105: Chapter 105 Stars in the Desert

On October 1st in Riyadh, the temperature was still as high as 38 degrees, but by evening, the desert wind brought a hint of coolness.

The King International Convention Center was brightly lit tonight. The building, shaped like a giant tent, shone brilliantly in the night. Eight laser beams shot from the roof into the night sky, projecting the logo of Spark Technology—a flame-like red emblem—burning brightly against the deep blue canopy.

The parking lot was already full of Rolls-Royces, Bentleys, and Lamborghinis. Princes in white robes stepped out of luxury cars, followed by bodyguards in black suits. Under the black robes of the noblewomen, the dazzling radiance of haute couture gowns was faintly visible. This was a feast belonging to oil, gold, and power.

And tonight's protagonist came from the East.

Zhou Qingyu stood in the backstage monitoring room, watching the data constantly refreshing on the screen. This was his first time hosting an overseas launch event, and his palms were sweaty.

"Mr. Zhou, the royal motorcade has arrived." The assistant trotted in, voice excited.

On the screen, a motorcade consisting of twelve Mercedes-Benz G-Class SUVs drove into the red carpet area. The door of the middle car opened, and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, stepped out. He was in his early forties, wearing a traditional white robe and a red-and-white checkered headscarf, his smile confident and composed.

Zhou Qingyu took a deep breath and straightened his dark blue suit—it was custom-made, with a cut that blended a Chinese mandarin collar with a Western style, and the dual logo badge of Spark Technology and the Saudi Sovereign Fund pinned to his chest.

"Prepare for the opening."

At eight o'clock sharp, the main hall of the convention center was packed. The 1,500 seats were filled with the most powerful and wealthy people in the Middle East. The front row consisted of royal family members, the second row of sovereign fund executives, and behind them were tycoons from Dubai, Qatar, and Kuwait, as well as diplomats from Europe and America stationed in Saudi Arabia, and automotive media.

The lights dimmed.

The big screen lit up, not with a car commercial, but with documentary-like footage: golden deserts, camel caravans walking in the sunset, sand dunes like frozen waves. The voiceover was an Arabic chant, with ancient poetry interwoven with modern rhythms.

Then the scene switched—the morning glow of Shencheng Bay, the Xingchen Academy of Sciences building shining in the morning light, engineers in white coats walking through the corridors. The contrast was sharp: the ancient nature of the desert and the future of technology formed a wondrous dialogue on the two sides of the screen.

Zhou Qingyu walked out from the side of the stage, and the spotlight hit him.

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, distinguished princes, and guests, good evening." He opened in English, his voice steady. "Five months ago, Spark Technology and the Saudi Sovereign Fund signed a strategic cooperation agreement to establish Spark-Arab Auto. At that time, we promised: to bring cars that integrate Eastern wisdom, Chinese technology, and Arab culture. Tonight, we honor that promise."

Applause rang out, polite but restrained. These viewers, accustomed to the world's top luxury goods, still harbored doubts about "Made in China."

"But before showing the new cars, I want to show you something first." Zhou Qingyu gestured.

The circular display platform in the center of the stage slowly rose, covered with red silk. The silk fell—not a car, but a carbon fiber panel, glistening with a unique texture under the lights.

"This is the 'Heavenly Bow' series carbon fiber, a masterpiece of Spark Materials." Zhou Qingyu walked to the side of the display stand. "Its strength is ten times that of steel, and its weight is only one-quarter of steel. More importantly—it comes from completely independent Chinese technology."

He paused, letting the translator finish the Arabic simultaneous interpretation.

"In the past, when we mentioned 'luxury,' we would always think of German precision, Italian design, and British craftsmanship. But today, we want to add a new vocabulary: Chinese material science."

The screen displayed comparison data: Heavenly Bow carbon fiber vs. the carbon fiber used in the BMW i series, showing a comprehensive superiority.

Whispers rippled through the audience. Some tech-savvy princes began to nod.

"Now," Zhou Qingyu raised his voice, "let's see what happens when this material meets automotive design."

The stage dimmed, leaving only the lights on the central platform. The ground began to vibrate—not an earthquake, but carefully designed stage effects—simulating the feeling of a vehicle approaching in the desert.

Two spotlights shone from the sides of the stage, and at the intersection, the first car slowly drove onto the stage.

"Spark-Saudi 'Yufeng' luxury sedan."

The lights came on fully.

The venue was silent for three seconds, then erupted into a wave of sound mixed with gasps and applause.

This was a large sedan over five point three meters long, but with extremely fluid lines. The front face featured Spark's iconic continuous light strip, but it incorporated winding lines reminiscent of Arabic calligraphy. The waistline on the side of the car was like sand dunes in the desert, undulating gracefully. The most stunning part was the car paint—not ordinary metallic paint, but a special gradient color, transitioning from dark gold at the front to deep blue at the rear, like the color change of the desert from sunrise to sunset.

"The design inspiration comes from Arabic geometric patterns and Chinese landscape aesthetics." Zhou Qingyu walked to the car. "The pattern of the front grille is taken from the window grilles of the King's Mosque in Riyadh. The side waistline refers to the 'Feibai' (flying white) brushwork in Chinese calligraphy."

He opened the car door. The interior was fully revealed—cream-colored Nappa leather seats embroidered with exquisite Arabic patterns, a traditional Saudi handmade embroidery craft. The center console was a single curved screen, but the sides were inlaid with hand-polished brass trim, engraved with verses from the Quran.

"Powertrain." Zhou Qingyu pressed the key, and the engine started with a low, powerful sound. "4.0-liter V8 twin-turbocharged engine, plus a plug-in hybrid system. Combined power of 650 horsepower, 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.8 seconds."

The big screen displayed comparison data: Yufeng vs. Mercedes-Benz S680 (585 hp, 4.9 seconds), vs. Bentley Flying Spur (635 hp, 4.1 seconds).

"More importantly," Zhou Qingyu emphasized, "a pure electric range of 120 kilometers—it is the only model in its class exceeding one hundred kilometers. This means that within downtown Riyadh, you can drive entirely on electricity."

He sat in the driver's seat and started the vehicle. The engine was almost silent, with only the pale blue glow of the instrument panel lighting up.

"Equipped with the 'flint one' car chip independently developed by Spark, it supports L3-level autonomous driving. We have done special optimizations for Middle Eastern road conditions—including sensor enhancement for sandstorm weather and system stability improvement under high temperatures."

In the audience, a young prince in a white robe turned to the person beside him and said, "Faster than my Phantom."

"There is also a special version." Zhou Qingyu got out of the car and walked to the other side.

A second spotlight lit up, and another "Yufeng" drove onto the stage. The appearance was almost the same, but the car window glass was noticeably thicker.

"Bulletproof version." Zhou Qingyu knocked on the window. "It can withstand 7.62mm rifle fire, meeting the European Union B6 bulletproof standard. The underbody is equipped with explosion-proof armor, and the tires are run-flat tires. Of course, the price is 200,000 USD higher."

This version clearly attracted more attention from the royal family members. Several princes in the front row leaned forward to watch carefully.

"Now, the second car." Zhou Qingyu walked to the other side of the stage.

The lights changed, and music with desert flair played. A tall SUV drove out from behind the stage, its wheels kicking up real sand—that was an effect sprayed from a hidden compartment in the stage.

"Spark-Saudi 'Xunsha' luxury SUV."

If "Yufeng" was an elegant palace, then "Xunsha" was a fortress in the desert. The car body was square but not bulky, with hard lines. The roof had a detachable design and was open at this moment, revealing the luxurious configuration inside.

"3.0-liter V6 engine plus a 48V mild-hybrid system, 480 horsepower." Zhou Qingyu jumped onto the car—he really jumped, because the car body was very high. "But its focus is not road performance, but—"

He pressed a button on the center console. The big screen displayed the vehicle chassis: three differential locks locked simultaneously, the suspension rose, and tire pressure adjusted automatically.

"Desert mode. We worked with the Saudi royal family's personal driver team for three months, testing all types of sandy terrain around Riyadh. This system can provide better passability than professionally modified vehicles in 90% of desert terrain."

He pressed another button: "Sandstorm navigation system."

The screen simulated sandstorm weather, with visibility dropping to zero. But the vehicle still drove steadily, relying on the fusion perception of millimeter-wave radar, infrared cameras, and LiDAR.

"In the real desert, sandstorms are a fatal threat. But 'Xunsha' can automatically navigate to a safe location in zero-visibility conditions. It will also automatically seal the air conditioning system to prevent sand and dust from entering the cabin."

This feature sparked real interest. Many Middle Eastern tycoons had experienced the danger of getting stuck or lost in the desert.

Zhou Qingyu jumped down from the car and returned to the center of the stage. The two cars were on the left and right, like loyal guards.

"Pricing." He paused, letting the audience go quiet. "'Yufeng' luxury sedan, 300,000 USD. 'Xunsha' luxury SUV, 150,000 USD."

This price caused a stir. 300,000 USD was 100,000 cheaper than the Mercedes-Benz S680 and 200,000 cheaper than the Bentley Flying Spur, but with stronger performance. The 150,000 USD SUV went straight into the price range of the Range Rover and LX570.

"Now," Zhou Qingyu smiled, "please welcome our most distinguished guest, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, to experience it personally."

Crown Prince Mohammed rose from the VIP seat and walked to the stage. He first walked around the "Yufeng," checking the details carefully, and then sat in the driver's seat.

A staff member handed over the key. The Crown Prince started the vehicle, and the instrument panel lit up with a bilingual interface in Arabic and English. He pressed the accelerator lightly, and the engine let out a low roar—this was a specially tuned sound, magnificent but not harsh.

The Crown Prince drove the car slowly around the stage and then got out. He walked to the microphone, and the whole audience was silent.

"I have driven all the top luxury cars in the world." The Crown Prince spoke, his voice spreading through the venue via speakers. "But tonight, I want to say—this is not just a car, this is a mobile palace."

He turned to face Zhou Qingyu: "You have proven one thing: the East can not only manufacture but also define what luxury is. Saudi Arabia is very happy to be your partner."

Thunderous applause broke out, this time from the heart.

The Crown Prince announced on the spot: "The royal family will purchase one thousand units as the first batch—two hundred 'Yufeng' for state guest reception, and eight hundred 'Xunsha' for police and desert patrols."

On the big screen, the order number began to jump: 1000.

Then came the chain reaction:

The representative of the Dubai tycoon group stood up: "We pre-order one hundred 'Yufeng'."

The chairman of the Qatar Sovereign Fund connected via video: "Purchase five hundred units in the next three years as part of our investment portfolio."

A member of the UAE royal family raised a hand: "Bulletproof version of 'Yufeng', we want fifty."

The order number rose rapidly: 1500, 2000, 2500...

Zhou Qingyu stood on the stage, looking at the jumping numbers, feeling a wave of dizziness. He knew this would be a success, but he didn't expect it to be this successful.

The stage big screen switched, and Su Chen appeared on the screen. He was sitting in his office in Shenzhen, with the city night view outside the window in the background.

"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince, distinguished guests." Su Chen said in Chinese, with Arabic subtitles, "The globalization of Spark is not about selling Chinese cars to the world, but about creating better products together with the world. Saudi Arabia is our important partner, but it is just the beginning. In the future, Spark will enter more countries and win respect with technology and sincerity."

He paused and continued: "'Made in China' used to be synonymous with 'cheap.' But today, we want to rewrite this definition. We can do cost-effectiveness, and we can also do luxury; we can follow, and we can also lead. This is the confidence that a new era of Chinese enterprises should have."

The video ended, and the whole audience stood up and applauded.

Zhou Qingyu said at the end: "The Spark-Arab Auto joint venture factory officially starts construction today. Located in the Riyadh Industrial Zone, it plans an annual capacity of 50,000 units, covering the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe markets. In the future, cars driving out from here will carry Chinese technology and Arab culture, and drive toward the world."

At the reception after the launch, Zhou Qingyu was surrounded. Princes asked about delivery times, tycoons consulted on customization options, and diplomats discussed cooperation possibilities.

A Dubai tycoon pulled Zhou Qingyu aside: "Mr. Zhou, your cars are great. But I have a question—why choose Saudi Arabia? Dubai is the trade center of the Middle East."

Zhou Qingyu smiled: "Because Saudi Arabia is transforming. 'Vision 2030' requires real industrial implementation, not just finance and trade. What Spark wants to do is not just sell cars, but to build a complete automotive industry ecosystem. This requires land, policy, and determination—Saudi Arabia has these."

"And," he added, "His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is a true reformer. He understands that oil will eventually run out, but technology and brands will not."

At eleven o'clock at night, Zhou Qingyu returned to his hotel room, feeling fatigue wash over him like a tide. He opened his phone and saw a message from Su Chen: "Good work. But don't forget, this is just the beginning. The real test is delivery and quality."

Zhou Qingyu replied: "Understood. The CEO here in Riyadh will keep an eye on the production line."

Outside the window, the night sky of Riyadh was full of stars. This city in the desert, wealthy because of oil, was now looking for new stars.

And Spark had become the brightest one among them.