6: Chapter 6: The Technological Utopia Begins with the Sale of Official Positions!

Lin Zhou stared at the computer screen, lost in thought for a long time. He needed to quickly raise research funds while maintaining the online attention of the "Cyber Freedom Republic." He recalled the netizens' discussions about "titles of nobility" during his previous livestream.

Since the audience saw this as a massive joke, he might as well push the joke to a more realistic and deeper level.

First, he spent some time upgrading and beautifying the "Cyber Free Republic Citizen Registration System (Version 2.0)" previously rewarded by the "System." Lin Zhou integrated it into a redesigned official national website. On the homepage, a striking national flag fluttered in a dynamic image, with a clear declaration of founding and the idealistic concept of "a home for every resident, a reward for every worker" displayed below.

The core area of the website was named the "hall of honor" by him.

"Citizens of the Cyber Freedom Republic!" Lin Zhou started his livestream again, displaying his newly designed national website homepage as the background.

"As you all have surely noticed, I have been blacklisted by Egypt and Sudan. They intend to use this method to stifle the future of our 'Cyber Freedom Republic'!"

Lin Zhou's voice was low, but his eyes shone with a firm light.

"But they have underestimated us! We are advocates of technology and seekers of freedom! We will never bow to any form of hegemony!"

The bullet chat flooded in like a tide as netizens vied to express their support.

"Well said! Streamer, we're with you!"

"At worst, we'll just do an airdrop! Land directly in Bir Tawil!"

"Streamer, if you need money, just say so! No need to waste your breath!"

Lin Zhou scanned the bullet chat, a faint smile appearing on his lips. This was exactly the atmosphere he needed.

"That's right! Money!" Lin Zhou slapped the table, speaking forcefully. "Founding a nation requires money! Researching technology requires money! We cannot change the world with nothing but empty words!"

He moved his mouse to the "hall of honor" section.

"Do you see this? This is the 'hall of honor' of our 'Cyber Freedom Republic.' Here, you are no longer just ordinary citizens; you have the opportunity to become true founding nobles!"

He clicked a link, and a new page unfolded, detailing the nobility system of the "Cyber Freedom Republic."

"Our nobility system is divided into five ranks: County Baron, County Viscount, County Earl, Rural Marquis, and Duke!"

"To express our respect for the founding contributors, we are specifically launching limited-edition 'Founding Titles'!"

"'Founding County Baron,' limited to 100 slots, for a donation of 1,000 yuan!"

"'Founding County Viscount,' limited to 50 slots, for a donation of 5,000 yuan!"

"'Founding County Earl,' limited to 20 slots, for a donation of 10,000 yuan!"

"'Founding Rural Marquis,' limited to 10 slots, for a donation of 50,000 yuan!"

"'Founding Duke,' limited to 5 slots, for a donation of 100,000 yuan!"

"All the above titles are for life and are hereditary!"

The bullet chat surged again, but this time, surprise and mockery made up the majority.

"Oh my god, selling titles! Streamer, you're so bold!"

"This is too funny. Isn't this just a massive Photoshop project?"

"Who would spend money to buy a virtual title?"

"No! This is about sentiment! It's about faith!"

Lin Zhou's expression remained unchanged; he knew well that this appealed to the psychology of those in on the joke.

"Wait! It's not over yet!" He pointed at the screen. "For all title holders, we will produce a unique 'Iron Certificate'!"

He displayed a design sketch.

"Referencing the form of ancient Iron Certificates, our nobility credentials will be made of special materials using precision craftsmanship. The County Baron credentials will be silver-plated. The County Viscount will be gold-plated. The Rural Marquis will be platinum-plated! And the County Earl credentials will be inlaid with natural diamonds!"

He paused deliberately to let the netizens process this information.

"As for the Iron Certificate for the 'Founding Duke,' besides platinum and diamonds, we will use even more precious materials and include special encrypted anti-counterfeiting technology!"

"This Iron Certificate will be your permanent proof as a founding contributor of the 'Cyber Freedom Republic'! It represents honor and your support for the dream of a human technological utopia!"

"This is not a joke, nor is it a simple virtual product!"

Lin Zhou's tone possessed an indescribable power of incitement. He understood that in this era where entertainment is paramount, the value of many things lies not in the function itself, but in the emotional satisfaction it can generate.

"As long as you contribute to the 'Cyber Freedom Republic,' your name and your title will be permanently recorded in our national history!"

"Nobility credentials, free worldwide shipping!" he added at the end, showing a bit of humor.

In the livestream room, skepticism still existed, but there was more curiosity and people starting to feel tempted.

"Good heavens, even Iron Certificates are out. Streamer, are you sure you're not filming a movie?"

"I'm a bit tempted. Buying a County Baron for a thousand yuan sounds like a pretty good deal?"

"Is it really hereditary? Does that mean my son will have a title in the future too?"

"Is the Duke a bit expensive? A hundred thousand yuan!"

Lin Zhou seized the opportunity and added: "All donors will directly obtain citizenship of the 'Cyber Freedom Republic' and enjoy all the benefits brought by the future development of the nation!"

"Imagine, when the 'Cyber Freedom Republic' becomes a global technological power, how precious this honor will be for you as founding fathers!"

He knew that on the surface, this move was "selling titles," but in reality, it utilized the netizens' "spirit of the joke" and their pursuit of novelty. The titles themselves had no physical value, but the "sense of participation" and the "unique" emotional value they symbolized were extremely precious to certain groups.

The livestream continued for several hours, and people gradually began to place orders. Initially, it was "citizenships" purchased for a few hundred yuan, then "County Barons" gradually appeared.

A netizen with the ID "Wo Xiang Dang Gui Zu" directly bought a "Founding County Baron" title for 1,000 yuan.

"Thank you, County Baron 'Wo Xiang Dang Gui Zu'! You will be the glory of the 'Cyber Freedom Republic'!" Lin Zhou responded immediately.

"Just for the streamer's guts, this money is worth it! I hope the title is real!" In the bullet chat, "Wo Xiang Dang Gui Zu" posted this comment.

Immediately following, more "County Baron" orders appeared one after another. Lin Zhou examined the backend data, his heart burning with excitement.

"Our goal today is to raise enough funds to start our research projects!" he said to the camera. "We need sufficient funds to lease a laboratory and purchase experimental materials to prove that our technology is enough to transform the world!"

He did not stop, continuing to promote his "Nobility Plan" until late at night.

By the time he ended the livestream, the total amount had reached a considerable sum.

He checked the website's backend. The number of citizen registrations had surged, and the sales of "titles" also exceeded his expectations.

20 "Founding County Barons," at 1,000 yuan each, totaling 20,000 yuan.

6 "Founding County Viscounts," at 5,000 yuan each, totaling 30,000 yuan.

There were no "Founding Marquises" for the time being.

What surprised him most was that someone had directly bought the "Founding Duke" title!

The user with the ID "Tuhao Wo Lai Le" had donated 100,000 yuan outright!

This sum, combined with the previous scattered donations and the "Founding Duke" payment, reached a cumulative total of 150,000 yuan!

An irrepressible joy finally appeared on Lin Zhou's face.

150,000—this amount was enough to cover his costs for leasing a laboratory and purchasing initial materials!

Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately set about producing the nobility credentials.

He found a factory specializing in the production of commemorative medals and trophies, communicating the design and materials of the "Iron Certificates" in detail. The factory owner looked at the design sketches provided by Lin Zhou and listened to his deadpan explanation of the "Cyber Freedom Republic" titles with an expression of novelty and confusion. However, his professional ethics kept him from asking too many questions; he simply recorded Lin Zhou's various requirements seriously.

When the first batch of "Iron Certificates" was completed, Lin Zhou inspected them personally.

The silver "County Baron," the golden "County Viscount," and the "County Earl" credential inlaid with tiny diamonds gleamed under the light, feeling quite substantial. Especially the credential customized for the "Founding Duke," which used high-purity platinum plating with fine diamonds inlaid along the edges, appearing exceptionally magnificent overall.

Lin Zhou packed these credentials one by one, went to the post office himself, and sent them out via the fastest shipping.

He knew that these were not just a few pieces of metal, but his commitment to those "jokers" and his hope for the future of the "Cyber Freedom Republic."

Now that the funds were in place and the titles had been sent, the next step was to find those "jokers" in the field of materials science and put the research and development of black technology on the agenda.