Drop! Drop! Drop!

The avalanche of negative news about Vivendi released by Merrill Lynch Securities had, in a short time, dealt an unprecedented and shocking blow to the Vivendi Group and even the entire Paris stock market.

The Vivendi Group?

Heh!

They were ready to die.

In recent days, the Vivendi Group had poured enormous energy, manpower, and resources into reversing the damage. They had managed to restore some confidence and get the share price recovering. Its market value was still nowhere near its peak of more than 140 billion euros, but at least it had stabilized at 20 billion euros.

But now?

As soon as the Paris stock market opened that morning, Vivendi's share price started falling—and kept falling!

And not just a little. It was a downright plunge!

Forget a market value of 20 billion euros. In just one hour, a host of investment firms led by Merrill Lynch Securities and Da Feng Capital had gone on a short-selling frenzy, and Vivendi was taking a brutal beating!

19.5 billion euros!

19 billion euros!

18.2 billion euros!

From the morning opening bell until noon, Vivendi's total market value had fallen to less than 15 billion euros!

"My God!"

"Is this for real?!"

"In just one morning—a few hours, really—Vivendi's share price has fallen to this state. This is insane! Absolutely insane!"

Seeing the situation turn against them, one shareholder and retail speculator after another rushed to sell their Vivendi shares. The Vivendi Group was powerless to stop its market value from collapsing.

Of course, there were still some stubborn shareholders.

They kept insisting, "The Vivendi Group will hold steady. It's the world's second-largest media giant and Europe's largest!"

But as the situation deteriorated, their faith crumbled completely.

At around one in the afternoon, the Vivendi Group held another press conference.

CEO