Rebirth Of The European Billionaire

Slap in the Face at Place Vendome

A gentle Parisian autumn breeze blows, carrying the distinctive aroma of baked goods and expensive perfumes along Place Vendôme. This area is the epicenter of global luxury, a place where even the cobblestone streets seem to exude the scent of money.

Arthur strode casually, his hands tucked into the pockets of his casual jeans. Amidst the crowd of people in smart suits and designer dresses, Arthur's appearance stood out—not because of luxury, but because of his utter indifference. However, inside his head, a transparent virtual screen continued to flash, displaying the countdown to the System's shopping mission.

[System Mission: Complete capital expenditure in the Place Vendôme area. Time remaining: 45 minutes.]

Arthur smiled faintly. For him, this was no longer about spending money, but rather about completing daily tasks. His footsteps brought him to a stop in front of the legendary haute couture boutique, Maison de L'Élite. This boutique was renowned for catering exclusively to royalty, A-list celebrities, and Forbes-listed billionaires.

Just as Arthur pushed open the gold-framed glass door of the boutique, a very familiar voice pierced his ears.

"Arthur?! What's a bum like you doing here?!"

Arthur turned around. In the VIP lounge area, lined with red velvet carpet, sat two very familiar women: Chloe, his materialistic ex-girlfriend, and her mother, Sofia. Before them, a local designer was displaying a custom-made wedding gown encrusted with sparkling Swarovski crystals.

Chloe stared at Arthur with undisguised disgust. "You followed me all the way to Paris, didn't you? Arthur, get a grip! We're over. I came here to order a wedding dress with my new rich fiancé, not to see your poor face!"

Chloe's mother, Sofia, stood up, her face bright red. She looked Arthur up and down at his clothes, as if he were a walking pile of garbage.

"Manager! Security! How could a place like Maison de L'Élite allow such a low-class person to enter?!" Sofia shouted without any regard for etiquette. "He's an eyesore and polluting the air here! Kick him out now!"

A middle-aged man in a neat suit with the nametag 'Pierre – General Manager' immediately ran over. Seeing Arthur's appearance, Pierre's brows immediately knitted together.

"Excuse me, sir," Pierre said in a cold, mock-soprano tone. "Our boutique only serves invited guests and VIP customers with a certain minimum balance. Please leave before we take action."

Arthur wasn't angry. Instead, he looked at them all with a playful look. "Oh? So this boutique judges people only by their clothes and money?"

"Of course! In the real world, money is everything, Arthur!" Chloe sneered, hugging her mother's arm. "This wedding dress I'm ordering costs three hundred thousand Euros! You couldn't afford it even if you worked your whole life!"

Arthur ignored Chloe's barking. He closed his eyes for a moment, communicating with the System in his mind.

'System, can I buy this whole place?'

[Processing Host request. Boutique 'Maison de L'Élite' is a subsidiary of L'Élite Group. Share valuation: €150,000,000. Would you like to purchase it in cash?]

'Buy now. No installments.' Arthur gave absolute orders.

[Purchase successful. Fund transfer completed. You are now the sole majority shareholder (100%) of L'Élite Group.]

The next second, Arthur opened his eyes. He looked at Pierre, the manager still with his arms crossed, waiting for him to leave. "I suggest you check your phone or call this boutique in three... two... one..."

The internal phone at the reception desk rang loudly. Pierre snorted, then motioned for security to keep an eye on Arthur while he answered the phone.

"Hello, Maison de L'Élite Paris here..." Pierre's sentence broke off. His previously haughty face suddenly paled. His eyes widened, and his body began to tremble violently.

"CEO? Yes... Yes, Mr. Jean-Paul? What?! New owner?!" Pierre swallowed hard. His gaze slowly shifted to Arthur, who was now smiling faintly as he leaned against a marble pillar.

"Jeans... casual... Asian... Y-Yes, he's here..." Pierre's voice squeaked. From the other end of the line, the CEO's furious shout could be heard by everyone in the room.

"You idiot! You just offended Mr. Arthur, the new owner of our entire corporation! If you can't get Mr. Arthur to forgive you in one minute, not only will you be fired, but I'll make sure you never work in the fashion industry again for the rest of your life!"

The phone was hung up unilaterally.

The room suddenly fell silent. Chloe and Sofia looked at each other, not understanding what had just happened.

However, the next sight made both of their jaws drop to the floor. Pierre, the overbearing boutique manager, suddenly dropped to his knees on the marble floor right in front of Arthur.

"Master Arthur! Please forgive my impudence! I was blind! I didn't know that you were our new owner!" Pierre hit himself in the face several times until it turned red, begging for mercy in a trembling voice.

Chloe screamed in shock, "Manager Pierre! What are you doing?! He's just Arthur, my poor ex-boyfriend! Why are you kneeling down to this bum?!"

"Shut up, you stupid woman!" Pierre snapped, his face full of tears and fear. "Mr. Arthur just bought our entire group of companies for cash! He's the rightful owner of this place, all its branches worldwide, and all the clothes here!"

Hearing this, Sofia immediately clutched her chest, feeling as if her world was spinning. "Buying the entire group? In cash?!"

Arthur stepped forward, standing in front of Chloe and her mother, who were now frozen like wax statues. Instant gratification rippled through Arthur's chest as he saw their faces, pale and shocked. This was the most devastating slap in the face they had ever felt.

"Pierre," Arthur called coldly.

"Yes, Mr. Owner?" Pierre looked up with a trembling body.

"First, you're fired. Pack your things now," Arthur said emotionlessly. Pierre collapsed and sat resignedly on the floor.

Arthur then turned his gaze to the luxurious wedding gown that had been on display in front of Chloe. It was the pristine white gown that his ex-girlfriend had so desired for her grand wedding.

"This dress... costs three hundred thousand Euros, right?" Arthur asked, breaking the silence.

Chloe swallowed, trying to gather the last of her courage. "A-Arthur... I mean, Arthur, dear... we were together. This dress... you wanted to give it to me as a parting gift, right?" Her materialistic mind immediately raced, trying to take advantage of the situation.

Arthur laughed crisply, a laugh that sounded so cruel to Chloe's ears.

"Give it to you? Don't even dream about it," Arthur hissed. He turned to the frightened assistant designer in the corner. "Get me a lighter and some kerosene."

"Sir?" The assistant was surprised.

"Just do it. Now."

Within seconds, the new owner's orders were carried out. A small bottle of kerosene and a lighter were placed in front of Arthur. Without hesitation, Arthur doused the oil on the priceless haute couture wedding gown.

"Arthur! What are you doing?! That's my dream dress!" Chloe screamed hysterically, wanting to run to stop him, but was held back by the boutique security at Arthur's eye signal.

Arthur lit the lighter. The small flame danced on his fingertip before he dropped it onto the expensive silk.

The flames erupted, instantly engulfing the crystal-encrusted white wedding gown. Black smoke billowed, and the smell of burning fabric filled the luxury boutique. The dress, which had been a symbol of Chloe and her mother's pride just minutes earlier, was now reduced to a worthless pile of black ash before their very eyes.

"This dress has been touched by your eyes and hands," Arthur said calmly, gazing into the flames, which reflected satisfaction in his eyes. "To me, it's dirtying my new shop."

Sofia collapsed onto the VIP couch, her face drained of color. Meanwhile, Chloe sobbed hysterically, mourning the loss of her dream dress and the fact that the man she had once discarded like trash had now become a king who could destroy her life with the snap of a finger.

Arthur turned away, not wanting to watch their cheap drama any longer. As he walked out of the boutique, his System screen flashed again.

[Mission Completed. €150,000,000 expenditure successfully confirmed. Mission Evaluation: Perfect! Awaiting the next reward.]

Arthur smiled with satisfaction. Place Vendôme felt even more beautiful that afternoon than usual.