20: Chapter 20: Recreating Miracles on Egyptian Soil!

After returning from Zurich, Lin Zhou's schedule was compressed to the absolute limit.

He went directly to Chen Fan's team with only one request: expedite!

Based on the original "Solar Water Collector," they were to build a Version 2.0 with more powerful performance and a sturdier structure!

"Use the best special alloys for the casing; it needs to be sand-proof, impact-proof, and tamper-proof!"

"Reinforce all internal pipelines and core modules! Build it to military standards—treat it as if it's going to a battlefield!"

Lin Zhou's demands were simple and blunt, making Chen Fan and the others' eyelids twitch as they listened.

What was he planning to do? Was he preparing to sell this precious baby to the military?

But they didn't ask much. The funding Lin Zhou provided was more than sufficient, and his unquestionable attitude made them realize that this time, the stakes were even higher than before!

A week later, night fell over a dual-use military-civilian airport in Western China.

A grey Il-76 heavy transport aircraft, its fuselage painted with unfamiliar Egyptian Air Force markings, sat quietly at the end of the runway.

There was no welcoming ceremony, no media reporters, and even the ground crew were ordered to keep their distance.

Lin Zhou brought his core trio—technical lead Chen Fan, and legal and diplomatic advisors Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe—as they silently boarded the behemoth under the cover of night.

Yes, Lin Zhou's entry ban had been lifted.

The lifting of the ban wasn't publicly announced; it was considered a small, insignificant gesture of "sincerity" from the Egyptian side.

In the massive cargo hold, the newly completed Solar Water Collector 2.0, gleaming with a silver-white metallic luster, was firmly secured in the center of the cabin with heavy chains and mounting racks, looking like a caged steel beast.

The aircraft's engines let out a deafening roar, and it soon took off, piercing straight into the sky.

The long flight of over ten hours was tedious and oppressive.

When the transport plane finally landed, the cargo doors swung open with a crash.

A wave of heat mixed with the scent of sand poured in, making throats dry and skin sting.

At the bottom of the ramp, there were no flowers and no reporters.

There were only rows of Egyptian soldiers, the dark muzzles of their guns, and sun-blackened, expressionless faces.

The murderous aura emanating from them, like those who had crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, caused Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe's faces to turn pale instantly.

At the front of the line stood an Egyptian General with stars on his shoulders, tall and cold-faced.

Beside him was Mubarak, an old acquaintance from the Egyptian intelligence department, along with a group of arrogant-looking scientists and engineers in white coats.

"Mr. Lin, welcome to Egypt."

The General spoke, his voice as booming as if he were at a military parade, but his tone was stiff and devoid of warmth.

He had no intention of shaking hands, simply lifting his chin to the side in a "please" gesture.

"The testing site is ready."

Several military off-road vehicles kicked up clouds of yellow dust, racing for nearly an hour over a bumpy dirt road.

Outside the windows, there was nothing but earth cracked by the sun and jagged, grotesque rocks.

Finally, the convoy stopped at a vast area surrounded by high barbed-wire fences and watchtowers.

This was a secret weapons testing ground for the Egyptian Military.

The environment was a hundred times harsher than the desert Lin Zhou had found in China last time!

"This is the most arid place in our country, bar none." The General gestured casually around with the riding crop in his hand, a faint hint of mockery at the corners of his mouth. "The average annual rainfall is less than five millimeters. The air humidity is in the single digits year-round."

"If your machine can produce water here," he paused, every word sounding as if it were squeezed out from between his teeth, "we will believe you."

Lin Zhou said nothing, only nodding calmly.

This reaction caused the General's prepared mockery to get stuck in his throat, making him slightly annoyed.

Under his command, Chen Fan and several Egyptian engineers sent to "assist" began carefully unloading the collector from the truck.

The entire process was like the most rigorous examination.

Dozens of eyes stared fixedly at their every move.

Those Egyptian scientists, holding all sorts of strange instruments, ran around like a swarm of buzzing flies.

"Report! Site air humidity is 3.2%!"

"Report! Surface temperature is 68 degrees Celsius!"

"Report! Wind speed is 3 meters per second, southeasterly!"

Data points were called out one by one, as if reading a death sentence for the machine.

The military technicians were even more excessive, using high-intensity flashlights and industrial endoscopes, seemingly wanting to probe every single screw hole of the collector.

"General, I suggest opening the casing to inspect the internal core structure!" an engineer proposed loudly.

As soon as he finished speaking, an Egyptian soldier stepped forward with a toolbox, looking ready to dismantle it by force.

"Wait!"

Chen Fan's face turned pale, and he spread his arms like a mother hen protecting her chicks, blocking the machine.

The General walked over slowly, pointing his chin at the machine with an arrogant attitude.

"Mr. Lin, we need to inspect the interior."

Lin Zhou took a step forward. He wasn't tall, yet he stood like a wall, firmly blocking everyone.

"No."

Two words, devoid of emotion, yet like two blocks of ice hitting the scalding sand.

The General's brow instantly furrowed into a knot, and his aura suddenly became sharp.

"Mr. Lin, you must realize that this is Egyptian soil!"

"Before the agreement is signed, core technology is off the table." Lin Zhou remained as unruffled as ever, as if he were stating the most ordinary thing.

The air instantly froze, and the special forces soldiers' hands tightened instinctively on their guns.

At this tense moment, Mubarak quickly ran over to smooth things over.

"General, General, please calm down! Mr. Lin is also doing this for technical confidentiality; we can understand. According to our previous communication, let's conduct the external tests first and see the results!"

The General gave a cold snort, essentially giving Mubarak some face.

"Fine! We'll see the results first!"

After some commotion, everything was finally ready.

Lin Zhou stood beside the collector, facing the Egyptian General and the crowd of scientists waiting to see a joke alone.

"We can begin."

The General raised his wrist and glanced at the heavy military watch, his gaze sharp.

Then, his eyes slowly moved to the dry metallic water outlet of the collector.

"It is now 10:00 AM Egyptian time. Sunlight, temperature, and humidity are all in your most ideal states."

His voice became incredibly solemn, as if delivering a final military ultimatum.

"You have one hour."

He unclipped a standard military canteen from his waist and placed it heavily directly under the water outlet with a "thud."

The sound of metal clashing sounded exceptionally piercing in the deathly silence of the desert.

"Within one hour, I need to see it fill this cup!"

The General took a step back and folded his arms, watching Lin Zhou and the machine coldly with his officers in a scrutinizing, icy posture.

"Go ahead, young man."

"Show us your... miracle."

He spoke the last two words slowly and heavily, filled with undisguised sarcasm.

The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

Chen Fan stood behind, his palms soaked with sweat and his heart pounding so hard it nearly jumped out of his throat.

Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe were also pale, clenching their fists so tightly they forgot to breathe.

They knew better than anyone that this would be the most critical hour, deciding the fate of the "Cyber Freedom Republic."

Succeed, and they would soar to the heavens, with a vast future ahead!

Fail, and they would instantly fall from grace, becoming the world's biggest laughingstock, ruined forever!

Yet Lin Zhou, the center of this storm, remained terrifyingly calm.

He walked to the control screen and, under everyone's gaze, raised his hand and pressed the green start button.

"Buzz—"

A slight electrical hum sounded, and the solar panels at the top of the device instantly lit up with a faint glow as the internal fans began to spin, emitting a low drone.