267: Chapter 267 Internal Bank Cleanup! I Turned Layoffs into a Competition

On Lin Chen's first day reporting to the Universe Bank headquarters, his identity was that of a Probationary Risk Controller, Level 3.

Below the job title on his work badge was a line of fine print: 'Temporary worker, no social security, no annual bonus, can be terminated at any time.'

He was assigned to the Ninth Section of the Risk Management Department, with Blackstone—the debt collector he had once threatened with a contract—as his direct superior.

'Welcome to the real world, Boss Lin,' Blackstone said from behind his spacious desk, a smile filled with undisguised mockery. 'Now I'm your boss. You need to clock in daily, one lateness deducts half a day's pay. Any questions?'

Lin Chen looked at the cheap gray uniform he was wearing, then out the window—from the 328th floor of this bank tower, he could overlook the entire financial center of the Narrative Layer. The headquarters building of the Underworld Group he once owned was just three streets away, now flying the Universe Bank's logo atop it.

'No questions, Section Chief Blackstone,' Lin Chen said calmly.

'Good.' Blackstone tossed over a file. 'Your first task: review these loan clients on the verge of default, decide which to save and which to force into liquidation.'

The pile of documents was half a person's height, at least three thousand files.

Following the normal process, a risk controller would need three months to finish reviewing them.

'Time limit?' Lin Chen asked.

'24 hours,' Blackstone smiled. 'Fail to complete it, and it counts as gross misconduct. You can be fired directly—and after being fired, your employee contract defaults. The bank has the right to confiscate your remaining right of existence.'

This was both a show of authority and revenge.

Lin Chen picked up the files and walked into the cubicle assigned to him—three square meters in size, no window, just an old terminal.

He sat down and opened the first file.

Client Name: Morgana (Ruler of the Icebound Star Domain)

Loan Amount: Ninety quadrillion dimension points

Overdue Time: 3 days

Collateral: 30% share of the frozen core

Recommended Disposal Method: Forced Liquidation

Second file: Alpha, also on the brink of default.

Third file, fourth file... all were loan documents for competitors of the Kindling Project.

Blackstone had dumped all the thorniest cases on him.

A countdown panel flashed on the terminal screen: 【23:59:58】

Lin Chen wasn't in a hurry to start the review.

He first accessed the Universe Bank's internal organizational chart.

The bank's highest authority was the 'Board of Directors,' currently with seven directors. Golden Abacus was the Chairman and General Manager.

Under the Board were twelve 'Business Headquarters.' The Risk Management Department was a secondary department under the 'Credit Business Headquarters.'

The Risk Management Department had thirty-six sections. Blackstone's Ninth Section was the worst-performing one—seven consecutive quarters of losses, with an 87% employee turnover rate.

'So I've been exiled to a garbage department,' Lin Chen understood.

But this was an opportunity instead.

No one paid attention to a garbage department, and the rules were lax.

He opened the terminal's backend and input a string of code—administrator privileges he had stolen from the bank's system back when he was a controlling shareholder. Although most privileges had been revoked, some hidden commands remained.

The code executed.

The terminal displayed a hidden interface: 【Universe Bank · Internal Trading Market】

This was a black market where bank employees privately traded tasks, quotas, and even client resources. Lin Chen quickly browsed and found what he needed:

【For Sale: Section Chief Position, Risk Management Department, Ninth Section (Includes Full-Year KPI Exemption)】

【Price: Fifty quadrillion dimension points】

【Note: Urgent sale, installment payments possible】

Poster ID: Blackstone himself.

So this guy had long wanted to quit, planning to sell his position and run.

Lin Chen opened a private chat: 'Thirty quadrillion, cash, trade now.'

The other party replied instantly: 'Forty quadrillion, can't go lower.'

'Thirty-five quadrillion, plus I'll help you settle all the bad debts in your section.'

A minute of silence.

Blackstone replied: '...Deal.'

The transaction was completed within the internal system.

The first month's salary just deposited into Lin Chen's account—three thousand dimension points—instantly went to zero. He now owed the bank an additional thirty-four trillion, nine hundred and seventy billion.

But the position change notification had already been issued:

【Following an internal transfer, Lin Chen assumes the position of Section Chief, Risk Management Department, Ninth Section】

【Blackstone transferred to 'Non-Performing Asset Recovery Section · Field Specialist' (Requires permanent stationing at the Oblivion Graveyard)】

The office door was pushed open. Blackstone walked in, his face livid. 'Where did you get the money?!'

'A loan.' Lin Chen pulled up the electronic contract he had just signed. 'Using my salary for the next three hundred years as collateral, I borrowed thirty-five quadrillion from the 'Employee Mutual Credit Office.' By the way, I bribed the director of that office with thirty thousand dimension points just ten minutes ago.'

Blackstone was stunned.

He hadn't expected Lin Chen to move so fast, nor that Lin Chen had already figured out such gray channels.

'Now,' Lin Chen stood up, pointing outside, 'report to your new post, Specialist Blackstone. Remember to submit daily field reports. Late submissions mean pay deductions.'

Blackstone gritted his teeth but had no choice but to leave.

The first thing Lin Chen did after sitting in the Section Chief's office was to call a meeting for all section employees.

The Ninth Section originally had thirty employees, but only seven actually attended—the others were either absent, on leave, or had already secretly found work in other departments.

All seven employees looked dejected.

'I know the Ninth Section is a dumping ground,' Lin Chen got straight to the point. 'But even trash has its uses. From today, our section's business focus is changing: we specialize in handling 'bad debts impossible to recover.''

A veteran employee smiled bitterly. 'Section Chief Lin, those bad debts are dead accounts. Impossible to recover.'

'Then make them "possible."' Lin Chen pulled up the personnel files of the entire section. 'Each of you seven has your own specialty—you're good at forging transaction records, you at inflating collateral value, you at tampering with audit reports...'

He pointed them out one by one, exposing all the dirty work each had done privately.

The seven employees turned pale.

'Don't be nervous,' Lin Chen smiled. 'I want you to use those skills for a proper purpose.'

He assigned tasks:

'You three, go sort all the bad debt client lists, ranked by 'remaining value potential.''

'You two, contact the Cosmic Exchange. I want to know the black market trading prices for the 'debt packages' of these bad debt clients.'

'The last two, come with me to visit the first client.'

The first bad debt client he selected was a company called 'Stellar Mining,' owing the bank eighty quadrillion, overdue for ten years. The company's actual controller was an old fox with no executable assets in his name, living in a legally protected 'Debtor Exemption Zone.' The bank could do nothing about him.

Lin Chen took the two employees and teleported directly to the Exemption Zone.

It was a dilapidated neighborhood floating in the void, filled with debt-ridden, barely surviving deadbeats.

Stellar Mining's boss was called Old Wang. Lying on a broken deck chair sunbathing, he didn't even lift an eyelid when he saw people in bank uniforms. 'Here again? I said it, no money, take my life if you want.'

Lin Chen didn't speak, just handed over a document.

Old Wang glanced at it and froze.

Document Title: 《Feasibility Plan for Stellar Mining Debt Restructuring》

Core Content: The bank forgives 80% of Old Wang's debt, converts the remaining 20% into company equity. The bank holds shares but does not interfere in operations. Simultaneously, the bank will provide a new loan to restart mining operations.

'You... what trick are you playing?' Old Wang sat up.

'Simple,' Lin Chen said. 'Your mine collapsed because extraction costs were too high. But I have a way to reduce costs by 70%—using the 'Epoch Kindling Governor Authority' I just obtained, I can temporarily modify the physical laws of your mine's location, causing the ore to separate automatically.'

Old Wang's eyes widened.

'After restarting, the company's valuation will increase at least tenfold. The bank's 20% equity will appreciate. We both win,' Lin Chen added. 'Of course, if you refuse, I will initiate the 'Debtor Personality Auction' process—auctioning off your memories, skills, and interpersonal relationships until the debt is cleared. Which do you choose?'

Old Wang was silent for three minutes.

'I'll do it.'

The agreement was signed.

Three days later, Stellar Mining restarted.

One month later, the company's stock price soared. The value of the bank's held equity rose from sixteen quadrillion to one hundred and sixty quadrillion.

The Ninth Section completed 300% of its annual KPI.

The news spread, shaking the entire bank.

But what was even more shocking was Lin Chen's second move: he turned the Ninth Section's successful experience into a standardized process, the Bad Debt Revival Manual, and put it up for public auction on the internal system.

Highest bidder wins.

Other sections competed fiercely to bid for this process.

Final transaction price: Ninety quadrillion dimension points.

Lin Chen used this money to pay off his employee loan in one go, netting a profit of fifty-five quadrillion.

Now, he had capital and performance.

The Board of Directors began to notice this new section chief who 'started as a temp.'

But just as Golden Abacus was about to summon Lin Chen—

An internal investigation targeting Lin Chen suddenly commenced.

The head of the investigation team was the Deputy Minister of the Credit Business Headquarters, a middle-aged woman named 'Ironface.' She barged into the Ninth Section office with her team and announced:

'We have received a report that Lin Chen is suspected of using his position for improper gain and engaging in illegal benefit transfers with debtors. He is hereby suspended pending investigation, all permissions frozen.'

Lin Chen looked at the few people behind Ironface—all section chiefs from other sections, their eyes filled with jealousy.

'Who filed the report?' he asked.

'Anonymous report, standard compliance procedure,' Ironface said coldly. 'Please leave the office now for isolated questioning.'

Two security guards stepped forward.

Lin Chen suddenly laughed.

He opened the terminal and played a recording.

Ironface's voice was in the recording: '...Yes, do as I said, falsify the Ninth Section's performance data. I've already prepared the report materials... Don't worry, once it's done, I guarantee your section's KPI will be met this year...'

The recording finished playing.

The office fell silent.

Ironface's face turned deathly pale. 'You... how did you...'

'My office surveillance has audio recording functionality,' Lin Chen smiled. 'And it automatically backs up to the Board of Directors' Secretary Office server. Should I retrieve the backup?'

Ironface turned to leave.

'Wait,' Lin Chen stopped her. 'Since you're here, let's discuss a deal—I know you have dirt on all seven directors of the Board. Sell it to me, and I'll ensure you retire peacefully. Otherwise...'

He clicked on the terminal, pulling up a document. 'Your son's admission qualification to the 'Narrative Layer Early Education Center' was obtained through bribery, wasn't it? I've already drafted the report. Should I send it with one click?'

Ironface trembled all over.

In the end, she handed over an encrypted data packet.

Inside were all the violation records of the seven directors over the years: insider trading, fund misappropriation, irregular loan issuance, and even two directors privately investing in short-selling products related to the Zeroing Storm—which was equivalent to betting on the collapse of the Narrative Layer.

The first thing Lin Chen did after obtaining the data packet was not to threaten the directors.

Instead, he anonymously sent all this dirt to Golden Abacus.

With a note: 'Chairman, I believe you might need these materials for a... Board of Directors internal purge.'

Send.

Three hours later, the Board of Directors held an emergency meeting.

Five hours later, three directors announced their resignation 'for personal reasons.'

Seven hours later, Golden Abacus personally summoned Lin Chen.

In the General Manager's office, Golden Abacus looked at the young man in a gray uniform before him and said slowly:

'After doing all this, what exactly do you want?'

Lin Chen replied calmly, 'I want my Kindling Governor Authority back. But I know I can't get it back now—so I want to try a different approach.'

'What approach?'

'Establish a 'Special Asset Processing Department' within the bank. I'll be the Minister. Specializing in handling 'super bad debts' involving Narrative Layer security that cannot be resolved by conventional means. Such as... debt issues related to the Zeroing Storm.'

Golden Abacus narrowed his eyes. 'You want to use the bank's resources to solve the Zeroing Storm?'

'Yes,' Lin Chen nodded. 'If the Storm isn't resolved, all loans will eventually become bad debts. I'm considering the bank's long-term interests.'

A long silence.

Golden Abacus finally nodded. 'Agreed. But you must sign a 'betting agreement'—if you cannot reduce the bank's bad debt rate by 10% within three months, you will permanently become a bank slave, without even the chance of reincarnation.'

'And if I succeed?'

'Then, your Kindling Governor Authority is returned, and I'll even get you a seat on the Board.'

Lin Chen extended his hand. 'Deal.'

The agreement was signed.

But as Lin Chen was leaving the office, Golden Abacus suddenly said:

'By the way, Liu Li will start her internship at the bank next week.'

'She'll be assigned to... your new department.'