I was a prince in the Middle East

Chapter 40 The Absolute Territory of a Genius, the Ultimate Secret to Showing Off!
As soon as Walid sat down in his seat, three cameras were placed in front of him.

With the addition of cameras in the corners of the examination room, it truly achieves 360° monitoring with no blind spots and even close-up shots!

What surprised everyone even more was the result of the exam paper lottery.

The exam papers for the achievement test are pre-printed, and the question bank is randomly combined into 24 different sets of papers.

Before the exam begins, exam paper numbers are randomly assigned by computer on-site to ensure fairness.

In this examination room, only Walid was a candidate using the science pathway.

This meant that for the next four days, when he took science exams, he would be surrounded by students taking Islamic law, Arabic literature, and history exams.

Ok……

With Principal Najib personally overseeing the exam, along with four proctors providing constant supervision...

Cheating?

That is simply a fantasy.

Everyone knows perfectly well that what the conservatives want is to push Walid into a corner where he is absolutely “fair”.

Then, under the watchful eyes of millions, this "man-made genius" was completely exposed, utterly ruining the reputation of the Talal faction.

but……

Is this kind of targeting okay?
"I will surely send the false believers to the deepest depths of Hellfire!"

A loud chanting sound came from outside the examination room window.

Walid glanced sideways and saw that the religious school, which was separated from the First Public High School by only one wall, had nearly a thousand students reciting scriptures in unison on the playground!
The enormous sound wave was like a real shockwave, making the glass in the examination room vibrate and the air itself tremble!
Najib explained with a smile, his face revealing an undisguised wicked amusement.

"Oh, it just so happens that the religious studies class next door is having its final exam. They're reciting scriptures to test their learning outcomes."

He spoke casually, as if the deafening declaration of religious judgment were merely background music.

At this moment, even the most critical viewers in front of their televisions, who were indifferent to the royal family, frowned.

Clearly, this is no coincidence!
unacceptable!

What kind of arrangement is this?
This is no longer about playing mind games; it's blatant psychological oppression and religious intimidation!
This is a malicious challenge to the psychological limits of a test taker!
As the exam papers were distributed, countless eyes focused on Walid through the live stream screen.

The moment the exam paper landed on Walid's desk—

It's sizzling!

The overhead fluorescent lights suddenly dimmed and flickered a few times. Then, the entire examination room's lighting and air conditioning systems simultaneously went out of service.

Darkness and a sudden surge of oppressive heat instantly engulfed the space.

A brief gasp of surprise rang out in the examination room.

"Power outage?!"

Some test takers couldn't help but shout it out.

The live stream signal also went black!
Twitter exploded instantly, with the hashtag #PrinceCheatingDuringPowerOutage# skyrocketing to the top of the trending topics list.

"See? I told you! They were definitely going to tamper with the exam and pull some dirty tricks!"

"Cheating! Blatant cheating! Royal privilege has been exposed!"

"Oh no, the prince is about to be exposed! The interruption of the live stream is solid proof that he's guilty!"

"Hahaha, the Talal faction is going to lose all face today!"

However, this frenzy surrounding the prince lasted only a second or two!

Sizzle~
The lights were restored instantly.

It was as if the darkness had just passed in the blink of an eye, so brief as to be like an illusion.

Principal Najib suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Walid with the intensity of a venomous snake.

At this moment, his face was full of sneer as he addressed the camera and all the candidates in the room, announcing in a deliberately raised, judgmental tone,
"Rest assured, everyone! To ensure the success of this exam, which concerns the reputation of the royal family, the examination venue has been specially equipped with an independent power supply line!"
We will not give anyone who tries to undermine the fairness of the exam or create chaos to delay the process an opportunity!

God is our witness, we will ensure the openness, fairness, and transparency of the examination!

No sooner had he finished speaking than a school staff member rushed in, panting and sweating profusely, and whispered an urgent message in Najib's ear. Although the voice was low, the nearby microphone still picked up a few notes:
"Principal, we've investigated, it wasn't sabotage..."

The school's wiring is too old; when high-powered equipment like broadcast vans and electronic jammers are turned on, the circuit breaker trips due to overload.

The power company said the power lines were severely aged and couldn't handle that much load..."

Najib's sneer froze instantly, then turned a ghastly liver color.

He felt like a clown who had been slapped hard in public!
All the supposedly "fair" performances turned into a joke.

He glanced at Walid instinctively; Walid had his hands folded and eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the commotion.

However, everyone could see that Walid's face was full of mockery.

Enraged, Najib yelled at the staff.

"Shut down all air conditioners! Immediately!"

All non-essential electrical facilities on campus will be powered off!
We will do everything we can to ensure adequate power supply for exam room lighting and for reporters and television broadcasts!
The exam continues! No one is allowed to leave their seat!

As soon as the order was given, all the candidates in the examination room turned green!

In Riyadh in June, the average outdoor temperature is 42 degrees Celsius. Dozens of people are in the exam hall—can the air conditioning be turned off?!
This is no longer an exam, it's sauna torture!

Some students wanted to slam their fists on the table and yell, "Just kill me already!"

Some students even felt that this lousy test wasn't absolutely necessary, since they had two more chances anyway.

However, they dared not make any rash moves.

None of them are fools.

They are the atmosphere-creating team, and the principal will not allow them to leave early.

Within minutes, sweat poured out like streams from everyone's foreheads, necks, and backs, the air became thick and scalding, and every breath felt like a burning sensation.

The live stream comments went completely crazy; the chat and Twitter feeds were like a tsunami.

"Holy crap! Turning off the air conditioning at 42 degrees?! Is this an exam or a concentration camp?!"

"It's probably more than 42 degrees Celsius. Schools in Saudi Arabia all have central air conditioning, and the school buildings are specially insulated to prevent the cold air from escaping."

It's like a giant steamer inside now!

"Has Najib gone mad?! He's willing to risk his life for the prince?!"

"I'm afraid the prince won't even fall down before the ordinary test-takers get heatstroke! The conservatives are behaving so disgustingly!"

"This principal is a mad dog being manipulated by his master! Isn't the Ministry of Education going to do anything about it?!"

"Let's get the hashtag #NajibAbusingStudents trending! Let the Ministry of Education see this!"

……

Royal Palace Council Chamber
On the huge screen, a split-screen display was showing images of students sweating profusely and nearly collapsing in the exam room, along with angry comments flooding the screen on Twitter.

Prince Khalid slammed his hand on the conference table with a deafening thud!

"Your Majesty! I, Khalid, only have this one legitimate son!"
"If Walid suffers any mishap during the examination due to these despicable and torture-like methods..."

His eyes were bloodshot, like those of a man-eating lion, and he exuded a terrifying murderous aura. His gaze was fixed on King Abdullah on the throne.

"I! Don't! Guarantee! What I might do!"
The wrath of the Talal faction must be quelled with blood!

This blatant threat instantly silenced the entire council chamber.

The conservative princes' expressions changed drastically.

They knew very well that everything else was negotiable, but if Walid really got into trouble, Prince Khalid would definitely turn into a mad dog.

A prince's life can be measured in US dollars.

King Abdullah's expression also changed, and he immediately tried to appease him.

"Khalid, calm down! The royal bloodline must not be lost!"
I swear in the name of the King that nothing will happen to Walid!

He quickly gave the order, "Immediately! Gather all the ice and transport it to the examination venue as fast as possible!"

Oh right! And portable air conditioners too!
Prioritize placing them around Prince Walid!

Crown Prince Salman, you personally take charge and mobilize all resources to restore power and air conditioning to the examination rooms as quickly as possible!
I want to see the air conditioning!

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Old Salman responded in a deep voice, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, and immediately rose to make arrangements. The meeting was briefly interrupted.

Grand Mufti Abdul Sheikh, with a gloomy face, strode out of the council chamber and went to his lounge.

He grabbed his trusted aide, lowered his voice, and questioned him, his tone filled with shock and anger.
"Idiot! Who told Najib to turn off the air conditioning?!"

Who orchestrated those other methods?!
Do we really need so many cameras?
And which idiot allowed a religious school to chant scriptures next to them!

"Huh?! How utterly stupid! Are you afraid the knives from the Talal Palace won't be used against us?!"

The trusted aide looked bewildered and aggrieved, and swore an oath to the heavens.
"Sir? Absolutely not! We never gave such an order!"
Does Najib have a personal grudge against the Talal faction?

Or...is he so desperate to prove his loyalty that he's gone mad?

Abdul Sheikh's face turned green upon hearing this.

Immediately afterwards, blood rushed to his head, and his entire face instantly turned bright red, with veins bulging on his forehead.

His jaw muscles twitched violently, and this extreme anger caused his face to quickly turn from red to black.

In the end, all the colors faded, leaving only a stark white.

His fingers, which were gripping his confidant's collar, lost their strength and trembled slightly.

A bone-chilling cold instantly froze him.

After a long silence, Abdul Sheikh squeezed out a few words through clenched teeth.

"Idiot! You've been used as a tool and you don't even realize it! We've been set up!"

The meeting was quickly reconvened.

The representatives of the Royal Council immediately stood up and protested righteously to the King and the Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty! Your Highness! Najib's actions are a grave insult to the dignity of all members of the royal family! A challenge to the monarchy!"

Their atrocities must be stopped immediately and they must be severely punished as a warning to others!

The king's gaze fell on Khalid, whose face remained ashen and who seemed ready to explode at any moment.

"Khalid, what do you think?"

Prince Khalid said calmly, arms crossed.

"I have only one request."

To demonstrate the royal family's 'fairness' and 'transparency'...

From this day forward, all Saudi princes' graduation examinations, whether international courses or domestic achievement examinations, must be conducted according to Al-Walid's current standards—no exceptions!

As soon as these words came out, the whole place was completely silent!

This old dog is trying to drag everyone down with him!
From now on, every prince will be scrutinized and exposed to the microscope of millions of people when taking exams.
This is absolutely killing them!

After all, every family only has one or two elites; most of them are intentionally left to their own devices.

Everyone wanted to curse, but no one dared to be the first to jump out and object.

Anyone who objects at this time is guilty and has something to hide.

Ironically, they couldn't blame Khalid. If they were Khalid in that situation, this would have been the mildest possible response.

With a fiery temper, it's entirely possible for blood to splatter everywhere.

As a result, the conservatives instantly became the common enemy of all factions!

Dissatisfied and angry gazes were directed at them.

The conservative princes' faces instantly turned extremely ugly, as if they had swallowed a fly!
……

Inside the examination room, ice was urgently brought in and placed around the examination room and in the aisles.

However, it seemed a bit too much effort was put in, as the entire examination room was filled with a chilling atmosphere.

The test takers scratched their heads, leaving only a few strokes on their exam papers.

The alternating hot and cold sensations made my consciousness somewhat blurred.

Walid, however, remained as still as a meditating monk.

He leaned against the scorching hot plastic chair back, crossed his arms over his chest, and closed his eyes slightly, as if lost in thought.

The exam paper in front of me was blank except for my name and exam number.

The live stream camera remained fixed on his "give up" posture.

Twitter exploded again, with a massive wave of criticism:

"Look! They gave up! They were exposed as expected!"

"Couldn't keep up the act anymore, could you? Your true colors are showing!"

"Finish high school in a month? That's hilarious! I don't even dare to do the problems now!"

"He has completely disgraced the Talal faction!"

"#WalidGivesUpExam# is trending! Awaiting the Royal Statement!"

Amidst the ridicule and skepticism, a netizen with a panda avatar and the ID "Yun Shen is not a virgin" suddenly left a comment:

"Uh... why do I smell a familiar scent? [scratching head.jpg] This scene, this posture..."

Someone immediately replied: "What's that smell? Is it the smell of sweat? Or the stench of a failed cheating attempt?"

"Yun Shen is not a virgin": "It's not the flavor... it's the operation! Let me share a little-known fact with you:"

In China, when top-performing students take exams, if the exam rules prohibit submitting their papers early, they sometimes...

Well, close your eyes and rest first, or even take a nap. Only start doing the problems in the last hour or half hour.

Commonly known as the "absolute domain of academic geniuses, the ultimate art of showing off!"

This comment immediately attracted a lot of attention:
"???real or fake?"

"Are you kidding me? Doing a math test in half an hour? And it's the hardest graduation math test in Saudi Arabia?"

"Waiting to be proven wrong / Just watching the drama unfold"

"Chinese netizens are really good at making up stories!"

"I've heard of them. There's a master there named Wei Dongyi. That's how they play in the IMO finals."

"Stop arguing! Look! The prince is moving!"

When the exam hall announced that there were only 30 minutes left in the exam, Walid, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened them.

The pen is drawn as swiftly as a knife being drawn from its sheath, and the strokes fall as quickly as an arrow leaving a bow
The parentheses in the multiple-choice questions were instantly filled;
The blanks in the fill-in-the-blank questions were quickly filled with numbers and symbols;
In the blank spaces of the problem-solving questions, lines of clear, concise, and logically meticulous solution steps appeared rapidly, as if they were printed with precision.

Without a moment's pause, without a second's thought.

No calculations were done on the manuscript paper!

It was as if all the answers were already etched in his mind, and now he was simply copying them down!
All the candidates, including the invigilators and even Principal Najib himself, stared in disbelief at the figure "dancing wildly" on the exam paper!

The camera faithfully captured this incredible scene, broadcasting the images and the dense sound of writing throughout the country!
The mockery on Twitter came to an abrupt halt.

The person who said "Yun Shen is not a virgin" immediately jumped out:
"Holy crap! It's here! The domain of the academic genius has opened! Front row seats available for sunflower seeds, soda, and small stools! Witness this historic moment!"

(Attached is a GIF of a panda man enthusiastically cheering)
It only took twenty minutes!

Walid leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms again, and resumed his previous posture.

The math test paper in front of me is already filled.

The handwriting is clear and neat, and the paper is clean and tidy.

The draft paper distributed to him was completely blank, without a single ink stain.

At this moment, his heart was as lonely as snow.

Does this level of difficulty really require a draft?

Ha ha!

If someone who can pass the postgraduate entrance exam and get into Peking University can do a test that's equivalent to the difficulty of the Chinese middle school entrance exam (Level A), and still can't show off, then they're really bad.

The staring method: stare intently, and the answer will immediately become clear.

……

(End of this chapter)