11: Chapter 11 Global Attention, Big Shot Arrives!

Lin Zhou's desert livestream challenge was like a depth charge, setting off massive waves in the ocean of the internet.

When that first stream of clear water gushed from the silver-white device, the waves of doubt and mockery were replaced by fanaticism and shock.

But this wasn't enough.

What Lin Zhou wanted wasn't a momentary sensation, but irrefutable, hard evidence.

“From now on, the livestream will enter its second phase.”

He stood beside the water collector, the wind and sand messing up his hair, giving his entire being an aura of wild tenacity.

“Eight camera angles, 24-hour non-stop livestreaming, no edits, no blind spots.”

As he spoke, he personally adjusted several newly set-up cameras.

One was aimed at the water collector's outlet and the storage tank below, making the volume and speed of the water flow clearly visible.

One was pointed at the device's LCD screen, which displayed real-time scrolling data on ambient humidity, internal temperature, water production, and energy consumption.

One was directed at the solar panels to prove the energy source.

A high-angle wide-lens camera captured the surrounding hundred meters of desert, ruling out the possibility of any external water source.

The remaining cameras locked onto the device itself and the surrounding environment from different angles.

“I welcome any form of supervision,” Lin Zhou's voice broadcast across the entire network through the microphone. “I also invite any reputable third-party institutions, media reporters, and even skeptical netizens to come to the site and verify it personally.”

This declaration completely ignited the internet.

The number of concurrent viewers in the livestream room skyrocketed from a few million, quickly breaking the ten-million mark.

The bullet chat scrolled at an unprecedented speed.

“Crazy! The streamer is playing for real!”

“Eight cameras and 24-hour livestreaming? If this is fake, the cost would be way too high, right?”

“You upstairs, what do you know? This is called an immersive experience! I feel like I’m a grain of sand right next to that machine!”

Of course, nitpickers and skeptics were never absent.

“Maybe there's a water pipe buried underground. Why don't you move the camera down a bit?”

“There's definitely something wrong with this water. The heavy metal levels must be over the limit; drink it and you'll go straight to see God.”

“It's an act, right? Once the stream ends, he'll probably start selling this 'miracle machine' for 998 a piece!”

Facing all this, Lin Zhou just watched calmly.

He took out a portable water quality tester and, in front of tens of millions of netizens, took a sample from the storage tank for testing.

TDS value: 2.

A nearly perfect reading for pure water.

He then took out several test kits, testing pH, residual chlorine, and heavy metal content in sequence.

Every indicator was superior to the vast majority of bottled water on the market.

After finishing all this, he picked up a cup, scooped some up, and drank it in one go.

“I accept the strictest physical examinations and chemical analyses of myself and the water produced by any testing institution with national certification qualifications.”

His words were powerful and resonant.

This candid, almost arrogant attitude caused the scales in the hearts of most people in the livestream room to tip.

Small donations began to pour into the Cyber Freedom Republic's account one after another, and the number of citizens grew steadily.

What people were donating wasn't just money; it was a sense of participation, the excitement of witnessing history.

Just as the livestream reached its tenth hour, a golden, incredibly eye-catching bullet comment suddenly dominated the entire screen.

[Tuhao Wo Lai Le (Founding Duke)]: Streamer, send the specific coordinates of your location. I’m bored anyway, so I’ll head over to take a look.

The moment this bullet comment appeared, the entire livestream room went silent for a second.

“Holy crap! It's that big shot who bought the Duke title!”

“Is the Lord Duke going on an incognito inspection?”

“Hahaha, the streamer's ultimate test is coming! A live tycoon is coming to verify the goods in person!”

Lin Zhou also saw the bullet comment.

He looked at the camera and revealed a meaningful smile.

“Welcome, Lord Duke, to come and provide guidance.”

Without the slightest hesitation, he directly typed his GPS coordinates onto the public screen in a bold font.

This move drove everyone crazy.

“Awesome! He actually sent the coordinates!”

“Now the real show begins! A global livestream, a big shot dropping in—what kind of god-tier plot is this!”

Tuhao Wo Lai Le didn't waste any more words; another golden bullet comment floated by.

[Tuhao Wo Lai Le (Founding Duke)]: Fine, wait for me. Just had my assistant book a flight to the nearest airport. I'll contact you once I land.

After saying that, the Lord Duke went offline.

But the entire livestream room, because of those two sentences, entered a state of complete carnival.

The number of online viewers surged again, heading straight for twenty million.

Everyone craned their necks, waiting for that mysterious 'Founding Duke' to drop from the sky.

Time passed minute by minute.

The desert was unbearably hot during the day and bone-chillingly cold at night.

Lin Zhou and his team took turns keeping watch to ensure the normal operation of the equipment and the livestream.

The faint hum of the water collector and the continuous sound of water flowing into the storage tank became the most beautiful symphony in this silent desert.

The next afternoon.

In the livestream frame, at the edge of the distant sand dunes, a small black dot appeared.

The black dot drew closer, and the roar of an engine approached from afar.

It was a black, heavily modified Mercedes-Benz G-Class off-road vehicle. Its body lines were rugged and full of power.

Like a steel beast, it crushed the yellow sand and drove straight toward Lin Zhou's camp.

At this moment, the bullet comments in the livestream were so dense that they caused lag.

“He’s here! He’s here! The Duke's ride!”

“That car... I've only seen it in magazines. It's the bulletproof version, right?”

“This is what true 'inhumane wealth' looks like!”

The off-road vehicle stopped beside the camp.

The door opened, and a slightly chubby middle-aged man wearing high-end outdoor gear and sunglasses stepped out from the driver's seat.

He took off his sunglasses, revealing a rather comical face, and looked at Lin Zhou with a smile, extending his hand.

“Hello there, 'Your Majesty.' I, your Founding Duke, Wang Tao, have come to report!”

Lin Zhou reached out and shook his hand.

“Welcome to the Cyber Freedom Republic, Lord Duke.”

The two looked at each other and both laughed.

A crazy plan and a bored rich man had achieved a historic meeting in this uninhabited desert because of a livestream.

Wang Tao's gaze was immediately drawn to the working water collector.

He didn't rush to exchange pleasantries with Lin Zhou but instead walked straight toward it.

The two bodyguards who came with him as assistants skillfully took out various professional exploration equipment from the car.

An "on-site inspection" watched by twenty million people globally had officially begun.