The next morning, Roy woke up to the sound of rapid knocking on his door. It was Aziz, as usual, looking like he'd already been up for hours and possibly regretting every life decision that brought him to this point.
"Sir, we have a situation," Aziz said, barging into Roy's modest apartment.
Roy groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Can't it wait? I was dreaming I opened a nasi lemak stall. Business was booming."
Aziz ignored him and shoved a tablet in his face. On the screen was a breaking news headline: "Neighboring Nation Ultima Demands Apology Over Accidental Insult."
Roy blinked. "Ultima? What did I do to them?"
Aziz sighed heavily. "Last night at the reception, you called their president's wife Puan Durian because you forgot her name."
Roy scratched his head. "Wait, that was his wife? I thought she was catering staff. She kept asking if I wanted satay!"
"She's not catering staff, sir. She's the First Lady of Ultima, and now they're furious. President Ramal is threatening to cut all diplomatic ties unless you issue an apology."
Roy sat up straight, panic setting in. "Cut ties? Like… no more visiting their theme parks?"
Aziz groaned. "No, sir. It means they'll stop trade agreements, pull out investments, and possibly impose sanctions. This is serious!"
Roy gulped. "Okay, okay. What do we do?"
Aziz handed him a piece of paper. "You'll issue an official apology during the press conference this afternoon. Just read what's written here, and whatever you do, don't improvise."
The press conference was a grand affair. Journalists from all over the region packed the room, cameras flashing and microphones pointed toward the podium where Roy stood, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
Aziz stood nearby, mouthing, "Stick to the script."
Roy cleared his throat, adjusted the mic, and began. "Good afternoon, everyone. I would like to address the recent misunderstanding with our esteemed neighbors, the nation of Ultima."
So far, so good.
"I deeply regret any offense caused by my comments during last night's event. It was never my intention to insult President Ramal or his…" Roy squinted at the paper, unsure of the next word. "Uh… delightful wife."
The journalists scribbled furiously.
"I have the utmost respect for Ultima and their contributions to regional harmony," Roy continued, gaining a little confidence. "As a gesture of goodwill, I propose we organize a joint initiative to… uh… promote durians as a symbol of unity."
Aziz's eyes widened in horror. He hadn't written that.
The journalists buzzed with excitement, their questions overlapping. "Prime Minister Roy, are you launching a durian diplomacy program?"
Roy blinked. "Uh… yes! Durian diplomacy! Because nothing brings people together like a fruit that smells terrible but tastes great."
Aziz slapped his forehead.
By the time the press conference ended, the term "durian diplomacy" was trending on social media. Memes flooded the internet:
• Roy holding a durian with the caption, "Bridging nations, one durian at a time."
• A poorly Photoshopped image of Roy wearing a durian helmet, captioned, "Fruitful negotiations ahead!"
To everyone's surprise, Ultima responded positively. President Ramal issued a statement saying he appreciated Roy's creativity and was open to discussing the "Durian Diplomacy Initiative."
Aziz, however, wasn't impressed.
"You got lucky this time, sir," Aziz said, pacing back and forth in Roy's office. "But we can't rely on dumb luck to run the country."
Roy leaned back in his chair, tossing a stress ball in the air. "Why not? It's working so far."
Aziz stopped pacing and glared at him. "Because one day, dumb luck will run out. And when it does, this entire country could fall apart."
Roy shrugged. "Until then, let's stock up on durians."
That evening, Roy found himself scrolling through social media, laughing at the memes about him. He wasn't sure if people loved him because they thought he was clever or because he was clueless but either way, he was enjoying the ride.
As he drifted off to sleep, he muttered to himself, "Maybe I'm not so bad at this Prime Minister thing after all."
But little did Roy know, his next challenge was already brewing and this one wouldn't be solved with durians.
End of Chapter 3