367: Chapter 367 "Preparing the Network First"

As soon as this comment appeared, countless Chinese netizens burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, adding insult to injury, are we?"

"Forget about the equipment; they don't even have a high-speed access ramp."

"Accessing the second world requires coordination between 7G space-based networks and ground base stations. What are they going to use to connect now? Generating power with love?"

"It used to be us drooling while watching foreign product launches; now it's their turn to swallow their saliva while reading our experience reports."

"Don't be in a rush, fix the internet first."

This comment was quickly pushed to the top of the hot comments.

It wasn't some serious analysis, nor did it pile up a dizzying array of technical jargon.

But the simpler it was, the more lethal it became.

Overseas netizens stared at these translated replies, and the rhythm of their typing gradually slowed down.

Some wanted to retort.

But their fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time, and in the end, they just deleted the string of words they had already typed.

That seemingly mocking remark had hit exactly where it hurt the most—the most cruel reality.

The second world is not a piece of equipment.

It is not a piece of software.

It is not a consumer electronic product that you can buy and use immediately.

What it requires behind the scenes is a nationwide seventh-generation communication network, a space-based communication system, a low-latency data chain that is terrifyingly stable, a central server cluster, and a national-level infrastructure project.

In other words.

China did not simply create a door.

China has even built the roads, bridges, stations, rules, and cities leading to that door.

And they, right now, don't even have the roadbed.

Let alone 7G.

Some countries haven't even fully resolved stable 4G coverage.

In many remote areas, video calls still lag into mosaics.

Yet now, they are discussing how to access the fully immersive second world?

"So… it's not a question of whether China will give it to us, but that even if they did, we wouldn't be able to handle it?"

"That is the most desperate part."

"Let's petition, stop arguing, go demand that the government upgrade communication infrastructure, and go demand that they negotiate cooperation with China."

"For the first time, I feel that being backward isn't because we didn't buy a certain product, but because the entrance to the entire era isn't on our side."

The sentiment on foreign websites gradually shifted to envy, anxiety, and urgency.

Netizens from many countries began launching petitions on their domestic social media platforms.

They hoped that officials would contact China as soon as possible to strive for future access qualifications to the second world.

Some petitions were written very bluntly.

"We are not asking for the first batch."

"We are not asking for it to be free either."

"We just hope our country won't miss the next revolution."

Someone even compiled a timeline of China's communication construction in recent years, the south heaven gate project, Super Soldier Serum, and Life Sciences specialty drugs, and wrote one sentence at the end of the chart—

"They didn't suddenly take the lead."

"They just turned every step we didn't understand into today's threshold."

This image spread like wildfire on foreign websites.

For the first time, many people stopped to look back at the news from China over the past period—news they had mocked, ignored, or completely failed to understand.

At the time, they felt it was just another round of propaganda.

But now, after the gates of the second world opened, they suddenly realized.

It turns out that the so-called future doesn't just fall from the sky one day.

It is a country using terrifying execution to stack all the seemingly inconspicuous basic work into a threshold that others cannot cross.

As for Chinese netizens, their reaction after seeing this image was much simpler.

"Now do you know what 'Infrastructure Maniac' means?"

"Seriously, guys, you haven't even finished covering your 4G, and you want to connect directly to the second world?"

"Isn't that like using an abacus to apply for quantum computing?"

"Hilarious. Before, you were asking if the equipment was for sale. Now the question is, if we sell it to you, where are you going to plug it in?"

"Stop talking, or they're going to have a mental breakdown."

"Even to have a breakdown, you need internet first."

The comment section completely became an ocean of joy.

The three words "Fix the Internet First" quickly became a new viral meme.

In one image, a Chinese netizen stands at the entrance of a brightly lit future city, with dense 7G base stations and space-based network nodes behind them.

On the other side, an overseas netizen holds an imagined connection device, standing on a potholed dirt road, with a precarious "1 bar of 4G signal" hanging above their head.

The caption only had four words.

"Connecting…"

Countless people below laughed until they doubled over.

But jokes aside, everyone knew that the opening of the second world to the outside was no longer just a commercial issue.

It would affect communication standards, data sovereignty, identity authentication, virtual space order, and even reshape the global division of labor.

Who can connect, and who cannot.

Who connects first, and who must wait.

Who can participate in rule-making, and who must passively accept the rules.

The answers to these questions were no longer in the hands of those foreign tech companies.

At the afternoon's routine press conference, relevant questions were quickly brought to the table.

In the venue, reporters from various countries arrived earlier than usual.

After sitting down, many were still looking down at the recently translated second world experience reports.

One reporter pinched the pen cap with their fingertips, the pen tip tapping unconsciously on their notebook a few times.

The moment the red light on the camera turned on, the low chatter in the room quickly vanished.

After receiving the opportunity to ask a question, a foreign reporter stood up.

He first looked down at the question written in advance, then quickly raised his head, trying to keep his tone steady.

"Hello, Spokesperson."

"Since the second world opened today, it has sparked high attention globally. The public in many countries has expressed a desire to be able to access this platform in the future."

Speaking up to this point, he paused, his gaze landing on the podium.

"May I ask, will China consider opening access services for the second world to other countries and regions in the future?"

"If so, will the relevant access conditions be based primarily on technical standards, or will they also involve more factors such as data security, identity authentication, and bilateral cooperative relations?"

As soon as this question was asked, the backs of quite a few reporters in the venue straightened slightly.

Compared to directly questioning about an "opening timetable," this question sounded much more polite.

But everyone could tell that the real point was hidden inside.

Would the second world ultimately become a new global rule gateway in China's hands?

In the venue, many cameras aimed at the podium simultaneously.

The Chinese Spokesperson looked down at the materials in her hand.

Her fingertips gently turned a page, the edge of the paper making a very soft sound.

Afterward, she raised her head, her face still wearing a standard and restrained smile.

"Regarding the specific management methods, access rules, and follow-up planning for the second world, relevant departments are currently conducting final coordination."

"The official policy will be announced to the public in the near future."

Her speaking speed was not fast, and every word was very steady.

"What can be made clear is that the second world is not an ordinary internet product, but an important infrastructure oriented toward future social forms."

"China will steadily advance relevant work under the premise of being safe, orderly, and controllable."

The sound of shutters in the venue rang out in unison.

The foreign reporter did not sit down.

His fingers gripping the microphone tightened a bit, and he followed up:

"Does this mean that foreign users will also have the opportunity to access the second world in the future?"

The Spokesperson looked at him.

The smile on her face did not change, and her tone remained steady.

"China is always willing to share the development opportunities brought by technological progress with all countries in the world."

"At the same time, we also consistently believe that any cooperation should be established on the basis of mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit, and friendly relations."

"For countries and regions that maintain friendly cooperative relations with China and possess the corresponding infrastructure conditions, we are happy to maintain communication on relevant issues."