55: Chapter 55: Europe's Olive Branch!

Lin Zhou's fingertips lightly brushed the edge of the document. This diplomatic note from the Vatican carried even more weight than the credentials previously submitted to the Egyptian Embassy.

A sovereign European nation, and the center of world Catholicism, had taken the initiative to offer recognition of the Cyber Freedom Republic at the United Nations General Assembly.

This condition was like a destitute entrepreneur suddenly receiving a blank check from a top-tier global venture capitalist.

The temptation was fatal.

Qin Yue's expression was solemn; she knew what Lin Zhou was concerned about.

"President, regarding Egypt..."

"Yes, Egypt." Lin Zhou leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. "We just entrusted our diplomatic rights to them, and now we're bypassing them to contact a European nation—and an entity with as much influence as the Vatican. What will they think? They'll feel like we're out of control, or even that we're stabbing them in the back."

Lin Zhou knew very well that the relationship between the Cyber Freedom Republic and Egypt was essentially a fragile trade of technology for sovereignty. This relationship could not withstand any crisis of trust. Once Egypt believed they were raising an ungrateful wolf, they could turn hostile at any moment. At that point, let alone development, even survival would become an issue.

"Theocratic interference in government—this is also something I've been wary of," Lin Zhou added. "I refused Egypt's request to make islam the state religion because I didn't want any religious forces touching my country. Now that the Vatican has come knocking on its own, I'm afraid they have even bigger designs."

Qin Yue nodded, acknowledging Lin Zhou's concerns. However, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, her perspective was more professional and realistic.

"President, regarding the issue of delegated diplomatic rights, you might be overthinking it." Qin Yue pulled another document from her briefcase; it was an annex to the agreement originally signed with Egypt.

She flipped to a page and pointed to a clause: "During the initial negotiations, we had a heated discussion regarding the specific scope of 'managed diplomatic rights.' We proposed that Egypt use its diplomatic resources to assist us in establishing diplomatic relations. But they explicitly rejected that proposal."

Qin Yue spoke slowly but clearly: "Egypt's bottom line is that we must maintain high consistency and take the same stance as them on all international organization votes and official statements on international affairs. However, they are unwilling and not responsible for opening new diplomatic relations for us. In other words, the power of 'who to be friends with' remains in our own hands. At the time, it seemed like a harsh clause that left all the dirty work to us. But looking at it now, it has become our greatest convenience."

Lin Zhou's eyes lit up.

He took the document, carefully read the highlighted clause, and a smile slowly curled on his lips.

A silver lining indeed. The arrogance and calculations of the Egyptians had, at this moment, opened an unexpected door for him.

"So you're saying that establishing diplomatic relations with the Vatican legally requires no consent from Egypt at all?"

"None at all," Qin Yue answered firmly. "We only need to 'notify' them as an ally after the fact, rather than 'requesting instructions.' These are two completely different diplomatic actions. As long as we handle the optics well, Egypt won't be able to find any fault, even if they feel uncomfortable about it."

With the biggest concern dispelled, all that remained was a weighing of interests.

Lin Zhou pondered for a moment, his mind racing with calculations.

"What does the Vatican want?"

"They didn't say explicitly, only mentioning they hope for an in-depth dialogue on the concept of 'Technological Genesis'," Qin Yue said. "I suspect they are interested in the fact that we created a country 'from nothing' and our near-miraculous technology like Atmospheric Water Generation, along with the philosophical and religious implications behind them. They might want to frame us as a model 'Technological Holy State' to counter the impact of modern science on religion."

"Their sense of smell is as sharp as ever," Lin Zhou chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of disdain.

Qin Yue cut straight to the point: "President, this is a priceless opportunity. With this, we'll have a breakthrough in Europe. Those wavering small nations will follow suit immediately. Our goal for establishing diplomatic ties might be exceeded in a very short time."

Lin Zhou stood up and paced the room.

He had to admit Qin Yue was right. He couldn't refuse this condition.

The cooperation with Egypt solved the problem of 'survival.' But to 'develop,' one must step onto the wider world stage. Now was the best chance to break through, a chance for mutual exploitation.

As for their little schemes, Lin Zhou didn't care. As long as core sovereignty was in his hands, he could deal with ideological matters through polite pretenses.

"Good!" Lin Zhou stopped pacing, the hesitation gone from his eyes. "Agree to it! Say that I am personally very happy to accept the invitation and will go in person to negotiate the relevant matters."

"Understood." Qin Yue nodded immediately, her eyes also flashing with excitement. This was undoubtedly the most thrilling and challenging stroke of her diplomatic career.

"Draft the credentials immediately and send them as fast as possible to finalize the official visit time," Lin Zhou ordered. "This time, I'm going personally."

"Yes!" Qin Yue took the order and turned to leave.

"Wait," Lin Zhou called her back. "How is the diplomatic progress in other directions during this period?"

At the mention of this, a trace of fatigue appeared on Qin Yue's face, but it was outweighed by pride.

"To speed things up, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urgently recruited over thirty experienced negotiators before the new year, divided into three groups to contact over a dozen countries simultaneously."

She listed a series of achievements: "So far, three countries have explicitly agreed to establish diplomatic relations with us: the island nation of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, Cape Verde in West Africa, and Gambia. The price was a total of about twelve million dollars in interest-free loans and a batch of Atmospheric Water Generation equipment. Including the already settled Sudan, we have now gained formal recognition from four sovereign nations."

Four!

Lin Zhou felt a surge of excitement. This speed was much faster than he had anticipated.

"Good, very good." He was not stingy with his praise. "Everyone in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has worked hard."

"It's our duty." Qin Yue paused and offered her suggestion, "President, I think it's necessary to find a suitable time to bring these four countries together for a centralized signing ceremony and to formally appoint our Ambassadors to each. It's a sign of respect for them and a crucial step in showing our presence to the world. Establishing ties with four countries at once—this news will carry significant weight."

Lin Zhou's eyes brightened; the proposal was exactly what he had in mind.

"Let's do it!" He slapped the table. "You handle the communication; I'll solve the problem of the venue and the people."

After Qin Yue left, Lin Zhou immediately dialed the internal line of the Minister of Finance, Chen Yuan.

"Old Chen, is there a place to hold a signing ceremony? This time needs to be more formal."

The other end of the line was silent for a few seconds before Chen Yuan's voice came through with a hint of scrutiny: "Where do you want to rent?"

Lin Zhou cleared his throat and tentatively gave an answer that even he felt was a bit outrageous.

"Do you think there's a chance for the General Assembly Hall or the State Guesthouse?"