The moment Jason stepped off the Emirates first-class jet, he knew this was a different playing field.
Dubai glittered—not just with wealth, but with ambition layered in gold.
Luxury vehicles lined the private terminal. A waiting convoy of blacked-out Range Rovers carried him and Naomi through a city that felt like the future had already happened.
"This place is… something else," Naomi said, looking out at the skyline of glass and light.
Jason nodded. "Money here doesn't whisper. It roars."
---
Their host was Sheikh Farid Al Rashid, a modern royal known for blending tradition with cutting-edge innovation.
The reception was lavish but intimate—crystal chandeliers, scent of oud in the air, soft Arabic music playing in the background.
Jason was ushered into a private majlis, where the Sheikh—young, shrewd-eyed, dressed in crisp white robes—welcomed him with a warm smile.
"Mr. Nash," Farid said, "you've done what many only dream of. You've taken attention—raw, wild—and forged it into equity. I respect that."
Jason smiled. "And you've built a city out of sand and imagination. We're not so different."
Farid laughed. "Perhaps. But let's see if our visions align."
---
They spoke for hours.
Farid wanted to launch a creator empire across the Gulf states—backed by state money, powered by PulseCast tech.
"Imagine," Farid said, "a generation of influencers who speak Arabic, Urdu, Farsi. Telling our stories. Under our flag."
Jason thought carefully before replying.
"You want PulseCast localized. But not neutered. Creators need freedom—or their voices won't attract ears."
Farid nodded. "Agreed. Controlled, but not censored. Amplified with values, not leashes."
They shook hands.
Jason turned to Naomi. "We're going to need a Dubai office."
She grinned. "Already drafting the job posts."
---
Later, at the Royal Polo Grounds, Jason stood beside Farid as horses thundered across the field. In the distance, a skyline of towers blazed in gold under the setting sun.
Farid sipped from a crystal glass. "You'll be worth a billion within a year. But that's not why I brought you here."
Jason raised a brow. "No?"
"I brought you here because you're rewriting the rules. And I want to be in every chapter."
Jason smirked. "Then let's write something that echoes."
Farid clinked his glass to Jason's.
"To the New Age."