[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati":3,"chapter-harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-chapter-747":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Harem Startup : The Demon Billionaire is on Vacation",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1411158,1864,"Chapter 747: Scapegoat Positioning","harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-chapter-747",747,"\u003Cp>Chapter 747 – Scapegoat Positioning\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stripped off the jacket and shirt, dropping them onto the marble floor carelessly. The fabric landed soft but heavy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bathroom was wide and open, steam vents built into the walls. The bathtub sat near tall frosted windows, water already preheated to his preference through mansion automation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned the faucet slightly anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hot water cascaded into the tub, steam rising slowly, curling against the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped in without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat wrapped around him immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Muscles he didn’t realize were tight finally loosened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sank down slowly until the water covered his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned back, closing his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat of the water pressed gently against his skin. Steam curled around the edges of the marble tub and blurred the gold-lined mirrors into something softer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just warmth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His muscles finally unclenched enough for him to notice they had been clenched at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exhaled slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tell me, boss. Do you want me to investigate this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux didn’t open his eyes immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recognized that tone. Dry. Slightly smug. Slightly annoyed. Intelligent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux cracked one eye open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The raven was perched on the edge of the bathtub, black feathers sleek, head tilted just enough to suggest he already had fifteen data streams open somewhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux huffed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not yet.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus clicked his beak once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re serious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux shifted slightly, water rippling around his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I need you to do it,\" he continued. \"But not now. Too obvious.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The raven’s eyes glinted faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We are talking about the King. And the King owns half the surveillance arrays in this realm,\" he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus fluttered his wings slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you’re telling me to sit still.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux let his head rest back against the cool marble edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you move too fast, you get caught. And if you get caught, it points to me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus went quiet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another voice floated in from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Never thought the King also wants to kill you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux didn’t need to look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slime sat on the counter like a glossy dark puddle with an opinion, faint ripples moving along his surface as he lazily sipped coffee from a cup he had absorbed into himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought you were kinda his golden boy,\" Zehar added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What can I say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He closed his eyes again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m that famous even my King wants to kill me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not a flex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux smirked faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Half flex.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam curled upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His chest rose and fell slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The image of that spear flickered behind his eyelids again. The pressure. The weight of it. The stillness of the King’s gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t say that part.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead he said, \"Anyway.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened both eyes now and looked toward Zehar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do you know who the dead ancient lord’s name is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar’s surface stilled slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The King didn’t tell you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s weird.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux nodded faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I bet someone powerful. But not flashy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted a hand out of the water and watched droplets slide down his fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No common lord uses infernal teleportation to pull a seraph out of limbo.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus muttered, \"That was insane, by the way.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\" Lux’s jaw tightened slightly. \"That requires authority. Huge power. So the king needs a big name.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar let out a small bubbling sound. \"Rhaevor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The name landed heavy in the steam-filled air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux turned his head fully now. \"Rhaevor?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Lord of Debt,\" Zehar clarified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus went still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Damn.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux stared at Zehar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even among the ancient Abyss Lords,\" Zehar continued, \"he was one of the hardest to kill.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How old.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Older than you. Older than your father.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That hit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux leaned back slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rhaevor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lord of Debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course it would be someone like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Debt was power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Debt was control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Debt was the spine of half the Abyss economy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The good thing is,\" he said slowly, \"Rhaevor also didn’t like me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus blinked. \"That’s not good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The King did my work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s worse,\" Corvus replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux smirked faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Depends how you look at it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared up at the ceiling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rhaevor had opposed him quietly. Subtle resistance in cross-realm funding. Shadow pressure on certain contracts. Nothing open. Nothing dramatic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old power protecting old structures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the King had done it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Narrative control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scapegoat positioning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Message sending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Other ancient Abyss Lords will come to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux’s eyes sharpened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"For revenge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steam thickened briefly as the water shifted around him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was quiet for a long second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus’s head jerked slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar rippled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s not the reaction I expected,\" Corvus muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux’s lips curved slowly. He turned his head toward Zehar. \"I guess I’ll get a nice slime army after this.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar made a loud, offended bubbling sound. \"PU!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux laughed softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Now, now. Don’t be mad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned one arm over the edge of the tub casually.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s better than dying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar’s surface flattened slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You cracked my core.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And yet,\" Lux said lightly, \"you’re here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured vaguely at the coffee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sitting on my counter. Drinking my coffee.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar made another displeased sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux’s smile softened just slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Life is good, Zehar. I will take some of your friends to serve me. Just. Like. You.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That line wasn’t a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sank deeper into the water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heat wrapped around him again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar didn’t say a thing this time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slime just went very, very still. A slow ripple passed through his surface like something thinking far too hard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...You’re serious,\" Zehar muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux didn’t answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t need to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus let out a low whistle. \"You really are the only bastard I know who says something like that after almost dying.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lux cracked one eye open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Correction. After surviving.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Corvus laughed, sharp and amused. \"Yeah. That’s why I like you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zehar bubbled quietly. He knew Lux wasn’t posturing. If ancient Lords started circling, Lux would harvest the opportunity. Recruit, bind, convert, absorb influence. That was who he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed didn’t waste a crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>",1024,"2026-06-05T23:57:27.963Z",1,"novelbin.me","9c2d38656c9e8b9ca1a2347cd4a4bd6cbcd4ad8118549ec7acb2b5dfe496652b","harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-chapter-748","harem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-chapter-746",878,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fharem-startup-the-demon-billionaire-is-on-vacati-cover.jpg"]