I was a prince in the Middle East

Chapter 30 King Wa becomes King Juan, Sister sheds two lines of tears

June 1st is International Children's Day.

However, this is a day that has nothing to do with Saudi Arabia.

Their Children's Day is in November.

Prince Khalid put down his exquisite gilded coffee cup and picked up a neatly bound document from the table.

"The initial list of assets on Bandar's side has been compiled."

His gaze swept over Walid at the dining table, and he winked at his prodigious son.
"Do you have a general plan in mind? What do you want?"

Walid hesitated for a moment, then spoke.

"All assets must be able to provide stable cash flow; that's the bottom line."

However, commercial real estate... forget it.

Princess Mona frowned slightly. "Son, commercial real estate is all about stable cash flow."

Walid shook his head. "Mother, I've also visited some places recently."

Bandar's shopping malls in Riyadh and Jeddah have vacancy rates that have climbed to over 20%, with rental yields of only 3%.

And it's not just his industry that's like this; the overall environment is like this.

No further explanation is needed; the numbers themselves possess the most powerful persuasive force.

Under Wahhabism, women, the main force of shopping, cannot go out without the accompaniment of an adult male. How can the commercial environment possibly be good?
For things to improve, we'll have to wait for the secular reforms that Mohammed takes over, at which point Saudi Arabia's commercial real estate market will experience a boom.

The time in between will not be shortened much by Walid's subsequent travel through time.

That means there are at least four more years. In that time, there are plenty of good things to do with this money.
Prince Khalid and Princess Mona exchanged a silent glance.

"The military industry sector,"

Walid, frowning, continued,
"We need to voluntarily give it up."

This cake is too big and too conspicuous; we can't let one company dominate it.

Eating alone is the most dangerous thing to do in the desert.

Being too sharp and outspoken often means becoming a target of criticism.

"Yes," Prince Khalid nodded, clearly agreeing with the assessment.

"Let Crown Prince Salman deal with the military industry himself; we won't get involved."

He casually drew a conspicuous cross next to the military assets item in the document.

"Those domestic stocks he holds..."

Walid frowned, looking at the list filled with fluff and empty concepts.

"Forget it, Father, we don't want any of these."

The so-called "science and technology parks" have a catchy gimmick, but underneath they're all real estate projects disguised as legitimate businesses, with ridiculously inflated valuations and a bubble that's bound to burst at any moment.

His fingertip then touched a section of the Riyadh city map on the open atlas.
"However, his 'religious service land'..."

His fingertips traced a clear line again, “And those plots of land along the Riyadh Metro Line 1 that he acquired through ‘administrative allocation’ in his early years, we must hold onto those.”

He looked up and met his father's questioning gaze.

"Land, especially land with special attributes and occupying a key position, is the real hard currency."

Personally, I believe the future value of these lands will be ten or even a hundred times their current book value.

Princess Mona raised her head, her well-maintained face radiating shrewdness.

"That's right, there are also the exploitation rights for the Marjan and Berri oil fields, as well as the associated camp service contracts."

This is the real, continuous, and stable cash flow.

Gold that flows from the sand is more real than anything else.

As she spoke, her gaze fell on Walid's face, filled with a mother's unique pride and expectations.

Prince Khalid's facial features softened like water.

“Son, I think we can also secure the exclusive operating rights for ground transportation during the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, as well as the franchised supply chain for animal supplies during Eid al-Adha.”

These may seem unremarkable, like pearls buried in the sand, but their profit margins can steadily reach 40%.

A steady, consistent flow is truly a good thing.

Walid watched as his parents skillfully selected assets for him, and the smile in his eyes became much more genuine.

"Mom and Dad, you can help me choose. What you pick for me will definitely be the best."

He suppressed the occasional surge of longing for his relatives from his past life that welled up in his heart.

It's not that I don't want to, but that I dare not think about it too deeply, because that would only lead to unsolvable pain.

It's not about whoever feeds him is his mother, but rather that these parents, with their unreserved protection and wisdom, built a high wall of life for him during his seven years of slumber, and gave him the most steadfast entrustment after he awoke.

Human hearts are not made of stone; how can they be without feelings?
Such parents deserve his wholehearted love and protection.

He is becoming more and more integrated into this family, and also more and more integrated into the world.

Walid began to truly plan for himself and his family.

Last month, after Bandar completely broke down, he unusually honestly revealed all the secrets.

They even went so far as to record detailed video evidence in exchange for sparing him from being branded as a villain by the Inquisition.

As for how this once powerful prince was ultimately dealt with...

This is beyond Walid's ability to intervene.

After all, Bandar was not only the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, but also the eldest son of the third generation of the Sudri faction.

That was a game of strategy and transactions taking place within the secret chambers of the highest echelons of royal power.

What Walid wanted was already firmly in his grasp.

A betting deal that could cost Prince Bandar dearly.

Under this brutal contract, Bandar directly lost 60 percent of his vast wealth empire.

As for the remaining assets?
Walid knew perfectly well that Bandar was unlikely to be able to keep his position either.

Those were probably the ransoms he used to "buy his life" from the core members of the royal family.

After all, my grandfather's ancient admonition still echoed in my ears:

“The irrigation of hatred needs to be tempered, and a controllable debt relationship can be turned into an unexpected asset.”

In a sense, life can be put on a price tag in the harsh laws of the desert.

Now, Walid truly understands the profound meaning behind it.

Whether it is good or evil, cause or effect, is not important.

The important thing is what you can gain from it.

Bandar is, after all, a prince with Saudi royal blood, and his crimes cannot be publicly tried.

With the game ending in a draw, the act of treason, which involved colluding with foreign powers, could only be classified as "attempted."

Moreover, a living Bandar, stripped of his teeth and claws, is far more valuable than a cold corpse.

His extensive global network and diplomatic influence are assets that the Saudi royal family cannot easily relinquish.

However, in order to prevent any possible backlash, Walid privately suggested to Crown Prince Mohammed not to follow the example of how the royal family dealt with his grandfather by exiling Bandar abroad.

Keeping it under the noses of the domestic authorities, as a mascot, is undoubtedly a safer option.

As for whether Mohammed or Crown Prince Salman will adopt this suggestion?

Walid didn't care.

Take it or leave it. At worst, I'll just get someone to shoot Bandar.

A prince who has lost power is not worth much money even with his life.

A ray of sunlight slanted across the table and landed squarely on Luna at the other end of the table.

The little princess was viciously stabbing at the naan bread on her plate with her fork, her little mouth pouting so high it could hold an oil bottle, her delicate face filled with a "keep away" sullen expression.

"Why do we have to have extra classes on Saturdays...?"

She muttered softly and resentfully, her gaze like two small knives, shooting towards the culprit across the table—her own brother, Walid.

Her life took a sharp turn for the worse after her brother woke up.

But in the past month, those good days have come to a complete end.

It's not that my parents have a preference for sons over daughters.

But...

Her older brother had been in a vegetative state for seven years, and all the guilt her parents felt was placed on her shoulders!
Happy free-range, carefree and at ease!

What now?
Their eldest son woke up one day, and that was good enough; she was quite happy about it!
After all, a sister who is loved and pampered by her older brother is a truly happy sister.

She was overjoyed when her older brother woke up and instantly turned the tables, taking control of the family and becoming the person in charge!
After all, a princess with a powerful older brother backing her up is a true princess!
but……

Luna felt that God was messing with her.

She can accept anything, but she can't accept her brother suddenly becoming a top student!
That’s good!

What people fear most is comparison!
My parents' expectations of me immediately changed.

A thought even flashed through the dark corners of Luna's mind:
If my brother were still in a vegetative state, it wouldn't be so bad!

At least back then, all of Mom's anger wouldn't be directed at me...

The moment this dangerous thought crossed his mind, Prince Khalid had finished his meal and left the restaurant.

Almost the instant the restaurant door gently closed, the maternal love and elegance on Princess Mona's face vanished without a trace, as if it had never existed.

She abruptly turned her head, her beautiful eyes widening, instantly switching to strict teacher mode, her voice rising sharply, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Luna! What are you dawdling for! Your Arabic grammar teacher has been waiting in the study for ten minutes!"
Do you expect me to carry you there?!

Luna was startled by the sudden roar of the shrew, and her fork clattered onto the plate.

Her little face instantly fell, and her pleading eyes instinctively turned to Walid, her voice trembling with tears.

"Brother...it's Saturday today..."

Walid felt nothing when he received his sister's pitiful, abandoned look.

I even thought the last bite of fried egg on the plate tasted better.

He slowly swallowed his food, cleared his throat, and his face instantly switched to an expression of righteousness and wisdom.

"Luna, there is an old Chinese proverb, 'A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.'"

It means that without accumulating step by step, one cannot reach a place thousands of miles away.

Our Arab wisdom also says, 'The pyramids were built stone by stone.'

He paused, then looked at his sister with "loving" eyes, as if conveying some sacred mission.

"Your future self will definitely thank you for working so hard now!"
Every present you hate has a past where you didn't try hard enough!

Behind every growth story lies a story of hard work and sacrifice!

"To be prominent in public, one must suffer in private..."

Walid spouted sophisticated copywriting from his past life as if it were free.

The blow left Luna speechless, and like the most precise bullet, it instantly struck Princess Mona's heart.

Her face instantly brightened, revealing an incredibly gratified smile, even more radiant than the June sun.

She couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke Walid's hair, her voice so soft it could melt water.

"My son has really grown up, become sensible, and understands right from wrong!"

The immense satisfaction almost overflowed from her eyes.

However, when she turned to Luna, her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a fierce expression ten times more stern than before, her eyes sharp as knives.

"Aren't you leaving yet! Every inch of time is worth an inch of gold!"

Luna gave Walid one last look, her eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief at betrayal and deep accusation.

She swore that if that bastard lay there again, she would definitely pull the plug!

Hesitating for even half a second is disrespectful to yourself!
Luna resignedly and reluctantly stood up, her little leather shoes dragging heavily on the floor, each step like a walk to the execution ground.

Walid watched his sister's small, dejected figure disappear into the restaurant entrance, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards almost imperceptibly.

It was then quickly flattened.

Encouraging a woman to read more books is the best dowry she can receive for life.

He wiped his mouth elegantly and got up to walk towards the study.

Well, it's time for the performance again.

……

Walid's study was spacious and quiet, with a thick wool carpet absorbing all the noise.

A huge mahogany desk faces the meticulously maintained garden outside the window. Sunlight filters through the blinds, cutting out strips of light and shadow on the carpet.

A middle-aged male teacher with a refined demeanor and wearing gold-rimmed glasses stood respectfully to one side, his posture humble and courteous.

"Your Highness,"

The teacher bowed slightly, her voice gentle and scholarly.

"This morning's lesson plan is a review of the key role of paleontology in geological history research, which is the focus you specified."

"Okay, Professor Bashir, thank you for your help."

Walid put on a perfectly measured, earnest expression of thirst for knowledge, walked behind his desk, sat down, and opened the Saudi high school geology textbook.

The pages of the book emitted a faint smell of ink.

The teacher began to explain: "...For example, the widespread distribution of trilobite fossils in Cambrian strata is an important indicator for determining global marine transgression events during that period."

Its specific physical characteristics and evolutionary sequence provide irreplaceable information for accurately determining stratigraphic age…

The door wasn't closed, and the noises from next door could be clearly heard.

Luna's voice trembled noticeably with uncertainty.

Then came the stern interruption from the female teacher, "No! Princess Luna! Pay attention to the conjugation of the third-person masculine singular! Start again! Concentrate!"

This verb conjugation... is really quite tedious.

No wonder this little girl is going crazy.

In comparison, his place is practically paradise.

Teacher Bashir has a good temper and teaches simple things.

Walid only needed to demonstrate his 'genius comprehension' at just the right moment.

He chuckled inwardly, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips.

"Could this be considered... enjoying a peaceful life while stepping on my sister's 'pain'?"

The thought made him slightly uneasy, but that was all.

Sisters, aren't they just for taking advantage of?
……

(End of this chapter)