Middle Eastern tyrants

Chapter 39 Meeting the King
However, Lu Lin didn't take it seriously. After all, prejudice in people's hearts is a huge mountain. The contrast between Amir's previous persona and his current one is too great, and it is true that people around him find it hard to accept it for a while.

However, he was still curious about how other members of the royal family viewed him, especially their opinions on Zion and the Arab countries during this war.

He strolled in front of the guests who had come to witness the ceremony, wanting to hear what everyone thought of him. To his surprise, apart from the few people who had come before, no one recognized him.

Where are you planning to go on vacation this summer?

"Sigh, I was planning to go to Hawaii, but who knew the Zionians would suddenly go crazy and bomb. I even bought a Boeing to go on a trip, but now it's just gathering dust in the hangar."

"If I were to go somewhere, I wouldn't go to Hawaii. It's too crowded there. I'd say Los Cabos is a better option. It has all the necessary facilities and services."

Is there an airstrip?

"There is no runway, but there is a helicopter landing pad."

"How can I bring my servants with me?"

"."

Lu Lin walked around and found that everyone was talking about topics unrelated to the war. They were all enthusiastically discussing the economy, consumption, and travel and vacation plans, as if they were from a completely different world from the war-torn Arab countries next door.

"Is His Highness Amir Amir bin Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud here?" the servant shouted at the gate.

The conference room fell silent. Lu Lin raised his hand, and then he felt countless eyes looking at him.

"This is that cowardly Amir? The son of Muhammad?"

"Shut up! He's about to become a general!"

"Perhaps the Zionites aren't as formidable as the newspapers portray them."

He strode toward the waiter, and just before leaving, he overheard a young man whispering, "I'll also loudly ask my father to put me in the army after the military reforms. Maybe I can even become a general!"

Lu Lin sensed a sense of absurdity.

Is this the group of people I'm supposed to protect?
"Can't we take this opportunity to seize Corvette? I've given you military power, Muhammad!"

“Brother, the current situation is in our favor. An international front to condemn Zion has already taken shape, and I do not recommend making things more complicated at this juncture.”

Lu Lin was led to another audience hall, where there were only a few people. The person in the lead was changing clothes, and when he saw Lu Lin, he happily opened his arms:
"Oh! Amir, my eagle! My dear nephew!"

Prince Muhammad, who was standing nearby, reminded him, "Greet His Majesty."

King Shams waved his hand, saying, "What's the point of such formalities? We're all family. I just wanted to meet my nephew in advance. There's no need to be so formal."

Lu Lin was rather curious about the current king of Shuangzhi. Judging from his good spirits, he should be able to live a long life.

I wonder which king this is? The second or the third?
"Ah, come here quickly, Amir, let me take a good look at you." King Shams looked Lu Lin up and down with great pleasure: "Look, look! My new general! What a handsome man!"

Lu Lin opened his mouth, but before he could say anything about paying his respects, King Shams changed the subject and asked, "Amir, tell me the truth, if I give you enough troops, can you take over the three provinces of Jahra, Muthanna, and Basra?"

In Lu Lin's memory, the three provinces of Jehrab were all Al-Ilag's territory. Why don't you just tell me you want Corvette and offend the neighboring country to death?

Al-Iraq is only two provinces close to the Aryan Gulf. If you take them all at once, they'll turn around and not attack Zion but instead fight the Twin Empires to the death.

However, Lu Lin did not refuse outright: "How many soldiers does Your Majesty intend to give me?"

Upon hearing this, the handsome prince standing to the side widened his eyes and subtly nudged Muhammad, signaling him to keep an eye on his son.

Prince Muhammad didn't even lift an eyelid, seemingly back into standby mode. King Shams was overjoyed: "One hundred...no, as long as you can take it down, however many tanks you want, your uncle will give you!"

Lu Lin: "Then I need 250 second-generation jet fighters to counter Zion's air force, preferably MiG-21s or F-4s equipped with anti-aircraft missiles. The ground armored forces require at least 300 T-62s, not T-64s! I also need a large number of electronic devices, such as air-to-air radars and precision radios."

King Shams's face froze instantly. Hearing about so much military equipment, he knew that even Shuangzhi would be overwhelmed.

Then he shouted in disappointment, "You're just like your father, trying to fool me! Your grandfather conquered most of the Arabian Peninsula with only forty camels, and now you're asking me for so much! Maybe those military analysts are right, you defeated Zion by luck!"

Lu Lin's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you really the king, you old hag?"
"Your Majesty, be careful with your words."

An old attendant quickly reminded him, and Shams realized that his words had been somewhat impolite. However, as king, he could not apologize, so he angrily said:
"You can go out now! See you at the medal awarding ceremony!"

Lu Lin left the room, completely bewildered, thinking that it must be quite difficult for Prince Muhammad to take care of such a king as his brother.

In the corridor, he also saw an acquaintance, a foreign journalist. Lu Lin remembered that his name was "Armani." The journalist's eyes lit up when he saw him.

"Oh, my general! The eagle of Shuangzhi!"

Lu Lin thought to himself, "You just met with that unreliable King His Majesty?"

"Armani, huh?"

“Armani Press.” The reporter from the United States greeted Lu Lin with a smile and shook his hand. “Do you remember the photos I took of you at the Nukoshir checkpoint before?”

It seems that's true. Lu Lin recalled that a reporter came to the outpost for an interview, and he even took a photo with Yehena.

"I originally intended to write a report about an Arab general, but I unexpectedly witnessed history! Thanks to your achievement, that photo has now made the front page of UN News, and many well-known newspapers are vying to buy the rights to use the photo from me!"

Armani's mouth was practically stretched to his ears when he was chatting, which clearly benefited him greatly.

"I remember you said before that photos could raise war bonds?" Lu Lin asked.

"Yes, that's right. Right now, domestic support for Arab countries is almost unanimous!"

Armani pulled out a newspaper; he was quite well-informed on this matter: "The United States government has passed the War Bonds Act, issuing bonds to Arab countries in the Middle East, most of which will be used to support military equipment and strategic trade cooperation."

This doesn't match previous history. Lu Lin took the newspaper, and a group photo came into view.

The title is "Fight until complete victory!"

Below is an interview with him. Lu Lin never expected that he would one day become a "celebrity" in the newspaper. Just as he was reading the report with great interest, the title he was given caught his attention.

"Desert Eagle?"

Press explained, “This is the title I gave you. During World War II, outstanding officers always had nicknames. For example, the legendary Field Marshal Ant was known as the ‘White Horse General’ or ‘Star of Victory.’ Your nickname corresponds to ‘Desert Fox.’”

So it was modeled after Rommel, Lu Lin suddenly realized. However, he had already taken the name "Desert Eagle," so the famous .357 Magnum pistol would probably have to be given a different name in the future.

The two chatted for a while longer before a royal servant came to summon Lu Lin to prepare for the ceremony.

Press reporter smiled and said, "See you in a bit, General. I'll be recording your entire performance!"

Lu Lin nodded: "See you in a bit."

(End of this chapter)