I was a prince in the Middle East

Chapter 38 The Force Awakens in Riyadh

When faced with Samantha's question, Sanama's lips merely curved into a slight smile as she gently pointed her fingertip toward the desk.

There was a thick stack of documents piled up there.

When Shaman ran over to take a look, it contained information about Prince Alwaleed's background before and after his coma, his public activities after regaining consciousness, the Talal faction's stance, factional analysis within Saudi Arabia, and possibly even some indirect information about his personality...

Everything is available.

The edges were wrinkled, indicating that it had been read many times.

"His information..."

Sanama parted her lips slightly and spoke softly.

“I’ve been studying him for over a month now. I think I know him pretty well.”

This statement is very understated and very nonchalant.

Samantha felt a chill run down her spine after hearing this.

You should know that her older sister is the real academic genius.

Although limited by her status as a royal princess, she cannot participate in open competitions like ordinary students.

But in private, those International Mathematical Olympiad problems that have stumped countless gifted teenagers can be elegantly disassembled and straightened out in her hands, like the silver thread of Talli's embroidery, to arrive at perfect answers.

Sanama has never taken more than three days to learn any subject from beginner to mastery and achieve a perfect score.

This almost superhuman efficiency in logical deconstruction and learning is now being used to study her fiancé…

I even spent over a month researching it...

Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

To be honest, Samantha felt a little sorry for that pervert.

Three seconds of silence, no more.

but……

"elder sister?!"

Saman was completely stunned when she saw the sheen black of the woman's robe on the embroidery frame.

She looked into her sister's calm eyes, as if she were truly seeing her for the first time.

"So...you...you actually really wanted to marry him?"

This is no longer just about following orders, but rather a kind of...acceptance based on a deeper understanding?
You should know that her sister is the epitome of Barbie princess pink, and the only owner of the Rolls-Royce Phantom series in the princess pink custom color.

(Note: Also the owner of a Rolls-Royce Swish Shadow)
Others can only imitate but cannot use it on the Phantom series. For example, the daughter of the F1 president is a pearlescent pink Phantom, and people like Kim Kardashian are a matte pink Cullinan.

Samantha's gaze returned to the pure black Abaya, her doubts deepening.

Her sister's obsession with pink runs deep.

Even when she had to wear a black robe on traditional holidays, Sanama would cleverly use the kesi (silk tapestry) technique to weave soft pink patterns into the cuffs, collar, and even the hidden parts of the lining, allowing her girlish heart to quietly bloom under the solemn black robe.

That subtle touch of pink represents her silent persistence and subtle rebellion.

But what about this robe that was prepared for the meeting?

The entire piece is pure, unblemished black, with the only decoration being the understated silver Talli embroidery patterns that follow ancient methods.

This is so abnormal!
Samantha understood instantly.

The older sister is taking her upcoming 14th birthday and her formal meeting with Walid very seriously.

She was not forced to accept this marriage; rather, she genuinely approved of it.

She was even willing to set aside her signature, flamboyant preference for pink for this occasion, opting instead for an all-black dress that best reflected tradition, solemnity, and nobility.

This solemnity speaks for itself.

Sanama seemed to understand the shock in her sister's eyes, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips.

"Samantha, in this world, who else do you think could support someone like me who spends money like water, and who is also the right age?"

Samantha immediately retorted, "Sister! You're talking nonsense! You spend so much money because our family is too rich! You're not a gold digger!"

She didn't believe at all that her sister was after the other person's wealth.

They are all Middle Eastern royal families; wealth is just a number.

Sanama shrugged. "It is our responsibility as daughters of the Maktoum family to maintain the Maktoum family's rule and interests through marriage alliances."

My father dotes on me the most, giving me the most freedom and the best resources, isn't it precisely because I'm the most beautiful and have the most value in a marriage alliance?

Samantha subconsciously glanced at the huge floor-length mirror next to her, where she saw herself as a delicate and beautiful woman.

She pouted defiantly, "Hmph! Who said that! I also..."

However, when her gaze swept over her sister's already budding figure in the mirror, and then she looked down at her own still immature and flat curves, she swallowed the rest of her sentence, "I'm pretty too."

She could only roll her eyes in exasperation, pretending not to hear her sister's boastful words.

Sanama's gaze returned to the black robe embroidered with silver patterns.

Her fingertips traced the small hole where the needle had pierced her skin, and her voice regained its clear tone, but carried an indescribable complexity:

"At least based on the information, he is someone who has the ability to change the status quo, and he is also a good person."

She paused, then added, "Besides, I'm already his fiancée."

Instead of fearing the dark, why not... try lighting a candle?

……

At the entrance of Riyadh No. 6 Public High School, early morning, June 14.

In the early morning of June in Riyadh, the sun was already scorching, relentlessly baking the simple sunshade at the school gate.

The air was distorted by the high temperature, and sweat soaked the students' cheap cotton white robes, which clung tightly to their thin backs.

The long queue was filled with a sense of suppressed resentment.

"Damn Prince Walid!"

A tall, thin boy wiped the sweat from his forehead and muttered a curse under his breath.

The sound was exceptionally clear in the sweltering air.

"What a jerk... umm... God will surely punish him!"

"Exactly! We're just here to keep the Crown Prince company while he studies!"

The boy next to him, wearing glasses, pushed up his slipped glasses, looking clearly annoyed.

The eyes behind the glasses scanned the school gate, where security was several times greater than usual, and the broadcast van parked in the distance.

"When have public schools ever seen anything like this? There are more security cameras than students! This isn't an exam, it's like being in jail!"

Clearly, what upset them was that they could no longer cheat.

The widespread cheating on exams that is common in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central Asia, and West Asia is naturally not immune to it in Saudi Arabia's public high schools.

the reason is simple.

Social mobility is approaching zero.

In these places, the core goal of public high schools is not to get students into college.

Instead, it provides a three-year transition period for children from underprivileged families, preventing them from entering society too early.

"Ha, didn't we always turn a blind eye before? We'd just help each other out and it would all pass."

Another dark-skinned boy spat, his eyes filled with displeasure.

"Now it's even worse, we don't even have a chance to cheat!"
"They said it was to prevent the prince from cheating, but they're treating us all like thieves!" "Luckily, the achievement exam can be taken three times, so we don't have to risk the future of the entire school to witness a prince's 'genius' or 'incompetence'!"

"But this is so damn frustrating!"

What angered them even more was the change in the order of the exam subjects.

In previous years, the first subject without fail was National Education (similar to Chinese Language).

The content is relatively calm and emphasizes a steady start to help test takers calm down.

This time, however, it was abruptly changed to mathematics, which is widely recognized as the most difficult subject!

For four whole days, the subject arrangement changed to: mathematics, physics, chemistry, geology, geography, computer science, English, and finally, national education.

All the tough challenges were brought forward all at once!
This is clearly a ploy to mess with people's mentality!
"It's definitely aimed at that prince! He's a 'miracle of God'!"

The tall, thin boy said resentfully, kicking a small pebble on the ground.
"He wants to show off that he's a genius, so why is he sabotaging our future?"

Are you telling me to tackle the toughest challenge right from the start? God help me, I feel like swearing!

Amidst the low-pressure curses, a deep and majestic engine roar approached from afar.

At the end of the street, several gleaming black Escalades, like steel guards, escorted a Marchi mobile electronic palace RV as it slowly drove up.

The lion flag erected on one side of the Escalade's hood fluttered in the wind.

It goes without saying that Prince Khalid has arrived.

The prince is not worthy of such a grand display.

All the test takers and their parents spontaneously moved to the side.

It doesn't matter what crickets do behind your back, but the authority of the core princes of the royal family is something the people dare not challenge.

What's more...

The Talal faction has a relatively good reputation, as it has consistently spoken out and advocated for the underprivileged.

People respect Prince Khalid, but that doesn't mean they will necessarily like Prince Walid.

Especially when their own interests are involved, the crowd present is just as indignant as they were when they had previously supported Walid or prayed so fervently for his resurrection.

The convoy was forcefully stopped by security personnel a few dozen meters from the school gate.

The warning tape trembled slightly in the heat, like an abrupt sluice gate.

This scene made everyone's eyes widen.

Although there were indeed warning lines at the examination site prohibiting vehicles from entering, however...

Hasn't the royal family always been free from these rules and regulations?

In their minds, it was normal for Prince Khalid to send Walid directly to the examination hall.

At this moment, however, things are not normal; it is tantamount to humiliation.

The gossip fire of the crowd began to burn.

In fact, this unusual arrangement makes it clear that someone within the royal family is targeting the Talal faction.

But this is so openly and honestly...

Netizens commented that this gossip was...quite interesting!
Waiting for Prince Khalid to slap these policemen in the face.

However, to the dismay of onlookers, the convoy did not attempt to break through the checkpoint and instead remained obediently in place.

The car door opened, and the first to step out were two powerful princes.

Prince Khalid, Al-Walid's father, is the Chief Justice of Saudi Arabia's Supreme Religious Court, with a calm and serene expression.

Prince Alwaleed, chairman of Kingdom Holding Group and known as the Warren Buffett of the Middle East, followed closely behind, his face remaining completely expressionless.

However, after getting out of the car, the two princes naturally nodded to the crowd, their right hands on their chests in a textbook-perfect gesture.

The crowd erupted in spontaneous applause!
Several middle-aged men wearing headscarves shouted excitedly: "May God grant you peace, Your Majesty Prince Khalid!"
An elderly woman wiped her eyes and whispered, "My father who never abandoned me for seven years... May God bless him!"

Although the tall, thin student still kept a straight face, he subconsciously joined in the applause.

The old reputation of the Talal faction for speaking out for the lower classes now outweighed any resentment towards the exams.

Prince Walid bin Khalid, who was the last to disembark, stood out in his perfectly tailored royal white robe in the sweltering air.

He patted his chest and greeted the public with perfect manners. The boy's handsome smile was so sunny that it was impossible to feel any ill will towards him.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, you will need to walk into the examination room and undergo security checks."

At the cordon, the security chief stepped forward with a forced smile, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

This would be an unimaginable act of overstepping one's bounds under normal circumstances.

Prince Alwaleed snorted coldly, about to lash out, but was stopped by a look from Prince Khalid.

Walid nodded slightly, indicating that it was alright, and took the lead in walking towards the security checkpoint that symbolized "equality" but was actually full of difficulties.

As he walked forward, his face remained calm, his amber pupils undisturbed, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

It was abrupt, conspicuous, and somewhat out of place.

But for some reason, it makes one feel... as if it was meant to be this way.

This contradictory feeling of "abrupt yet normal" not only permeated the scene but also quickly spread to Twitter through reporters' lenses and onlookers' mobile phones.

Twitter launched Vine in January 2013, which allows users to shoot and share short videos up to 6 seconds long.

The hashtag #PrinceWalidAppearsAtExamCenter# has seen a surge in discussion.

"Is it just my imagination? His Highness is as calm as a robot... Everyone around is sweltering, but he seems to have a built-in cooling barrier?"

"It's definitely incongruous, but you call that normal? How is it normal? This aura is too eerie!"

"+1! It feels like he's not here for an exam, but rather for a board meeting, and he's the kind of chairman who dominates the room."

Just then, some overseas Chinese students came across photos and short video clips of the scene.

Seeing Walid standing motionless amidst the sweltering heat, his gaze deep and serene, they instantly understood and left comments under the relevant posts:

"That's perfectly normal! We know that aura all too well! That's the presence of a top-tier science genius entering the exam hall!"

"Yes, yes, yes! The realm of academic geniuses is unfolding! All that's missing is some background music!"

"The person upstairs knows what they're doing! Isn't this just a live version of 'May the Force be with you'?"

Playing the Empire March from Star Wars on him makes the scene instantly make sense!

"Hilarious! Case solved! His Highness wasn't out of place; he simply activated a 'Force Barrier' to physically isolate himself from external interference!"

The "Star Wars background music" meme was like a spark falling into dry tinder, instantly igniting the creative enthusiasm of Twitter users.

"Arrange it! Arrange it immediately!"

Skilled netizens quickly set to work, perfectly matching the clip of Walid getting out of the car and walking towards the police line with the iconic "Imperial March" from the Star Wars series.

Some opted for the more solemn "The Force Theme," attempting to highlight its stabilizing calm.

Some netizens even used Darth Maul's "Duel of the Fates" from the Star Wars prequels, paired with Walid's cold gaze as he walked, which strangely matched the song.

In no time, short videos of the prince's entrance, with various background music versions, went viral on Twitter.

The hashtags #StarWarsPrinceDescendsOnExams# and #TheForceAwakensInRiyadh# quickly rose to the top of the international trending topics list.

The serious and tense atmosphere of the examination room was disrupted by this sudden wave of memes, adding a touch of absurd yet stress-relieving dark humor.

……

(End of this chapter)