65: Chapter 65 This road is blocked! There's an even better gift!

Silence filled the reception room.

The ticking of the 17th-century grandfather clock in the corner became exceptionally clear.

The smile on Cardinal Parolin's face froze, and his expression turned sour.

Pope Fontain lowered his eyelids, his gaze filled with disappointment.

Standing behind Lin Zhou, Qin Yue subconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

She could feel the atmosphere in the room tightening to its limit.

"Gifted... to Egypt?"

Parolin's voice was dry, carrying a hint of unwillingness.

He stared fixedly into Lin Zhou's eyes, trying to find any trace of a joke on the young man's face.

"Mr. Lin, perhaps you only mean... cooperation in certain non-core areas?"

"No, everything."

Lin Zhou interrupted him directly.

"Including patent licensing, technical promotion, and the entire sales agency rights."

He picked up the slightly cooled black tea beside him and took an elegant sip.

"My country only retains a symbolic 10% of the revenue. This is a long-term contract that has already taken effect and possesses the highest legal binding force."

Lin Zhou set down the cup, the porcelain clinking sharply against the saucer.

"To put it simply, if the Holy See wants the lambs of the world to see a miracle, they must first discuss business with the bureaucrats in Cairo."

That was it, then.

Cardinal Parolin's face instantly turned from pale to ashen.

He had originally thought this was just a matter of price, but he hadn't expected Lin Zhou to block the path entirely.

Pope Fontain finally spoke. His voice remained calm, yet it carried a chill.

"This is truly regrettable news, child."

He slowly fingered the prayer beads on his wrist, his eyes showing a sense of pity.

"Egypt is a great civilization, but those merchants... they only care about profit."

"We had hoped that this blessing from God would descend upon the world in its purest form, rather than becoming a bargaining chip in the games of major powers."

These were heavy words, implying that Lin Zhou had sold sacred technology to merchants, defiling its divinity.

Lin Zhou laughed, a bright smile on his face.

"Your Holiness, I completely understand your concerns."

He stood up and walked to the massive stained-glass window, the sunlight stretching his shadow long across the floor.

"But charity, without the support of an industrial base and regional powers, is called alms-giving, not salvation."

"My country is still weak. We need a partner who can bang on the table to ensure this technology isn't swallowed up by certain ambitious people."

He turned around and met the Pope's scrutinizing gaze without flinching.

"Egypt can scale this technology in the shortest time possible, ensuring every child in the slums can drink clean water."

"The Lord also said to let the flock lie down in green pastures, not to have them wait in a parched vision, correct?"

Cardinal Parolin's breathing became rapid. He wanted to retort but found he couldn't find an angle.

Lin Zhou had used the Holy See's own logic to silence them.

He watched the two fall into deep thought, knowing the timing was right.

Now, it was time to throw out the real bait.

"Of course, to make up for this small regret, and to express my respect for the Holy See's thousand-year heritage..."

Lin Zhou's voice suddenly dropped, carrying a hint of temptation.

"Today, I have brought a gift that carries even more weight—one that is even more deserving of the name 'miracle'."

Pope Fontain's fingers, which had been moving the prayer beads, stopped abruptly.

An even better gift?

Parolin was also stunned, subconsciously leaning forward.

"Mr. Lin, do young people these days... all enjoy such dramatic pauses?"

Lin Zhou ignored the sarcasm from the second-in-command, a fanatical light shining in his eyes.

It was a gaze that looked down upon everything.

"I will provide the ultimate solution to the food crisis."

"Or rather, a technology sufficient to completely erase the word 'famine' from its very roots."

These words left the two in the reception room completely stunned.

If water was the source of life, then food was the cornerstone of civilization.

Water allows people to survive, but food generates desire, ambition, and the power to change the global landscape.

The calm face of Pope Fontain finally showed a change.

He suddenly sat up straight, his loose robes actually pulled taut by the sheer aura he projected.

He knew that a man like Lin Zhou would never make such a low-level joke in Vatican City.

"Please... by all means, explain in detail."

The Pope's voice even carried a hint of a tremor that he himself hadn't noticed.

Lin Zhou held up one finger.

"First, the growth cycle."

"Through targeted induction of the plant genome, I can shorten the growth period of the world's major crops to one-third of their original time."

"Rice that takes one hundred and twenty days to mature will only take forty days with me."

Cardinal Parolin let out a distorted exclamation.

"Forty days? That's impossible! It violates the laws of nature!"

"In the face of a miracle, the laws of nature are merely formulas that haven't been understood yet."

Lin Zhou interrupted him coldly and held up a second finger.

"Second, the yield."

"The yield per unit area will be increased by at least 80% over the current highest standards."

"This means the output of one mu of land can feed twice the population."

Parolin felt a wave of dizziness; he felt as if he weren't in a meeting, but listening to God announce a new plan for Creation.

Time shortened, yield doubled.

How was this technology? This was magic!

"And one last point."

Lin Zhou's voice became even lower, yet full of power.

"The point you care about the most—viability."

"These seeds can take root in highly saline-alkali soil and grow on the edge of deserts with just a bit of dew."

"They are naturally immune to most pests and diseases, requiring no pesticides or complex irrigation."

"As long as there is land, food will grow."

With every sentence Lin Zhou spoke, Parolin's heart throbbed wildly.

He seemed to see a vision:

The originally barren Sahara Desert turning into an endless sea of golden wheat in just forty days.

Lands once torn by war over food suddenly becoming peaceful and harmonious.

And the Holy See, as the promoter of it all, would gain immense prestige—a glory unmatched by any era in the past!

"Mr. Lin..."

Parolin's voice was terribly hoarse. He reached for his cup, but his hand shook so much that he spilled black tea onto the expensive carpet.

"Are you... are you sure you aren't describing plants from Heaven?"

"Heaven is too far away; I am only responsible for the mortal realm."

Lin Zhou sat back in his chair, as relaxed as if he were chatting in his own backyard.

He watched the ambition ignite in the Pope's eyes and stated his final condition.

"I don't want patent fees for this technology."

"I am willing to license it to the Holy See for free, for you to promote throughout the world."

The reception room fell into a deathly silence once more.