343: Chapter 343 The Truth About Lin Xiao! Why Did He Become the Source of Corruption?

The moment the name "Lin Xiao" was uttered, Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

He had heard this name before.

Three years ago, on a particular evening, a young man had knocked on the door of his small cottage, saying he wanted to start a business. They drank three cups of tea, and Lin Chen told him three stories. Upon leaving, Lin Chen gave him a piece of advice: "Starting a business isn't about making money; it's about making this world more interesting."

That young man was named Lin Xiao.

Later, Zhang Hao went to visit him and said he was doing well, with his company's valuation exceeding a hundred billion.

Lin Chen thought he would continue like that, becoming a successful businessman and living a mundane but fulfilling life.

But now, the Observer was telling him—that young man, in the Tenth Dimension, using the Capital Law, had nearly destroyed the entire dimension.

Lin Chen fell silent for three seconds.

Then he laughed.

That smile caught the Observer off guard—he had expected Lin Chen to be shocked, angry, or confused, but he hadn't expected him to laugh.

"Lin Xiao, is it?" Lin Chen said.

The Observer nodded.

"You know him?"

Lin Chen didn't answer, only asking:

"How did he get in?"

The Observer raised a hand, and the image on the light screen shifted.

In the image was Lin Xiao's company—Chenxing Technology. The three-story building, the crooked wooden sign, the simple office. Everything looked exactly as it had three years ago.

But in the corner of the frame, there was a tiny crack.

The crack writhed slowly in the void like a living thing. Its edges shimmered with a ghostly blue light—the color of the Tenth Dimension.

"Three years ago, a Dimensional Rift appeared next to Lin Xiao's company," the Observer said. "The rift was tiny, so small it was almost negligible. But it happened to open right outside Lin Xiao's office window."

"Lin Xiao discovered it."

The image shifted.

Lin Xiao stood by the window, staring at the rift. His expression wasn't one of fear, but curiosity—exactly like the Lin Chen of those years.

He reached out and touched the rift.

The next second, he vanished.

The Observer continued:

"He fell into the Tenth Dimension. It was a world being eroded by the Void, filled with scenes of destruction. But Lin Xiao didn't die."

"He discovered that his Capital Law could combat the Void Erosion."

In the image, Lin Xiao stood beneath a collapsing starry sky, arms spread wide. Golden light radiated from him, and wherever it touched, the collapsing stars actually ceased their crumbling.

"He thought he could save that world," the Observer said. "So he began to use the Capital Law frantically, attempting to rebuild the entire dimension."

"But he forgot one thing."

Lin Chen finished the thought:

"The core of the Capital Law is transaction. Where there is a transaction, there is a price."

The Observer nodded.

"Correct. For every region he repaired, he had to pay a corresponding price. He paid with his own vitality, memories, and emotions. By the time he realized this, it was too late."

In the image, Lin Xiao's body began to turn transparent. His hair turned white, wrinkles appeared on his skin, and his eyes became hollow. But he didn't stop.

"He's almost at his limit," the Observer said. "If he completely collapses, the Capital Law within him will spiral out of control, instantly consuming the entire Tenth Dimension. At that point, the Void Erosion will follow the Dimensional Rift, spreading to the Ninth Dimension, the Eighth... until every dimension is consumed."

Lin Chen was silent.

He watched the transparent figure in the image, the gradually hollowing eyes, and the desperate struggle.

That young man was so much like himself.

"Why not save him?" Lin Chen asked.

The Observer gave a bitter smile.

"We can't. The Committee has tried countless times. Every time anyone gets near him, they are backlashed by his Capital Law. His law is too strong; it's already beyond our range of control."

He looked at Lin Chen.

"But you are different. You use the same law as him. You might be able to approach him."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

"You want me to go in and persuade him?"

The Observer nodded.

"Persuade him to stop. Or—take over what he's doing."

Lin Chen fell silent.

Three seconds later, he asked:

"If I take over, will I end up like him?"

The Observer was silent.

He didn't answer.

But that silence was an answer in itself.

Zhang Hao grew anxious: "No! Boss, you can't go!"

Arrogant Dragon also stepped forward: "I'll go. I'll go in for the Boss."

Morgana looked at him.

"What use would you be in there? You don't understand the Capital Law."

Arrogant Dragon was speechless.

Flame Demon scratched his head: "I could use fire to burn away that Void?"

Alpha's light screen flickered: "According to calculations, the plan with the highest success rate is: Lin Chen enters, while others provide external support. Anyone else entering would lead to unknown risks."

Zhang Hao wanted to say more, but Lin Chen raised a hand to stop him.

He looked at the light screen, at the transparent figure in the image.

The young man who had once knocked on his door.

The young man who had asked him, "I want to start a business, but I don't know where to start."

The young man to whom he had given three cups of tea and three stories.

"I'm going in," Lin Chen said.

Zhang Hao's eyes went wide as copper bells.

"Boss!"

Lin Chen looked at him.

"What's there to be afraid of? He's my apprentice."

Zhang Hao blinked.

"Apprentice?"

Lin Chen nodded.

"Three years ago, I taught him. Now that he's caused trouble, as his master, I have to go clean it up."

He turned and looked at the Observer.

"Send me in."

The Observer looked at him with a complex gaze.

"Are you sure? Once you're in, you might not come out."

Lin Chen smiled.

That smile was exactly the same as when he faced the Incarnation of Nothingness—calm, composed, as if everything was under control.

"Not come out? Then I'll just turn the Tenth Dimension into my company."

The Observer was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

Lin Chen pointed at Lin Xiao in the image.

"He's almost at his limit. I'll go in and either persuade him to stop or take over his work. Once I take over, I'll be the de facto controller of the Tenth Dimension. At that point, the Void Erosion, the Dimensional Rifts—it'll all be under my management."

The Observer was silent for three seconds.

Then he gave a bitter laugh.

"Lin Chen, you really are..."

He didn't finish, but Lin Chen understood.

He waved his hand, and a golden light enveloped Lin Chen.

"Good luck."

The light burst.

Lin Chen vanished from the spot.

Zhang Hao rushed forward, catching only a handful of air.

"Boss!"

Arrogant Dragon pressed a hand onto his shoulder.

"Stop shouting. He can't hear you."

Zhang Hao turned back, his eyes rimmed with red.

"But..."

Arrogant Dragon looked at him.

"Don't you know what kind of person he is?"

Zhang Hao blinked.

Arrogant Dragon continued:

"When has he ever lost?"

Zhang Hao fell silent.

Three seconds later, he wiped his eyes.

"Right. When has he ever lost."

In the distance, the light screen was still broadcasting the scenes of the Tenth Dimension.

Lin Chen's figure was slowly approaching the transparent young man.