I was a prince in the Middle East

Chapter 16: A Storm in the Desert? Did I agree to this?
Buzz - boom! ! !

The deep, furious roar of the engine was like a sleeping ancient beast being completely awakened, instantly tearing apart all the noise!
The Bugatti Veyron's W16 engine, with its 8.0-liter displacement, unleashes near-destructive power!

Four specially made slick tires spun wildly and rubbed against each other on the track, emitting a piercing scream.

A strong smell of burnt rubber instantly filled the air!
next second...

This supercar, like a phantom of the night, with its top-notch acceleration on Earth, transformed into a streak of eerie blue lightning that tore through the air and shot off!
Its terrifying acceleration from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in just 2.5 seconds instantly created a hopeless gap between it and the starting point!

All that remained were two dark tire tracks and lingering smoke behind them.

Almost at the same instant the Bugatti launched, the M53-P2 turbofan engine at the tail of the Mirage 2000-9 fighter jet also roared deafeningly!

For this absurd competition, the Raptor has undergone extreme weight reduction, with all weapon racks and unnecessary equipment removed.

Under the masterful control of the ace pilot, the fighter jet, like a giant steel python gliding close to the ground, relied on the powerful thrust of its engine to bite the Bugatti's exhaust flames and began to taxi at high speed on the runway!
Its speed was climbing rapidly, its wings cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound. With its powerful and continuous thrust, this steel behemoth displayed a heart-stopping mechanical force!
Although its initial acceleration cannot compare with that of top supercars, and it was far behind from the start, everyone knew that the final battle would begin after it took off.

Two forces representing the pinnacle of human industrial civilization engaged in the most primitive and savage speed contest on the narrow track!
Bugatti is a blue lightning bolt flying close to the ground, while Phantom is a steel storm roaring in the low sky!

"Phantom! Charge!"

Turki sprang up from his chair like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, gripping the railing tightly with both hands until his knuckles turned white from the force.

He completely forgot the "pain" of losing his $1000 million plus the $2000 million Walid had given him.

His adrenaline surged through his veins, his eyes were glued to the fighter jet hurtling towards him like a silver death, and he roared at the top of his lungs, as if pouring all his strength into it.
"Destroy that piece of junk! Allah is great! Fly! Fly and crush it!"

Muhammad was eventually unable to maintain his sitting posture any longer.

He suddenly stood up, his tall body taut like a fully drawn bow.

His deep eyes were fixed on the two violent forces entangled and tearing at each other on the track, his pupils filled with barely suppressed tension and anticipation.

His lips moved silently as he rapidly recited scriptures that only he could hear, praying to the Most High God for a miracle.

The result of the match itself was meaningless to him.

But this was his ladder to the pinnacle of power!

Only Walid remained remarkably composed, almost like an anomaly.

He sat steadily in the wicker chair, his gaze calmly following the whirlwind on the track.

He even had the leisure to pick up the already lukewarm Arabic coffee and take a small sip.

This composure and steadfastness, beyond her years, stands like a rock amidst the clamorous waves.

This scene was clearly witnessed by the silent onlookers at the edge of the stands.

Vahish, the steward of Prince Ahmed, twitched almost imperceptibly at the corner of his weathered eyes.

The other stewards' gazes lingered on Walid's calm profile for two seconds before turning back to the runway.

The leaders of the nine major tribes exchanged a very subtle glance and nodded slightly.

Being ruthless and decisive in one's own plan is one thing, but it requires a great deal of wisdom and courage.

But what truly stirred their hearts was the composure the young prince displayed at that moment.

Remain calm in the face of great events; do not change your expression even if Mount Tai collapses before you.

This maturity and composure beyond his years are the most terrifying weapons in the future arena of power.

They couldn't help but sigh, "Prince Khalid... he raised a truly good son!"
The sleeping lion of the Talal system may truly be about to awaken.

A blazing light, extremely brief yet incredibly clear, flashed across the eyes of these seasoned power holders.

The ironclad rules established by Wahhabism, the Law of Succession to the Throne, and the Basic Law of Governance, especially the rules of the game framed by the Law on Allegiance, have long since firmly locked the crown's ownership to the direct bloodline of Abdulaziz ibn Saud.

Prince Khalid, who has the blood of Prince Talal, and his sons do indeed have a legal chance of succeeding to the throne.

However, reality is as cold as iron.

More than half of the seats on the Allegiance Committee were firmly held by the Sudri Seven.

Any nominee who wants to qualify must first win the approval of more than half of the votes before this high wall forged by the will of the Sudri faction.

This effectively sealed the fate of the Talal faction, and indeed all factions outside of the Sudri faction.

Moreover, the Sudri faction held unshakeable military power.

The elder Salman served as the ruler of Riyadh for decades, and his control, rooted in the bloodline of the kingdom, was unshakeable by any other faction.

However, this does not mean that the Talal faction is insignificant.

On the contrary, its importance is particularly deadly and tempting on the scales of power!

The Talal faction controls the Saudi Kingdom's largest and most coveted "external treasury."

A financial empire that transcends conventional royal wealth, operates independently, and possesses astonishing power.

The sheer size and influence of this treasury means that any branch of the Sudri Seven Brothers that wins the full support of the Talal faction will instantly gain absolute power that crushes the other brothers!

This is enough to completely overturn the delicate and fragile power balance within the Sudri faction.

Therefore, when these stewards and tribal leaders, who were well-versed in the essence of the power game, glanced at Walid's composure far beyond his years, they couldn't help but have some thoughts of their own.

It's very simple: Walid is the sole heir of the Talal line.

The military backing of the Talal lineage's maternal Ajman tribe enabled Walid to compensate for his lack of military power.

Moreover, judging from the various unusual signs at this moment, the Talal faction has begun to fully cultivate this successor.

Otherwise, the one sitting here right now should be Prince Khalid himself or Prince Alwaleed, instead of letting the lion cub Walid go out to hunt alone.

Of course, if these two were sitting here, then it wouldn't be their stewards who had come, but rather the princes who were the heads of various households.

However, they had no idea that Walid, whom they considered "unfathomable," was currently having nothing on his mind.

'This Bugatti's power is truly incredible... and the Phantom's power-to-weight ratio is insane after the weight reduction...'

Walid's thoughts, like a wild horse, instantly broke free from the life-or-death gamble before him.

'Next time...next time I'm going to organize a real supercar vs. fighter jet showdown! But...what kind of cars should I use?'

He seemed to see the streamlined silhouettes of various top-tier supercars flashing before his eyes.

Forgive his limited knowledge, but he really couldn't think of any good cars for the time being.

After all, he was far removed from these things in his previous life.

However, using Chinese cars is a certainty.

Walid declared resolutely in his heart.

A strange sense of pride, originating from the depths of my soul, quietly rose up.

Let the world see the speed of the East!

He subconsciously began searching his mind for those once-dominant Chinese brands that he remembered.

Hongqi? Cough cough... This brand isn't here to compete on speed...

Great Wall V8 hybrid supercar?

蔚来EP9
Is BYD looking up to the U9?

What else?
He really doesn't know anything about domestically produced supercars.

but……

'By the way, we definitely can't use Xiaomi!'

Walid almost laughed at his own sudden idea.

He quickly picked up his coffee cup, using the act of drinking coffee to hide the uncontrollable, strange twitch at the corner of his mouth.

What a mess!

He shook his head vigorously, trying to shake off those inappropriate associations.

fighter?
Of course, it's the J-10!
The main issue is that even if the J-20 were to become obsolete, China would never be able to produce it.

The J-10 is different; it already has an export version.

Just as Walid's mind was wandering wildly towards the absurd idea of ​​"Chinese supercars challenging the J-10 fighter jet"—

Whoosh—!
A completely different, more violent, and enormous roar, like a thunderbolt rolling across the ground, tore the entire sky apart without warning!

The sound surpassed the roar of the Bugatti and overwhelmed the howl of the Phantom.

With a pure, destructive power, it brutally poured into everyone's eardrums and struck the depths of their souls!
Everyone, including Walid who was lost in his fantasies, instinctively and in utter horror looked up at the source of the sound!
A huge and ferocious steel figure, like a vulture king swooping down to pounce on its prey in mythology, was crashing down from the sky at an almost vertical angle with a ferocious momentum that could crush everything!
With its silver-gray paint job, massive twin vertical tails, and missiles clearly visible mounted under its wings, this aircraft is a striking sight!

The glaring white star and stripe emblem on the fuselage, like the mark of death, reflects a cold light under the lamplight!
F-15 Eagle fighter jet!
Moreover, it's a fighter jet belonging to the U.S. military!
Its massive, suffocating fuselage, accompanied by a piercing shriek that tore through the air, made an extremely brutal, low-altitude dive, almost touching the maximum height above the runway!
The dive direction was at the end of the runway, in the same direction as the Phantom 2000 and Bugatti that were racing!

What's even more astonishing is that this giant steel bird not only failed to take off, but instead forcibly slowed down in front of the runway, with huge speed brakes opening with a "bang" on its back, like wings of death spreading out.

The massive fuselage, carrying unimaginable inertia, cut directly into the runway and made a rough taxiing landing!

This sudden and completely unexpected change, beyond everyone's comprehension, happened in the blink of an eye!
At that moment, the piercing sound of the airport alarm suddenly tore through the air!
The distorted, screeching shouts of the air traffic controllers blared through the loudspeakers throughout the stadium:

"Emergency landing! Emergency landing! Runway cleared! US military aircraft makes emergency landing!"
Repeat! US military aircraft makes emergency landing! Runway cleared! Runway cleared!

The Bugatti Veyron, leading the pack, is currently speeding towards the runway area ahead where the F-15 is about to land at a speed of nearly 300 kilometers per hour!
Inside the car, Prince Faisal, a 17-year-old boy, had his excitement and wildness instantly replaced by extreme fear!

His pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints!
My mind is blank!
At the critical moment, something miraculous happened.

Bugatti's ferocious W16 engine seemed to have its throat suddenly gripped, emitting an extremely brief and eerie twitching "cough" sound!

The surging power output was abruptly cut off by some invisible force in an instant!

The feeling was like a wild horse galloping at high speed suddenly being caught on the strongest tripwire!

Clang!

The sharp shock jolted Faisal awake from his extreme fear.

There was no time to think about why this happened; the instinct for survival overwhelmed the racer's rationality!

Almost entirely by muscle memory, as his body was thrown forward, his hands, as if filled with steel bars, unleashed astonishing power, violently slamming the heavy steering wheel to the right!
At the same time, he slammed his left foot down on the brake pedal with all his might!

Squeak—!!
The ear-piercing sound of tires screeching was like the wail of a dying beast!
The deep blue Bugatti instantly lost all its elegant, streamlined appearance!
The violent centrifugal force made it like a stone that had been thrown out, and it suddenly rushed to the right, off the edge of the flat and hard track!
puff!
The heavy front of the car plunged into the soft desert outside the runway without any cushioning!

The swirling yellow sand shot into the sky like a fountain!

Sandy terrain is the graveyard of speed machines!
The front wheels instantly sank into the sand pit, and the powerful inertia caused the rear half of the vehicle to lift up sharply before falling heavily back down!
The front wheel, stuck in the sand pit, spun wildly, kicking up clouds of sand, but it couldn't provide any grip at all!
Immediately afterwards, the rear wheels, carrying the remaining enormous kinetic energy, suddenly gripped the relatively hard ground!
Snap! Clang!

A sickening metallic cracking sound emanated clearly from under the chassis!
The half-shaft broke instantly!

The Bugatti, having lost half of its driving force, writhed and spun violently at the boundary between the sand and the hard ground like a drunkard!
The swirling sand completely swallowed its dark blue form!

The next second, a terrifying, heartbreaking screeching and cracking sound, like a wild beast swallowing sand and gravel, suddenly came from under the hood!

The engine is "eating sand"!

The air intake was instantly blocked by a large amount of sand and dust!

The top-of-the-line 16-cylinder engine let out a few muffled, desperate whimpers, emitted a plume of black smoke mixed with the smell of burning, and then completely stalled!
The Bugatti Veyron was thus rendered useless on the edge of the desert, becoming a pile of expensive and useless scrap metal!

In the stands, Muhammad's heart, which had been taut like a fully drawn bowstring, almost stopped beating!
When he saw the car twisting violently in the sandstorm but not roll over or explode in a more horrific way, his body, which had been tense to the limit, suddenly relaxed!
"call……"

After a long exhale, his straight back finally relaxed.

He could even feel the cold sweat soaking his back beneath his inner robe.

Walid's plan was meticulously crafted, precise, and ruthless.

But what made him most anxious, to the point that he had to pray repeatedly before God, was this—Faisal's safety!
Faisal! The grandson of Prince Ahmed, the seventh son of the Sudri line, who has always been raised by his side!

If Faisal were to suffer an accident today, even a serious injury, then this meticulously planned "draw," this seemingly perfect victory, would vanish in an instant!
It will not become a stepping stone for Muhammad to reach the pinnacle of power, but will instead become a curse that will cast him into hell and make him despised by his entire family and even the kingdom!
A demon who would sacrifice his family for power!

This is a thousand times worse than failure itself!
He will completely lose all moral support and become utterly isolated.

Moreover, in order to gain the trust of Prince Ahmed, Muhammad sent his eldest son, who was not yet four years old, as a de facto "hostage" to Prince Ahmed's residence!

They called it "visiting my uncle," but in reality, it was just collateral!
Ahmed, that old dog, has said that if anything happens to his grandson, his own son won't survive either.

fortunately!

God bless!

Fortunately, the Bugatti Veyron comes with a highly advanced telemetry control unit built in from the factory.

Moreover, in order to demonstrate its "top-tier service" and "customer care," this damn thing is activated by default when delivered to top VIP clients like Faisal, and retains extremely limited remote diagnostic and emergency intervention interfaces.

It was this inconspicuous, even somewhat unsettling, "backdoor" that Walid used at a critical moment to remotely cut off power and fuel!

Although it caused a severe jolt and subsequent loss of control while driving on the sand, it was the only lifeline that could have prevented the car from crashing and killing everyone in the process!
This technical coincidence became the most thrilling and indispensable part of the entire plan.

Muhammad's gaze swept over the pile of smoking blue scrap metal in the sand pit, his eyes cold.

Damn it! I'm never buying a Bugatti again!

He made a solemn vow in his heart.

To hell with this "high-tech" coffin that has a remote control backdoor and could endanger passenger safety!

No, not even faster!
Walid scoffed inwardly at this moment.

A raging storm in the desert?

Did I agree?

The telemetry control unit is nothing!

Seat heating is charged separately, steering wheel heating is charged separately, air conditioning is charged separately...

These car dealers never disappoint when it comes to ripping off the rich.

(End of this chapter)