320: Chapter 320 The Middle East Powder Keg

10:00 AM the next day, Riyadh, Ministry of National Defense of Saudi Arabia.

Prince Fahd sat in his office with two reports spread out before him.

The one on the left contained data on the American "Patriot" air defense system: an interception success rate of less than 50%, a price of $400 million per unit, and $4 million per interceptor missile.

The one on the right was the latest combat report for Xingchen's Peregrine S-15: it had shot down a Global Hawk with a 100% interception rate, priced at $30 million per unit, with interceptor missiles at $500,000 each.

The phone rang.

It was the Secretary of Defense of the United States on the line.

"Your Highness, the United States hopes that Saudi Arabia will cooperate with our military operations against Iran. If necessary, we will need to use airbases within Saudi territory."

Fahd smiled.

"Mr. Secretary, Saudi Arabia is willing to maintain regional peace. However, our air defense systems are not yet sufficient to cope with potential missile retaliation from Iran."

The Secretary of Defense said, "You have America's Patriot. We will provide protection."

Fahd's smile deepened.

"Patriot? Its interception success rate is less than 50%. Xingchen's Peregrine Falcon just shot down a Global Hawk."

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Fahd continued, "Therefore, Mr. Secretary, Saudi Arabia needs a better air defense system. For example, the Peregrine Falcon."

2:00 PM, Xingchen Defense headquarters.

Gu Xinghe sat in his office, looking at the three orders he had just received.

The first: Ministry of National Defense of Saudi Arabia, an additional 15 sets of the Peregrine S-15 system and 300 accompanying missiles. The total price was approximately $850 million. Additional conditions: priority delivery, with a 30% price premium accepted.

The second: Ministry of National Defense of the UAE, an additional 8 sets of the Peregrine S-15 system and 200 accompanying missiles. The total price was approximately $450 million. Additional conditions: also requested priority delivery.

The third: Ministry of National Defense of Kuwait, an additional 7 sets of the Peregrine S-15 system and 150 accompanying missiles. The total price was approximately $350 million. Additional conditions: same as above.

Total amount: approximately $1.85 billion.

Gu Xinghe smiled.

He said to his assistant, "Reply to them: Xingchen will prioritize these arrangements. However, all exported weapons must be equipped with location-tracking chips and can only be used in authorized areas. This is a standard clause; negotiations will not be accepted."

2:00 AM, July 1st, Israel Air Force Headquarters.

The night was deep.

Eight F-16I fighter jets taxied on the runway, the roar of their engines tearing through the silence of the night.

Under the wings of each fighter jet hung precision-guided bombs. The target: Iran's Natanz nuclear facility.

The codename for this operation was "Operation Orchard 2.0" — replicating the legend of the Israeli airstrike on Iraq's nuclear reactor thirty years ago.

Commander Aviv Kochavi stood in the control tower, watching the fighter jets take off one by one.

The 55-year-old Kochavi was the pride of the Israel Air Force, having participated in five wars and shot down three enemy aircraft. His eyes held absolute confidence.

But at this moment, what he did not know was that 300 kilometers away, three Peregrine S-15 launch vehicles had already silently powered up.

3:00 AM, the edge of Iran's airspace.

The eight F-16I jets flew at an ultra-low altitude, less than 100 meters, attempting to evade radar.

They were still 200 kilometers away from Natanz.

Suddenly, the radar warning system in the cockpits began to scream.

"Locked on! Locked on!"

The pilots' voices rose and fell in the communication channel.

On the border line, the three Peregrine Falcon launch vehicles fired simultaneously.

Eight missiles ascended into the sky, trailing exhaust flames as they lunged toward the eight F-16I jets.

3:15 AM, over the Natanz nuclear facility.

Among the eight F-16I jets, four were firmly locked onto by the Peregrine Falcon's seeker heads.

The pilots urgently released countermeasures—chaff and infrared decoys exploded in the night sky like brilliant fireworks.

But the Peregrine Falcon's terminal infrared imaging seeker ignored the countermeasures. It was locked onto the heat source of the engines, the part of the fighter jet that could not be disguised.

The first F-16I was hit. The fuselage broke in two and crashed into the desert.

The second was hit. The pilot ejected to safety.

The third was hit. Severely damaged, it trailed thick smoke as it turned back.

The fourth was hit. Also severely damaged, it struggled to turn.

The remaining four scrambled to drop their bombs. But the pilots had no time to aim, and the bombs missed the target by over 500 meters, destroying only a few warehouses.

4:00 AM, Tel Aviv, Office of the Prime Minister of Israel.

When Benjamin Golan received the combat report, he was holding an emergency cabinet meeting.

He was 60 years old, having served as a special forces commander, Secretary of Defense, and Prime Minister. He had seen war, peace, victory, and defeat.

But at this moment, his face was ashen.

"Lost two F-16I jets? And two more severely damaged?"

Kochavi stood before him, head bowed.

"Yes, Prime Minister. Iran's air defense system... is much stronger than we anticipated."

Golan was silent for three seconds, then asked, "What system hit them?"

"Xingchen's Peregrine S-15."

8:00 AM, Washington, White House.

Hawk sat in his office, looking at the Israeli combat report.

His plan—to incite Israel to air strike Iran's nuclear facilities, ignite a war in the Middle East, and drag Xingchen into the quagmire of war—had failed.

Not only did it fail, but it also gave the Peregrine S-15 a live advertisement worth hundreds of billions in the global arms market.

An assistant entered to report, "Mr. Hawk, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait have just placed additional orders for the Peregrine Falcon. The total amount is $1.85 billion."

Hawk closed his eyes.

10:00 AM, Xingchen Headquarters.

Su Chen stood by the window, looking at the scenery of Shenzhen Bay.

Lin Wan stood beside him, reading the combat report.

"The Peregrine S-15 interception rate is 100%. The Global Hawk was shot down. Two Israeli F-16I jets were shot down, and two were severely damaged. Saudi Arabia and two other countries have added orders totaling $1.85 billion."

Su Chen nodded.

Gu Xinghe pushed the door open and entered, a smile on his face.

"Mr. Su, the global arms market has been shaken. Germany, France, and even Japan are inquiring about the export price of the Peregrine Falcon."

Su Chen shook his head.

"We are not selling the Peregrine Falcon to Europe for now."

Gu Xinghe was stunned: "Why?"

"Europe has NATO. Our weapons cannot appear within the NATO system. We will not sell any weapons or equipment to Japan; this is a principle."

He paused.

"But Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait can. They are not NATO; they are friends of Xingchen."

7:00 PM, Tehran, Supreme National Security Council of Iran.

Jafari stood in front of the large screen, playing the footage of the Peregrine Falcon shooting down the F-16I.

The 80-year-old Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, sat in the main seat, watching quietly.

The image froze at the moment the fire exploded.

Khamenei nodded slowly.

"Xingchen's weapons have saved Iran."

Jafari said, "Leader, we should place additional orders. And we must be fast; the Americans will not let this rest."

Khamenei asked, "What does Xingchen say?"

"They have agreed to deliver the second batch of orders early. At a 100% premium. At the same time, they suggest that we deploy the Peregrine Falcon around our nuclear facilities."

Khamenei nodded.

"Do it."

9:00 PM, Xingchen Headquarters.

Su Chen sat in front of the computer, and Lin Wan walked up to his side.

"Mr. Su, we have won this round in the Middle East."

Su Chen shook his head.

"It's not a win. It's just the beginning."

He pointed in the direction outside the window—the direction of the Middle East.

"The United States will retaliate. Israel will not let this rest. Iran will continue to use our weapons. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait will buy more. Then, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan will also come."

He paused.

"The powder keg of the Middle East has been ignited by us. But we are not the ones who lit the fire. It has been lit by the United States and Israel for seventy years. We just gave the people of the Middle East a choice—use our weapons to protect themselves."

Lin Wan was silent.

Su Chen turned around and looked at her.

"Tell Gu Xinghe that we can accept the orders from the Middle East. But all exported weapons must strictly adhere to Xingchen's rules: they can only be used for defense, not for offense. They can only be used in authorized areas. They cannot be transferred to third parties. Once violated, they will be locked immediately."

Lin Wan nodded.

Outside the window, the lights of Shenzhen; further away, the direction of the Strait of Hormuz.

There, the flames were being extinguished.

But new flames were about to ignite.