271: Chapter 271 Reality Invasion! I Used Commercial Means to Buy the Original Author's Copyright

The moment the giant black hand stretched out from the depths of the Oblivion Graveyard, the flow of time throughout the Narrative Layer began to fluctuate abnormally.

It wasn't just speeding up or slowing down; it was chaotic—in some areas, time flew by, ten thousand years passing in the blink of an eye; in others, time flowed backward, causing civilizations to regress; and in still others, time stood still, freezing all things in place.

"The Original Author is forcibly modifying the timeline of the Narrative Layer!" Number Zero (the remaining half)'s expression changed drastically. "He wants to break the temporal barrier between narrative and reality, synchronizing the flow of time in both worlds! That way, he can directly intervene in reality!"

Lin Chen watched the black hand as it continued to grow. Its goal was clear: cross the boundary of the Narrative Layer and reach for the coordinates of the real world. If it succeeded, the Author Lin Chen in reality would surely die.

"How do we stop it?" Lin Chen asked.

"Conventional means won't work," Number Zero analyzed quickly. "The Original Author is the creator of the Narrative Layer; his authority is higher than all rules. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless you can prove that you possess stronger creative rights over the story 'dimension shareholder' than he does." Number Zero looked at Lin Chen. "In other words... you must become the actual controller of this story."

Lin Chen understood immediately.

He pulled up the financial backend and created a new product: [Original Author Copyright Acquisition Bid]

Product Description:

"This product aims to acquire the original creative copyrights of 'dimension shareholder'. Any entity holding rights related to this work may participate in the bidding. The winner will gain full control over the work, including the authority to modify the plot, set the ending, and even delete characters."

Starting Bid: One Jing dimension points.

The capital pool consisted of two parts: all assets under Lin Chen's name (valued at approximately eighty quadrillion) plus the funds raised from the recently issued bonds (approximately one point two Jing).

The total capital scale exceeded two Jing.

This was the largest single-asset acquisition case in the history of the Narrative Layer.

After the bidding notice was sent out, the first responder appeared.

But it wasn't the Original Author.

It was the real-world Author Lin Chen himself.

An emergency communication came through, showing a pale young Author sitting in front of a computer. The walls of the apartment behind him were cracking, and black text was seeping out from the fissures.

"Lin Chen!" The Author's voice was filled with terror. "Your bidding page suddenly popped up on my computer! What's going on?!"

"Long story short," the Lin Chen in the Narrative Layer explained quickly. "An old fossil called the Original Author wants to kill you. I'm going to buy your copyright to protect you. I need you to agree to transfer the copyright to me now—of course, it's just a formality; the actual control will still be in your hands."

"Transfer... how?"

"Click 'Agree to Transfer' on the bidding page, then set a sky-high transfer fee, like one hundred thousand Jing dimension points. That way, no one else will be able to afford the price."

The Author froze for a moment. "Then... how are you going to pay one hundred thousand Jing?"

"I can't afford it," Lin Chen smiled. "But the bidding rules are: the winner must pay the transfer fee within three days. If I can't pay, I'll be in default, and the copyright will automatically return to the original holder—you. But during these three days, the copyright nominally belongs to me, so the Original Author won't be able to kill you directly."

"A delaying tactic?"

"Exactly. And during these three days, we can do a lot of things."

The Author understood. Trembling, he clicked agree and set a sky-high transfer fee of one hundred thousand Jing.

Instantly, the bidding page displayed: [Current Highest Bidder: Lin Chen (Narrative Layer) · Bid: 100,000 Jing dimension points]

[Bidding will end in three minutes. If there are no higher bids, the copyright will be transferred.]

The three-minute countdown began.

The giant black hand suddenly stopped when it was still one-third of the way from the boundary of the real world.

Because it detected a conflict of authority—if the copyright was transferred to Lin Chen, then the Original Author, as the original creator, would lose direct intervention rights over this story. If he tried to kill the real Author, it would trigger the copyright protection mechanism.

"Naive," the Original Author's cold voice echoed from underground. "Do you think such a petty trick can stop me?"

The giant black hand suddenly split into countless thin black lines, bypassing the copyright protection barrier, seeping through the cracks in the timeline, and continuing to spread toward the real world.

"He's exploiting a loophole," Number Zero said urgently. "Copyright protection can only stop direct attacks, but he can use indirect means—like modifying the time flow of the real world to make you die of old age or suffer an 'accident'."

Sure enough, the monitoring screen showed that time in the real Author's apartment began to accelerate abnormally.

The coffee on the table grew moldy and spoiled in an instant, the sunlight outside the window moved at high speed, and the Author's hair turned white at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"He's accelerating your time!" Lin Chen shouted to the Author. "Get out of the apartment quickly!"

"I can't leave!" The Author looked at his hands—his skin was aging rapidly. "The door is sealed shut by some kind of power!"

At the critical moment, Lin Chen did a second thing.

He activated the new ability he had obtained after devouring the thirteen seeds of the heavenly dao: [Concept Materialization]

This ability could directly transform "business concepts" into physical entities.

The concept Lin Chen chose to materialize was—Limited Liability

Instantly, a translucent golden barrier formed around the real Author. Complex legal clauses and financial statements flowed across the barrier.

The black time-acceleration wave crashed into the barrier and was forcibly "diluted"—the acceleration effect was dispersed among countless virtual liability entities, with each entity bearing only a tiny fraction. It was just like when a Limited Liability company goes bankrupt; the shareholders only lose their investment amount.

The Author's time flow returned to normal.

"Interesting," the Original Author's voice carried a hint of surprise. "To be able to materialize a legal concept for defense... but how long can you hold out?"

The giant black hand changed again, this time turning into a pen.

The pen tip pointed at the real world and began to write:

[On that day, a gas leak explosion occurred in Author Lin Chen's apartment. He died on the spot, and the story was dropped.]

The moment the words took shape, the smell of gas actually wafted through the apartment in the real world!

"He's directly rewriting reality!" Golden Glazed cried out in alarm.

Lin Chen gritted his teeth and also materialized his own concept—Commercial Insurance

A massive insurance policy unfolded above the real Author's head, with clauses stating: "If the policyholder suffers accidental injury due to Narrative Layer intervention, this insurance will provide full compensation and initiate the 'Accident Reversal Program'."

Just as the gas pipe leaked, it was repaired by an invisible force.

The sparks that were about to ignite extinguished automatically.

The insurance took effect.

"Let's see how many concepts you can materialize!" The Original Author seemed to be provoked.

The pen tip danced wildly, and the writing speed increased:

[Earthquake] [Car Accident] [Sudden Terminal Illness] [Falling Objects from Height]...

Countless disaster words flooded toward the real world.

Lin Chen also desperately materialized various business concepts to hedge against them:

[Risk Hedge Fund] neutralized the earthquake.

[Traffic Safety Insurance] defended against the car accident.

[Critical Illness Insurance] resisted the terminal illness.

[Property All-Risks Insurance] blocked the falling objects.

For a time, above the real-world apartment, black disaster words and golden insurance clauses collided violently, like an unconventional magical battle.

But Lin Chen was gradually becoming exhausted.

Every time he materialized a concept, he needed to consume a large amount of "Business Faith Energy"—the degree of trust investors had in his business system. Meanwhile, the Original Author's writing cost almost nothing.

"He won't be able to hold out at this rate," Number Zero frowned. "We must find the location of the Original Author's true form."

"Where is it?" Golden Glazed asked.

"At the 'Origin of Creation' of the Narrative Layer," Number Zero pulled up the coordinates. "That's where he created the first story. But there's the strongest authority barrier there; we can't get in."

"What if... we buy it?" Lin Chen said suddenly.

"What?"

"Since that's a 'location', it can have property rights." A sharp light flashed in Lin Chen's eyes. "I'm going to buy the ownership of the Origin of Creation."

He pulled up the financial backend again, but this time it wasn't to launch a bid.

Instead, he activated a hidden function: [Cross-Dimensional Real Estate Acquisition Agreement]

This function was originally intended for purchasing other star systems, but now he was using it to buy the core location of the Narrative Layer.

Purchase Target: Origin of Creation.

Bid: Use all future revenue rights of 'dimension shareholder' for the next hundred years as collateral to purchase via a loan.

Lender: Universe Bank (Golden Abacus had to agree, because if Lin Chen lost, the bank would also be purged by the Original Author).

The loan application was sent.

Ten seconds later, Golden Abacus's emergency communication patched in: "Lin Chen, are you crazy?! That's the Original Author's home base!"

"That's why I have to buy it," Lin Chen said calmly. "Once I buy it, it'll be my territory. He either pays rent or gets out."

"...You really are a devil," Golden Abacus was silent for three seconds. "But I like it. Loan approved."

The purchase agreement took effect.

Instantly, Lin Chen obtained the property deed for the Origin of Creation.

He immediately exercised his owner's authority and sent a document to the Original Author, who was still deep underground:

[Notice Regarding Immediate Eviction from the Origin of Creation]

[To: Original Author (Illegal Occupant)]

[According to Article 88 of the 'Narrative Layer Real Estate Management Regulations', the property rights of the 'Origin of Creation' you are currently occupying have been transferred to Lin Chen. Please vacate within 24 hours, otherwise our side will take enforcement measures, including but not limited to cutting off water and electricity, disconnecting the internet, and applying for court-ordered mandatory execution.]

[Attachments: Property Deed, Purchase Contract, Bank Loan Agreement]

This was perhaps the most absurd scene in the history of the Narrative Layer: a newly awakened embryonic form of capital using property management tactics to evict the creator of the Narrative Layer.

There was a long silence from deep underground.

So long that Lin Chen thought the Original Author had fainted from anger.

Then, that deep voice rang out again, this time with a clear sense of... absurdity:

"You want to... kick me out?"

"From the place I created myself?"

"Using... property management regulations?"

"Yes," Lin Chen nodded seriously. "And if you don't move out within 24 hours, I will sue you for illegal occupation and claim compensation for mental distress and unpaid rent. According to my calculations, you have occupied the Origin of Creation for three thousand eons. Based on market rent standards, you owe approximately ninety million Jing dimension points. If you can't pay, your 'Author Authority' will be forcibly auctioned to settle the debt."

Another silence.

Then, a burst of... laughter came from underground.

It wasn't an angry laugh, but the kind of helpless laugh of "what kind of freak am I fighting?"

"Lin Chen," the Original Author's voice suddenly became a bit more peaceful, "you win. Not in terms of power, but... in terms of thinking. I've lived for three thousand eons, and this is the first time I've encountered someone using property management regulations against me."

The giant black hand began to retract.

The pen tip dissipated.

The flow of time returned to normal.

"I will leave the Origin of Creation," the Original Author said. "But it's not because I'm afraid of your legal tactics, but because... I suddenly feel that letting the Narrative Layer be ruled by a merchant like you might be more interesting than the 'pure world' I planned myself."

He paused: "However, there is one condition."

"Name it."

"I want to retain the right to write the final chapter of 'dimension shareholder'," the Original Author said. "When I feel the story should end one day, I will come to write the last chapter. Don't worry, it won't be a tragic ending—I just want to see how far your commercial empire can ultimately go."

Lin Chen thought for a moment and nodded: "Fine. But you have to sign a supplementary agreement: the final chapter must be reviewed by me; you can't just write whatever you want."

"Deal."

A golden contract rose from underground, and both parties signed.

The crisis was resolved.

The giant black hand completely retracted into the depths.

The property rights of the Origin of Creation officially belonged to Lin Chen.

The real-world Author was safe.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

But just as Lin Chen was about to close the monitor—

In the real-world apartment, the Author Lin Chen suddenly said to the camera:

"By the way, Narrative Layer me."

"There's something I've always wanted to tell you..."

"Actually, I'm not just the Author."

"I'm also..."

"Your reader."

Before he finished speaking.

On the Author's computer screen, the reading interface for 'dimension shareholder' popped up.

The account showed: he was already a full-subscription reader, ranked first in fan points.