I was a prince in the Middle East

Chapter 8 So, this is the Haoluo Continent?!
The soundproof glass blocked out the noise downstairs, but it couldn't shut out the turbulent roar in Walid's heart.

It felt like being stuffed into a high-speed centrifuge, my brain was about to be shaken out.

Outside the window, on both sides of the runway, the death knell was already in place:
On the left, inside the cold steel coffin of the Mirage 2000, there are spy eyes that can see through everything from Saudi military secrets to the color of His Majesty the King's underwear!
On the right, beneath the Bugatti Veyron's streamlined black body, the fuel tank is filled with enough fuel to instantly send an entire street to its zenith, shoulder to shoulder with the sun—it's like a human delivery bomb!
At the starting line, a young man in a flashy bright orange racing suit was surrounded by several mechanics, excitedly making a peace sign at the camera and laughing like a fool.

Prince Faisal.

The grandson of Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz, the youngest of the Seven Sudri chiefs.

Damn! 17 years old?
He has a full beard and looks no different from a 34-year-old!
However, that old dog Bandar was willing to sacrifice even his own grandnephew to fill the 15 billion hole.

That's truly a dark heart!
Her hands are even darker than the hands of the cafeteria lady at my university!

Walid finally understood that what his mother, Princess Mona, had given him was not just intelligence.

It was a double-edged scepter, gleaming with a cold light, capable of both killing and protecting oneself;
It is also an exam paper concerning the future fate of the Talal faction. The answer sheet is stained with blood, and writing the wrong answer could mean utter ruin!

Authority? Exam paper?
Hey!
I've only been a prince for three months, all I want to do is lie back, count my money, and chase girls!

This kind of high-level game, which involves confiscation of property and extermination of entire families, resulting in rivers of blood, is something a "scholarly paramecium" like me could possibly play?!

However, at this moment, his chaotic thoughts were not filled with grand calculations.

A bright, smiling face, like a jasmine flower suddenly blooming in the desert, clearly appeared before my eyes.

Luna, the younger sister.

The news from her past life about being forced into an early engagement and locked away in the palace was now crystal clear, like a needle pricking her heart.

He could almost see her wearing a beautiful dress, not completely covered by a heavy black robe...

Perhaps it's a light, pale yellow dress, its hem billowing freely in the sunlight, symbolizing the freedom to fall in love and marry at the right age;
Seeing her drive herself, without her father or brothers accompanying her, without wearing that suffocatingly heavy veil, freely strolling and laughing with her girlfriends in Riyadh's brand-new shopping mall, holding bubble tea in her hands, discussing the latest lipstick shades...

Instead of being attacked and publicly humiliated and whipped by religious police dressed in black robes, wielding rattan canes, and with eyes as sinister as vultures, as seen in the news of my previous life!
Damn it, how can I, Walid bin Khalid's sister, put up with this kind of humiliation?!
Anyone who dares to touch a hair on her head, I'll unleash Simba to bite them to death!

……and many more!
Just as the beautiful and free picture began to unfold, a more realistic thought was poured over her head like ice water.

Yellow Hair's inner monologue (instant pain mask): Holy crap! Wait! Shopping with a woman?!
His mother and some female classmates from his past life taught him that no matter who the woman accompanying him shopping is, it's a form of torture for any man!

Saudi custom dictates that a wife and her lover cannot live together, which means...

If my four wives only go shopping once a week, then I'll have to accompany them four times.
What if we include lovers?

Wouldn't that mean it would be impossible to schedule a full week?
Are they going to spend their days in shopping malls as human ATMs and bag carriers?

This kind of life... just thinking about it makes my legs weak!

No!

This is absolutely not okay!
This custom must be changed!

"To hell with it! Let's just consider this a fight for the welfare of the Saudi people!"

Walid cursed under his breath and then stopped hesitating.

No matter how much you think about it, it's better to just pull off one big heist!
There are quite a few princes in the Saudi royal family who are willing to promote secularization, and many have been trying it for decades.

But those capable of promoting secularization without backfiring...

In history, there was only Muhammad!
"MBS, you fucking owe me!"

He immediately pulled out his flashy satellite phone, studded with diamonds, and dialed his mother's hotline.

They moved as fast as if they were grabbing the last serving of braised pork in the cafeteria.

"Mother,"

The call connected, and Walid's voice carried an urgency he himself didn't realize: "I need money, immediately! Ten million US dollars!"

Yellow Hair's inner monologue: Ten million! Even if it's converted to RMB, I've never touched so much money in my entire life!
In my past life, I had to outwit and outmaneuver my parents just to get a thousand yuan for living expenses...

Now they're just asking for ten million...

Damn! The feeling of being a tycoon... it's so damn intoxicating!

However, we need to explain the purpose clearly quickly, otherwise it might cause a market crash and betting frenzy...

The old professor's words echoed in his ears again, like a compass in the desert: "In that desert, the truth always lies between royal rumors and official denials—and that is the gray area of ​​the game of power."

A gray area? Yes! That's it!

Since this matter was never exposed to the public, and Bandar, that old dog, did indeed disappear in the latter half of 2013, it means that his original plan succeeded!

Something terrible must have happened at this event; the royal family used a golden road roller to crush the news to dust!
This is the information gap!

This is the advantage of Lao Tzu as a "prophet"!

The bet is on this information gap!
I bet Muhammad desperately needs someone to hand him a knife!
The old professor was right!
Walid took a deep breath, preparing to use the most concise and powerful language to explain to his mother the purpose of the ten million and the earth-shattering plan behind it, persuading this highly educated mother to support his seemingly crazy move.

However, before he could even utter the first syllable of his prepared long speech—

On the other end of the phone, Princess Mona's voice was calm and even carried a hint of... amusement?
“Walid, my son,”

Her voice came through the receiver, clear and steady.
"Little Angari has a black card with unlimited credit for you to use."

Son, remember, I am a prince of the Talal lineage, don't be stingy.

An investment of less than one hundred million US dollars is not worth your time.

Our family can't afford to lose face like that.

Walid: "..."

Holding the phone, he froze on the spot, his mouth still in the "O" shape, ready to launch into a grand speech.

WTF?! One hundred million?! US dollars?!
I want ten million, and you just give me a hundred million?!
And you even implied that I have a narrow perspective?!

trench!
Truly extravagant!

That's outrageously extravagant!
That's incredibly extravagant!

The trenches shatter the heavens!

I've been transported to the Hao Luo Continent, haven't I?!

One hundred million US dollars!

Even in my past life, I wouldn't have dared to dream of such a huge number!

Now it's just... a casual remark?

Damn! Is this the ultimate secret of "the art of the rich and powerful"?
A small goal is just the starting price?!
My dear mother! Your actions are even more shocking than Simba's roar that scared the cheetah to death!
My knees are buckling!
Choked.

I was completely choked up.

Walid felt as if a pure gold ostrich egg had been stuffed into his throat, choking him until his eyes rolled back.

The shock was like a sandstorm, instantly shattering his little bit of "foresight" and pride.

Amidst the shock, a strong sense of doubt welled up in my mind.

He struggled to find his voice, his voice filled with disbelief and a barely perceptible tremor:

"Mother... why... why don't you even ask me why?"

Walid's voice was hoarse. "You must have seen these documents as well."

You should be able to see that the decision I'm about to make, once made, will not just cause a small ripple; it could unleash a massive wave, and even... even have immeasurable consequences for the family!

On the other end of the phone, Princess Mona seemed to chuckle softly.

The laughter was faint, yet it carried a sense of composure born of worldly wisdom and... encouragement for his son.

“Walid,”

Her voice, transmitted through the radio waves, struck Walid's heart clearly: "You are the only heir of my Talal lineage."

She paused, each word like a heavy hammer blow to Walid's newly reshaped worldview:
"Therefore, every decision you make, every move you make, will determine whether the great ship of Talal will sail smoothly and proudly towards a wider sea, or run aground and sink forever into the abyss of power."

Her tone was completely calm, yet carried immense weight:

“You have the talent; Talal is honored and shines brightly because of you.”
You're not cut out for it, and Talal is destined to perish and vanish in your hands.

This was your destiny, there was no escaping it.

"so……"

Her voice trailed off, carrying an almost cruel nonchalance:

"So what does it matter if this day comes a little earlier or a little later?"

Walid held his breath. "The key is,"

Princess Mona's voice suddenly became clear and sharp, like a drawn scimitar, "This one hundred million US dollars will let you see things most quickly and directly..."

See if your thinking is as meticulous as a net, if your judgment is as accurate as an eagle, and if your methods are as strong as steel!

"Look at yourself carefully, are you really worth this price?"

"Compared to this hundred million US dollars, compared to the waves it might stir up,"

Her voice was firm and resolute, carrying an undeniable certainty: "Making you understand who you are, making you see what you are truly capable of. That's the most valuable deal."

"Go and do it, my lion."

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The busy signal sounded, its coldness tinged with a hint of warmth.

Walid stood there, holding the phone that suddenly felt unusually heavy, speechless for a long time.

Spending a hundred million US dollars to learn a possible lesson—one has to admire the power of extravagance; it's truly an art form.

Outside the window, the Phantom 2000's cold metallic sheen and the Bugatti Veyron's streamlined shadow still looked menacing.

But at this moment, what surged in his chest was no longer a simple sense of crisis or anger, but a shock and... enlightenment as if he had been thrown to the peak by a giant wave.

I am Huang Mao, and I am Walid bin Khalid.

The sole heir of the Talal line.

Every decision I make is priceless, a matter of life and death.

Tickets to the Game of Thrones are never free.

It's paved with gold and blood!
Hesitation? Cowardice?
Being petty and calculating?

That would disqualify me from even sitting at the card table and placing high-stakes bets!
My mother used a hundred million to tell me: either don't bet at all, or bet big! Risk everything and see yourself clearly!

understood!

He slowly put down the phone, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force.

He was about to take on a test that would determine the future fate of the Talal faction!

Moreover, the parents and uncle had already answered the questions on this test paper.

No matter past life or this life.

After receiving intelligence, the parents and uncles simply watched the gamble unfold...

This is a choice in itself!

A conservative strategy is also the safest approach.

History has proven its effectiveness—although it lost hundreds of billions of assets and Luna was forced to marry young, the core of the family was preserved and even remained aloof from the world.

but!

Ultimately, this humiliating path to becoming a "rich man" was due to the fact that the Talal clan had already died out at that time!

In the Saudi royal family, an arena rooted in male bloodlines and where the succession of power is paramount, without a successor, even the most glorious past is nothing more than a coffin that hastens its demise!

This is also the fundamental reason why my father and uncle were able to cut their losses and retreat in their previous life.

But that's not the case right now!
Because no matter how you look at it, a conservative strategy means watching the country fall into ruin; watching the core military intelligence of the nation be leaked; watching 17-year-old Prince Faisal be used as a pawn and turned to ashes in the Bugatti explosion...

After the Talal faction had its own successor, others no longer interpreted the act of concealing information as the Talal faction simply protecting itself.

And it is very likely that...

They believe the Talal faction has grand ambitions!
This is something you can't avoid even if you lie down.

because……

China had Sima Yi, Japan had Tokugawa Ieyasu, France had Charles the Bald, the Ottomans had Mahmud, Rome had Octavian, and England had Warwick…

The mirror image of enduring hardship before seizing power exists in cases both ancient and modern, in China and abroad.

Saudi Arabia is another story altogether; it's full of old-timers, all vying to see who can outlive the most.

At this moment, Princess Mona's actions take on a completely new and bloody interpretation—

That was neither a simple sense of relief nor a trial.

Instead, seeing her son finally bare his fangs, the mother resolutely staked the fate of her entire clan...

Bet your life!

Why gamble with your life?

Because of him, Walid bin Khalid, who was in a coma for seven years due to that damn car accident!

A precious seven years of schooling.

Now approaching 23, he doesn't even have a high school diploma. In the Saudi royal family's strict hierarchy and almost rigid rules, this is practically a political death sentence!

A "miraculous" lucky person with no education, no qualifications, and only the title of prince means that he is almost permanently and systematically excluded from the core power departments of the kingdom!
He was unable to accumulate political capital, gain real power, and cultivate his supporters through "formal channels" like other princes.

The Talal faction seems to have returned to the stage because of his awakening, but in reality, it is still standing on the edge of a cliff!

Princess Mona, the iron-fisted matriarch who has ruled the Talal faction for many years, sees things more clearly than anyone else.

As a mother, she was unwilling to accept this outcome.

So she took the gamble.

She bet he could understand all of this.

Therefore, the nuclear-level briefing she casually handed him, and the seemingly insignificant one hundred million dollars, were like a pen being handed to him.

It is to let him try to use his own judgment to write another possibility for the future of the Talal Group on the test paper that his parents have already outlined the outline of the "conservative strategy"!
Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't understand it.

The Talal faction has already completed the answer sheet.

Therefore, if I want the Talal lineage to be no worse than in my previous life, there is actually only one way.

That is to take the initiative.

How to take the initiative is another aspect to consider.

Deeply bound to Muhammad?

The benefits are naturally the greatest.

However, he cannot deny that the risks are also enormous.

At this moment, Prince Bandar was actually in a desperate situation.

If you fail in your operation and alert the enemy, you will inevitably suffer a fierce backlash with unpredictable consequences.

Or, is there a second option in terms of candidates?

such as……

Turki?!
The thought flashed through Walid's mind, but he immediately extinguished it.

Ah, this seventh son of the Salman family is no weakling; he is the reincarnation of "Zhu Qizhen, the God of War of the Ming Dynasty".

Ambitious but incompetent, stubborn and self-willed!
Moreover, Muhammad's unintentional revelation of Turki's sexual orientation in the car might have been a precise test.

Perhaps Muhammad truly meant no harm.

But in Saudi Arabia, a land where Sunni Wahhabism forms the absolute foundation of rule, this secret is Turki's death sentence for his political life!
Go on your own?
Walid scoffed inwardly.

I was reborn to enjoy life without lifting a finger, not to work myself to death in the power grinder!

That's not rebirth, that's self-torture.

When his gaze returned to the two steel behemoths outside the window, about to engage in a death race, the naivety and fear that once belonged to "Yellow Hair" were rapidly fading from the depths of his amber pupils.

Instead, there was a sharp gleam belonging to the "Prince of Walid," a blend of wildness, decisiveness, and a touch of frenzied excitement.

The storm is about to begin.

……

(End of this chapter)