For Jiaming, who was not very restrained, traveling to Saudi Arabia was not a very interesting thing. Of course, this was only referring to the trip itself.
To him, his true interests were only a small part of his personality. If he was asked where he really wanted to go, he was afraid that no place would be more interesting than sleeping at home. It was not just about Saudi Arabia or the differences between Britain and America.
Traveling was organized by Dongfang Wan. There were once or twice a year. Dongfang Wan was happy, Lingjing, Shasha, and Ya Han were happy. He actually felt happy and comfortable. Xun had a quiet personality. Whether she was happy or not did not depend on the trip, so there was no need to consider this.
But speaking of which, compared to China, Saudi Arabia was indeed a place with many taboos and restrictions. Even if you were to travel, you might not be able to be free. As a country that believed in Islam — no, perhaps only believing in Islam was too superficial. Saudi Arabia was the birthplace of Islam in the world, where the holy city of Mecca was located. Islamic customs were deeply ingrained in every part of the country and in every person's bones.
These strict teachings caused Saudi Arabia to have no relaxing places of entertainment. There were no cinemas or bars. Drinking in public places was strictly prohibited. Women had to wrap themselves up tightly when they went out on the streets. If it was a native Saudi woman, it was likely that she would not be able to speak a few words to men outside of her family. The religious police were very sensitive in this regard. Local women who spoke to strange men would be treated as adulterers. In addition, there were many customs of worship and customs of interacting with people.
Of course, Jiaming himself was a person of no religion. He did not have any views of discrimination regarding religious issues. In recent years, Saudi Arabia had also developed tourism. If foreign friends came, naturally, the restrictions would not be too strict. But that was only relatively speaking.
Lingjing and the others came, but there were still many restrictions. It was basically impossible to have a carefree vacation like in other places.
Of course, Lingjing and Ya Han were not as superficial as Jiaming.
"You're here in Saudi Arabia. Of course, you have to experience the local customs and experience how the people here live. You have to respect their customs."
The group of women did not have any resistance to this kind of role-playing experience. The next day, they put on black robes in the hotel and learned from the Saudi women to cover their bodies and faces. Of course, the Saudi women cut two holes in the black veil so that only their eyes could be seen. For female tourists like Lingjing, it was enough to wear a black veil to maintain the mysterious beauty.
Little Yun Ting didn't need to dress up at her age, but Taotao, who was twelve years old, had to wear a veil. A group of people were busy in every room. Taotao looked at himself in the mirror happily. He only showed half of his face.
"Aunt Jing, Aunt Jing, wouldn't it be very pretty if I pierced a nose ring and wore a chain …"
Yun Jie looked at her with disdain. "Idiot, the people who wear the rings are Indians because they worship cows. Later, you can go on the street and say sawatdika when you greet people."
"Foolish hero!
Sawadika is Thai. "
"There are also Indian women who can speak Thai … You have no imagination."
Foolish hero, who was very imaginative, was quarreling with the little girl Hei Tao over there. Jiaming whispered to Shasha on the other side, "There is a great custom in Saudi Arabia. If someone invites us to have dinner, we have to show that we are very curious when we arrive at his house. Whatever you are curious about, he will give you something. For example, if you ask what time it is now, he will take off his watch and give it to you. Anyway, Saudi Arabia treats men and women separately. We can empty their house after we have dinner there …"
Shasha held back her laughter and stared at him for a long time. Suddenly, she stretched out two fingers. "Cross your eyes!"
She had been trained in the Dark Lyra in Venice before. When it came to Saudi Arabia, except Jiaming who pretended to be stupid, she was probably the only one who understood it. But they didn't often talk about it at home.
They came with the delegation. Since Saudi Arabia was very hospitable, they would naturally send out invitations. However, Jiaming had already told Dongfang Wan last night that they would not participate in these matters. He asked her to help him reject all the invitations.
There was no such thing as a treat today. At this time, it was just Jiaming talking nonsense.
Al Abha was indeed one of the famous tourist destinations in Saudi Arabia. It was high above sea level, and the summer clouds were everywhere. The temperature was not high. In the past, there was a summer palace for the Saudi royal family. Now, the palace had been renovated into a modern hotel.
However, the delegation did not stay there. They were now staying in a newly opened modern five-star hotel. The facilities were also quite luxurious.
Over the years, the economic cities built in Saudi Arabia were funded by Chinese capital. A large part of the hotel was also owned by Chinese people. So, the delegation decided to stay there.
Although it was still raining on the second day, there were still many places they could go as long as they had a car. However, Saudi Arabia had strict restrictions on taking photos. They could not take photos in public places, people, religious buildings, military buildings, or government buildings. Lingjing did not want to trouble herself. So, she did not bring a camera. In fact, it was not as strict as it seemed. Jiaming took out his mobile phone and took some photos for them. No one really came to stop them.
Today, they went to visit several fixed tourist destinations such as the summer palace. Basically, it was only Jiaming and his group. Dongfang Wan and Ya Han put aside their business and went with them. The government also sent an official to accompany them. So, there was no problem.
Jin Shuping and her children did not come. Although she looked like a housewife, she was actually quite busy. This time, she seemed to be helping her husband with something. She acted mysteriously.
Jiaming and the others went out to play for the whole day. The delegation had their own missions. That night, when Jiaming passed by the leisure area in the hotel, he saw Lingjing and Jin Shuping talking mysteriously. Jin Shuping was probably telling Lingjing some very powerful secret of the world. Jiaming listened for a while and laughed, just like the day before.
Women were generally creatures with curiosity and a desire to show off. When Lingjing asked Jin Shuping what she was doing today, Jin Shuping beat around the bush mysteriously.
"… In the past few years, although China has developed, Europe has accumulated too much. If you really want to compare, you can send your children to study in Europe. Just look at how much it costs and you'll understand.
Although Saudi Arabia is an Asian country, in terms of geographical location and past development, it is closer to the European economy. In the past few years, there has been a hidden economy that no one knows about. It has been controlling the European economy and facilitating the establishment of the European Union. This economic organization also accounts for a large part of Saudi Arabia's oil trade. If there is anyone in the world that can compete with the economies of the United States and China, it is probably Saudi Arabia … "
If an ordinary person were to talk about such things, Ling Jing would probably say that it was a fantasy novel or something. However, Jin Shuping's current status was different, and the things she came into contact with were also different. Furthermore, Jia Ming had previously revealed some things to her, so she was able to accept these bits and pieces.
She didn't like what Jiaming said. She felt that it made life unrealistic. She was very happy to hear Jin Shuping's gossip. She rubbed her chin and nodded repeatedly. Jin Shuping also spoke more enthusiastically.
"If you don't reach a certain level, you won't be able to come into contact with this kind of thing. Let me tell you, many of the world's top 500 companies are part of its control. Moreover, the leader of this organization is a woman. Isn't it amazing … We came here this time not only for the few contracts in Saudi Arabia, but also because we have contacted them to discuss some new energy. If we can connect with them, Jiayu will become a truly world-class company …"
Among the several large organizations in the underground world, the Dark Heavenly Zither was perhaps the most powerful underground manipulator in terms of economic power. This was mainly because of the queen's identity.
The first generation of Dark Heavenly Zither Queen was a natural evolver. She found some kind of method that was similar to immortality. After her death, she passed it down from generation to generation. Although her power was ultimately weakened, the thousands of years of inheritance spanned almost one-third of the history of human civilization.
Thinking of natural evolvers, Jiaming couldn't help but think of Xie Baoshu. He didn't know where he was now and what he was doing.
However, unlike the first generation of queens who looked forward to immortality, he and Mumura Hiroki were natural evolvers who only wanted to be ordinary people. They probably wouldn't leave such a clear mark on the progress of human civilization.
After whispering and gossiping for a while, Jiaming heard Lingjing's puzzled voice. "Uh, are you talking about … the Duke of Westminster … something Natalie?
Annise … "
"Ah, you've heard of this name?"
"I think … I think I've heard of it … Hehe, haha … I can't remember clearly. I forgot where I heard it …"
Of course, she had heard of it before. It was either Jiaming or Shasha. However, these two had only mentioned it briefly. Now that Jin Shuping mentioned it, she couldn't connect the name that she "seemed" to have heard with such an exaggerated background.
Jiaming shrugged and turned to leave.
That night, Lingjing straddled him and pinched his neck. "Say, that Natalie, the woman who took care of Shasha in Europe, is she really such a powerful person?
Jin Shuping and the others actually begged her to do something … "
"Ahem … I told you a long time ago. She is a very powerful person. Your husband is also very powerful.
Jin Shuping asked her to do something, but Natalie couldn't have received her personally. At most, she would have an agent … "
"Uh, when I heard you talk to Shasha before, I also knew that she was a very powerful leader of some organization, but I didn't expect her to be so terrifying … At that time, I thought that I should thank her for Shasha's matter …"
"It's not as exaggerated as Jin Shuping said. You really think she is some kind of underground emperor … There are some secret manipulations, but it's not to a very strict extent. I'm afraid that not many people in the top management of those big companies really know about Natalie's existence.
And Wan, who you often interact with, is also very scary now. Capitalists are nothing, but red capitalists who are in contact with the military industry. In the eyes of these foreigners, she is like a warlord in a war story … "
"Uh, after interacting with her for a long time, I don't think so … Is Wan that powerful …"
"A few days ago, someone betrayed the country and was killed by her order …"
Ling Jing lay there and pondered for a while. "It's fine if you're talking about Natalie, but Xiao Wan … I don't think it's realistic. She went out with us today and even discussed with us what kind of jewelry looks good …"
Jiaming hugged her. "Ha, I'm lying …"
Ling Jing smiled and said, "Whatever. Anyway … Little Wan is my good friend …"
On the first day, they visited some fixed attractions near the hotel. On the second day, there was nothing to do. Because it was still raining outside, their original plan to visit Asir National Park near Abha was postponed for another day.
It was said that Tian Sihao would meet with Natalie's representative today, and Jin Shuping would be free tomorrow. By then, everyone would go together. And it seemed that the rain would probably stop after a while.
Jiaming went out early in the morning.
Ling Jing and the others had to stay in the hotel for the whole day anyway. He had an appointment to attend today. When he went out, he dressed like an Arab, with a white headscarf and a white robe. Of course, if a passerby was to see him, they would probably be able to tell at a glance that he was a tourist.
The rain was not heavy. In fact, it had been intermittent since last night. He held an umbrella and walked.
He had experience in Saudi Arabia and knew a lot of things. Generally speaking, this place was not as good as it was advertised to be. It was a rich land that produced black gold. In fact, the people here were generally lazy. Perhaps it was because they were living a comfortable life. The good thing was that the airport and security checks were very lax. It was very convenient to carry bombs and things like that.
The treatment of foreign workers here was very different from the treatment of the locals. In the Arabian country, this was the most conservative area with many restrictions.
In some ways, the general public security was good. However, in fact, when the underworld and religion were linked, it was quite brutal. Of course, the underworld here mostly robbed for benefits such as water. It was quite troublesome to get involved with them. They were more difficult to deal with than the Hong Kong Triads and the Japanese Yakuza.
Of course, these were just his impressions when he was an assassin in his previous life. It was based on whether the people were easy to kill, whether the locals were difficult to deal with, and whether the operation would go smoothly. At this time, it was probably meaningless. What's more, Natalie was half the owner of this place. There was no need to consider these things now.
The place he was going to was not far from the hotel. It was about half an hour's walk. Compared to China, there were no sidewalks on the streets in Saudi Arabia. The locals drove very fast. All kinds of vehicles sped on the road, including quite expensive sports cars. Jiaming even saw the car that Tian Sihao and Jin Shuping were riding on the road. However, with Jiaming's outfit today, they would not be able to recognize him if they only saw him in the car.
The road where the destination was located was relatively quiet. The green belt on both sides was very beautiful. There were rows of coconut trees, and there was even a sense of solemnity in the early morning drizzle. There were a large number of Islamic style manors and buildings on the side of the road. If the locals were very familiar with this place, they would probably call it "Abdullah Saiman."
It was a very grand and mysterious place. No one knew who was currently living in it.
There were two servants standing at the door. Jiaming walked over. He did not hand over an invitation or even speak. The servant had already welcomed him in. After passing through the outer corridor, he was greeted by an Arabian woman in a black robe and a mask. There was another corridor, an Arabian style courtyard, a small pond, and coconut trees. When he entered the magnificent room in the center of the huge manor, he saw two women in the middle of the room seemed to be in the middle of a prayer.
They were dressed in black robes and black veils, but they were not completely wrapped up like the local women. They wore veils instead of headscarves with only two holes. One of the women was kneeling there, bowing in the direction of Mecca. It was quite a solemn feeling. The other woman looked a little lazy and did not seem to be very interested in the prayer. When she saw Jiaming come in and dressed like this, she blinked her eyes and looked at him. Then, she smiled and raised her hand, ready to get up. "Hi."
"Oh." Jiaming clasped his hands together. "Sawadika."
"Sawadika …" The woman was stunned. Then, she suddenly laughed. "Sawadika your mother … What a joke …" She laughed and pulled off her veil, using it to wipe her eyes. This woman was one of the current leaders of the Gloomy Lyra, Kelly Fomora.
Fomora.
Before he could speak, the sound of rapid footsteps came from behind him. A crisp voice shouted, "Jia — Ming!"
Jia Ming turned around and saw an energetic figure in a white sweatshirt approaching quickly. This was only one of the identities that was widely known to the public. It was the European Queen of Music, Janet. The object, whose real name was Heidi, had already turned into a cannonball and flew over.
"Hey, wait …"
With a whoosh, Heidi rushed into his arms.
He helplessly reached out, grabbed her legs, and carried this beauty who was suspended in the air. Heidi wrapped her arms around his neck and was about to plant a kiss on his face when Kelly's voice came from the side. "Oh, you guys are very interesting. How about you count me in?"
"Ah, Sister Kelly …"
Another figure rushed towards them like a black cannonball. Jiaming shouted, "Hey!" Then, the three of them rolled on the ground like scattered bowling balls.
After a moment, Heidi sat up on the carpet and covered her forehead with both hands. "Ah, I hit my head …"
*****
"I know you go on a trip every year, but why did you come with the economic team this time …"
"It's just on the way. You know, Dongfang Lu is the leader this time."
"How do you feel about Saudi Arabia?"
"It's quite boring on a rainy day. I thought I could go to Riyadh and watch a beheading on Friday."
(Note: Saudi Arabia still retains the punishment of beheading for serious crimes. The day of execution is set on Friday. In the capital, Riyadh, the place of execution is the square in front of the Grand Mosque. Of course, it is not every Friday, but in addition to beheading, there is also the punishment of flogging for criminals. For thieves, their hands and feet are chopped off. For adultery, or perhaps a conversation between a man and a woman, they will be stoned in the square. Sometimes, people will be stoned to death.)
"Beheading is quite boring … You guys came on a good day. Even in Abha, it's not often that it rains."
"I heard that this time, you're here for something like a new energy source?"
"A new energy source is something they do. I'm just here for a vacation.
But speaking of which, according to the current situation of the world, a new energy source is imminent. But even so, there is not much progress so far. "
"Oh, I don't know anything about this …"
This was a clip of Jiaming and Jiaming chatting. The two were currently considered friends. Every year, they would meet once or twice for various reasons. Kelly and Jiaming had always kept in touch via the Internet. Sometimes, they would video chat when something new happened, and they would often see each other.
Heidi had been traveling to China for the past few years. As a singer, everyone naturally thought that she wanted to explore the Chinese market. However, English songs were not doing well in China. She was not as famous as she was in Europe and America. Many people thought that this was a thankless task, but she still did it.
She was four and a half years younger than Jiaming, twenty-eight years old. However, her Chinese-American heritage made her look pure and innocent, like a twenty-year-old. Not long after, the two sat by the garden. Heidi talked about winning an award recently. She was like a well-behaved daughter who was showing off to her father with an award certificate.
"Actually, Saudi Arabia is very boring. I have to wrap myself up when I go out, and there is no place to play … Oh, right, I recently learned a magic trick …"
"Can I go look for you … But if I go to a hotel to look for you, people will probably think it's weird … When I go to China in September, you have to play with me for a day, okay?"
"Oh, right, what about a few days ago …"
She talked about what had happened recently. After a long time, she smiled. "Oh, right, mom is here too. She is in the room over there …" She pointed to a direction.
Jiaming nodded. Then, she gave him a push. "Go, go …" Jiaming rubbed her hair and got up. When he looked back, Heidi was sitting there. Her body was slightly bent forward. Her hands were on the stone railing beside her. Her slender legs were together in front of her. She was a girl who combined the pure aura of a Dongfang girl and the sexy beauty of a Western girl. When she looked up and smiled, the rain had just stopped, and the sun seeped through the sky and shone on her face.
When she saw Jiaming looking over, she smiled and pouted her lips. She made a kissing expression.
(To be continued, if you want to know what will happen next, please go to www.qidian.com, there are more chapters. Support the author, support the original reading!)