As soon as the door of the minibus opened, an officer in navy trousers and a dark red double-breasted uniform with a gold sash on his left shoulder stepped forward to lead the inspection group toward the entrance of the presidential residence.
When Deng Shiyang stepped onto the red carpet, he noticed two guards standing by the door, heads held high and feet together. They lifted their R1 rifles, which had been resting on the ground, and executed a standard present arms salute. The heels of their polished black leather shoes clicked sharply together with a crisp "snap."
The guards in the Inner Court of the presidential palace came in two types: soldiers dressed in ceremonial military uniforms equipped with R1 rifles fitted with silver bayonets, and officers wearing white belts with holstered pistols at their waists. Then there were the plainclothes security personnel in black suits and white shirts, all wearing dark red ties and earpieces. Although their weapons were not visible, a noticeable rectangular bulge under the right armpit of their unbuttoned jackets suggested they were armed.
Deng knew that the well-dressed guards mainly handled ceremonial duties such as greeting guests, while the real security and protective work was carried out by the "black suits." He removed his iPod Shuffle from his collar, making an exaggerated show of winding up the earphone cord and slipping it into his pocket, using the opportunity to take photos of the security personnel around him.
Walking through the thick glass-paneled white door, the first thing visible was a large oil painting hanging on the wall opposite the entrance. It was a portrait of the president inspecting the troops. Ndofa wore an ivory-colored military dress uniform adorned with numerous medals on his chest and a navy blue peaked cap embroidered with gold patterns. He stood upright with his head held high, giving a military salute with his right hand while gripping the hilt of a ceremonial sword at his waist with his left.
The square foyer was divided in half by L-shaped railings, with a security gate in the center and an X-ray machine beside it.
At the security gate, Deng Shiyang placed his watch, wallet, keys, notebook, and other personal items into a rectangular plastic tray. A guard in a light gray uniform carefully inspected each item, opening the wallet and key case, and even twisting the cap off the pen camera to draw a few lines on a blank sheet of paper.
After passing through the security check, a black-clad attendant led the group through a side door in the foyer, down a corridor, and into a reception room decorated in a British palace style.
The reception room had a floor covered in beige carpet with intricate floral patterns, and in front of the east-facing floor-to-ceiling glass windows were two rows of European-style armchairs arranged in a fan shape. Each chair had a small square side table next to it, holding a white cardboard name tag, a transparent wide-mouth glass, and a small bottle of VOSS water set on a napkin.
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Following the interpreter's instructions, the inspection group formed a line near the door. Soon, a tall, thin black usher entered the room. He wore a crisp white shirt with a white bow tie under a black three-piece tailcoat, and a thick gold chain adorned his chest. The chain hung loosely across his vest, with both ends attached to a clasp holding a round medallion, giving him the appearance of a penguin tethered by a chain.
The "penguin" clapped his white-gloved hands twice and announced in a stiff voice, "His Excellency, President Ndofa of the Republic of Swaziland."
Everyone quickly adjusted their clothing and stood up straight.
The usher stepped back to the side of the door and gestured towards the entrance. A black man in a khaki military uniform walked in slowly.
President Ndofa's physique was far less imposing than depicted in the portraits, and he looked almost dwarfish compared to the upright usher by the door. The high, imposing furniture in the reception room accentuated the disparity, making him seem out of place.
The president walked slowly to the front of the group and shook hands with each member of the inspection group.
Up close, his face was not as smooth as it appeared in photos; deep wrinkles were visible around his nose and forehead, and his mouth drooped as if expressing a perpetual displeasure. However, his eyes were striking, displaying the glazed look commonly associated with religious fanatics.
Deng Shiyang bowed slightly and greeted the shorter Ndofa in English, "Your Excellency, it's a pleasure to meet you," extending his right hand for a handshake. The president's rough, strong hand gripped his firmly, with fingers like iron clamps.
After the handshakes, everyone took their seats. Deng walked along the aisle in front of the armchairs until he found his name tag. He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down.
Ndofa hunched over as he settled into a large armchair. He gestured to a nearby attendant, who stepped forward with a silver tray and set a goblet containing ice water and a slice of lime on the side table, resting it on a napkin. The president took a sip from the glass before beginning a conversation with the head of the inspection group.
He spoke in Swazi, his voice soft and slow, yet calm and steady. Despite the language barrier, his tone and demeanor had an effect on the attendees, leading them to unconsciously recognize this military strongman as the absolute ruler of Swaziland.
The reception lasted over an hour, ending just before noon. The group was then escorted to the banquet hall, where they had lunch with the president, followed by a group photo on the lawn in front of the residence.
As they prepared to leave, Ndofa presented each member with a gift. It was a gray-blue textured paper box containing a personal photo album signed by the president, along with a small inlaid teakwood box, about the size of a ring case, which held a gold presidential badge edged with embedded diamonds.
That evening, a farewell banquet was held at the Swazi Sun Hotel to celebrate the successful completion of the inspection. The next morning, the group departed for the airport and boarded a Jetstream 41 regional aircraft bound for Johannesburg.
Twenty hours later, they flew back to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific Flight CX748.