15: Chapter 15 The Elite Negotiation Team!

"A million-dollar annual salary to assemble a negotiation team, all for the sake of founding a nation!"

This news was more explosive than any that had come before.

It signaled that Lin Zhou's plan had officially transitioned from the "technology demonstration" phase to the "political maneuvering" phase.

This was no longer just for fun or performance art; it was a naked international political gamble using technology as a bargaining chip.

The moment the recruitment notice was posted, Lin Zhou's inbox was instantly flooded.

This was a real game on a national level! Being able to participate, regardless of the outcome, would surely skyrocket one's future value.

Tens of thousands of resumes poured in from all over the world.

There were PhDs in Law fresh out of school and full of passion; experienced but weary business executives who had worked in multinational corporations for decades; and even mysterious figures claiming to be former diplomats of certain countries.

Lin Zhou felt a massive headache coming on as he watched the unread email count in his inbox jump frantically.

He was a programmer, not an HR specialist.

Asking him to screen truly usable talent from these thousands of resumes was no different from searching for a needle in a haystack.

"Professional matters should be left to professionals."

Lin Zhou thought of Wang Tao.

He dialed the private number that had been left back in the desert.

"Hello, President Wang, I need a favor."

On the other end of the line, Wang Tao seemed to be in a very noisy environment, with music and women's laughter faintly audible in the background.

"Oh, Your Majesty the King, you finally remembered this humble subject of yours? Tell me, what's the matter?"

"I need a top-tier headhunting firm to help me assemble a negotiation team," Lin Zhou said, getting straight to the point. "The requirements are: proficiency in international law, a background working in the Middle East, familiarity with Arabic culture, fluency in English and Arabic, and ideally experience in government or diplomatic institutions."

Wang Tao laughed on the other end: "Those requirements aren't low. People like that are all shrewd characters; they won't be easy to hire."

"Money is not an issue," Lin Zhou threw down his trump card. "I haven't touched a cent of the million you invested. Combined with the money from the crowdfunding later, it's enough to pay their salaries. With the Atmospheric Water Generator as a foundation, I should be able to afford it."

"Haha, that's all I needed to hear!" Wang Tao seemed very pleased. "Send me your specific requirements, and I'll have my most professional team handle it. I guarantee a list of candidates for you within three days."

Wang Tao's efficiency was staggering.

In less than three days, an encrypted list of candidates was sent to Lin Zhou's inbox.

There were only five names on the list, but each person's resume was nothing short of stellar.

At the top was a woman named Qin Yue, aged 45.

A former Second Secretary at the Chinese Embassy in a Middle Eastern country, specializing in economic and cultural exchange. After resigning, she joined a top international consulting firm as the Director of Middle East Affairs. Her resume stated she had led negotiations for several cross-border mergers and acquisitions worth tens of billions.

The second was named Zhang Zhe, aged 38.

An expert in international law and a PhD from Harvard Law School, he had interned at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. After returning to China, he became one of the country's top foreign-related lawyers, particularly skilled in handling sovereignty disputes and international investment arbitration cases.

The third was Li Mo, aged 50.

A seemingly ordinary name. His resume was simple: Middle East expert, having spent long periods traveling and living in various Middle Eastern countries, and the author of several monographs on Arabic folklore and religion. However, the headhunting firm had added a small note at the end: This individual has a very deep background and maintains close personal friendships with tribal elders and religious leaders in multiple Middle Eastern nations.

The remaining two were a former business negotiation representative for a multinational oil company and a risk assessment expert with a military background.

These five people formed what could be called a luxurious "Ace Dream Team."

Any one of them would be a target for major multinational corporations and national agencies to fight over.

Now, however, they had come together because of a seemingly absurd "nation-founding game" and the lure of a generous annual salary.

Lin Zhou rented out an entire floor of a hotel conference room to serve as the temporary office for the negotiation team.

The first plenary meeting.

Lin Zhou sat in the head seat, looking at the five elites before him, each with a different aura.

Dressed in formal suits and leather shoes with serious expressions, each of them scrutinized the young man before them who still looked somewhat boyish.

The atmosphere in the conference room was somewhat heavy.

These people were all shrewd; they had taken this job half for the money and half out of curiosity about this crazy plan.

But deep down, they still harbored a sense of doubt and slight disdain toward Lin Zhou, this "Internet King."

"Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining," Lin Zhou broke the silence, his voice calm and devoid of any emotion.

Qin Yue, the leader, pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose and spoke first, her tone professional and detached.

"Mr. Lin, before we officially begin our work, I need to confirm one thing. Is this 'founding of a nation' and seeking sovereign recognition from Egypt and Sudan merely your personal political fantasy, or... do you have a background behind you that we are unaware of?"

The question was sharp and went straight to the core.

The other four also looked at Lin Zhou, waiting for his answer.

Lin Zhou did not avoid her gaze.

"Behind me, there are only the twenty-some million netizens who watched my livestream and the thirty-some thousand 'Cyber Citizens' who donated and registered."

He spread his hands. "Other than that, there is nothing else."

This answer made Qin Yue's brow furrow.

"In other words, what we are about to do is represent a non-existent country to negotiate with two actual sovereign states? Mr. Lin, if I may be blunt, this is no longer a challenge; it's a farce."

Zhang Zhe also chimed in: "From the perspective of international law, for a political entity to be recognized as a state, it needs four elements: a permanent population, a defined territory, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Currently... we only seem to barely touch upon 'territory'."

The atmosphere in the team instantly dropped to freezing point.

They had thought Lin Zhou had some staggering background to dare play such a big game.

They hadn't expected it was truly just a one-man show.

Seeing the undisguised disappointment and doubt on their faces, Lin Zhou didn't get angry; instead, he smiled.

He stood up, walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, and looked at the heavy traffic of the city below.

"You are all correct. From the perspective of traditional international politics, I have nothing."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"But you have overlooked the only, and most important, card in my hand."

He held up one finger.

"A technology that can produce fresh water on a large scale at a low cost, regardless of the geographical environment. What this technology means to the Middle East, everyone here knows better than I do."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.

The expressions of the five elites all underwent subtle changes.

"So..." The corners of Lin Zhou's mouth curled into an arc, "what we are doing next is not a 'negotiation' to beg for recognition."

He walked to the conference table, leaned forward with both hands on the surface, and a powerful sense of pressure instantly enveloped the entire room.

"It is a sales pitch. A pitch to sell the 'future' to two extremely thirsty clients."

"And recognizing our sovereignty is merely a trivial 'packaging fee' they need to pay to get their hands on this 'future'."

The entire conference room fell into a dead silence.