If you recall strassen's algorithm, here a matrix is divided into half of the order and then multiply.
for example if a matrix is of order 4 then it will be divided into 7 2*2 matrix and then multiplication performed on these 7 matrix will be suffice, no extra multiplication required.
T(n) = 7T(n/2) + n^2 // Strassen's Algo reccurence relation
Now in 2*2 matrix you need to perform 8 multiplication.
so for 7 2*2 matrix you need to perform 7*8 multiplication.
Therefore ans will be 56.
P.S. : O(n^2.81) is the time complexity of strassen's algo, it does not give no. of multiplications.