163: Chapter 163 A New Journey: To the Stars and the Sea

The "Industry Access Audit Notice" from the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce arrived at the height of the Underworld Group's listing celebration banquet.

There was no messenger, no teleportation array, and no spatial fluctuations.

It simply appeared out of thin air in the center of the banquet hall—a grey scroll so plain it was almost crude, floating quietly in mid-air with a faded red string tied to its end.

But the entire banquet hall fell silent instantly.

All the guests—including representatives of civilizations from higher planes who had seen it all—turned pale and subconsciously retreated.

Because on the surface of that scroll, a symbol was branded:

[∞]

It wasn't the mathematical symbol for infinity.

It was the emblem of the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce—representing "Business without borders, Laws without end."

"They're here..." The purple mist that was the observer from the Entropy Increase Civilization trembled violently. "The Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce... is really here..."

"Boss..." Zhang Hao's voice was dry. "This scroll... it's a 'Concept-level transmission'... only the core layers of the Chamber have the authority to use it..."

Lin Chen set down his champagne glass and walked toward the scroll.

He reached out and untied the red string.

The scroll unfurled automatically.

There were only three lines of text on it:

[To: Lin Chen, Chairman of the Underworld Group]

[Subject: Industry Access Audit]

[Audit Team Arrival Time: In 30 seconds]

A countdown immediately began to tick.

29.

28.

27...

"They're already on their way?!" Zhang Hao's face was deathly pale. "What kind of notice is this?!"

"This is just how the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce operates," Su Qingyu said in a low voice as she stepped to Lin Chen's side. "The notice and the arrival happen simultaneously, giving no time for preparation—what they want to see is your most authentic state."

Lin Chen didn't speak.

He just stared at those three lines for three seconds.

Then, he smiled.

"Interesting."

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Snap.

The ceiling of the banquet hall suddenly slid open to both sides!

It didn't reveal the sky—but a vast, boundless Virtual Star Map composed of countless stars and plane projections!

The star map rotated slowly, and the brightest point within it was the coordinates of the Underworld Group's headquarters.

"Since the guests are coming," Lin Chen said, "then—"

"Let's host them properly."

Plot Twist:

The moment the countdown hit zero.

Three doors tore open out of thin air in the center of the hall.

The first door was pure gold, its frame carved with complex mathematical formulas—out walked an old man wearing scholar's robes, holding a heavy tome.

The second door was pitch black, a cold metallic luster seeping from its seams—out walked a three-meter-tall humanoid machine with data streams flowing across its surface.

The third door... was empty.

There was no frame, no physical form, only a patch of constantly distorting "blank space."

But from that blankness, a figure slowly emerged—

A middle-aged man wearing a grey uniform with an ∞ badge pinned to his chest. His face was so ordinary he would disappear in a crowd.

"Audit team, all present."

The middle-aged man spoke, his voice flat and emotionless:

"I am the Chief Auditor, code-named 'The Recorder'."

He pointed to the old man. "This is 'The Mathematician,' responsible for auditing your financial data and business model."

Then he pointed to the machine. "This is 'logic core,' responsible for auditing your internal processes and compliance."

Finally, he looked at Lin Chen:

"And as for me..."

"I am responsible for auditing your 'qualifications'."

No sooner had he spoken—

The Mathematician flipped open the tome in his hands.

The tome flew into the air, its pages flipping frantically. Countless golden numbers and formulas poured out like a waterfall, instantly flooding the entire banquet hall!

Those numbers reorganized in the air, turning into transparent chains of laws that coiled toward all of the Underworld Group's financial records, transaction data, and asset lists!

Meanwhile, logic core's eyes shot out two blue beams of light, scanning every Underworld Group employee present—from soul contracts to labor agreements, from workflows to thought patterns, everything was to be parsed and evaluated!

Even more terrifying was The Recorder—

He simply looked at Lin Chen.

But Lin Chen felt as if every one of his business actions was being scrutinized from beginning to end by some higher-dimensional existence!

From the first time he used a nether talisman to buy a ghost, to the acquisition of the God Realm, to the listing bell ceremony...

Every decision, every transaction, every contract clause...

Everything was being quantified and scored!

"What are the audit standards?" Lin Chen asked calmly.

"Three dimensions," The Recorder said. "One, whether the business model is sustainable; two, whether it disrupts the industry's ecological balance; three—"

He paused:

"Whether you have the qualifications to step into the 'True Business World'."

Before he could finish—

The Mathematician's tome suddenly trembled violently!

All those law chains snapped!

"How is this possible?!" The Mathematician lost his composure for the first time. "Your financial data... it's all 'closed-loop encrypted'?! Even the laws of the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce can't parse it?!"

logic core's blue light beams also began to flicker frantically:

"Detected... anti-logic defense... all employee soul contracts have embedded 'concept firewalls'... unable to perform deep scans..."

And The Recorder—

He stared at Lin Chen for a full ten seconds.

Then, he spoke slowly, a flicker of emotion appearing in his voice for the first time:

"Within your body... there is the... bloodline mark of the 'Chamber Founder'?"

The entire audience: "!!!"

Lin Chen himself was stunned.

"What bloodline mark?"

"The founder of the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce, 'Shang,' before he disappeared..." The Recorder spoke word by word. "He once left a prophecy: 'When someone can build a cross-plane business empire within a century using pure commercial means... that will be the time of my bloodline descendant's return'."

He pointed at Lin Chen:

"And you... from zero to a market value of 99 quadrillion, it took you... less than three years."

"This can no longer be explained by talent alone."

"There is only one possibility—"

The Recorder took a deep breath:

"You are the... direct descendant of 'Shang'."

Thrilling Climax:

Dead silence.

Even The Mathematician's tome fell to the floor.

logic core's data stream jammed.

All the guests, including the employees of the Underworld Group, had their mouths wide open.

"B-Boss..." Zhang Hao stammered. "You... you're the... grandson of the founder of the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce?!"

"I don't know," Lin Chen frowned. "My parents were ordinary people; they passed away when I was very young..."

"Because your bloodline was sealed," The Recorder said. "Before 'Shang' disappeared, he scattered and sealed his bloodline in countless low-level planes, waiting for the right moment to awaken."

"And you..."

A complex emotion flashed in his eyes:

"You are that 'moment'."

Just then—

On the star map on the banquet hall ceiling, a blood-red point of light suddenly lit up!

The light point expanded rapidly, turning into a line of piercing warning text:

[Illegal Concept Intrusion Detected!]

[Intrusion Source: Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce Internal Network - High-Level Decision-Making Layer]

[Intrusion Target: Erase the existence records of "Lin Chen"]

[Executing Unit: Chamber Dark Division - Concept Cleansing Department]

"Not good!" The Recorder's expression changed drastically. "Someone doesn't want you to live!"

No sooner had he spoken—

That point of light on the star map exploded!

It transformed into billions of blood-red data streams, pouring down on the banquet hall like a torrential rain!

Every data stream was an existence erasure command!

Anyone hit would completely vanish from all timelines, all records, and the memories of all living beings!

"Protect the Chairman!" Su Qingyu was the first to react, her samsara seal fully activated!

But those data streams passed right through her defenses!

Because they weren't attacking the body or the soul—

They were attacking the concept of "Lin Chen" itself!

"It's useless," The Recorder gritted his teeth. "This is the 'Ultimate Cleansing Method' of the Chamber's Dark Division. Only those with Chairman-level authority can deploy it..."

Just as the data streams were about to submerge Lin Chen—

Lin Chen suddenly raised his hand.

It wasn't to defend.

He pulled from his coat pocket a...

Seal.

An ancient, bronze-colored seal with four small characters carved on its surface: "Integrity is the Foundation"—

A Merchant Seal.

The moment the seal appeared.

All the blood-red data streams froze in mid-air!

It was as if time itself had been frozen!

Immediately after—

The seal flew up on its own, hovering above Lin Chen's head.

From the bottom of the seal, a line of ancient text was slowly projected:

[Personal Seal of Shang, Founder of the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce]

[He who holds this seal is as if the Founder himself were present]

[All resources, all authority, and all laws of the Chamber—]

[Shall be at his command]

The moment the text projection finished—

The seal jolted violently!

An invisible ripple spread out!

Everywhere the ripple passed, all the blood-red data streams... flowed backward!

They didn't dissipate; instead, like a video being rewound, they frantically retreated along the paths they had come!

Back into the star map!

Back into the void!

Finally, they all shrank back into that blood-red point of light!

Then—

From deep within the light point, a scream of extreme agony rang out:

"Impossible—!! The Chamber Founder's Seal has been missing for ages—!!!"

The scream cut off abruptly.

The point of light went out.

silence.

A deathly silence.

Everyone looked at that bronze seal still rotating slowly, then at Lin Chen, their minds completely blank.

After a long while.

The Recorder was the first to kneel.

Then The Mathematician, logic core, and—

In the entire banquet hall, all the accompanying personnel from the Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce knelt down!

"Greetings... Young Master!"

Their voices were in perfect unison, filled with awe.

Lin Chen: "..."

He reached out and caught the descending seal.

The seal felt warm in his hand, as if it were alive.

"So..." He looked at The Recorder. "This thing... is really my family heirloom?"

"Absolutely," The Recorder said respectfully. "The Chamber Founder's Seal can only be activated and used by the bloodline of 'Shang'."

"Those who just attacked you..."

He paused, his tone cold:

"Are 'traitors' within the Chamber."

"They don't want you to return; they don't want the Chamber to welcome its true leader once again."

Lin Chen toyed with the seal, remaining silent for a long time.

Then, he smiled.

"So..."

"Does this mean..."

"I'm going home now?"

Hook:

Before The Recorder could answer—

From a corner of the banquet hall, the sound of clapping suddenly came.

Clap.

Clap.

Clap.

It was light, but clear.

Everyone turned to look.

The "Teahouse Owner" in the cyan robe, holding a teacup, had appeared once again at some unknown point.

He leaned against the wall with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Home?"

He said softly:

"Child, you are too naive."

"The Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce now... is no longer what it was when 'Shang' first established it."

"The higher-ups have been hollowed out, the rules twisted, even the basic concept of 'business' is almost..."

He paused and spat out two words:

"Ruined."

"The seal in your hand isn't a key to go home."

"It is—"

The Teahouse Owner looked at Lin Chen, sympathy flashing in his eyes:

"A token to start a war."

With that, he set down his teacup, and his figure slowly faded away.

Only a single sentence remained, echoing in the air:

"Be careful, little one."

"Your enemies..."

"Have never been anyone on the outside."

"But rather—"

"Your 'own people'."

The voice dissipated.

Lin Chen held the warm seal, standing in place.

After a long while.

He raised his head, looking at the audit team kneeling on the floor, then at Su Qingyu and Zhang Hao by his side.

Finally, he looked at the vast, boundless sea of stars on the ceiling's star map.

"Zhang Hao."

He said softly.

"H-Here!" Zhang Hao answered hurriedly.

"Notify all departments in The Group..."

A light never seen before slowly kindled in Lin Chen's eyes:

"Strategic upgrade."

"From today onward—"

He gripped the seal tight:

"Our business scope..."

"Expands to the entire Myriad Worlds Chamber of Commerce."

"And the first project..."

Lin Chen turned and looked at The Recorder:

"Take me to the headquarters."

"I want to see—"

"Just how rotten that 'home' of mine..."

"Has actually become."