Restarting life in Siheyuan

Jeddah, located on the east coast of the Red Sea, is Saudi Arabia’s largest port city, its largest economic center, and its political center second only to the capital.

The central area of ​​the coastal city is the commodity sales market of Jeddah. Countless goods from all over the world are sold here, and there is a strong commercial atmosphere. Although there is not zero tariff here, it is close to zero tariff, which has attracted merchants from all over the world to set up shops.

Zhu Xuefeng inspected the electrical appliance market. Unlike Hong Kong, the products here mainly come from Europe, a small amount from North America, and even less from Japan.

The transportation here is convenient to Europe, both by sea, land and air, but the goods are not more exquisite than those in Hong Kong. Zhu Xuefeng regretted that he did not see his own radio, only Western European products that were obviously much larger in size. Another characteristic is that they are expensive, but sales are still good. It seems that we need to speed up market development in the Persian Gulf.

"How is it? There are a lot of goods, right? Do you want to bring gifts for your relatives? I'll ask the guards to prepare them."

"No need. I'm still worried about the two big suitcases of gifts you gave me, Prince. Let's go to the beach."

When passing through the city of Jeddah, at the invitation of the prince, the group had a simple meal and then visited the commodity market that the Saudis are proud of. According to the prince, the goods in this market are the most complete in the entire peninsula and the prices are the most appropriate. None of the commercial markets in the capital are as prosperous as this market. This is their pride.

Today, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly wealthy, but its own industrial capacity is extremely weak, and agriculture is also affected by the barrenness of the land. Even food has to be imported. In other words, without oil, it will immediately return to its original state. Of course, they have abundant oil reserves, but the far-sighted royal family still began to consider the sustainable development of agriculture. A few decades later, large farms really appeared in the desert.

After leaving the market and going out of the city, the convoy soon arrived at the royal family's exclusive beachfront. Outside the warehouse on the beach, there was a row of beach motorcycles and a row of early small scooters. From time to time, royal family members drove beach motorcycles to play on the beach, which was very pleasant. There was also a group of people paddling surfboards on the sea, paddling towards the sea, and there were people sailing not far away.

"This is our royal family's bathing beach. Let's go. If it's as easy to learn as you said, haha, I'll open their eyes in a while.

Prince is a sports enthusiast, and Zhu Xuefeng believes that he will be able to master the simple and easy-to-operate jet ski in no time.

"It's very simple. I guarantee that the prince will learn it in ten minutes."

The prince has changed into a swimsuit, looking quite muscular. One would not have guessed that his body hidden under the white robe is so strong. It seems that he is a real sports expert.

Zhu Xuefeng also replaced his clothes with products from his own garment factory.

"I can't believe you're so strong."

The prince also envied Zhu Xuefeng's figure, which seemed to have no excess. Years of exercise were very effective. He was well-proportioned and slender, and full of power.

"That's not as good as you. Your head is taller than mine. Haha, let's go and get the baby out first."

The truck unloaded the two large boxes directly on the beach. The two men and the guards walked on the beach. The sea not far away was very quiet, with occasional waves. There were no speedboats or yachts here.

The bathing beach is a small bay on the seashore. Outside the small bay is the main channel of the Red Sea. You can clearly see cargo ships and oil tankers shuttling back and forth, and shipping is quite busy.

Zhu Xuefeng directed the unpacking of the boxes and pushed the jet ski into the sea after the equipment was fully equipped.

"I'll try it first."

"I can't wait any longer." The prince said with a smile. He had put on his life jacket early, but there was nothing he could do but wait.

Zhu Xuefeng accelerated in the bay, stopped suddenly, turned, and in a playful mood he even did two aerial flips, which caused exclamations from people on the beach from time to time. Many people gathered on the shore unconsciously. There were quite a few members of the royal family here.

The prince was even more itchy, but he still tried his best to maintain the dignity of the royal family and introduced it enthusiastically to other royal members.

Watching Zhu Xuefeng turn suddenly and stop, stranding the jet ski on the beach, the prince walked over patiently.

"It's amazing. You can even flip in the air. My dear brother, how do you do that?"

"Practice makes perfect. You'll be able to do it after practicing a few times, but you have to be careful."

"Of course, let's go, now it's time to take me to experience this wonder. If there weren't so many damn people watching, I would have run over here a long time ago, haha."

Shalva also watched Zhu Xuefeng's performance and was deeply shocked. This guy who could be as fast and agile as a seabird on the sea attracted him deeply.

"I take it back. I admit that I was overwhelmed by this perfect baby."

"You are such a cheerful person, haha, you will be able to enjoy this wonderful feeling like me in a while."

Zhu Xuefeng started the jet ski with a smile and rushed towards the sea with the prince.

"It's amazing. It feels like flying over the sea. Can it go any faster?"

The prince was greatly shocked behind Zhu Xuefeng. Even the big scooters on land couldn't reach such speed. It looked very fast just now, but it was really exciting to sit on it and experience it personally.

"As you wish, my prince, please hold on tight..."

Zhu Xuefeng accelerated again. The small harbor could no longer support a faster speed. The water column rising behind him attracted more people to watch.

"I really envy your family, it's so prosperous."

"There's nothing to envy. Since they found oil, they have become parasites, completely forgetting the glory of their ancestors. They are just a bunch of moving proteins."

The prince shouted behind him that too many people in the royal family were obsessed with the wealth and glory in front of them and had forgotten the difficult days of the royal family more than a decade ago.

"That's their attitude towards life. It's hard for us to influence other people's thoughts, my dear brother."

Zhu Xuefeng was also shouting into the wind, and the prince shrugged behind him, indicating that he did not agree.

"One day, Allah will make them sober..."

Zhu Xuefeng didn't want to discuss such a heavy topic with him. Seeing that they were about to reach the shark net, Zhu Xuefeng took the opportunity to ask, "Can we go to the channel? The place here is too small."

"Then what are you waiting for? As long as we don't go to the middle channel and don't collide with the big ship, let me see how fast this little baby can run."

The speed soon exceeded 80 kilometers per hour. The prince, who was extremely excited just now, no longer asked for acceleration. Zhu Xuefeng would not actively pursue the limit. He looked at the oil tanker in the distance. After speeding on the channel for a few kilometers, it drew a long arc and began to return, and the speed slowly decreased.

"Great, how fast can this little cutie go?"

"Theoretically, it can reach 138, but for safety reasons, I suggest not exceeding 120. Too fast is dangerous."

Returning to the harbor again, after several rapid turns, it slowly docked on the beach.

"Now it's my turn to try. It looks really easy. I believe I can master it quickly."

The prince was very confident after experiencing it up close. He tried it a few times in the bay excitedly, then got the hang of it. He started to accelerate and race around the harbor. Zhu Xuefeng followed closely in another car...

On the beach, a group of people watched with envy. The excitement of dancing on the waves deeply shocked them.

When the two finally got ashore, they immediately swarmed over. The prince shrugged and pointed at the crowd.

"It's a wonderful feeling indeed. I need more to equip my brothers. You can do it, right?"

"As you wish, I will fulfill your wish as soon as possible. By the way, do you have any news about what happened yesterday?"

"Oh, dear brother, your demands are also what we need. No problem. I have contacted the Minister of Petroleum, and he will negotiate with the officials of your country. I believe there will be wonderful results."

The current situation in Saudi Arabia is very interesting. All the oil fields that were previously explored were found by the Americans, and the mining rights were also in their hands. The royal family only enjoyed a share of the profits. Now the relationship between the royal family and the Americans is very complicated. Because of the two Middle East wars, the two sides have some irreconcilable contradictions. The royal family is planning to return the mining rights of the oil fields to the state, but it is difficult to implement. Domestic economic construction requires a lot of energy, but there is no diplomatic relationship with Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabia’s crude oil is all controlled by several American companies. This kind of transaction is very difficult. As part of the energy strategy, although there is no embargo, it is impossible to buy easily.

"Oh, then let them talk. Since it will benefit both parties, I hope the talks will be successful."

Zhu Xuefeng had no intention of getting involved in such a big event. If he had not been unexpectedly called to the Ministry of Petrochemicals before leaving, he would not have known that such a big event was being planned in the country.

"Zhu, I'm curious, if they succeed in the negotiation, will you still want oil? Will they affect your interests?"

The prince was very curious. Zhu Xuefeng had mentioned to him that he would purchase crude oil in the future. In his eyes, Zhu Xuefeng might be a second-generation like him, who could start an airline in Hong Kong with his own ability. That must be the strength of his family. He could also speak for the Ministry of Petrochemicals, so his family position must be high. But if both families came to buy crude oil, wouldn’t there be a conflict of interest?
"Prince, you may have some misunderstandings. I don't want crude oil for Huaguo. I want to build a refinery somewhere else. The first is to serve our future airline. Of course, there will be demand for shipping in the future."

The prince was relieved. "Oh, my dear brother, you have to focus on our airline. You know, I invested 5.5 million, haha."

The prince had been to China, Hong Kong and Fuso, and was very envious of the business prosperity in Southeast Asia. He strongly believed that opening an international airline in Hong Kong would definitely be a profitable business.

Of course, he couldn't see through this brother Zhu. This amount of money was also an investment. He didn't even know about Zhu Xuefeng's industry in Hong Kong, but he was gambled everything on it and threw down several million. It can be said that he was extremely optimistic about this market.

"I can help you turn this money into two or three, haha, as long as you can wait. Of course, you can take it away anytime if you need it."

The prince was very curious. For a newly established airline company, which hadn't even had a single plane, Zhu Xuefeng was so confident! The importance of early stage funding to the growth of a company was self-evident. It was crucial. How could he withdraw his own funds at any time?
In his heart, Zhu Xuefeng is a very reliable person, but it seems that there are still many things about Zhu Xuefeng that he doesn't know.

"My dear brother, this is my investment in you. How can I withdraw it? It is as everlasting as our friendship. As long as this company is still yours, I will not withdraw my investment. Let's not talk about these business matters. I am more concerned about the fireworks you mentioned. Let's go and try it tonight?"

"Isn't time a bit tight? I told you that the range is thirty or forty kilometers. You also have to set up a cordon and evacuate your people. It's a very complicated project..."

"No, no, no, it's not as complicated as you think. We are different from your place. We don't have so many buildings and people. There are many uninhabited places here. It's very simple to clear the area..."

The prince gave a lot of reasons, but there was only one theme: everything could be arranged tonight, and it would be best if there could be fireworks.

Zhu Xuefeng had no choice but to ask the leader of the petrochemical company in the evening whether he needed his help in the next step.

"Okay, as you wish, I will go back to prepare in the afternoon, you stay and keep an eye on the scene, and we will set off the fireworks in the evening."

In the royal family of Adria City, the prince was reporting to a middle-aged man.

"Yes, I trust him very much. Facts have proved that all the ideas he talked about have been realized. I have no reason not to trust him."

"If it's true, it's very important to us. We can get conventional weapons now, but the damn Europeans have imposed a weapons blockade on us for weapons that have a longer range than artillery."

After a pause, he continued.

"The 40-kilometer range is simply a gift from God to us. It is enough to block the entire Red Sea. You know, the narrowest strait in the south is only 30 kilometers. Haha, how about this, I will take the minister to see it tonight, you go and make the arrangements, we won't show up..."

Saudi Arabia is in an awkward situation. It has always wanted to be the big brother of the peninsula, but the doctrines they follow are not mainstream, and it is difficult for it to gain support as the boss. In order to expand its influence, it secretly supports other brothers and challenges Israel.

But this angered the United States and Western Europe, who imposed a secret arms control on him and did not sell him anything. The support he received from Europe was limited, and he could only buy some expensive things like tanks and fighter planes. He did not consider relatively cost-effective rocket launchers like Katyusha.

They were very interested in the rocket launcher that Zhu Xuefeng brought. According to Zhu Xuefeng's introduction, it had a long range, great power, and not bad accuracy. You have to know that in that era, satellite guidance did not exist and GPS was still decades away.

In the era without these, the accuracy of land-based missiles was really not that good. With a range of 200 kilometers, an error of several dozen kilometers was normal. Zhu Xuefeng proposed that the error within a range of 40 kilometers should not exceed 3 kilometers, which was already very impressive.

There was no joint defense agreement at that time, and there were no Bald Eagle troops stationed here, so Zhu Xuefeng was not worried.

Late at night in the suburbs, in the desert area, a bunch of fireworks broke through the air, drew a beautiful rainbow in the night sky, and quickly disappeared into the night sky. The launch site was silent.

This was Zhu Xuefeng's first test fire. The special training of less than a month really helped Zhu Xuefeng a lot. He could accurately identify the coordinates. Without that special training, Zhu Xuefeng would not be able to do this job.

"Brother, how is it, is this considered a success?"

Zhu Xuefeng could only smile and said, "The launch was successful. As for the landing point, your people have to confirm it. I can't answer you."

"Oh, yes, yes, damn it, it's been more than ten minutes and there's still no news."

The prince was also very nervous, but he had made a promise that if this was accomplished, his position would become solid again.

The desert in October was also very cold at night. No matter how high the temperature was during the day, it was definitely around zero degrees. More than half an hour later, news finally came.

The range was 35.6 kilometers, the straight-line error from the target location was 2339 meters, and a pit nearly a meter deep appeared at the scene.

"It's okay, it's okay." Zhu Xuefeng was also lucky in his heart. The target coordinates were set at 35 kilometers, and the environmental factors in the desert area magnified the error. You know, this time the rockets used were rockets with tail fins, which had much stronger flight stability than those without tail fins. But even so, he almost missed.

"It's done, it's really done!"

The prince was even more excited than Zhu Xuefeng, "So can we start the concentrated launch?"

"Well, this time it's five shots at the same time,"

Zhu Xuefeng only brought five launch tubes, all of which were placed on a simple launch rack. They were already loaded with rockets and were ready to be launched.

Zhu Xuefeng checked the aiming device on the launch pad again and silently calculated the coordinates in his mind. There was no problem. He checked the wind direction and airflow again. There was no way. This type of rocket had no self-correction. The accuracy of the rocket after it was launched depended entirely on weather conditions.

"You give the order!" Zhu Xuefeng handed the command flag to the prince. All the launching positions were in place. The prince excitedly took the flag and began the countdown.

"Five, four, three, two, one, fire!"

Five rockets left the launch tube almost at the same time. The tail fins unfolded immediately and they climbed rapidly, moving neatly towards the distance like five sky-high monkeys and disappearing into the darkness.

Good news came again half an hour later. All were within a range of three kilometers. Zhu Xuefeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had boasted too much, which would have been embarrassing. Fortunately, this experiment was very powerful and everything went normally.

Further news came from the testing point. After checking the extent of the damage at the explosion site, it was confirmed that the explosion was extremely powerful, far beyond the destructive power of an artillery shell.

Of course, there was a new type of high explosive inside. Zhu Xuefeng had also seen the explosion scene and was not surprised. But it was different for the prince. These were not rocket launchers but small missiles, which were perfect.

"The following are three bursts. After the launch, according to the combat procedures, it is time to move."

Zhu Xuefeng whispered a reminder to the extremely excited prince.

Three bursts of fire, a total of fifteen rockets were clearly divided into three echelons in the night sky and flew into the distance.

It turned out that this salvo was far more efficient than artillery and had a better range than the cannon, but when the explosion effect was heard again from the landing point, the prince was overjoyed. A single salvo had an amazing effect and covered an area perfectly.

"Great, thank you my dear brother, you have brought hope to our nation's cause."

Of course, the five simple launch tubes did not need to be actually moved. Even without a vehicle, a horse could easily carry them away.

This new gadget, which has fast strike speed, great power, long range and easy transfer, achieved great success the first time it was unveiled, laying a solid foundation for rewriting a certain period of history. (End of this chapter)