162: Chapter 162 The Group Goes Public, the Bell Ringer of All Realms

The listing day for the Underworld Group was set for the first trading day after the "Seventh Era's End Day" on the multiverse timeline.

This date held special significance—the Seventh Era ended in a "Conceptual Storm" that swept through countless planes, causing over thirty thousand civilizations to vanish. On the first day of the Eighth Era, the Underworld Group planned to do something even crazier:

Go public by ringing the bell at the Multiverse Conceptual Exchange.

The bell-ringing location wasn't on any physical plane, but in the "Absolute Neutral Domain" where the headquarters of the "Scales of Truth" was located—a void composed of pure mathematical rules, with no up, down, left, or right, only a constant flow of data torrents and probability clouds.

At this moment, a massive golden clock tower floated in this void.

Below the clock tower was a dense crowd of guests from at least five thousand different planes:

Representatives of the Fire Giant civilization, with lava flowing across their bodies;

Ambassadors of the Star Spirit Race, composed of pure light energy;

Three-headed mechanical puppets from the Technological Cultivation United Empire;

Even a few "Conceptual Lifeforms" that constantly changed shapes—they didn't even have fixed forms, being pure manifestations of certain laws.

And Lin Chen stood at the very top of the clock tower.

Today, he had changed into a pure white suit—not a holy white, but the cold white of a "freshly printed blank contract," with the Underworld Group's logo embroidered on the cuffs in dark gold thread.

Su Qingyu stood to his left in a black and gold gown, her long hair pinned up to reveal her elegantly lined neck—she was now the Chief Executive Officer of the Underworld Group and the general head of the "God Realm Development Zone."

Zhang Hao stood on the right, wearing a tight formal suit and constantly wiping sweat—he had just been promoted to The Group's "Director of Cross-Plane Public Relations," and this was his first time facing such a grand scene.

"Boss," Zhang Hao lowered his voice, "that purple smoke down there that keeps splitting and recombining... what's its deal?"

"Observers from the Entropy Increase Civilization." Lin Chen glanced at the invitation. "They specialize in 'Chaos and Order Balance Studies.' They're here to evaluate if our listing will disrupt the economic structure of the multiverse."

"And... those glowing geometric shapes floating in the air?"

"Priests of the Cult of Mathematics," Su Qingyu said softly. "They believe the essence of the universe is mathematics. If any numerical disharmony appears during our listing ceremony, they'll launch a 'Formula Curse' on the spot."

Zhang Hao's legs grew even weaker.

Just then—

Dong—!!!

The ancient bell toll resonated throughout the entire Absolute Neutral Domain!

It wasn't someone ringing the bell; it was simply time.

Directly above the clock tower, a giant light screen spanning the void emerged.

At the top of the screen, crimson text scrolled:

[Underworld Group (Stock Code: MF001) Initial Public Offering]

[Total Shares Issued: 9.9 Trillion Shares]

[Issue Price per Share: 100 nether talismans]

[Total Market Value: 990 Trillion nether talismans]

[Listing Board: Multiverse Main Board · Ultra-Weight Stock]

The moment this string of numbers appeared—

The entire venue fell into a silence.

Even the emotionless priests of the Cult of Mathematics had their geometric surfaces flashing frantically!

990 trillion nether talismans?!

What kind of concept was that?!

To put it in perspective, the annual GDP of the entire Technological Cultivation United Empire was only 800 billion nether talismans!

The faith reserves of the God Realm at its peak were only at the hundred-trillion level!

As soon as the Underworld Group went public, its market value directly crushed the sum of all top powers in the known universe?!

"It's fake, right..." the Fire Giant representative muttered.

"The data has been triple-verified by the Scales of Truth," a cold mechanical voice rang out—the voice of the Scales of Truth itself. "It is authentic and correct."

After a brief silence—

It went crazy!

Every guest simultaneously pulled out communicators, message jade slips, mental link devices, or even just shouted:

"Buy! Go all in!"

"Mobilize all liquid funds! Fast!"

"Contact headquarters! Apply for an unlimited credit line! I'm going to buy this stock until it explodes!"

The numbers on the light screen began to jump frantically!

In the first second of opening—

The stock price jumped directly from 100 nether talismans to 150!

Second second, 200!

Third second, 280!

In just ten short seconds, the stock price broke through 500 nether talismans!

The market value surged to 4.95 quadrillion nether talismans!

This was an explosion never before seen in the financial history of the multiverse!

"Boss..." Zhang Hao looked at the screen, his voice trembling, "Are we... being too exaggerated?"

"This is just the beginning," Lin Chen said calmly.

Plot twist:

Just as the stock price was about to break 600 nether talismans—

The light screen suddenly flickered violently!

All the numbers began to scramble into garbled code!

"Warning! Malicious short-selling attack detected!"

The mechanical voice of the Scales of Truth carried a rare sense of urgency:

"Sources of attack: Abyss Finance Alliance, Void Speculators Group, and... a hedge fund under the Time Administration Bureau!"

Three black data streams shot out from different directions in the void, slamming hard into the light screen!

They were frantically selling "Underworld Group" stock—not real selling, but using forged "short orders" to create selling pressure, attempting to crash the stock price!

Even more insidious—

One of the data streams was also mixed with dense "negative conceptual labels":

[The actual controller of this company, Lin Chen, is the debt transferee of the First Generation Underworld Lord; credit is questionable.]

[The company's main business (plane acquisition) violates Article 887 of the Multiverse Anti-Monopoly Law.]

[The company is suspected of illegally manipulating the "God Realm Asset Auction," harming investor interests.]

These labels spread across the light screen like a virus, attempting to pollute the "investment confidence" of the entire market!

"Time Administration Bureau?!" Su Qingyu's expression changed. "Don't they claim to be absolutely neutral and never participate in any commercial activities?!"

"It seems someone couldn't sit still anymore." Lin Chen looked toward a certain direction in the void—there floated a semi-transparent building composed of countless clock gears, the observation station of the Time Administration Bureau.

"Should we counterattack?" Zhang Hao had already pulled up The Group's defense system. "Our capital reserves are enough to swallow all the short orders!"

"No." Lin Chen shook his head. "Let them dump it."

Instead, he sat down, pulled a bag of melon seeds from his pocket, and began to crack them unhurriedly.

"Boss?!" Zhang Hao was bewildered.

"Watch," Lin Chen said.

On the light screen, the stock price began to plummet!

From 580, it plunged all the way to 400!

300!

200!

Finally, it barely stabilized at 150 nether talismans.

Over sixty percent of the market value had evaporated!

The investors who had been buying frantically just now were now turning green in the face.

"Hahaha—!!"

An arrogant laugh echoed from the void.

A figure shrouded in black light mist emerged—it was "Gold-Devouring Demon Lord," the head of the Abyss Finance Alliance.

"Underworld Group? That's all you've got!"

"Today I'll show you what real—"

Before he could finish his sentence.

Lin Chen raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

The image on the light screen suddenly switched.

It switched to... a document.

A document with "Top Secret · Time Administration Bureau Internal Memorandum" stamped on the cover.

The document flipped open automatically, revealing the contents of the first page:

[Resolution regarding the tacit approval of the "Abyss Finance Alliance" to conduct malicious short-selling against the Underworld Group]

[Meeting Time: 7 standard hours before listing]

[Attendees: "Time Tracer," Deputy Director of the Time Administration Bureau; "Gold-Devouring Demon Lord," representative of the Abyss Finance Alliance; "Faceless One," Chairman of the Void Speculators Group]

[Resolution Content: The three parties will collaborate to short the Underworld Group, with profits distributed in a 5:3:2 ratio upon success.]

[Special Clause: The Time Administration Bureau will provide "Time Flow Manipulation" technical support to accelerate/decelerate the transaction process at key nodes, ensuring the success of the short-selling.]

The entire audience: "!!!"

From the Time Administration Bureau's observation station came a furious roar: "This is impossible! Our meeting records are encrypted with a seven-fold time lock—!!"

"I forgot to tell you." Lin Chen said unhurriedly while cracking melon seeds, "That 'time lock' and the encryption algorithm it uses..."

"I sold it to the first Director of the Time Administration Bureau three thousand years ago."

"I left a backdoor in the algorithm."

"I can unlock it whenever I want."

Gold-Devouring Demon Lord: "...You fucking planned this three thousand years ago?!"

"It's called business foresight," Lin Chen said.

He snapped his fingers again.

The light screen image switched once more.

This time, it was the real-time holding data for three accounts.

First account, name: "Time Tracer (Deputy Director of the Time Administration Bureau)," holdings: 12 billion short shares of the Underworld Group.

Second account, name: "Gold-Devouring Demon Lord," holdings: 8 billion short shares.

Third account, name: "Faceless One," holdings: 5 billion short shares.

A total of 25 billion short shares, accounting for 2.5% of the floating shares!

"According to exchange rules," Lin Chen put down the melon seeds, "the penalty for being caught in the act of malicious short-selling is—"

He paused:

"Forced liquidation and a fine of ten times the shorted amount."

"Your average short price was 450 nether talismans, for 25 billion shares, making the shorted amount 11.25 trillion nether talismans."

"A ten-fold fine is 112.5 trillion nether talismans."

"Please—"

Lin Chen held out his hand:

"Cash or card?"

A sense of thrill and horror:

Gold-Devouring Demon Lord turned to run—

But he found he couldn't move.

It wasn't a immobilization spell; the void he was in had been forcibly locked by the "Scales of Truth"!

As the regulator of the exchange, the Scales of Truth hated malicious market manipulation most of all!

"The fine... we will pay..." a weary, Aged One voice came from the Time Administration Bureau observation station, "Please... release the lock..."

"Sure," Lin Chen nodded, "but besides the fine, you have to do one more thing—"

He pointed to the light screen:

"Convert all those short orders into long orders."

"The stock price is currently 150 nether talismans. Buy in at the current price and fill the 25 billion share short gap."

"After you've bought them—"

Lin Chen smiled:

"You are not allowed to sell."

"I want you to be permanent shareholders of the Underworld Group."

The three of them: "!!!"

This was even more ruthless than the fine!

Permanent shareholders meant their capital was permanently locked in the Underworld Group's stock, and they would have to share the risks with The Group!

"You... this is kidnapping!" Gold-Devouring Demon Lord shrieked.

"No, this is 'mandatory strategic investment,'" Lin Chen corrected. "Don't you like playing with finance? I'll teach you how to play at a higher level."

He looked at the Scales of Truth:

"Regulator, this penalty plan is reasonable, isn't it?"

The Scales of Truth was silent for three seconds:

...Reasonable.

"The procedure is legal, and the punishment is appropriate."

Three golden chains shot out from the void, latching onto each of the three violators!

The fine was forcibly deducted!

Short orders were forcibly liquidated and converted to long orders!

Accounts locked—permanent ban on selling!

After doing all this, Lin Chen stood up again and walked to the edge of the clock tower.

He looked down at the shaken guests and then at the stock price, which had stabilized at 150 nether talismans.

"Alright, the little interlude is over."

He raised his hand—

And personally rang the bell!

Dong—!!!

The bell echoed throughout the multiverse!

The Underworld Group is officially listed!

"From this day forward—"

Lin Chen's voice spread to every corner through the broadcasts of countless planes:

"What we sell is no longer products or services."

"What we sell is the future."

The moment his words fell—

On the light screen, the stock price exploded!

From 150, it soared straight to 1,000!

2,000!

5,000!

Finally, it came to a steady stop at—

10,000 nether talismans per share!

Market Value: 99 Quadrillion nether talismans!

A hundred-fold increase from the opening!

"Because of that short-selling farce just now," Lin Chen explained, "everyone has seen—"

"What happens to those who try to mess with us."

So now...

He looked at the investors who were frantically buying:

"What you are buying is not stock."

"It's a sense of security."

The hook:

The listing ceremony ended in a feverish atmosphere.

Just as Lin Chen was preparing to leave—

A middle-aged scholar in a cyan robe, holding a teacup, suddenly appeared before him.

It was the "Teahouse Owner" who had previously appeared at the edge of the God Realm.

"Congratulations on the listing." The scholar smiled. "This cup of tea is for you."

He handed over a cup of clear tea that was still steaming.

Lin Chen took it and drank it in one gulp.

"Thanks," he said. "But you didn't come all this way just to congratulate me, did you?"

"Clever." The scholar put away the teacup. "I came to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"The news of your successful listing and your market value hitting 99 quadrillion..."

The scholar paused:

Has already reached the headquarters of the 'Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce'.

"They just held an emergency meeting."

"The meeting topic was—"

He looked at Lin Chen, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes:

"Feasibility Analysis on Initiating an 'Industry Access Review' for the Underworld Group."

"In other words..."

The scholar smiled slightly:

You played too big this time.

So big...

That you've alerted the true giants.

With that, his figure slowly faded away, vanishing into the void.

Only one sentence remained, echoing in Lin Chen's ears:

"Be careful, little friend."

"The Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce's review..."

Can be lethal.

Lin Chen stood there, silent for a long time.

Then, he laughed.

A laugh that made Zhang Hao, standing beside him, feel his skin crawl.

"Boss... why, why are you laughing..."

"I'm laughing," Lin Chen said, "because finally..."

A big client has arrived.