31: Chapter 31 The head of state took a taxi to the meeting?

Inside the reception room of the South Building, the long mahogany table was polished until it gleamed, reflecting the warm light from above. The scent of tea drifted through the air, and the cool breeze from the air conditioner brushed past, but it could not dispel the doubts in the hearts of the three middle-aged men sitting at the table.

Director Zhou, who was leading the group, was in his early forties with a refined appearance. He was gently blowing the foam off the surface of his teacup. To his right sat a man with gold-rimmed glasses, an expert in international law, who was sitting upright with his documents neatly stacked. On his left was a man with a sturdy build and a straight back, clearly a tough cookie who had come from the military. Steam rose from the teacups in front of them, but few of them were in the mood to actually drink.

"Where is he?" Director Zhou raised his eyes, glanced at the watch on his wrist, and asked casually.

The young officer behind him trotted forward, lowered his voice to report, his face twisted in a strange expression: "Reporting to the Director, Leader Lin... Leader Lin just got out of a taxi at the entrance."

As soon as these words were spoken, the room went quiet for a moment.

The man with the military bearing twitched his eyebrows but didn't speak, his whole demeanor radiating an aura of "Are you kidding me?" The man with gold-rimmed glasses adjusted his frames, his movements revealing a hint of surprise, his lips pressing tighter.

Director Zhou, on the contrary, smiled, picked up his teacup, and took a light sip: "Interesting, continue." He signaled for the young officer not to be nervous.

"He... he told the gate guard he was looking for you and even showed your secretary's contact information. After we verified his identity, Xiao Li started bringing him over. Also..." The officer paused, his tone becoming even stranger, "He is still wearing the same suit he wore when he left Guangzhou, but he bought a bottle of water at the airport and seems to have washed his face."

A strange and indescribable atmosphere suddenly filled the room.

A "Head of State" who could move a billion dollars in Egypt and command respect from high-ranking military and political figures was coming to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for a meeting, and he arrived by taxi? And he had simply tidied himself up in an airport restroom? The visual impact was too strong; it was so absurd that it felt unreal.

"Everyone, perk up." Director Zhou set down his teacup, his expression returning to seriousness. "Do not be deceived by appearances. Remember, the person we are facing today is the representative of a sovereign entity that has just been officially recognized by Egypt. No matter how young he is or how he arrived, we must not be lacking in etiquette, and our attitude must not have a single slip-up."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the reception room was gently knocked. The three men immediately straightened their posture, and the atmosphere became instantly serious.

"Please come in," Director Zhou said in a deep voice.

The door opened. Lin Zhou walked in.

He had indeed washed his face, and his hair had only been roughly smoothed back with his hands and water, but the fatigue of an overnight flight still hung on his young face. The suit, tortured by economy class and airport buses, looked somewhat out of place and incongruous in the solemn reception room.

Yet he himself did not show the slightest bit of awkwardness.

His steps were steady, his gaze swept calmly over the three people present, and finally settled on Director Zhou's face. There was no pretense of composure, just a natural sense of ease.

"Director Zhou, hello. I am Lin Zhou." He stood in front of the table without reaching out his hand first.

Across the long table, a handshake was inconvenient, and not shaking hands was not impolite. This opening was just right; it established his identity without appearing overly enthusiastic, and without a hint of humility.

"Mr. Lin, please sit." Director Zhou raised his hand, gesturing to the seat opposite him.

Lin Zhou pulled out the chair and sat down. His back was naturally straight, and his hands were placed flat on the table. This posture was an instinctual reaction honed during his month in Cairo, at countless negotiation tables. Always ready to adapt.

The young officer immediately stepped forward and poured him a cup of hot tea. Steam rose from the teacup.

"Thank you." Lin Zhou nodded slightly, his tone calm.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Director Zhou stopped beating around the bush and got straight to the point: "Mr. Lin, first of all, congratulations. We have all seen the achievements you have made in Egypt. To secure a place for yourself in such a complex international environment with the strength of one person is truly remarkable."

These words were high-sounding and served as an official characterization, but they were also a test. He wanted to see how Lin Zhou would respond.

"It doesn't count as an achievement; it was just for survival, making some necessary exchanges." Lin Zhou's reply was airtight. His words carried a hint of nonchalance, yet he clearly laid out his situation and purpose.

"We invited you here today mainly to discuss a few key issues with you." Director Zhou leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming serious. "The first, and most core issue, is the question of nationality."

As soon as he finished speaking, the legal expert beside him immediately took over, his voice carrying a hint of professionalism and coldness: "Mr. Lin, according to Article 3 of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, our country does not recognize dual nationality for Chinese citizens. Article 9 clearly stipulates that any Chinese citizen who has settled abroad and voluntarily joins or acquires foreign nationality shall automatically lose their Chinese nationality."

The legal expert pushed up his glasses and looked at Lin Zhou: "From the moment you signed the joint communiqué on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Egyptian side and were recognized as the Head of State of the 'Cyber Freedom Republic', legally speaking, you have automatically lost your Chinese nationality."

As the words landed, the entire reception room fell silent.

Sunlight from outside the window shone on the mahogany table, refracting a bit of warm light. Lin Zhou picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip. The tea was warm, not strong, just as he had expected. He had anticipated this first question long ago.

"I understand and accept this legal fact." He put down the teacup, his voice clear, every word forceful.

His ease caught the three people opposite him by surprise. They had prepared a bunch of rhetoric, thinking Lin Zhou might deny it or try to argue for something, but they hadn't expected him to admit it directly.

"However," Lin Zhou paused, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness, "there is a practical problem. The 'Cyber Freedom Republic' currently only exists in legal theory. It has no household registration system, no passport issuance capability, and not even a single piece of paper that can prove my identity."

He spread his hands, looking at Director Zhou, his fingertips exerting slight pressure. "I am theoretically a 'foreigner' now, but in reality, I am an undocumented person without nationality or identification. If I walked out of this building right now, I'm afraid I couldn't even check into a hotel."

These words were too blunt—so blunt that the officials present felt a wave of awkwardness. A nominal foreign head of state who couldn't even manage to check into a hotel; if this got out, it would be an international joke.

Director Zhou and the legal expert exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion. The man with the military bearing showed a flicker of emotion on his face.

"What do you mean?" Director Zhou pressed.

"I need help." Lin Zhou did not hide his purpose at all. He spoke directly, but his tone carried the calmness and calculation of an adult. "I need a basic national management framework. A software system capable of entering citizen information, generating identity IDs, and managing passport serial numbers. Otherwise, this matter of me changing my nationality has no practical significance."

He looked directly at the three of them, his gaze calm yet carrying a firm power. He was not making a request, but stating an inevitable result.

"For a country, these things might just be a matter of changing a few lines of code in some existing system." He paused, his voice dropping, "But for me, it is everything, from zero to one."

"I need this 'one'," Lin Zhou emphasized word by word, his eyes firm, "in order to legitimately become a 'foreigner'."

The reception room fell into silence again. But this time, the silence carried an invisible pressure.

Lin Zhou's meaning was very clear: You pushed me into the position of a "foreigner," so you have to help me build the basic framework of this "foreign country." Otherwise, this so-called "Head of State" is just a rootless, drifting joke that can do nothing.