The Billionaire's Love Gamble

"Hey, Samantha, free for dinner tonight?" The moment his paycheck hit the account, Ethan couldn't wait to send a message to his goddess, Samantha. She was the one he was currently most invested in pursuing. Back in college, Ethan had nursed a quiet crush on Samantha for four years, never daring to confess. After graduation, they each went their own way, and the feelings slowly faded. But to his surprise, after two years in the workforce, she ended up transferring to the same company as him! After some careful digging and subtle probing, Ethan found out she was still single, which reignited the spark that had long been dormant. He decided to make his move. “Let's skip dinner. You just got paid, and you're already planning to waste it. 😏” About half an hour later, Samantha replied. Ethan, who'd been glued to his phone, immediately typed back: “Aw, come on, just dinner. Throw me a bone, will ya?” Samantha: “Sorry, but I really have plans tonight. My rock having a birthday bash, big party and all.” Ethan: “Well, any chance I could tag along? I'd be no trouble—open doors, carry bags, wipe your shoes… I come fully stocked with tissues, gum, water, whatever you need. I'd be your 24/7 on-call butler, ready to serve!” Two years in sales had thickened Ethan's skin. After all, goddesses were human too. As long as he wasn't blocked, there was still a shot. Like his manager always said: “Reeling in clients is just like chasing girls. You gotta kiss up to them. Every day. Again and again. Until they get so used to you, they can't live without you. Then, closing the deal is easy.” Samantha: “……” An ellipsis. Clearly, she was speechless. Sensing he'd pushed far enough, Ethan decided to take a step back. “Alright, alright, I'll stop bugging you. What about tomorrow, though? Just for drinks?” If today didn't work out, there was always tomorrow. No big deal. Samantha: “Tomorrow's no good either. I'm heading home to visit my parents.” Oof. That was a pretty obvious no. But Ethan didn't get discouraged. He gave it a second, then asked, “What about the day after tomorrow?” He hit send… And moments later, Samantha lost it. “The day after, the day after that, and the day after that—I'm busy! You're seriously pushing it!” “Ethan, we might've been classmates, but my standards for a boyfriend are high. Like, real high. He's gotta own property around here, drive at least a BMW or Audi, and have a yearly income of at least half a mil. I'm not interested in whatever you're offering. I'm just that kind of materialistic girl. So please, stop bothering me. I'm over it.” It was a long message. Her frustration was clear. Ethan read it over, then shook his head with a smile. “You know… somehow, this makes me like you even more. Every girl's a little materialistic, but I gotta hand it to you, at least you're upfront about it.” Samantha: “...!!! Drop dead!” … Ethan lit a cigarette and didn't bother texting her again. After a minute, he opened up his contacts and sent a message to another girl. "Chloe, free for dinner tonight??" Chloe was a former colleague from the sales team, a pretty girl who'd left the company after some drama with their manager. They'd kept in touch. Ethan liked her too. Sometimes, he got the feeling she might be into him as well. They had exchanged a few flirtatious messages here and there, but it never went beyond that. “Sorry, I'm married now, actually. And pregnant. My husband's pretty strict about me going out.” Wait, what? When did that happen? It felt… kinda sudden. “Well, congrats. I hope it all goes well.” He sent the message, got no reply, and left it at that. Then, he clicked on the next contact. … “Lily, want to grab dinner tonight?” Lily was someone Ethan had met at an offline board game meetup. They'd gone to the same university, but she was two years behind him and still in her senior year. She was younger, with a lively, playful personality. Always up for fun. Her social media was full of pictures of her hanging out with her cat, going to hotpot restaurants, playing board games, hitting the club, or doing karaoke. And, of course, there were plenty of selfies too. Ethan had taken her out for dinner a few times. She seemed alright. By “alright,” he meant she gave off serious backup vibes. Dinner, drinks, karaoke, dancing—sure, she'd say yes, and the experience was guaranteed to be good. Maybe, just maybe, if the night went well, he could hold her hand or sneak a kiss. It felt like love… almost. But any thought of going further? Forget about it. She'd block him in a second. In comparison, Samantha was still his top choice. So Lily? Yeah, she was just number three. Wait, scratch that. She's moved up to number two now. “Sure! I was actually craving hotpot too. Which place?” Lily replied almost instantly. Ethan: “The one at Wanda Plaza, 7 pm?” “Perfect. See you then.” “Cool.” … After ending the chat, Ethan slumped into his chair, a faint, bitter smile playing at his lips. For a moment, he felt like a dog in heat. But what could he do? At 25, Ethan had never been in a relationship. Back in school, he'd been shy, broke, and awkward. Now, after two years of work, he wasn't so shy anymore, his finances were a bit better, and his looks had improved—though only enough to be considered average. The kind of guy no one would glance at twice on the street. With that in mind, how else was he supposed to land a girlfriend other than sucking up? Even ordinary guys dream of sweet love. They dream of finding someone who looks at them like they're the only one in the world, walking down the aisle together, having kids, growing old side by side. But… That dream was starting to feel like a cruel joke. At the end of the day, it was all about money. And making money? Pfft. Easier said than done. Getting rich was harder than finding love, honestly. At least as a pushover, maybe someday, some girl might be moved by his sincerity. But making money? No capitalist would be impressed by sincerity. … As Ethan sat there, caught up in his bitter thoughts, a voice suddenly echoed in his head. [Love Tycoon System activated. Binding complete.] [Host: Ethan.] [As the master of the Love Tycoon System, for every dollar you spend on a girl, you will receive a hundredfold return in cash rewards. No upper limit.] [System Rule 1: All funds are guaranteed secure, with instant withdrawal.] [System Rule 2: You will be able to see each date's affection level. Once it reaches 100, no further rewards will be granted.] [System Rule 3: The system's ultimate goal is to help the host find their true love. The system will deactivate once you meet someone with 100 affection and choose to marry them.] [Now, embark on your journey of love. Wishing you happiness.] It was a long message. Ethan sat there, letting it sink in, his heart racing and hands trembling before he finally managed to calm down. He was no stranger to systems. He'd read plenty of novels about them. But this system… aside from the audacious "hundredfold return" mechanic, there was something almost philosophical about it. "Wishing you happiness?" That wasn't something you saw often in the novels he'd read. Most systems promised wealth or power, not happiness. Looking over the rules again, Ethan understood. The Love Tycoon System had two parts. The first was love. The second, wealth. He had two paths before him. The first: to live recklessly, choosing girl after girl, chasing money, with no concern for anything else. The second: to settle down when he found the right one, marry her, and the system would disappear. Bold. And really, these two choices didn't even clash. Put simply? It was, "Play around now, settle down later." This… this was the peak of life, wasn't it? … …