369: Chapter 369 New Era or Lifeline?

Unlike the impatient carnival back home, the first reaction on foreign websites was near-uncontrollable ecstasy.

"The Xia Country officials have made a statement! They didn't say it was only open domestically!"

"Their exact words were 'preliminary contact has been made with multiple countries'—this means we have a chance too!"

"Oh my god, I have never wanted our government to be competent more than I do now; please, just go beg for their favor immediately!"

On major social media platforms, the popularity of related topics skyrocketed in a short time, charging straight into the top three of the global trending lists and refusing to budge.

In the comment sections, it was all anxious urging and massive petitions.

"What are our top officials doing? Are they still discussing some bullshit budget bill? Is now the time to be discussing a budget bill?"

"If we can't connect to the second world immediately, I swear I'll vote for a dog in the next election; even a dog understands which way to run better than they do!"

"The petition is already up, the link is here, everyone go sign it! Let's drown those bureaucrats in our spit!"

For a time, public opinion in every country was doing the same thing.

"Hurry up and negotiate! Sign the agreement! Even if we have to sell everything we own, we must get a spot; we absolutely cannot let ourselves be abandoned by this new era!"

And in fact, there was no need for these ordinary people to shout.

From the very moment Xia Country made its public statement, diplomatic channels in dozens of countries had already begun operating at full speed, and the landlines at various embassies were almost being blown up with calls.

Some had already been frantically testing the waters through informal channels and third-party commercial delegations even before Xia Country's statement, but due to face and delicate international relations, they hadn't dared to formally state their intentions.

But now, Xia Country had taken the initiative to open the door.

Those countries that had prepared in advance submitted their letters of intent through formal diplomatic channels within an hour of the statement being issued.

They also impatiently announced this "great progress" to their citizens, sparking a tsunami-like cheer within their countries.

However, not all countries were so decisive.

A significant portion of the leadership in many countries fell into an unprecedented dilemma regarding this matter.

The general public did not understand this dilemma.

In their eyes, this should have been a straightforward matter:

Someone else created something good, so you spend money to buy the service, you negotiate, it's that simple.

They only saw that Xia Country had opened the door, and only saw that other countries were already rushing in, terrified that being a second late would mean they wouldn't even get to drink the soup.

Thus, anger came as a matter of course.

"Why haven't we made any moves yet?"

"What are they waiting for? Are they waiting for the second world to leave us completely behind?"

"What era is this? Why are they still putting on airs? Can they open their eyes and look at the world outside?"

"If we don't sign, for the rest of our lives we'll only be able to watch Xia Country people, and even people from other countries around the world, living their lives in the new world from behind a screen! That's a dimensionality reduction strike!"

These words spread across all major social media platforms, and some people had even begun taking to the streets to protest.

Yet, amidst this clamor, some voices began to emerge from the corners.

The first to speak out was an independent blogger with some reputation in the tech field.

He posted a thread with a title consisting of only four words— "Calm Down."

"I know everyone is excited, and I am excited too; facing such a miracle, no one can help but be moved."

"But everyone, we must first clarify one fact."

"What exactly is the second world?"

"Many people treat it as a more advanced internet product. It's as if as long as our country signs an agreement with Xia Country, buys a few servers, and installs a few sets of equipment, we can successfully connect."

"But the truth is not like that at all."

"To put it simply, upgrading communication technology to 7G signals just requires finishing negotiations, spending money to buy equipment, and carrying out construction."

"But the second world is not just as simple as communication signals."

"Its underlying logic code, physical calculation rules, identity authentication system, and macroeconomic architecture are all in the hands of Xia Country."

"Having a signal only means you have the qualification to enter the second world!"

After this post was published, the comment section went quiet for a few seconds.

Then someone replied: "What do you mean? I don't understand."

The blogger continued to write: "Then let me use a more straightforward explanation."

"The traditional internet era was like building roads on the ground. Countries built their own roads, and once the roads were connected, data could run on them like cars."

"As for what cargo the cars are carrying, where the cars are going, and how the scenery along the way is built, countries can set their own rules."

"Even if Xia Country's 7G communication technology now crushes the world, in essence, it's just building the roads faster, more stably, and wider."

"But the second world is not a road."

"It is the one and only, boundless city at the end of that road!"

"The city's planning, the city's order, the city's management, the identity, assets, and social activities of every person in the city, and even how much air you can breathe in the city, are all systems set by it."

"Countries can spend huge sums of money to build the road leading to the city."

"But this city, from beginning to end, belongs only to Xia Country."

"Other countries have no right to formulate even the most minor public security rule within the city."

"Other countries can rack their brains, but they can only send their citizens to the city gates."

After this passage appeared, the comment section was silent for even longer.

Someone typed a line: "Wait, I think I understand."

Immediately after, another person followed up: "His meaning is that even if our country cooperates with Xia Country to upgrade all communication infrastructure, lay 7G networks, buy connection equipment, and finish all technical integration."

"In the end, the second world that our citizens enter is still running on Xia Country's system."

"What we can get is just a ticket."

This reply was pinned to the very top.

The trend of the comments below underwent a visible change within minutes.

"...I suddenly don't know how to respond."

"So you're saying that connecting to the second world is essentially putting our citizens' lives, data, social relationships, and even future jobs all into Xia Country's system?"

"No, you have no choice but to put them in. Because you don't have a second option. There is only one such world; there is no alternative."

"My God."

"This is completely different from the traditional internet. Before, even if you used someone else's technical standards, the network was still your own. Data was still running on your own land. But now..."

"Now, so-called connecting to the second world is actually sending the people of your country to live in a world built by someone else."

"They can even shut off your entrance at will."

As soon as this sentence appeared, the comment section was quiet for a long time. Then someone slowly typed a line.

"I finally understand why our country didn't sign the agreement immediately."

"But now there is one most realistic question placed before us—"

"Do we want the new era, or do we want our future lifeline?"