133: Chapter 133 New Official Titles Revealed! You guys really know how to have fun!

A week passed quickly, and the voting for official titles finally came to an end.

Lin Zhou looked at the final voting results and gained a brand-new understanding of the bottomless imagination and wicked humor of the vast numbers of "Cloud Citizens."

Option D, "Brainstormed by the general public," won by an overwhelming margin.

Among the various proposals submitted by netizens, a "New Empire" scheme that blended history, fantasy, and internet culture received the highest number of likes.

According to this plan, the supreme leader of the country—Lin Zhou himself—would no longer be called "Head of State," but would instead be renamed "Supreme Lord."

The heads of the various cabinet departments were renamed using ancient Eastern official titles. For example, the former Minister of Finance, Chen Yuan, became the "Minister of Revenue," in charge of the nation's finances.

The heads responsible for legislation, supervision, and the judiciary were called the "Chief Justice," "Censor-in-Chief," and "Minister of Justice."

The heads of local administrative regions were uniformly called "Governors."

The Commander-in-Chief of the military and Police Force was the "Imperial Marshal," in command of all the nation's armed forces.

...

The entire country was thus shaped into a cyberpunk-style monarchical empire.

"This... this is simply ridiculous!"

At an internal meeting, the consistently steady Chen Yuan slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed red.

"I am the Minister of Finance of a dignified nation; how did I become a 'Minister of Revenue'? If this gets out, won't the whole world laugh at us? They'll think we're staging a feudal restoration!"

Zhang Zhe also complained, his face wrinkled like a bitter melon: "Exactly, Lord. 'Chief Justice'? I was originally the Chief Legal Officer in charge of the judicial system. Now this title sounds like a character from a period drama. All that's missing is for me to enter the court and shout 'Order!'"

Qin Yue, however, was relatively calm, only shrugging helplessly: "I'm in charge of national strategy and diplomacy, and my new title is 'President of the Privy Council.' At least it sounds somewhat majestic."

Facing the indignant "ministers," Lin Zhou felt his temples throbbing.

But he understood clearly that since he had chosen this path of "governing the country through the internet," he had to respect online public opinion. Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn it. These seemingly unreliable "Cloud Citizens" were now his greatest source of ruling legitimacy.

"I know it sounds strange." Lin Zhou tapped on the table to quiet the noisy meeting room. "But everyone, think about it: what is the foundation of our country?"

He looked around at everyone: "The only thing we currently rely on is these netizens! It's the recognition of these hundreds of millions of 'Cloud Citizens'! If they think this is cool and provides a sense of immersion, then we must satisfy them."

"Furthermore," Lin Zhou continued his analysis, "look at it from another perspective. Isn't this a unique national calling card? While countries all over the world are playing the game of traditional politics, we are building a one-of-a-kind 'Cyber Empire,' a supra-sovereign entity dedicated to providing 'order and glory' to global citizens. This unique positioning is itself a powerful attraction."

"Besides! If you're really dissatisfied, we can just change it again once the country has truly developed. For now, let's not provoke these rebels; they're in a state of excitement. The more you oppose them, the more energized they get!"

After hearing Lin Zhou's explanation, although everyone still felt awkward, the voices of opposition in the meeting room eventually quieted down.

"Fine," Chen Yuan sighed, reluctantly accepting the reality. "As long as you don't make me sign national bonds as 'Your Servant, Chen Yuan' and stamp them with an imperial seal."

"Hahaha..." A burst of bitter laughter rang out in the meeting room.

Thus, in the spring of 2025, the most peculiar national bureaucratic system in world history was born.

Lin Zhou, Supreme Lord of the Cyber Freedom Republic (formerly Head of State).

Chen Yuan, Minister of Revenue (formerly Minister of Finance, in charge of national finance and economy).

Qin Yue, President of the Privy Council (formerly Minister of Strategy and Foreign Affairs, responsible for national development strategy and external relations).

He Jun, Grand Marshal (formerly Minister of Internal Affairs and Security, leading the nation's military and Police Force).

Zhang Zhe, Chief Justice (formerly Chief Legal Officer, in charge of the national judicial system).

Gao Jian, Censor-in-Chief (formerly Chief Risk Officer, responsible for supervision and risk control).

...

When this new appointment decree was released to the world via the official website, it predictably caused a massive uproar on the global internet.

The headlines of major media outlets all reflected shock and confusion.

"Shock! The Cyber Freedom Republic Announces the Re-establishment of an Imperial System!"

"From Head of State to Lord: A Serious Political Experiment, or an Absurd Internet Carnival?"

"Experts Claim: Lin Zhou is Using Internet Thinking to Deconstruct the Traditional Concept of Monarchy!"

Mockery and doubt were heard incessantly, but even more prevalent was the fanatical pursuit by young netizens.

"So cool! This is the empire that belongs to our era!"

"Long live my Lord! When will the titles of nobility be opened for us spiritual citizens?"

"Job hunting! I want to apply for a Jinyiwei internship!"

Amidst the clamor, the "brand image" of the Cyber Freedom Republic spread rapidly in an unprecedented manner.

And while the whole world was heatedly discussing this "imperialization" reform, a real confrontation was quietly brewing in the deserts of Bir Tawil.

The joint military exercise codenamed "Desert Shield" was about to begin.

He Jun stood on the roof of the "Ministry of Defense Building," using binoculars to observe the "Red Army" units gathering on the distant horizon.

The roar of tanks could be faintly heard even from several kilometers away.

Fatah's voice came through his walkie-talkie.

"He, are you ready? My 'recruits' are already a bit impatient." Fatah's tone could not hide his excitement.

"Ready to start at any time." He Jun's voice was devoid of any emotion, steady as always.

"Very good," Fatah said. "Remember our agreement. After the exercise begins, the first twenty-four hours will be free confrontation. Your task is to consume us as much as possible and break our spirit. After twenty-four hours, I will have someone contact you to enter the second phase."

"Understood."

He Jun lowered his binoculars and turned to walk off the roof.

He returned to the underground command center, looking at his own troops standing ready on the large screen.

On the screen, one hundred and fifty war elites from all over the world stood ready. Each person exuded the restlessness of a beast before being released from its cage, just waiting for the signal to open the gates.

"Attention everyone." He Jun picked up the microphone, his voice echoing through every corner of the simulated urban area via the broadcast system.

"The game starts now."