215: Chapter 215 Let's name the palace!

Leaving the tea room, Lin Zhou returned directly to the temporary headquarters in the Beijing Suburbs.

He kicked open the door to Qin Yue's office.

"Lord?" Qin Yue was buried in a pile of documents and looked up, startled by the noise.

"Launch the global bidding for 'Future City'." Lin Zhou got straight to the point, his voice raspy from travel but his thoughts crystal clear. "Send out the announcement today."

Qin Yue immediately put down her work and stood up, her expression turning serious.

This was the biggest move Lin Zhou had been planning since returning from Washington.

"The style will be New Chinese Garden style." Lin Zhou walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the gloomy sky outside. "The payment model will be equity in exchange for the proposal. Tell the world's architects and engineering companies that I'm not giving out cash; I'm giving them an opportunity to trade technology for a future gold mine."

"Understood!" A spark flashed in Qin Yue's eyes. "Equity for proposals—this will attract all the top players who are truly ambitious and believe in us!"

"There's one more thing." Qin Yue pointed to her computer screen. "Lord, about the netizens... last time, the design for the National Research Institute was nearly ruined by them. This time it's the capital planning; if it happens again..."

"So this bidding is only for formal design institutes." Lin Zhou waved his hand. "As for our lovely Cloud Citizens, open a special section on the official website. Put up all the proposal models and blueprints that pass the preliminary review. Let them watch, let them vote, and let them argue to their hearts' content."

He turned around, his expression enigmatic.

"As for the names of the buildings in the city... leave those to them too. The Privy Council building, the Ministry of Revenue building, and even my palace—let them name them whatever they want."

"Huh?" Qin Yue didn't react for a moment. "But... this is the face of the nation. What if they come up with some weird names..."

"A name is just a label." Lin Zhou tapped the window lightly with his fingertip. "Whether it sounds good or not isn't important. What matters is making everyone following us believe that they contributed to this miracle city rising from the ground."

"This is the world's largest 'cloud supervision' and a global promotion with the lowest cost."

Qin Yue suddenly saw the light, fully grasping the profound meaning behind Lin Zhou's words.

Without another word, she turned and went to execute the order.

Half an hour later, the official website of the Cyber Freedom Republic simultaneously updated a pinned announcement in seven languages.

"Future City: The Birth of a Desert Miracle! The Global Design and Construction Team Recruitment Plan is Officially Launched!"

The announcement detailed the grand blueprint for building a brand-new capital in the Bir Tawil region, specifying the requirement for a "New Chinese Garden style" and the "equity for proposals" cooperation model.

Most eye-catching was the interactive section at the end of the announcement titled "Co-building by All, Naming the Future."

A single stone stirred up a thousand ripples!

Cyberspace across the globe was completely ignited.

Top-tier architectural design firms like Foster, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), and Zaha Hadid's team immediately held emergency meetings to analyze this out-of-the-blue super project that was destined to go down in history.

Meanwhile, ordinary netizens were in a complete frenzy.

The server for the official website's interactive section crashed the moment it went live due to the traffic.

"Holy crap! It's here! The Lord is finally building the main city! My infrastructure-maniac DNA is out of control!"

"New Chinese Garden style? As expected, it's the national gene etched into our bones!"

Even before the design proposals were even a glimmer in anyone's eye, netizens with nowhere to vent their enthusiasm flooded the "Naming" zone.

In particular, the naming of the monarch's palace shot straight to the top of the global trending lists.

"It has to be called 'Weiyang Palace'! 'The Son of Heaven dwells in Weiyang, joy without end.' This meaning is perfect!"

"The person above is so outdated. What era do you think this is, still calling it Weiyang Palace? We are the Cyber Republic! The place where the Lord lives must be called 'Skynet Command Center'!"

"Thinking too small! I propose 'Asgard'! We already have the heimdall system; calling the main city Asgard and building a Bifrost wouldn't be too much, right?"

"You're all too serious. I think it should be called 'Pansi Cave,' since the Lord is surrounded by beauties... (Manual doge for protection, don't check my water meter.)"

"I suggest 'Slacking Office.' The Lord is so tired every day; a lucky name might let him rest more in the future."

Names from history, mythology, anime, and games were dug up. From the Forbidden City to Fuyuki City, from King's Landing to Avalon, the comment section became a bizarre cultural carnival.

Lin Zhou looked at the internet sentiment report compiled by Jack, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at these wild ideas.

But his goal had indeed been achieved.

The eyes of the world were drawn to the grand tapestry of "Future City."

Just as he was enjoying this rare moment of relaxation, his private encrypted phone rang.

Seeing the name "Lin Xi" on the caller ID, the smile on Lin Zhou's face faded.

He rubbed his temples and answered the call.

"Great Lord Lin," came Lin Xi's crisp and teasing tone from the receiver. "Busy commanding the world's netizens to build a country? The two of us found a newly opened Japanese restaurant and want to invite you. You wouldn't refuse us this little bit of face, would you?"

Here we go again.

These words popped into Lin Zhou's mind.

He leaned back in his chair, a wave of fatigue washing over him.

Handling the relationship with Director Zhou, scheming against Washington politicians, and planning the future of a city—all these things excited him.

Dealing with these two women alone gave him an awkward feeling, as if he were being dragged out to entertain guests, making him uncomfortable all over.

But this call was part of the game with the Americans, so he couldn't refuse.

"Of course I'm free." Lin Zhou's tone was flat. "Send me the address."

Hanging up, he leaned back and closed his eyes for a while. When he opened them again, his gaze had regained its clarity.

Half an hour later, Lin Zhou's car drove into a top-tier Japanese restaurant located deep within a Beijing hutong.

The shop had no sign and operated on a strictly reservation-only basis; security and privacy were taken to the extreme.

He Jun waited outside with two security guards, while Lin Zhou, alone and led by a waiter, entered the innermost private room.

He pushed open the shoji door.

Su Wanqing and Lin Xi were kneeling on the tatami mats, wearing exquisite kimonos, looking like two blooming flowers.

Opposite them sat a middle-aged man in his fifties.

The man wore a well-tailored suit, his hair combed meticulously. Although he had a smile on his face, the aura of authority from long years in high positions made the air in the room feel heavy.

Lin Zhou's footsteps paused slightly.

He recognized this face.

Su Zhenbang, the President of Blackstone Group Asia and Su Wanqing's biological uncle.

The Wall Street tycoon who had been hiding behind the scenes, using Su Wanqing and Lin Xi to test and manipulate him.

Today, he had finally stepped out of the shadows.

"Mr. Lin, I've heard much about you." Su Zhenbang stood up and proactively extended his hand to Lin Zhou, a perfectly measured smile on his face. "Wanqing has mentioned you quite often at home. I apologize for the intrusion today, but I'd like to take this opportunity to officially meet you."

His words were polite and appropriate, and his demeanor truly resembled a warm meeting between an elder and a junior.

Lin Zhou looked at him, then glanced at Su Wanqing and Lin Xi, who were watching the scene with great interest.

A Hongmen Banquet—this was the true Hongmen Banquet.