77: Chapter 77 I'm just a bodyguard, and you expect me to be in charge of national security?

While Zhang Zhe's bitter expression was still frozen on his face, Lin Zhou's thoughts had already drifted to the next, and even more important, step.

Although the Chief Justice of the court had been temporarily appointed, the police department responsible for enforcement had not yet been settled.

A judge must understand the law, but the position of Minister of Police—especially in a country where not a single citizen has yet set foot on its soil—seemed more like an empty title for now.

But Lin Zhou needed someone who could command authority and, more importantly, someone who was completely loyal to him.

A certain face flashed through his mind.

"Have He Jun come in for a moment," Lin Zhou instructed his secretary without looking up.

He Jun.

A tough veteran of the former PLA Special Forces, he had become an ace at a top-tier global security firm after retiring. Now, he was the captain of Lin Zhou's private security team.

Standing over 1.9 meters tall with a very burly build, he had a scar running from his brow bone to the corner of his mouth, giving him a fierce appearance.

He was usually a man of few words, even taciturn, but he had never failed to complete any task assigned to him.

*Knock, knock.*

A dull knocking sounded, and He Jun pushed the door open. His combat boots made slight but powerful sounds against the floor as he stood tall before the desk.

"Heads of State, you summoned me."

"Old He, how long have you been with me?" Lin Zhou leaned back in his chair, his fingers unconsciously tapping the desktop.

"It will be exactly one month in three days," He Jun's answer was precise.

"Mm." Lin Zhou nodded. "I remember your file mentioned that after retiring and before joining the security firm, you served as an auxiliary police officer for a while?"

"Yes, I served for half a year at my hometown's local police station." A flicker of confusion crossed He Jun's face; he didn't know why the Head of State was suddenly bringing up such old history.

"Then that's perfect." Lin Zhou's lips curled into a meaningful smile. "The country needs you. I am officially appointing you as the first Minister of Interior and Security for our Cyber Freedom Republic. Your primary responsibility is to build the framework of the national Police Force for me."

The words fell.

For the first time, a look of wavering appeared on He Jun's habitually calm face.

He suspected something was wrong with his ears.

"Head of State... you said... make me... a Minister?" His voice was dry, and he even stammered slightly—something that had never happened to him before.

"Yes, Minister of Police," Lin Zhou's tone was certain.

"No, absolutely not."

He Jun refused without a second thought, his voice rising in volume.

"Head of State. I'm just a common soldier, a rough man. Other than knowing how to fight and kill, what the hell do I know about administration? Making me a Minister... isn't that treating the country like a joke?"

Lin Zhou didn't speak; he just watched him quietly, and the office suddenly fell silent.

"An annual salary of five hundred thousand US dollars."

Lin Zhou's voice was flat, as if he were saying the weather was nice today.

He Jun's brow furrowed tightly. "Head of State, this isn't about money..."

"Eight hundred thousand US dollars."

He Jun's breathing grew heavier, his chest heaving. "I... I really can't do it. You're putting me in an impossible position."

"One million US dollars." Lin Zhou's voice still showed no ripple of emotion. "In addition, you will be granted the hereditary title of Founding Baron."

"..."

He Jun fell silent.

He stared intently at Lin Zhou, and Lin Zhou gazed back calmly.

The office was deathly quiet.

A few seconds later, the momentum of this tall, powerful man weakened, and his head slumped down.

"...Yes, Head of State."

His voice carried a trace of complex emotion.

"I guarantee the mission will be completed."

Money, combined with a hereditary title sufficient to bring honor to one's ancestors and be passed down to future generations.

This set of conditions was hard for any man to refuse.

With the Minister of Police settled, only one sensitive and important position remained—the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Procuratorate.

This position was responsible for supervising all government departments.

From Cabinet Ministers down to grassroots civil servants, everyone—except for the monarch himself—was under its supervision.

This was essentially the country's Secretary of the Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The candidate not only had to understand the law but also needed a strong sense of justice and morality. More importantly, they could not be one of Lin Zhou's inner circle.

Where could he find such a person?

Lin Zhou searched his mind but realized there was truly no one suitable around him.

Therefore, he made a decision that caught everyone by surprise.

He would give the power of choice to all his citizens, to the entire world.

Lin Zhou opened his livestream equipment again, and the familiar image appeared on the screens of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.

He first gave a brief update on Qin Yue's progress in Egypt regarding loan negotiations, then nonchalantly announced the appointments of the Chief Justice and the Minister of Police.

Subsequently, he announced the most important matter of the night.

"Citizens, our nation is moving from an ethereal concept toward solid ground, step by step. We have laws, we have a court, and we have police. But we still lack an institution to supervise power—the Prosecutor's Office."

"Today, I am launching a global open recruitment for the first Chief Prosecutor of the Cyber Freedom Republic."

As soon as these words were spoken, the global livestream chat immediately erupted, with comments scrolling by at lightning speed.

"Holy crap, a global recruitment for Chief Prosecutor? The Head of State really knows how to play the game."

"This is the country's Discipline Secretary; that power is way too massive."

"The requirements must be ridiculously high. We commoners should just watch the show."

"To encourage more people of insight to serve the country, I hereby announce a new system." Lin Zhou's voice spread to every corner of the world via the internet.

"From this day forward, anyone appointed as a Cabinet Minister-level official of our country will automatically receive the hereditary title of Founding Baron upon officially taking office. In the future, promotions will be granted based on their outstanding contributions to the nation."

This news immediately ignited global public opinion.

A generous salary, an important position, plus the status of hereditary nobility sufficient to change a family's destiny—the combination of these conditions was too attractive.

Elites from all over the world took action.

Ministerial positions in the Cyber Freedom Republic instantly became the most sought-after prizes on the planet.

Countless resumes flooded into the newly established temporary Cabinet Office email; the server even crashed at one point due to the massive traffic.

And among these glittering resumes—filled with graduates from Harvard or Oxford, former politicians, or top lawyers—there was one that seemed completely out of place.

[Applicant: Gao Jian.]

[Age: 23.]

[Education: China University of Political Science and Law, recent graduate.]

[Work Experience: None.]

[Specialty: Well-known Bilibili legal science popularization uploader, 'Teacher Gao Explains the Law,' 3.2 million followers.]

In the hands of any normal HR, this resume would have only one fate: being tossed into the trash.

But Lin Zhou used a red pen to draw a heavy circle around it.

The day after the livestream ended.

A brief appointment notice was released to the world through the official channels of the Cyber Freedom Republic.

This notice shocked all media reporters worldwide who were following the matter.

[Lin Zhou, Head of State of the Cyber Freedom Republic, has officially appointed Gao Jian, a 23-year-old Chinese recent graduate and online video blogger, as the nation's first Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Procuratorate, granting him the title of Founding Baron.]

When the news broke, Gao Jian himself was livestreaming games on Bilibili.

He was controlling his character to dominate the field, shouting "Wuhu, taking off!" when he suddenly noticed the comments section had changed.

The "666" comments on the screen vanished, replaced by a uniform wave of content—

"Congratulations on your promotion, Teacher Gao!"

"Greetings, Chief Prosecutor Gao!"

"Baron Gao, how about a giveaway for the brothers?"

Gao Jian looked at the screen full of comments and didn't react for a moment; his mouse fell onto the desk with a *clack*.

He had submitted that resume purely for the livestream's effect, with the mindset of joining the fun and making a meme out of it.

After all, applying to be the Chief Prosecutor of a newly established country was a meme he could brag about for a year.

He never expected...

This... he actually fucking got it?