Chapter 2 The Celebration
The next day, the grand celebration commenced as scheduled.
To solidify his position and simultaneously intimidate rival nations while boosting his own prestige, the husky prince had orchestrated an event of immense scale. It was designed to leverage the colossal mecha and the near-mythical legends surrounding it, which had been circulating for close to a year.
The entire capital was placed under strict martial law, transforming the city center into the stage for this grand celebration. The husky prince had even expedited the demolition of over a dozen buildings to clear ample space for Pangu Homeland to showcase its might and perform some awe-inspiring demonstrations.
The specific proceedings were, in essence, the usual affair: speeches, a military parade, and finally, the grand exhibition.
This time, the husky prince afforded Mr. Huang exceptionally preferential treatment. Not only was he seated on the main stage, but he was placed directly beside the prince, merely two seats away from the King of the Great Food Kingdom. This was a position inaccessible to countless other princes.
Furthermore, this also highlighted the favor enjoyed by the princess from the previous day. Dressed in male attire, she sat beside the old king, flanking the monarch with the husky prince, occupying positions of considerable significance.
Of course, the old king also had a cordial meeting with Mr. Huang. He was very curious about this young Chinese man who had become the richest person in the world at such a tender age. He asked many questions, nodding occasionally, appearing quite pleased with Huang He.
In fact, Huang He's placement beside the husky prince was largely orchestrated by the old king himself, who had elevated Huang He to a position right by his side.
Despite the intense jealousy from other princes, Huang He was, after all, the world's richest man and the creator of the colossal mecha behind the event. It was only fitting to show him due respect.
Meanwhile, the ambassadors from various countries, invited to witness the ceremony, were utterly astonished. While they were aware that the Great Food Kingdom had extended an invitation to the world's richest man, they also knew that this very individual had explicitly declined.
To find him present at the event today suggested that all previous information had been mere diversions.
However, Mr. Huang's presence was merely an embellishment to the day's proceedings. The true protagonist was undeniably their husky prince. Mr. Huang, with great cooperation, remained unobtrusively in his seat, making almost no extraneous movements, ensuring he would not overshadow the husky prince.
The husky prince delivered a passionate speech on stage, inspiring a surge of national spirit. Mr. Huang, too, wore a smile. The only exception to this general atmosphere of contentment was the princess seated beside him, or rather, the prince as he was at that moment.
For reasons unknown, this prince had returned to Huang He's side and, with his head lowered, whispered in a voice audible only to Huang He, "Coward. You lack the courage to contend with me, a woman, and instead called your elder brother. You are a coward!"
"..." Mr. Huang remained expressionless, pretending not to hear the woman's voice. However, as she persisted in her murmuring, Huang He found himself in a state of considerable helplessness.
Fortunately, the event soon moved to a segment that could pique interest: the military parade.
The parade of the Great Food Kingdom was, by all accounts, not particularly spectacular. The scale of this particular parade was also modest, with no major equipment on display. It consisted solely of soldiers marching in unison, their goose-stepping extraordinarily high. In the eyes of Huang He, who had witnessed China's grand military parades, it was… well, something else.
Nonetheless, watching the parade from the main stage was an entirely novel experience for Mr. Huang. This novelty persisted until a group of soldiers, whose marching was the most disordered and formations the most chaotic, approached the reviewing stand.
"Which unit are these men from? Have their commanding officers dealt with!" the husky prince's face turned ashen upon seeing these scattered soldiers.
This was a celebration designed to bolster his image and authority. Yet, here was this pathetic group of individuals. It was only natural for the husky prince's expression to be anything but pleasant.
However, as Mr. Huang observed these soldiers, something felt amiss.
Huang He kept his gaze fixed on the soldiers and suddenly noticed that the rifles they were holding were not slung around their necks.
The soldiers who had marched past earlier, while also holding rifles, had their rifle straps around their necks, keeping their firearms close to their chests.
But these soldiers, though their rifles were also held at their chests, had their rifle straps hanging loose, not around their necks at all.
Recalling an accident that had occurred decades ago involving an unfortunate Egyptian president, Mr. Huang's expression immediately turned grim. He urgently addressed the husky prince and the king beside him, "Prince, Your Majesty, quickly get down."
"What?" The husky prince and His Majesty the King were taken aback. Then, Huang He saw the disorderly soldiers begin to raise their rifles.
"Get down quickly!" Huang He had no time for further explanation. Simultaneously, he grabbed the husky prince and the princess beside him and forcefully pushed them down beneath the reviewing stand.
What followed was a barrage of intense gunfire, accompanied by a cry of agony.
"Father!" The husky prince stared in shock at his father, who lay beside him, covered in blood. Screams erupted around them as panic-stricken people fled in disarray.
"Your Highness, quickly order your nearby troops to suppress these soldiers!" Mr. Huang's heart pounded wildly. If he hadn't reacted swiftly, he might have met an ignominious end here.
The prince froze for a moment, then immediately pulled out his phone, preparing to make a call. He then paused, shaking his head in resignation. "It's useless. My soldiers cannot suppress these men."
"Why?" Huang He was bewildered.
"Because I, too, feared such a situation might arise. Thus, I ordered that all reviewing soldiers and nearby security personnel were forbidden from loading their weapons. Only my personal guards' weapons were loaded!"
"And where are your personal guards?" Huang He demanded.
"A portion of my personal guards was dispatched due to an emergency. Only a few dozen remain with me. They are the ones currently returning fire. However, these soldiers number at least several hundred, and my personal guards cannot hold them off!" the prince said, his expression grim. The fact that a portion of his personal guard had been dispatched due to an emergency at this critical juncture, which the prince had initially dismissed, now struck him as a meticulously laid trap.
"Then, where are the closest troops you can mobilize?" Huang He inquired.
"They are tens of kilometers away!" the husky prince replied with a wry smile. "Although my father trusts and dotes on me greatly, he would not allow my men to be stationed by his side. The vicinity of the capital is controlled by my father's loyal forces!"
"Then contact them and order them to advance!" the little princess said.
"It's likely futile," the prince's expression was grim. "The fact that several hundred soldiers could participate in the review with live ammunition suggests that the person responsible for this review is the mastermind behind this entire operation. Any other troops near the capital who do not join the assault would already be our greatest fortune!"
"Then, does that mean we are doomed?" the little princess, utterly terrified, murmured.
"You should be fine. After all, you have no claim to the throne. They are not interested in your life or death. They only want to kill me!" The husky prince sighed. "Mr. Huang, I deeply apologize for dragging you into this. I will step forward now. As long as they kill me, they should cease firing."
"That's not certain!" Huang He shook his head. "Your Highness, I believe the perpetrator would have positioned themselves near your throne. If they successfully become king, would they permit the notoriety of patricide and fratricide? And as the world's richest man who has witnessed everything, is it likely I would be allowed to live?"
"..." The husky prince was speechless. The current situation seemed to leave no room for survival.
However, in the next moment, Huang He stated, "Your Highness, we may still have a chance to turn the tables!"
"What?" The prince looked up in surprise.
"I recall that our Pangu Homeland underwent special modifications as per your request before its transport. To ensure its smooth passage through customs after the modifications, our company expended considerable effort to achieve success!" Huang He said calmly. Upon hearing this, the husky prince's eyes lit up.
"Mr. Huang, you mean to say..."
"Precisely. This is our only chance."
"No... I'm afraid we still have no opportunity. The pilot of this Pangu Homeland was by my father's side. I was supposed to board Pangu Homeland for the demonstration with my father's authorization. Therefore, I fear we cannot find a pilot now." The prince paused, then looked at Huang He with sudden surprise.
"That's right. The best Pangu Homeland pilot in this world should actually be me!" Mr. Huang smiled faintly and then began to crawl towards the area behind them.
There, the entire Pangu Homeland was covered by a large white cloth, obscuring its details.
But Huang He knew that Pangu Homeland was currently in a semi-crouching position, leaning slightly forward, with its arm positioned near the cockpit, allowing the pilot to ascend into the cockpit by climbing the arm!
And this was Mr. Huang's sole opportunity.
Seeing Huang He initiate his action, the husky prince immediately pulled his sister along, ordering his most loyal guards to hold their ground, and then followed Huang He. They first crawled towards a blind spot, then broke into a sprint towards Pangu Homeland behind the white cloth.