260: Chapter 260 Reverse Acquisition of My Fiancée Contract! I Turned the Marriage Contract into Securities

The engagement banquet was held on the top floor of the Universe Bank headquarters building.

When Lin Chen arrived via teleportation with the core team of the Underworld Group, more than half of the financial giants of the Narrative Layer had already gathered at the scene. Under the crystal chandeliers, people in formal wear held wine glasses, but what flowed between their chats were cold numbers—who had successfully shorted, who had merged with which world, whose debt had exploded.

Golden Abacus stood in the center of the banquet hall, wearing a dark gold formal suit. Beside him stood Golden Glazed—the young girl had changed into a white wedding dress, her eyes still hollow, like an exquisite doll.

"Lin Chen is here." Golden Abacus smiled and came forward to greet him, as if he were truly a kind father-in-law. "After today, we will be one family."

During the handshake, Lin Chen felt a slight chill from the other's palm—it wasn't a low body temperature, but the infiltration of some kind of contract law. Golden Abacus was silently checking if he had tampered with the contract.

Lin Chen smiled and withdrew his hand. "President, have all the guests arrived?"

"They've all arrived." Golden Abacus pointed around. "Over there are the representatives of the Cross-Dimensional Foundation, there are the directors of the Oblivion Graveyard Administration Bureau, over there is... oh, your competitors are here too."

In the corner of the banquet hall, three figures were particularly eye-catching.

Morgana, in an ice-blue long dress, was surrounded by a chilling aura, and the carpet beneath her feet had already frosted over.

Alpha, composed of data streams, flickered from time to time, processing billions of pieces of information in real-time.

Qingyunzi, with his green robes fluttering and holding a fly-whisk, looked at Lin Chen with a half-smile.

The four competitors of the Kindling Project were all gathered at this engagement banquet.

"An interesting coincidence, isn't it?" Golden Abacus lowered his voice. "They all want to see if you are actually worthy of being my son-in-law."

Before he finished speaking, the lights in the banquet hall suddenly dimmed.

A beam of light hit Lin Chen and Golden Glazed.

"Everyone," Golden Abacus walked to the front of the stage, "Today is the engagement ceremony of my daughter Glazed and Mr. Lin Chen. According to custom, both parties of the engagement need to exchange 'contract tokens'—Lin Chen, are you ready?"

The gaze of the entire audience focused on them.

What Lin Chen took out from his breast pocket was not a ring, but a... stock certificate.

The certificate clearly stated:

[Equity Underlying: Future Revenue Rights of the Marriage Contract between Lin Chen and Golden Glazed]

[Total Share Capital: 10 Billion Shares]

[Current Holder: Lin Chen (51% Controlling Interest)]

[Already Issued Externally: 49%]

The whole place was in an uproar.

"He... securitized his own engagement?" a fund representative cried out in shock.

"More than that." Lin Chen stepped onto the stage and took the microphone. "I officially announce that starting today, the 'Marriage Contract Revenue Rights' will be listed and traded on the Universe Bank Exchange. Any investor can purchase shares and share in all future revenues generated by this marriage—including but not limited to the inheritance rights of the Jin family assets, the equity dividends of the Universe Bank, and the commercial performance dividends of myself as the son-in-law."

He pulled up a real-time trading interface and projected it into the air.

The stock code [ML001] began to fluctuate.

Opening price: 100 dimension points per share.

Thirty seconds later, it rose to 150.

One minute later, it broke through 200.

Because all investors had done the math: if Lin Chen could really awaken Golden Glazed and inherit the Jin family, the value of this stock would be immeasurable. Even if he failed—the marriage contract stated that Lin Chen's assets would go to the Jin family, but stock holders could still enjoy liquidation compensation.

A gamble with no possibility of losing.

The smile on Golden Abacus's face froze.

He had imagined that Lin Chen would resist, negotiate, or even break the contract.

But he didn't expect the other party to directly turn the engagement into a financial product—this way, the marriage was no longer a simple family matter, but a public market behavior. Any plot against Lin Chen could affect the stock price and trigger a backlash from investors.

"Lin Chen," Golden Abacus's voice turned cold, "You are breaking the rules."

"The rule of the financial market is that there are no rules." Lin Chen smiled. "The President taught me that."

The two looked at each other, an invisible clash permeating the air.

Just then—

Golden Glazed suddenly moved.

Her eyes, which had been hollow all along, focused on Lin Chen's face at this moment.

Then, she spoke, her voice like rusty machinery:

"Lin... Chen..."

The whole place fell silent.

For the first time in three years, Golden Glazed spoke a complete word.

Golden Abacus turned around in surprise. "Glazed? You're awake?"

But in the next second, the girl's eyes became hollow again.

She raised her hand and pointed at the ceiling of the banquet hall.

A beam of dark gold light shot from her fingertips, hitting the crystal chandelier.

The chandelier exploded!

Countless crystal fragments fell like rain, each piece carrying the curse of contract law—that was the Universe Bank's top-tier attack method, "Rain of Breach." Those hit would be forced to trigger the breach clauses of all contracts on them, instantly becoming heavily indebted!

The target was aimed directly at Lin Chen!

"Protect the Boss!" Arrogant Dragon drew his sword and leaped up, his sword qi shattering large areas of the fragments.

But there were too many fragments, and they were too dense.

What was even more terrifying was that those fragments automatically tracked him in the air, bypassing all obstacles and heading straight for Lin Chen!

Lin Chen stood still.

He just raised his wrist at the moment the fragments were about to hit him.

He wore a seemingly ordinary watch on his wrist—it was the [Contract Transfer Device] he had bought on the black market last night using the funds raised from the engagement stocks.

The device activated.

All the fragments flying towards him suddenly turned in mid-air and flew towards...

Qingyunzi.

Qingyunzi's expression changed drastically, and he waved his fly-whisk to form a shield.

But it was already too late.

Three fragments broke through the defense and hit his chest.

Instantly, dense contract text appeared on Qingyunzi's body—those were the various debts he owed and the various agreements he had signed.

Now, they all triggered a breach!

[Warning: You have breached the offering contract with the 'Heavenly Dao of the Cultivation Era'. Penalty: 50 trillion.]

[Warning: You have breached the reincarnation agreement with the 'Hall of Reincarnation'. Three reincarnation opportunities stripped.]

[Warning: You have breached the secret contract with the 'Purity Narrative Alliance'. Exposure countdown: 10 seconds.]

Qingyunzi spat out a mouthful of blood, and his aura plummeted.

He stared fixedly at Golden Glazed, then looked at Lin Chen. "You... knew all along..."

"Knew what?" Lin Chen walked up to him, leaned over and whispered, "Knew that you used 'Consciousness Parasitism' to control Golden Glazed three years ago, turning her into a tool to assassinate me? Or knew that you collaborated with the Purity Alliance, wanting to take out a competitor before the Kindling Project started?"

His voice was very soft, but through the amplifier on Lin Chen's collar, it spread throughout the hall.

The whole place was shocked.

Golden Abacus's face turned ashen. "Qingyunzi! You were the one who harmed my daughter?!"

"So what if I was?" Qingyunzi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sneered. "Golden Abacus, did you think your daughter was really accidentally infected? It was her own stupidity, insisting on researching some Author's Permission Fragments! I was just making use of the waste!"

He turned to Lin Chen. "Since you've seen through it, I won't pretend anymore. Yes, the 'kill Lin Chen' instruction in the depths of Glazed's consciousness was planted by me. But I didn't expect you to actually be able to counter-kill with a Contract Transfer Device—but do you think you've won?"

He crushed a jade pendant in his hand.

The floor of the banquet hall suddenly cracked open!

Countless spiritual energy chains shot out from the cracks, entangling everyone present!

"This is the 'Heavenly Dao Imprisonment' I refined with three hundred years of cultivation," Qingyunzi laughed wildly. "No one present today can even think of leaving! Once I get the qualification for the Kindling Project, you all will die!"

The chains spread.

The guests fled in terror, but the chains were too fast.

Morgana froze the chains rushing towards her, but the ice layer was quickly cracking.

Alpha tried to escape by digitizing, but found that the chains carried "anti-code pollution."

Lin Chen was also entangled by three chains around his ankles.

A terrifying devouring force came from the chains—they were absorbing life force!

Just then.

Golden Glazed, who had been standing still, suddenly moved again.

This time, her movements were smooth and natural.

She walked up to Lin Chen and reached out to press on those three chains.

"Unlock," she said softly.

The chains broke inch by inch.

Qingyunzi's pupils shrank. "Impossible! Your consciousness should have been completely controlled by me!"

Golden Glazed raised her head, and her eyes finally regained their clarity.

It was no longer hollow, but cold and sharp.

"Senior Qingyunzi," her voice was calm, "Do you know why my father is called 'Golden Abacus'?"

"Because he is infallible in his calculations," Golden Glazed continued. "When I discovered you were tampering with the research project three years ago, I told my father. We set a trap—pretending I was controlled by you to lure you in. My 'amnesia' over these three years was all an act."

She looked at Lin Chen: "As for Lin Chen... Father did want to recruit him as a son-in-law, but more importantly, we needed a 'bait' that could force you to reveal yourself. And you really took the bait."

The whole place was in an uproar again.

Golden Abacus walked to his daughter's side and patted her shoulder. "Good acting."

Qingyunzi's face was as pale as paper.

"Now," Golden Abacus looked at Lin Chen, "Lin Chen, although the engagement was a trap, the stocks are real. I really appreciated your operation just now—so, our contract is still valid. Within a year, if you can make Glazed truly willing to marry you, all debts will be waived, and I will additionally fund you to win the Kindling Project."

He paused. "But if she is unwilling... you understand."

Lin Chen looked at the father and daughter in front of him and suddenly laughed.

He raised the Contract Transfer Device on his wrist. "President Jin, I forgot to tell you one thing—this device has another function besides transferring contract attacks."

"What function?"

"Contract Replication." Lin Chen clicked the device button.

Instantly, a virtual contract mark appeared on the wrists of everyone present—it was a replica of the most core contract each of them had signed.

Including Golden Abacus's lifetime employment contract with the Universe Bank.

Including Morgana's guardian oath with the Frozen Era.

Including Alpha's assimilation agreement with the Data Source.

Everyone's lifeblood was now held in Lin Chen's hands.

"Now," Lin Chen smiled, "we can renegotiate the terms."