60: Chapter 60: A single stone stirs up a thousand waves!

"What?!"

As soon as Lin Zhou finished speaking, the entire venue instantly erupted!

It was like dropping a red-hot iron into a calm pot of oil; it boiled over in an instant!

The reactions of the reporters below the stage varied.

The domestic reporters were mostly shocked and bewildered. Vatican City? The Pope? This was completely unrelated to a cyber-nation founded in the African desert! Was the Head of State bragging, or was he making some kind of sensational claim?

Meanwhile, the reporters from international news agencies, especially those with European backgrounds, had much more intense reactions!

Their faces were written with utter disbelief!

Vatican City is an extremely unique presence on the international political stage. Although it is the smallest country in the world, as the spiritual center for over a billion Catholics globally, its influence, in some respects, even surpasses that of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.

Every public statement by the Pope could trigger a global tsunami of public opinion.

And now, Lin Zhou, a young man many saw as a "cyber clown," actually claimed he was going on a state visit to Vatican City? And at the personal invitation of the Pope himself?

If this news were true, its explosiveness would far exceed today's ceremony for establishing diplomatic relations with four small African nations!

"Your Excellency! Is what you said true? Can you provide more details?"

"What topics will you discuss during your visit to Vatican City? Does this mean Vatican City will become the first European country to recognize you?"

"Has this news been confirmed by Vatican City?"

The reporters went completely wild, firing questions at Lin Zhou like a barrage of artillery; order at the scene briefly descended into chaos.

Lin Zhou raised his hand and gently pressed down.

The venue fell miraculously silent.

"Everyone, please stay calm." His voice remained steady. "I understand how you feel. As for the specific details of the visit, it is not convenient to disclose them at this time. I can only say that this will be a friendly visit aimed at promoting the progress of human technology and the harmonious development of civilization."

He played a standard game of diplomatic Tai Chi, leaving no openings.

"As for the authenticity of the news, I believe you will soon receive verification from Vatican City's official channels."

After speaking, Lin Zhou announced the end of the press conference and left the venue under the escort of security personnel.

He left behind a massive cliffhanger and a global public opinion field that had been completely ignited.

Less than half an hour after the press conference ended,

The news that "the Head of State of the Cyber Republic will visit Vatican City" spread to every corner of the world with viral speed.

Reuters, AFP, AP... all the world's top news agencies immediately released this flash news at the highest "Breaking News" level.

TV stations like CNN and BBC even interrupted their ongoing programs to broadcast this news urgently.

Global social media was even more of a boil.

On Twitter, the hashtag "#CyberRepublicVisitVatican" surged to the top of the global trending list in just one hour.

"My God! Is this real? That Chinese cyber king is going to meet the Pope?"

"This is insane! The most surreal news of the 21st century, bar none!"

"I bet the Pope wants to baptize him and then dub him the 'Holy Network Knight'!"

"Stop joking, person above! This is clearly a political signal! What is Vatican City doing? Are they really going to recognize a country drawn in the desert?"

The wave of public opinion was overwhelming.

Meanwhile, in Cairo.

Saleh, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, was looking at the headline news from major global media on his computer screen with a grim expression.

On his desk, the telephone rang incessantly—all of them were inquiry calls from various powerful domestic departments.

"Your Excellency! What on earth is going on? That Lin Zhou is going to visit Vatican City? Why didn't he report to us in advance?" the angry roar of the head of the Military Intelligence Department came through the phone.

"We just received their 'notification'!" Saleh's voice was full of exhaustion and annoyance. "Just five minutes before the press conference started, our embassy in China received a diplomatic note from the Cyber Republic! That wasn't a consultation at all; it was a notification!"

"Bastard! Do they treat our 'Diplomatic Entrustment Agreement' as waste paper?"

"The agreement does not stipulate that they need our 'approval' to establish diplomatic relations or conduct visits with other countries," Saleh explained weakly. To show their dominance back then, they had intentionally left this loophole, never expecting it to be used against them.

"So what do we do now? Issue a statement condemning them?"

"Condemn? On what grounds?" Saleh asked back. "We condemn our ally for making a friendly visit to another sovereign state? That's a joke in diplomacy! The only thing we can do now is stay silent and wait to see what happens!"

Hanging up the phone, Saleh irritably tugged at his tie.

He felt that he, or rather all of Egypt, had been played by that young Chinese man.

They had thought that through an agreement, they could firmly tie that newborn country to their war chariot and make it a pawn they could use as they pleased in the Middle East.

But now it seemed that it wasn't a submissive lamb, but a tiger that had just broken free from its reins and was preparing to charge into a broader grassland.

And this move by Vatican City caught them even more off guard.

Saleh knew very well that once Vatican City recognized the Cyber Republic, a large number of European Catholic countries would follow suit. By then, the Cyber Republic's international status would be unprecedentedly elevated, and it might no longer need to rely entirely on Egypt's protection.

"We must do something..." Saleh muttered to himself.

He picked up another encrypted phone and dialed a number.

"General Mubarak, it's me. I think we need to re-evaluate our 'ally's' value, and... threat."

Meanwhile, in Beijing, China.

In the office of Director Zhou at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, smoke filled the air.

Director Zhou and several core aides were also looking at the constantly refreshing news on the computer screen, everyone's expression exceptionally serious.

"This Lin Zhou really made such a huge commotion for us without a word," one expert lamented.

"Vatican City..." Director Zhou slowly exhaled a smoke ring, his eyes deep. "This move is truly both risky and brilliant. He is using external force—European power—to balance Egypt's influence and strive for greater independent space for himself."

"So what is our attitude now?" another subordinate asked. "Do we need to contact him and feel him out?"

Director Zhou shook his head.

"No. Now is not the time."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked into the distance.

"He is now like a child who has just learned to walk and is eager to prove to the whole world that he can walk independently. If we go to support him now, it will instead make him dependent, or even wary."

"Just let him venture out on his own and hit some walls. Let's see what kind of world he can carve out for himself in this grand game of chess."

Director Zhou stubbed out his cigarette, his tone carrying a hint of inexplicable anticipation.

"Pass the word down to monitor the situation closely. Also, process that set of 'five-star cards' he applied for as quickly as possible and send them to him."

"After this trip to Europe, when he returns, his status... will be truly different."