59: Chapter 59 Global Live Broadcast! The First Diplomatic Relations Ceremony!

One week later, in Beijing, at the rooftop banquet hall of a top-tier five-star hotel.

The venue had been arranged as the main hall for the joint signing ceremony. There weren't many flowers or ribbons; everything was focused on simplicity and solemnity. On the massive backdrop, the national flag of the Cyber Freedom Republic hung alongside the flags of Seychelles, Cape Verde, Gambia, and Sudan.

Hundreds of domestic and international media outlets, armed with cameras and microphones, had long been ready, packing the entire venue to the point that not a drop of water could leak through. Flashbulbs went off one after another, lighting up the entire hall as bright as day.

Chen Yuan's connections were truly impressive. The media in attendance included not only major domestic portals and local satellite TV stations but even Beijing-based correspondents from several internationally renowned news agencies.

They were all filled with curiosity about this unprecedented diplomatic ceremony. A country born on the internet, a country whose territory was still just a stretch of desert, was actually going to establish diplomatic relations with four sovereign states simultaneously. It sounded like a fairy tale.

At exactly 3:00 PM, the ceremony officially began.

Dressed in a black formal suit with a national emblem pinned to his chest, Lin Zhou walked steadily onto the podium amidst a chase of flashing lights.

Behind him followed four representatives of different skin tones. They were the Ambassadors or high-ranking diplomats sent by Sudan, Seychelles, Cape Verde, and Gambia.

Lin Zhou had covered all their airfare and accommodation for the trip to Beijing. What he wanted was this sense of ceremony and reciprocity.

After taking his seat in the center of the podium, Lin Zhou didn't look at his script. His calm gaze swept across all the media reporters below.

Meanwhile, on the largest domestic livestreaming platform, a room titled "Global Livestream of the Cyber Republic's Diplomatic Ceremony" saw its online viewer count instantly surpass five million, and it was still skyrocketing at a terrifying speed.

"They're here, they're here! The Head of State has appeared!"

"Holy crap, this is quite the display! They're really establishing ties with four countries!"

"Today, we are all witnesses to history!"

The livestream's bullet chat was as dense as a waterfall.

"Distinguished guests, friends from the media, good afternoon," Lin Zhou spoke. His voice, carried through the microphone, spread clearly throughout the venue and into the ears of millions of netizens worldwide.

"Today, we are here to witness a historic moment together."

His speaking pace wasn't fast, yet it carried an indisputable power.

"The Cyber Freedom Republic will officially sign joint communiqués on the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Republic of Sudan, the Republic of Seychelles, the Republic of Cabo Verde, and the Republic of the Gambia, establishing ambassadorial-level diplomatic ties."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of warm applause erupted from below.

The following procedures were no different from any traditional diplomatic ceremony.

As the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Qin Yue read the diplomatic communiqués with the representatives of the four nations in four languages: Chinese, English, French, and Arabic.

Subsequently, Lin Zhou and the four representatives walked together to the signing table and solemnly signed their names on eight gold-stamped diplomatic documents.

As the final signature was placed, Lin Zhou shook hands with the four representatives one by one. The camera flashes reached their peak at this moment.

Millions of netizens worldwide clearly saw this scene through the livestream lens. A virtual internet concept was, at this moment, endowed with the most solid legal status in the real world.

With the signing ceremony over, they moved to the next segment—the appointment of Ambassadors.

This was the true highlight of the day and the part all the netizens were most looking forward to.

"Next, in the name of the Head of State of the Cyber Freedom Republic, I will officially appoint our country's Ambassadors to Egypt, Sudan, Seychelles, Cape Verde, and Gambia."

Lin Zhou's voice caused the venue to fall silent once again.

Everyone's eyes were focused on him.

He took a folder from his assistant and opened it.

"I appoint Mr. Zhao Li as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Cyber Freedom Republic to the Arab Republic of Egypt, concurrently serving as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Sudan."

A dark-skinned young man wearing an engineering jacket, who looked somewhat simple and honest, stood up from the first row.

This was Zhao Li, who had been urgently recalled from Egypt.

Facing countless lenses, he appeared a bit nervous, but he still made an effort to straighten his back, walked onto the stage, and accepted the gold-stamped letter of credence from Lin Zhou's hands.

"I appoint Ms. Liu Yuehua as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Cyber Freedom Republic to the Republic of Seychelles."

A middle-aged lady with a capable aura, dressed in a professional suit, walked onto the stage. She was the former Africa regional director of a foreign trade company.

"I appoint Mr. Sun Jianguo as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Cyber Freedom Republic to the Republic of Cabo Verde."

The retired deputy director of the Department of Commerce walked onto the stage with steady steps.

"I appoint Mr. Wu Qian as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Cyber Freedom Republic to the Republic of the Gambia."

The young lawyer proficient in international maritime law also accepted his appointment.

When the five new Ambassadors stood side-by-side with Lin Zhou on the podium, holding their letters of credence, the atmosphere of the entire venue reached its climax.

The bullet chat in the livestream room had gone completely wild.

"My god! They really appointed them! That guy in the work uniform is the Ambassador to Egypt?"

"This is so down-to-earth! This is practically the most makeshift—no, wait—the most man-of-the-people diplomatic squad in history!"

"The Head of State is awesome! Our country is now a 'major power' with five Ambassadors stationed abroad!"

After the climax of the appointment ceremony, they entered the Q&A session.

Hands shot up like a forest below the stage.

Lin Zhou randomly pointed to a blonde-haired, blue-eyed foreign reporter.

"Pardon me, Your Excellency," the reporter asked in fluent Chinese. "As far as we know, your country currently has no permanent residents, and even infrastructure construction hasn't begun. May I ask if appointing so many diplomats is merely a publicity stunt? How will their actual work be carried out?"

This question was quite sharp, pointing directly at the Cyber Republic's pain point of being "all style and no substance."

Everyone looked at Lin Zhou, wanting to see how he would respond.

Lin Zhou smiled slightly and picked up the microphone.

"My friend from the media, your question is a good one. However, I disagree with your view."

His voice was calm and confident.

"The birth of a nation is first a legal birth, and only then a physical birth. What we are doing today is precisely to solidify the legal foundation of our country's existence."

"As for our Ambassadors, they are certainly not for show. Soon, you will see them representing the Cyber Freedom Republic on the international stage, making our voice heard. For example..."

Lin Zhou paused deliberately, building up everyone's anticipation.

Then, word by word, he dropped a bombshell.

"For example, in the near future, I personally will be visiting Vatican City at the invitation of His Holiness Pope Fontain."