144: Chapter 54 System Gift

Outside Jinling City, Military Base No. 2.

When Li Ling rode his tall black horse and arrived at the base gate, flanked by several guards, he saw from afar the neatly arranged olive-green tents and brand-new barracks.

The tents were made of new canvas, gleaming with a fresh luster in the afternoon sun, while military trucks and armored vehicles patrolled between the barracks, their wheels crunching over the gravel road.

The air was filled with the mixed scent of fresh canvas, machine oil, and freshly cut timber.

"Your Majesty, the garrison for the two newly built Infantry Divisions is just ahead," the adjutant said, pointing forward. "The Aviation Squadron's airfield is about three kilometers to the southeast of the camp, with a temporarily laid runway where all twelve attack aircraft have arrived."

Li Ling nodded, dismounted, and strode toward the camp gate.

The sentries at the gate saw him and immediately stood at attention and saluted, their movements as precise as if measured with a ruler.

"System," Li Ling asked in his mind, "what is the organization of these two Infantry Divisions? How are they equipped?"

[Both Infantry Divisions are at full strength, with approximately 15,000 personnel per division, comprising three infantry regiments, one artillery regiment, one reconnaissance battalion, one engineering battalion, and one logistics battalion.

The main infantry force is equipped with the latest automatic rifles and light machine guns, and the artillery regiment is equipped with thirty-six 105mm howitzers.

The soldiers and officers are system-manifested personnel, and their training level and combat awareness are at the top tier of the current era.

Additionally, the system has gifted a batch of heavy equipment—twelve armored reconnaissance vehicles, used for executing rapid reconnaissance and patrol missions.

If the Host requires, they can be deployed at any time.]

"Armored reconnaissance vehicles?" Li Ling's eyes lit up. "May I take a look?"

[They are already parked in the equipment depot on the east side of the camp; the Host may view them at any time.]

As Li Ling walked into the camp, his first impression was "orderly"—the tents and barracks were arranged uniformly, with the distances between them kept at precise, equal intervals, as if drawn with a ruler and compass.

Soldiers were drilling in formation on the parade ground, their steps synchronized, their chants deafening, and every face wore an expression of composure and confidence.

Li Ling walked to the edge of the parade ground, stopped, and watched the soldiers training.

They wore brand-new uniforms, and the rifles in their hands gleamed with a cold metallic luster in the sunlight; each volley of gunfire was so synchronized it sounded like a single person firing, and the targets were shattered into flying fragments.

On the distant artillery position, thirty-six howitzers were conducting simulated firing drills, the barrels rotating in unison under the gunners' operation, their movements as fluid as if rehearsed a thousand times.

"Not bad," Li Ling nodded with satisfaction. "Better than I expected."

[Host, anything produced by the System is a masterpiece. Although these soldiers appear young, each possesses tactical proficiency equivalent to three years of real combat experience. As long as the Host gives the order, they can immediately be deployed to any battlefield.]

"I am not in a hurry," Li Ling waved his hand. "Let them first familiarize themselves with the local geography and climate. The south is humid, while the north is dry; they need an adaptation period. Besides, I must first clear out the remaining domestic factions before I can safely launch the Northern Expedition."

He spent over an hour touring the camp before heading to the airfield in the southeast.

The airfield's runway was paved with compacted gravel and clay; although rudimentary, it was sufficiently flat.

Twelve attack aircraft were lined up neatly on both sides of the runway, their silver-white fuselages gleaming in the sunlight like a row of giant birds ready to spread their wings.

Li Ling walked up to an attack aircraft and reached out to touch the hardpoints under the wing.

The cold touch of the metal made his heart warm slightly.

During his years working in military industrial enterprises in his past life, he had plenty of contact with various military aircraft, but those were 21st-century "high-tech products." While these biplanes before him looked old, in this era, they were the masters of the sky.

"System, what is the performance of these aircraft? Are there any hidden features?"

[The attack aircraft has a maximum speed of 180 kilometers per hour, a service ceiling of 4,000 meters, and a range of 500 kilometers.

Under the wings, it can carry four 50kg aerial bombs or two 100kg aerial bombs.

A 7.62mm machine gun is mounted on the nose, with 500 rounds of ammunition.

Additionally, the system has equipped it with a simple gunsight—although mechanical, it is sufficiently precise for this era.]

Li Ling listened, his lips slowly curling upward.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, he suddenly heard a commotion in the distance, followed by a figure in a flight suit running quickly toward him.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The person arriving was none other than Commander Zhao Peng of the Aviation Squadron. He ran up to Li Ling, stood at attention, and saluted, his breathing somewhat rapid. "Your Majesty, I have a request!"

Li Ling looked at his sweat-drenched face and shining eyes, and smiled. "Speak, what is the request?"

"Your Majesty, all twelve of our attack aircraft have completed basic calibration, and the pilots' takeoff and landing training has met all standards." There was uncontrollable excitement in Commander Zhao Peng's voice. "I request—to conduct a live-fire bombing drill! Let you see the combat capability of our Aviation Squadron with your own eyes!"

Li Ling thought for a moment and nodded. "Fine. It just so happens I haven't seen you drop bombs before. Let's do it this afternoon; pick a safe area, and don't affect the local people or farmland."

"Yes!" Commander Zhao Peng turned on his heel and strode back to the airfield command area, waving his hand at the pilots while running and shouting, "Brothers! Prepare for a live-fire drill! His Majesty is coming to watch us drop bombs! Everyone, perk up!"

The pilots let out a cheer, like a group of children who had just heard the dinner bell.

At 2:00 PM, on a patch of wasteland five kilometers southeast of the airfield.

Several straw man targets had been set up in advance on the wasteland, and circles had been drawn on the ground with white lime, each about the size of a carriage.

There were no residential houses around the wasteland, only a few wild rabbits hiding far behind the bushes, watching the approaching silver-white figures in the sky with vigilance.

Li Ling stood on the temporary viewing platform, holding binoculars, watching the twelve black dots in the distant sky that were gradually growing larger.

The roar of engines grew from afar to near as the twelve attack aircraft arranged themselves into three four-plane formations and began to dive from an altitude of 3,000 meters.

With noses pointed down, their wings vibrated slightly in the airflow, while the sunlight hit them from the side, reflecting blinding spots of light onto the silver-white fuselages.

"Drop bombs!" Commander Zhao Peng's voice came from the cockpit of the lead aircraft, passing through the radio and into every pilot's headset.

Twelve black aerial bombs detached from the bellies of the aircraft, like black fish, trailing short shadows in the sunlight as they plummeted precisely toward the white circles on the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Continuous explosions erupted across the wasteland, fireballs rose one after another, thick smoke billowed, and gravel and earth were blasted more than ten meters into the air.

The shockwave of the explosions even reached the viewing platform, causing Li Ling's robes to flutter violently.

Li Ling lowered his binoculars and slapped the railing twice. "Good! The accuracy is not bad!"

Commander Zhao Peng led the fleet in a circle in the sky and dived a second time—this time for machine gun strafing.

The 7.62mm machine guns on the noses spat tongues of fire, bullets pouring onto the ground like raindrops, riddling the already tattered straw man targets with holes, while shredded grass and paper scraps flew everywhere amidst the hail of bullets.

"Beautiful!" Li Ling turned to the adjutant beside him. "Tell Commander Zhao Peng to come to the Imperial Study after the drill; I want to personally commend him."

"Yes!"

After the drill, Li Ling returned to the Imperial Study. As soon as he sat down, the system's notification sound rang out:

[Ding! The Host has completed the dual tasks of "Founding Ceremony + Receiving the Founding Gift Package," achieving the great achievement of "Founding the Nation." The System determines to grant the Host one extra lucky draw opportunity!]

Li Ling straightened up instantly. "A lucky draw? Did I hear that right? Isn't your system always stingy? Why are you so generous today? You actually gave a lucky draw opportunity voluntarily?"

[Host, the System has always been very generous. It's just that you have never discovered it.]

"Fine, fine, you're generous, you're generous." Li Ling rubbed his hands. "Then, shall I draw? Draw now? Do I need to prepare any ritual? Like spinning three times and shouting 'Heavenly Spirit, Earthly Spirit'?"

[…Host, just act normally.]

"Then I'm starting!" Li Ling closed his eyes and waved his hand vigorously. "Draw!"

The virtual wheel spun rapidly, every segment flashing with golden light.

Li Ling held his breath, his heart beating so fast it felt like it was going to jump out of his chest.

[Congratulations, Host, you have obtained the "Preliminary Planning Blueprint for the National Railway Network"! Supporting resources: raw material quotas for 100,000 tons of steel rails, 500 locomotives, and 1,000 train cars!]

Li Ling was stunned.

He widened his eyes, his mouth opening and closing, and it took several seconds before he blurted out two words: "Holy crap!"

[Host, please mind your language. You are an Emperor, not a hooligan.]

"Emperors are people too!" Li Ling jumped up from the dragon throne in excitement. "100,000 tons of steel rails! 500 locomotives! 1,000 train cars! System, do you know what this means?! This means I can connect the national railway network within three years! From Jinling to Shanghai, from Shanghai to the capital, from the capital to the northeast—the entire Tang Country's transport capacity will increase more than tenfold!"

[The System naturally knows. That is why this is a reward that fits your current needs. Didn't the Host keep complaining that railway construction was too slow? Now with this planning blueprint and supporting resources, you can increase the speed of railway construction by at least three times.]

Li Ling took a deep breath, trying to calm his emotions.

He walked quickly to the giant map on the wall, unfolded the railway planning map projected by the System, and examined it carefully.

On the planning map, red lines started from Jinling, extending east to Shanghai, north to the capital, southwest to Guangzhou, northwest to Lanzhou, and northeast to Fengtian.

Several main lines intersected, like a giant net spreading out, covering the Tang Country's most core economic regions and military strongholds.

The corners of the map were also marked with various technical parameters and construction standards, including track gauge, roadbed width, bridge load capacity, tunnel height, etc.—every detail, no matter how small, was accurate to the centimeter.

"Good… too good…" Li Ling's hand gently stroked those red lines, his voice filled with a tenderness he hadn't even noticed himself. "With this network, the Tang Country's army can be rapidly deployed anywhere, trade routes can be unobstructed, and the people can take trains to faraway places… This is worth more than winning a hundred victories."

[Host, you understand the System's intentions now, right?]

"I understand." Li Ling sat back on the dragon throne and let out a long sigh. "System, I retract everything I've said about you being 'stingy.' You aren't stingy; you are… you are far-sighted. You save the good things for the most critical moments."

[Host, why are you so good with words today? Did the sun rise from the west?]

"Mind your own business!" Li Ling scolded with a laugh, then picked up a pen and wrote "June, First Year of Yongan, General Railway Construction Plan" on the first page of the blueprint, and signed his name. "Pass the order down; have Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou come to the Imperial Study immediately. I want to discuss the implementation details of this plan with him in person."

The adjutant acknowledged the order and left. Li Ling leaned back in his chair, looking at the blueprint that covered half the table, and suddenly felt some of the pressure in his chest dissipate.

When he first transmigrated, he thought building guns and cannons was the most urgent thing; later, with a fleet, he thought fighting wars was the most urgent thing; and after ascending the throne, he thought stabilizing the government was the most urgent thing.

But now he understood—what truly changes a country is not guns, not armies, and not even the Emperor, but the infrastructure that allows the people to live a good life.

Railways, schools, hospitals, factories… these are the backbone of a country.

Outside the window, the setting sun was slowly sinking below the horizon, golden afterglow spilling onto the floor of the Imperial Study, causing the red lines on the blueprint to gleam faintly, as if they were burning.

That evening, Li Ling and Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou talked in the Imperial Study until late at night.

Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou was in his early forties, tall and thin, wearing round-rimmed glasses. He spoke in a measured, deliberate manner, but every sentence hit the mark.

As soon as he saw the blueprint Li Ling handed over, his eyes lit up, and he seemed to grow ten years younger. He leaned over the map, examining it inch by inch, muttering, "Too beautiful," "This design is so reasonable," and "If built according to this standard, the national railway mileage could exceed 10,000 kilometers within five years."

"Five years?" Li Ling asked. "Are you sure?"

"If the resources are in place, exceeding 10,000 kilometers within five years is entirely feasible." Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou straightened up and pushed up his glasses. "Your Majesty, the design level of this blueprint far exceeds my imagination. Especially the load-bearing standards for the roadbed and the load coefficients for the bridges—they are all designed according to modern railway standards. While this is difficult with the country's current construction technology, as long as the supporting equipment and materials are in place, the construction period can definitely be compressed."

"You don't need to worry about equipment and materials." Li Ling waved his hand. "I have already prepared raw material quotas for 100,000 tons of steel rails, 500 locomotives, and 1,000 train cars. There is also a batch of construction machinery and technical personnel being imported from the German Empire, which should arrive soon."

Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou froze for a moment, then let out a long sigh, his voice filled with an indescribable emotion. "Your Majesty… I have spent half my life building railways in the Qingxia Kingdom, and I have never seen any emperor willing to invest so many resources into a railway plan. You are the first. You are also the only one."

"Don't rush to praise me yet." Li Ling smiled. "Wait until the railway is built; it won't be too late to praise me then."

The two continued their discussion until the moon outside the window had risen to the zenith, at which point they reluctantly ended their conversation. After seeing Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou off, Li Ling returned to the Imperial Study and stood before the window, watching the silent night outside.

The distant Jinling City had quieted down, with only a few scattered lanterns still flickering on the streets. The outline of the city wall was exceptionally clear in the moonlight, like a sleeping dragon coiled upon the earth. The night breeze carried the sound of water from the Qinhuai River, mingling with the chirping of insects, sounding exceptionally long and lingering in the quiet.

"System," Li Ling said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Tell me, once the railway is built, I want to ride a train to see the scenery all over the country. What will it look like then?"

[If everything goes smoothly, the Tang Country five years from now should already have an intersecting railway network. It will only take half a day to get from Jinling to Shanghai, two days from Jinling to the capital, and three days from Jinling to Guangzhou. By then, the people will be able to travel further in less time and transport more goods at a lower cost. That is the change… that is the change you created with your own hands.]

Li Ling nodded, turned around, and looked at the blueprint on the table that still smelled of printer's ink. "Then let's work hard. I can't wait to see that day."