3: Chapter 3: Planting the National Flag in the Desert!

Lin Zhou immediately sprang into action.

As soon as the money arrived, he bought a plane ticket to Cairo, Egypt. One first-class ticket for himself and several economy tickets for his future employees.

Going to Bir Tawil alone was naturally not enough.

To avoid being mistaken for running away with the money, he started a live stream the moment he stepped out of the Capital Airport.

He pointed the phone camera at himself.

"Citizens of the Cyber Freedom Republic, I have arrived at Cairo International Airport!" Lin Zhou spoke into the camera, his voice filled with excitement.

The airport terminal was crowded with people, a cacophony of different languages.

Bullet comments flooded the screen:

"Holy crap, the streamer actually went?"

"666! Is this for real?"

"Didn't he say he was going to buy off-road vehicles? Is this bit of money enough?"

"Streamer, don't scare me, I only donated twenty yuan!"

Lin Zhou's lips curled slightly: "Rest assured, citizens, every cent of yours will be used for the great cause of nation-building! I'm going to find a guide and supplies right now!"

He put away his phone and pulled his suitcase toward the exit.

He urgently needed a reliable guide; after all, there was a language barrier and the environment was completely foreign.

At the airport exit, he met a local named Aziz, who was holding a sign with his name.

Aziz was in his thirties, lean and dark-skinned, with fluent English but a heavy accent.

"Mr. Lin, I am Aziz, your guide."

"Hello, Aziz. Is it safe to go to Bir Tawil?" Lin Zhou asked directly.

Aziz smiled: "Mr. Lin, that is a no-man's land. No one governs it, so there is no danger. The danger only comes from the desert itself."

Lin Zhou nodded, understanding.

For the next two days, Lin Zhou worked tirelessly.

Under Aziz's guidance, he crisscrossed Cairo to procure supplies.

The money was spent where it mattered most.

Two modified off-road vehicles with oversized fuel tanks and sand-proof tires.

The roofs were piled high with fuel drums, water tanks, spare tires, and survival gear.

Satellite phones and positioning systems were the keys to desert survival.

He also hired two locals as drivers and helpers.

At a sign shop, he customized the flag of the "Cyber Freedom Republic."

A deep blue background with a golden gear surrounding a five-pointed star in the center.

When Lin Zhou saw it unfurled for the first time, snapping in the wind from a fan, his heart swelled with excitement.

This was not just a piece of cloth; it was the physical manifestation of his dream.

"Tomorrow morning, we set off straight for Bir Tawil!" Lin Zhou said to the live stream camera, the blue flag behind him vivid and eye-catching.

The bullet comments became active again:

"Damn, the flag actually got made!"

"So cool, it looks like the real deal!"

"Streamer, don't mess up, the desert is no joke!"

"Don't worry, I'm betting my life on this!" Lin Zhou said before turning off the live stream. He needed a good rest to prepare for tomorrow's journey.

The next morning, before the sun had even risen.

Lin Zhou was already standing at the hotel entrance.

Two off-road vehicles were loaded with supplies, and Aziz and the two employees were ready.

Lin Zhou took a deep breath, pulled open the car door, and sat in the driver's seat.

He buckled his seatbelt and turned the key; the engine roared to life.

The car next to him started as well.

"Let's go!" Aziz shouted from the passenger seat.

The convoy drove out of Cairo, heading south.

The highway gradually narrowed, eventually extending to the end of the yellow sands.

In the live stream room, millions of netizens watched in real-time; the off-road vehicles became the most magical focus of their lives.

The off-road vehicles bumped along in the sand-filled desert.

The wheels kicked up dust, trailing behind them like a long dragon.

Lin Zhou gripped the steering wheel tightly, his face under the black-rimmed glasses tanned dark, his lips parched, and the wind-blown sand slapping his cheeks.

The frail look of a programmer had been worn away, replaced by a travel-worn grit.

He turned his phone toward himself, then toward the desolate scenery outside the window.

"Citizens, this place is practically a forbidden zone for life!" Lin Zhou's voice was hoarse, his face covered in dust, but his tone was passionate.

"Though it is barren now, in the future, it will be our hope!" He raised his voice. These words were spoken both to himself and as a promise to everyone in front of the screen.

Skeptical bullet comments increased:

"Can you really build a country in this place?"

"Streamer, I'm getting a bit nervous. How about you go back to writing code? This isn't what I expected."

"No, this is art! I just love watching the streamer talk nonsense with a straight face!"

"Streamer, you're amazing! I support you, this is truly chasing a dream!"

Lin Zhou turned a deaf ear.

His only goal was to arrive.

Firm conviction supported him, ignoring the doubts of others.

For two days, they traveled through the desert.

Navigation often failed, and they relied entirely on Aziz's experience and Lin Zhou's satellite positioning to correct their course.

They experienced a sandstorm, and the off-road vehicle was mostly buried, only being dug out in the middle of the night.

At night, the temperature plummeted. Lin Zhou wrapped himself in a blanket and looked up at the Milky Way, truly feeling the insignificance of humanity.

But he did not retreat; instead, the journey felt even more meaningful.

Finally, after a long trek and many corrections, Aziz pointed to a flat area ahead and shouted, "We've arrived! Mr. Lin! Bir Tawil!"

Lin Zhou braked quickly, and the car came to a steady stop.

He looked at the endless, desolate sandy ground before him.

Except for wind marks, there were no signs of life here, only dunes and scattered rocks.

But this was the starting point of his "Utopia."

Unbuckling his seatbelt, he pushed open the car door.

The scorching air hit him in the face, and he squinted his eyes.

Wind and sand slapped against his face.

He took the huge flag of the "Cyber Freedom Republic" out of the trunk.

The blue flag unfurled, striking in the sunlight, the golden gear and five-pointed star shining brightly.

He walked onto a small sand dune and, in front of the live stream camera, picked up an entrenching tool.

"Citizens! Right now, I am going to personally plant the first flag of our Cyber Freedom Republic!" Lin Zhou's voice pierced through the wind and sand, revealing an unshakable determination.

He swung the shovel to dig a hole and forcefully inserted the bottom of the flagpole into the sand.

The sand was soft, so he repeatedly stepped on it to pack it down until the flagpole stood firmly on the dune.

As the wind passed, the blue flag unfurled, its golden gear and five-pointed star gleaming in the sunlight.

Lin Zhou held his phone toward the flag fluttering in the wind and said word for word: "From this day forward, this land shall no longer be terra nullius! It shall be the Cyber Freedom Republic!"

The atmosphere in the live stream room boiled over.

The bullet comments were so dense they obscured the screen.

"It's done!"

"Holy crap, the streamer actually did it!"

"I'm witnessing history! Am I really a freaking citizen of the Cyber Freedom Republic now?"

"That's it? This actually works?"

"I'm freaking crying, I finally have my own country!"

Just then, in Lin Zhou's mind, the system's voice rang out again, mechanical and majestic, and Lin Zhou's spirits lifted.

"Ding! Main quest 'Establish a Country' has been completed!"

Lin Zhou held his breath.

"Reward: System Mall unlocked! 'Temporary National Identity Registration System (Version 1.0)' upgraded to 'Cyber Free Republic Citizen Registration System (Version 2.0)', and the Online ID card issuance function has been activated!"

"Reward Technology: [Solar Water Collection Technology] Filters water molecules from the air, operates entirely on solar power, has low energy consumption, is inexpensive, and can produce additional electricity."

Lin Zhou's gaze shifted from the flag to the system interface.

The upgraded citizen registration system was more complete, and the "Issue Citizen ID Card" button was now lit up.

He knew that the "fun-seekers" would soon receive their virtual "Cyber Freedom Republic ID cards."

This technology would be the key to breaking through the next stage.

However, the system's voice did not stop, continuing its prompts with a hint of playfulness:

"New main quest has been issued: Obtain recognition from at least one sovereign state!"

"Requirement: Achieve the condition within 365 days."

"Penalty: If not completed by the deadline, the host's current nationality will be revoked, and you will be forced to become a stateless wanderer."

Lin Zhou's hand holding the phone suddenly tightened, his knuckles protruding and turning white.

Obtain recognition from at least one sovereign state?

This task was countless times harder than planting a flag in the desert!

It was equivalent to having him take the "Cyber Freedom Republic" and challenge the international community!

How could he do it?

He was just an ordinary person with no background or political resources; where would the recognition from a sovereign state come from?

This was even more absurd than the nation-building itself!

Lin Zhou clenched his fist, his knuckles creaking.

He knew this was only the beginning; the true challenge had just begun.

On the distant horizon, at the end of the desert, there was only endless yellow sand and that blue flag, fluttering lonely yet stubbornly in the wind.

The birth of a nation is never as simple as planting a flag.

The next challenge was still hidden in the unknown, slowly revealing itself. A massive pressure was enveloping this "Cyber Freedom Republic" that had just raised its flag in the wind and sand.