139: Chapter 139 AU Vote! The General's Final Approval!

The venue of the African Union Summit was solemn and dignified.

Leaders and representatives from over fifty African nations gathered to discuss various issues regarding the future of the continent.

The meeting agenda proceeded step by step.

After discussing several topics on regional economic cooperation and counter-terrorism, it was finally time for the vote on "admitting the Cyber Freedom Republic as an African Union observer state."

After the host announced the topic, the gaze of the entire hall drifted, intentionally or not, toward Lin Zhou in the front row and the Egyptian delegation not far away.

Everyone knew that the success of this resolution depended on Egypt's attitude. As a traditional power on the African continent and a leader of the Arab world, Egypt's vote often acted as a bellwether.

President of the Privy Council Qin Yue walked to the podium.

She wore a sharp women's suit today, exuding confidence and composure.

“Honorable Chair, Excellencies...”

Qin Yue's speech began. She didn't give a long-winded discourse on the sovereignty of the Cyber Freedom Republic; instead, she focused on “contribution.”

She reviewed the Cyber Freedom Republic's selfless aid during the Marburg virus crisis in West Africa, showcased the initial results of the “Oasis One” settlement in desert management and high-tech agriculture, and promised to share relevant technology and experience with all African nations in need in the future.

“As a nascent African nation, we are not here to take, but to build together. We believe technology is the most effective weapon against poverty and hunger. The Cyber Freedom Republic is willing to become Africa's most reliable bridgehead on the path to modernization.”

Applause broke out in the hall as the speech ended, but it wasn't uniform. The nations that had received aid clapped enthusiastically, while most representatives merely gave polite applause, their eyes instinctively darting toward the Egyptian delegation.

General Mubarak, sitting there, didn't even bother to applaud. He just leaned back slightly in his chair, slowly wiping his gold-rimmed glasses with his finger, his expression disdainful, as if he had just watched a low-quality play that had nothing to do with him.

Lin Zhou, sitting below the stage and watching Qin Yue speak eloquently, found his mind wandering.

“President of the Privy Council... this title sounds awkward no matter how I hear it, reeking of web novel vibes. No, next time there's a vote, I absolutely cannot give these netizens the chance to improvise freely; I have to give them a few options and make it a multiple-choice question!”

Just as Lin Zhou was complaining about his own bureaucracy, the voting session began.

After the chairman announced the start of the vote, the large screen in the hall began displaying the results in real-time.

To many people's surprise, the first to cast “yes” votes weren't the countries that had already established diplomatic relations with the Cyber Freedom Republic, but several West African nations that had been on the fence.

The $100 million in medical aid had played a crucial role.

Subsequently, “yes” votes began to increase sporadically.

But after the number of “yes” votes slowly climbed to over twenty, it stopped moving.

On the large screen, nearly half of the national representative boxes remained grey, representing abstention or observation.

The hall became exceptionally quiet, with only the sound of suppressed breathing remaining.

Many representatives stopped looking at the screen and instead converged their gazes on the Egyptian delegation's seats.

They whispered among themselves or pretended to drink water calmly, but the inquiry and waiting in their eyes betrayed their true thoughts.

The entire northern half of Africa was waiting for the decree from Cairo.

This was the deterrent power of a regional giant!

General Mubarak sat in his seat with a calm face, seemingly indifferent to the vote before him.

His deputy tried to remind him several times but was stopped by a look from him.

He was waiting.

He enjoyed this feeling of controlling the room, making dozens of nations hold their breath for his will alone.

It wasn't until the number of “yes” votes was stuck firmly at around thirty and could no longer advance that Mubarak slowly, as if just waking from a nap, signaled the representative beside him to press the green button on the table.

On the large screen, the box belonging to Egypt turned from grey to green.

“In favor.”

After he cast his “yes” vote, the dozen or so Arab and North African countries that were still hesitating also pressed their approval buttons one after another.

The number of “yes” votes began to climb rapidly, easily surpassing the majority.

The resolution passed.

The chairman struck the gavel and announced the result.

Polite applause rang out in the hall.

Lin Zhou stood up and nodded to the representatives around him, his face remaining calm.

But he didn't feel much joy because of it.

Because he knew that outside this solemn hall, a bloody slaughter was already brewing in distant Cairo.

General Mubarak had just used the power in his hands to cast the final “yes” vote for the Cyber Freedom Republic.

He personally sent this “interesting junior” into Africa's highest-level political club.

Yet he did not know that this junior had already prepared a coffin behind him.

Just then, the system prompt sounded in Lin Zhou's mind.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the milestone achievement: “Continental Observer State”!]

[Achievement rewards are being distributed...]

[Congratulations to the host for obtaining: One high-quality gold mine (with geological survey map). Type of deposit: Lode gold. Estimated total reserves: 79 tons. Average ore grade: 12.5 g/t.]

A massive flow of information flooded into Lin Zhou's mind.

It was an extremely detailed 3D geological map, clearly marking a massive gold vein snaking deep beneath an administrative district within the Cyber Freedom Republic that had just been named “Ironforge” by the netizens.

Lin Zhou's breathing stalled for a moment.

79 tons of gold!

At current international gold prices, the total value of this gold exceeded five billion USD!

This massive amount of wealth appearing out of thin air was enough to completely resolve all the fiscal crises currently facing the Cyber Freedom Republic!

However, there wasn't a hint of ecstasy in Lin Zhou's heart; instead, a strong sense of vigilance arose.

He glanced at the “Desert Rapid Greening Technology Pack” that had been gathering dust in the system space for a long time and felt a headache.

Whether it was this gold mine or that black technology that could turn the desert into an oasis, at this moment, they were both things that could bring about a fatal disaster.

An ordinary man is innocent, but harboring a treasure makes him guilty.

A micro-nation that had just emerged on the international stage, with its sovereignty not yet fully consolidated, was suddenly discovered to be sitting on a world-class gold mine?

This was not an opportunity, but a death warrant.

Hyenas from all over the world would be attracted by the scent of gold.

“I can't move it, absolutely cannot move it,” Lin Zhou forcibly suppressed the waves in his thoughts. “Until the nation has enough military force to protect itself, this gold mine must be buried deep underground, as if it doesn't exist.”

Timing, the most crucial thing right now was timing.

And just as Lin Zhou was thinking about how to handle this “hot wealth,” the meeting entered its mid-session break.

A staff member hurried into the hall, went straight to the seats of the Egyptian delegation, and whispered something into the ear of one of General Mubarak's aides.

The aide's face instantly drained of all color.