211: Chapter 211 The live stream was interrupted, and I declare: From now on, I will pay.

Thirty-seven seconds after returning from the data sea to reality.

The pan-dimensional livestream feed suddenly went black.

All viewers watching the "Myriad Dimensions Sandbox" livestream—those trillions of light spheres curled up in data chairs—simultaneously lost the signal.

The monitoring wall turned pitch black.

Three seconds of dead silence, then chaos erupted.

"What's going on?!"

"I was just at the critical moment where Arrogant Dragon was about to face off against Lin Chen!"

"Fix it quickly! I need emotional stimulation! Right now!"

Inside the entertainment alliance of the higher dimensions, alarm bells rang out across the eternally static paradise. The addicted light spheres began to tremble violently—not from emotional fluctuations, but from withdrawal symptoms.

They were too dependent on the emotional substitute provided by the livestream. Even an interruption of just a few seconds caused a tidal wave of emptiness to surge forth, devouring their already-thin sense of existence.

And on the blacked-out screen, a line of text slowly appeared:

[Signal Interruption Reason: Streamer Lin Chen voluntarily cut off the broadcast feed]

[Recovery Condition: Subscribe to the paid service]

[Basic Package: 100 dimension points/minute (viewing only)]

[Premium Package: 1000 dimension points/minute (can send comments)]

[Exclusive Package: 10000 dimension points/minute (can vote to decide plot direction)]

[Enterprise Package: Negotiable (can customize exclusive plotlines)]

[Please select a payment method, otherwise the livestream will be permanently closed]

The entire higher-dimensional civilization was stunned.

They had always been the ones giving tips and charity. When had low-dimensional "actors" ever turned around and charged *them*?

"Audacity!"

"Who does he think he is?!"

"What about the platform? Make the Screenwriting Team force a restoration!"

In the platform's backend, the Screenwriting Team was already in complete chaos.

"All technical methods are ineffective! Lin Chen used his shareholder authority to lock down the signal source of his personal livestream room!"

"He wrapped the signal source in seventeen layers of 'Rule-Level Encryption Protocols'! Decrypting it would take at least... three months!"

"The viewers' emotional fluctuation values are plummeting! If this continues, it will trigger a large-scale emotional collapse!"

And at this moment, at the headquarters of the Underworld Group.

Lin Chen sat in the Chairman's office, with ten real-time data panels floating before him.

The first panel showed the number of viewer subscriptions: 0.

The second panel showed the volume of viewers' cursing comments: Already surpassed one trillion.

The third panel showed official complaints from the higher civilizations: Millions of new ones per second.

"Boss..." Zhang Hao wiped cold sweat, "Are we going too far? The entire higher civilization is furious..."

"Good, let them be furious." Lin Chen took a sip of tea. "The angrier they are, the more it shows they can't do without it."

As soon as the words left his mouth—

The number on the first panel suddenly jumped: 1.

Someone had subscribed.

[Subscriber: Joy-SEEKER-774 (longtime viewer)]

[Selected Package: Exclusive Package (10000 dimension points/minute)]

[Subscription Duration: 10 minutes (trial)]

[Payment Completed]

The black screen instantly restored.

The livestream continued—showing the real-time scene of Lin Chen sitting in his office drinking tea.

The comments exploded:

[Finally it's back! Wait... what kind of lousy scene is this? Just watching him drink tea?]

[I spent 10,000 points to watch this?!]

[Refund!]

Lin Chen glanced at the comments and smiled.

He put down his teacup and spoke to the camera: "Everyone, welcome to the paid era. Since you've paid, here's some substantial content."

He pulled up the shareholder panel and began operating it right in front of all the viewers.

"First, I announce: Starting today, my livestream room will implement a 'tiered plot system'."

"Those paying for the Basic Package can only watch daily business operations—like what I'm doing now."

He opened the trading interface, selected three shareholder worlds that were plummeting, and shorted them with one click. Fund flows scrolled across the screen: +12 trillion dimension points.

The comments quieted for an instant.

Then they flooded the screen wildly:

[This move... is kind of interesting]

[How did he know those three worlds would fall?]

[Wait, is this real-time trading? Not a script?]

"Those paying for the Premium Package," Lin Chen continued, "can participate in interactions—for example, right now, I can answer one question."

The comments were instantly flooded with the same question: [How did you predict those worlds would fall?]

Lin Chen selected that comment and replied: "Because I planted 'Collapse Triggers' in the economic systems of those three worlds. As soon as I press the button, they will fall."

He pressed a virtual button right in front of the camera.

The monitoring screen switched—the stock markets of those three worlds plummeted by 30% on cue.

The comments blew up:

[This is market manipulation!]

[But it's so thrilling...]

[I want to see what else he can do!]

"Finally, Exclusive Package users," Lin Chen smiled, "you can now vote—what plot would you like to see in the next hour?"

Options popped up:

A. Lin Chen vs. Arrogant Dragon direct showdown (traditional power fantasy)

B. How Lin Chen empties the wallets of the remaining shareholders (business warfare power fantasy)

C. Lin Chen and Su Qingyu's private daily life (romance)

D. Custom suggestion (requires additional payment)

Ten seconds later, the voting results: Option B crushed the competition with 87% of the votes.

"It seems everyone prefers watching me make money." Lin Chen stood up. "Then let's begin."

For the next fifty minutes, pan-dimensional viewers witnessed a textbook-level financial slaughter.

Lin Chen used the 12 trillion he had just earned as capital and, through seventeen shell companies, reverse-acquired the core assets of those old shareholders who had once attacked him.

Every step was shown openly in front of the camera.

Every operation was accompanied by exclamations and tips in the comments.

By the time the period ended, Lin Chen's account balance had skyrocketed from 84 trillion to 210 trillion.

And the number of paying viewers had exploded from 1 person to 980 million.

Though this was just a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions of total viewers, these 980 million were all the "heavy addicts" with the strongest willingness to pay.

They didn't leave for a single minute.

Because Lin Chen said at the end of the livestream: "Today's paid livestream ends here. Those who want to continue watching, please renew. Those who don't... don't let the door hit you on the way out."

The screen went black again.

But this time, it only lasted for three seconds.

Renewal prompts came flooding in like an avalanche:

[Joy-SEEKER-774 renewed for 100 hours of the Exclusive Package!]

[Emotion-JUNKIE-221 renewed...]

[CRAVE-MASTER-009 renewed...]

Out of the 980 million viewers, 87% chose to renew.

The livestream resumed.

Lin Chen looked at the camera and smiled a capitalist's smile: "Thank you for your support. As a reward, here's a preview of tomorrow's content—"

"I will use the money earned today to acquire 5% equity in the 'Myriad Dimensions Sandbox' platform."

"If successful, I will become the platform's tenth-largest shareholder."

"At that time, I will amend the platform's first rule: All streamers have the right to charge for their own livestream rooms."

The comments froze.

Then, they went completely wild.

This wasn't about asking for money.

This was about flipping the table!

In the higher civilizations' emergency meeting channel, the Supreme Chancellor's light sphere flickered violently:

"Contact the platform's Board of Directors immediately! We must stop him!"

"But he's now a compliant shareholder. According to the rules, he can indeed acquire equity..."

"Then change the rules!"

"Changing the rules requires a vote at the shareholders' Meeting, and he... just secured the support votes of 980 million viewers. These viewers are all important members of various civilizations."

Dead silence.

They suddenly realized—Lin Chen hadn't just hijacked the livestream signal.

He had also hijacked the viewers' right to choose.

And those viewers, after billions of years of emptiness, had turned into addicts who only chased after stronger and stronger stimulation.

Now, Lin Chen held the most potent drug.

They had no choice but to pay.

In the livestream, Lin Chen was calculating the funds needed to acquire 5% equity.

After finishing the calculation, he looked up at the camera and said: "Still a bit short. So now, I'm opening a 'crowdfunding acquisition' channel."

"Any viewer can invest in my acquisition plan, starting from a minimum of 1 dimension point."

"The return on investment is: In the future, after I become a major platform shareholder, you will receive 'permanent free viewing rights,' and... the right to vote on plot rules."

"In other words—"

"You can go from being 'viewers' to being 'screenwriters'."

"From watching others perform, to deciding how others perform."

"Opportunity only comes once."

"Investment channel open time: Ten minutes."

The countdown began.

The Supreme Chancellor of the higher civilization watched the data streams from within his own civilization madly rushing toward the investment channel, his light sphere almost cracking.

"They... they're all investing..."

"Because for them, this is more interesting than immortality." the deputy said softly. "Going from passively taking drugs to actively mixing the formula... this kind of power rush, we can't provide."

The countdown reached zero.

Lin Chen looked at the total crowdfunding amount and smiled.

"Enough."

"Acquisition initiated."

Behind him, Su Qingyu asked softly: "Are you really going to become a platform shareholder? Wouldn't that mean... becoming the kind of person we used to hate the most?"

Lin Chen took her hand.

"No."

"What I want to be is the one who makes the rules."

"And then..."

"completely overturn this cannibalistic industry chain."

The pan-dimensional livestream feed froze at this moment.

A line of small text appeared on the black screen:

[Tomorrow's Update: Lin Chen's Battle to Acquire Platform Equity]

[Paid subscriptions are now open, please pre-charge]

[Note: Tomorrow's plot contains bloody business operations. Minor light spheres should watch under parental guidance]

The higher civilizations were dead silent.

But inside the Underworld Group, Zhang Hao watched the subscription fees constantly pouring into the backend and murmured:

"Boss, have we... gone too far?"

Lin Chen turned off the screen.

"This is just the beginning."

"Wait until tomorrow when they discover that the money I crowdfunded is actually meant to—"

"short their entire civilization's economic system."

"That's when it will really be going too far."

Outside the window, a dimensional storm was gathering.

It was the wrath of the platform's Supreme Council.