21: Chapter 21: A One-Hour Life-or-Death Contract!

Hum—

The low hum of the equipment starting up sounded exceptionally clear in the dead silence of the testing grounds.

Everyone's attention was focused on that machine, which shimmered with a silver-white metallic luster.

The Egyptian general stood with his arms crossed, his face cold and silent. The scientists and officers beside him whispered to one another, their faces filled with obvious doubt and an air of watching a show.

Time passed minute by minute.

Five minutes passed, and besides the hum of the fan, nothing happened.

Ten minutes passed, and the water outlet remained dry, without even a sign of moisture condensation.

"It seems even 'miracles' need time to brew," a young engineer couldn't help but mock in a low voice, drawing a round of suppressed snickers from those around him.

The general's expression grew increasingly somber. He raised his wrist, glanced at his watch, and then looked at the empty military canteen. His patience was rapidly wearing thin.

He turned his head toward Mubarak beside him, his voice low, but his dissatisfaction was practically bursting out.

"Mubarak, is this what you said could change the nation's fate? A buzzing iron box?"

Mubarak was drenched in sweat and could only manage a forced smile, rubbing his hands together incessantly. "General, please wait a little longer, just a little longer... This is high technology, preheating always takes time..."

On the other side, Chen Fan's forehead was covered in sweat. He stared at the rows of normal green parameters on the control screen, his heart tightening more and more.

"It doesn't make sense... Wind speed, light, power... everything is normal. How can it be..." he muttered to himself, his fingers frantically swiping across the screen, trying to find any anomaly.

Standing behind him, Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe's palms were cold, and they were too nervous to breathe.

They weren't technicians; they didn't understand thermodynamic conversion efficiency.

They only knew that if this machine couldn't produce water within an hour, all their previous legal documents, diplomatic strategies, and negotiation plans would turn into a pile of scrap paper.

The "Cyber Freedom Republic" would also go from a miracle that might go down in history to a complete internet laughingstock.

Only Lin Zhou remained where he was, his expression unchanged. He just calmly watched the equipment, as if everything was under control.

"Mr. Lin, there are still forty minutes left." Mubarak couldn't hold back anymore. He ran to Lin Zhou's side and lowered his voice, his tone full of pleading and anxiety. "If... I mean if the equipment needs adjustment, or a different mode or something, there's still time! You see..."

Lin Zhou didn't look at him, simply uttering two words: "Just wait."

This composure left Mubarak stunned, the rest of his words stuck in his throat. He looked at Lin Zhou's profile and suddenly felt that he seemed even more nervous than the man himself.

Another five minutes passed.

Fifteen minutes!

The atmosphere on-site was extremely oppressive. The general had already started impatiently tapping his military boots with the riding crop in his hand.

"Drip."

An extremely faint yet incredibly clear sound came from the metal water outlet.

It broke the silence of the scene.

Everyone instantly fell silent. Dozens of gazes shot simultaneously toward that small water outlet.

A crystal-clear droplet of water hung on the edge of the outlet, reflecting a brilliant light under the scorching sun.

The droplet wobbled.

And then.

"Drip... drip... drip..."

The water droplets began to appear continuously, the speed of their falling getting faster and more urgent!

Finally, they merged into a thin stream of water, crystal clear and cool, falling into the military canteen below.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

The crisp sound was exceptionally clear and pleasant in the testing grounds where one could hear a pin drop!

"Water is coming out! Oh my god! It's really producing water!" Chen Fan was so excited he almost jumped up, his voice trembling and his eyes instantly turning red.

Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe let out a long breath, feeling as if all their strength had been drained. Their backs were already soaked with cold sweat. The two looked at each other, seeing the post-ordeal ecstasy on each other's faces.

Meanwhile, those Egyptian scientists who had been mocking earlier were now all going crazy!

They rushed forward excitedly, crowding around the machine, their faces filled with incomprehensible shock and fervor.

"My God! This is impossible... The air humidity is only 3.1%! How did it do it?!"

"Energy consumption! Look at the energy consumption! It's almost entirely converted from the solar panels, with no external power source! This doesn't follow the law of conservation of energy!"

"The water quality... how is the water quality?"

A white-haired old professor, with trembling hands, extended a probe into the canteen. He stared at the jumping data on the instrument screen, completely stunned, muttering to himself:

"TDS value... 0.01... This is... this is Ultrapure water! It's even purer than what the most expensive distillation equipment in our laboratory can produce!"

The general stood where he was, motionless.

He stared fixedly at the continuously flowing stream of water and the rapidly rising water level in the canteen, the muscles in his face twitching slightly.

He had spent his whole life in the military and had seen many incredible weapons and equipment—missiles that could level cities and nuclear submarines that could dive into the deep sea.

But the scene before him completely overturned his understanding of the physical world.

This wasn't technology.

This was magic.

It was the power to create matter from nothingness, an authority that only a god should possess!

Lin Zhou walked up to him and spoke calmly, "General, the hour isn't up yet."

The general's Adam's apple bobbed violently, but he didn't respond to Lin Zhou.

He came to his senses, walked quickly to the machine, shoved aside the scientists in his way, snatched a clean sampling bottle from a soldier, and personally collected a bottle of water.

He first brought it to his nose and sniffed hard; there was no smell.

Then, he stuck out his tongue and extremely cautiously, carefully licked a droplet of water from the bottle's rim.

Finally, under the gaze of everyone present, this iron-blooded general who commanded Egypt's million-strong army tilted his head back and downed the bottle of water that had just been "conjured" from the air.

Gulp.

After drinking, he closed his eyes and stood there in silence for a full half-minute.

No one knew what he was thinking.

Perhaps it was the increasingly high dam on the upper reaches of the Nile River.

Perhaps it was the lands on the map that were becoming increasingly barren due to water shortages.

Or perhaps, it was the fate of the nation for the next hundred years.

When he opened his eyes again, all the previous arrogance, doubt, and mockery had vanished.

What remained was an extremely complex emotion, a mix of shock, longing, and a heartfelt... awe.

He turned around and strode up to Lin Zhou.

This time, he didn't hesitate at all, proactively extending his calloused right hand, which had signed countless military orders, in a very humble posture.

"Mr. Lin."

The general's voice was still loud, but the stiffness and coldness were gone, replaced by an unmistakable solemnity.

"On behalf of the Egyptian Military and the Egyptian Government, I apologize to you for my previous rudeness and offense."

He gripped Lin Zhou's hand tightly, his strength seeming to want to convey all of his sincerity.

Lin Zhou also shook his hand, a slight smile appearing on his face.

"I accept the general's apology."

The general let go, took a step back, straightened his uniform, and his entire aura changed.

"Now, in the name of the General Headquarters of the Egyptian Armed Forces, I formally invite you and your team to Cairo as Egypt's most distinguished guests."

His gaze swept over Qin Yue and Zhang Zhe before resting back on Lin Zhou.

"Regarding all the topics and conditions proposed by your country..."

The general paused, every word ringing clear.

"We can sit down and have a proper talk."