of course there is, Mr. Arthur. I'm just afraid your lottery purse isn't thick enough to keep up with the games of the grown men here," Julian quipped as he sat back down haughtily.

Arthur just smiled faintly, then took a seat in the opposite row, right where he could watch Julian's every expression. Inside his head, the System's neon blue screen suddenly lit up automatically.

[Ding! Detecting hostility from the target: Julian. Activating Level 2 additional feature: 'Eye of Evaluation'.]

[Feature Explanation: Hosts can view the intrinsic value, legal status, and hidden defects of any physical asset in real-time.]

Arthur leaned back in his velvet chair, his legs crossed in a relaxed manner. 'Perfect,' he thought. The bait on the auction table was ready, and the prey themselves had put the noose around their necks.

The auction began with a few warm-up properties—a villa in Cannes and a vineyard in Bordeaux. However, the atmosphere in the room suddenly heated up when the auctioneer banged his gavel to introduce the evening's main item.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at tonight's masterpiece," the auctioneer exclaimed in a booming baritone. "Lot number seven. A ten-hectare plot of exclusive beachfront land in Saint-Tropez. The site has been earmarked for the development of a six-star ultra-luxury resort. Initial market valuation: €50,000,000!"

A large screen on the stage displayed photos of a beautiful bay with crystal-blue waters. The investors in the room immediately began whispering excitedly. Land in Saint-Tropez was a rare commodity that could yield substantial returns.

Julian glanced at Arthur immediately, then raised his auction board without hesitation. "€55,000,000!"

The room was noisy. Julian stared at Arthur with his chin raised, as if challenging him.

Arthur didn't respond immediately. He activated the Eye of Evaluation and fixed his gaze on the land mockup on the stage. Instantly, lines of bright red system text appeared above the image, revealing the auction organizers' most dirty secret.

[Eye of Evaluation Analysis: Lot Number 7 (Saint-Tropez Land)]

[Legal Status: ABSOLUTELY DEFECTIVE. The French government has just signed a secret decree that will be made public next week, placing 98% of this land area within a Strict Marine Environmental Conservation Zone (Natura 2000).]

[Consequence: All forms of commercial development are strictly prohibited. The land cannot be built on even a small hut.]

[Current Real Value: €0. Toxic Asset.]

Seeing the data, Arthur nearly burst out laughing. The land was a financial time bomb. Whoever bought it would not only lose their capital but also be trapped in a lifelong cycle of useless land taxes.

Julian, seeing Arthur's silence, thought his fiancees ex-girlfriend was scared. "What's wrong, Arthur? You say you're a new billionaire, but are you already scared by fifty-five million? If you don't have the money, you might as well go home and sleep!" Julian sneered, drawing chuckles from some of his colleagues.

Arthur pretended to show a tense expression, as if he were emotionally stirred. He slowly raised his auction board. "€65,000,000."

"Great! That's exciting!" Julian jumped at the bait without a second thought. He wanted to either publicly destroy Arthur by making him buy the land at an unreasonably high price, or force him to resign and face humiliation. "€75,000,000!"

"€85,000,000," Arthur replied in a deliberately curt tone to sound like someone who was being selfish and stubborn.

Chloe, who was sitting next to Julian, whispered triumphantly, "Honey, raise it again! Make him lose his breath! Spend all his lottery money tonight!"

Julian laughed with satisfaction. He felt he had complete control over Arthur's psychology. According to the Bourbon Group team's analysis, the land's economic value, if forced, was €95,000,000. So, he decided to push Arthur to the brink at that figure, then let him fall into the trap of buying it.

"€95,000,000!" Julian shouted, his voice echoing throughout the hall. The audience held their breath. That was almost double the starting price.

All eyes were now on Arthur. The auctioneer began counting excitedly. "€95,000,000 from Mr. Julian of the Bourbon Group! Is there a higher bid? Mr. Arthur?"

Arthur slowly placed his auction board on the table. His previously tense and emotional expression suddenly changed completely. The corners of his lips lifted, forming a relaxed, cool, and triumphant smile that sent shivers down Julian's spine.

Arthur clapped his hands softly, breaking the silence of the hall.

"Congratulations, Julian. The land is yours," Arthur said in a calm voice that resonated clearly in every corner of the room. "Ninety-five million euros for a plot of land that can't even be built on a public toilet. What a genius investment move by the Bourbon Group."

Julian frowned, his heart suddenly pounding at Arthur's calm demeanor. "What do you mean?! Don't act smart, Arthur! This is premium land!"

"Sold! Lot Number 7 officially goes to Mr. Julian of the Bourbon Group for ninety-five million Euros!" The auctioneer banged his final hammer.

At the exact moment the gavel fell, the phone in Julian's jacket pocket vibrated violently. Not only Julian's phone, but the phones of several top Parisian investors in the room also began ringing simultaneously.

Julian's face suddenly turned pale when he saw the caller's name on his screen: the Financial Director of the Bourbon Group.

With trembling hands, she picked up the phone. The panicked, hysterical voice on the other end pierced her eardrums, so loud that Chloe, standing beside her, could hear it.

"Mr. Julian! Disaster! Our internal documents were leaked to the national media five minutes ago! News of tax evasion and the failed Dubai project are already making headlines across Europe! Bourbon Group shares on the Paris stock exchange. They're in a freefall, sir! They fell eighty percent in a matter of minutes and trading was immediately suspended."

"What?!" Julian screamed, his whole body suddenly going limp until he almost fell from his chair.

However, his suffering wasn't over. The finance man continued, his voice almost tearful, "And just now, the law firm Pendelton Capital released a statement stating that they are holding a massive short position on our stock with maximum leverage! They... they are draining our family of all their remaining wealth right now, sir!"

Julian's phone slipped from his hand, crashing to the marble floor, the screen cracking a thousand times. His face was as white as cotton, his eyes staring blankly ahead. He had just spent ninety-five million euros on worthless land, while his family's company in Paris was being razed to the ground.

Arthur stood up from his chair, adjusting the buttons on his tuxedo with great elegance. He stared at Julian and Chloe, who now looked like two living corpses, bereft of their souls, in the middle of the grand auction hall.

"I told you, Julian," Arthur whispered as he stepped past them. "The game has only just begun. Enjoy your bankruptcy."