186: Chapter 96 A Stage of Victory

The autumn chill in Jinling had deepened overnight.

Pushing open the window in the early morning, the sweet scent of sweet osmanthus from across the city rushed in, so sweet it was almost cloying. The pleasure boats on the Qinhuai River had already drawn up their bamboo curtains, and the boatwomen, wrapped in indigo-padded jackets, slowly rowed their oars in the middle of the river. The oars creaked, and ripples spread out in concentric circles, shattering the reflection of the parasol leaves on the water's surface. On the city walls, the leaves of a few ivy plants burned a fiery red, like flowing blood, or like a blazing fire. In the distance, Mount Zhong loomed indistinctly in the light mist, the pavilion at its summit like a chess piece pinned onto a grayish-blue chessboard.

But Li Ling was in no mood to appreciate the autumn scenery across the city.

He stood before the window of the Imperial Study, clutching a thin report in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force of his grip. The tea on the desk had gone completely cold, a thin film of oil forming on the surface of the dark brown liquid, reflecting his furrowed brow and the dark stubble on his chin. The wind from outside crept through the cracks, rustling the papers on the desk like countless white doves flapping their wings.

He had been standing like this for half an hour.

Empress Su Wanqing walked in carrying a plate of freshly made osmanthus cakes, placing it gently on the table. The plate made a soft, crisp clink as it touched the red sandalwood surface. "Your Majesty, you have been standing for half an hour," she said softly, a hint of concern in her voice. "Would you like to take a break?"

"Mhm," Li Ling grunted in response, but he did not move.

What he was reading was the mid-term summary report of the Five-Year Plan—it had taken the Ministry of Industrial Production three months, traveling through more than a dozen provinces across the country and compiling statistics from thousands of factories and mines, to compile this ledger hundreds of pages thick. But at this moment, what caught his attention was not the dry numbers, but a brief yet incredibly heavy annotation on the final page of the report: "Most targets of the First Five-Year Plan have been completed ahead of schedule and exceeded."

"Most targets of the First Five-Year Plan have been completed ahead of schedule and exceeded."

Steel production had quadrupled, soaring from 300,000 tons to 1.2 million tons. Those steel mills that had sprung up from the northwestern Gobi Desert, those steel rolling mills roaring day and night along the Yangtze River, and those young Chinese workers who had taken over welding torches from German Empire technicians turned furnace after furnace of molten iron into steel rails, gun barrels, ship plates, and agricultural tools. Last winter, when the No. 6 blast furnace of the Yumen Iron and Steel Complex was ignited, the fire lit up half the sky, startling even the wild camels on the Gobi Desert into running dozens of miles away. On the day the blast furnace tapped its iron, an old technician squatted in front of the furnace, watching the bubbling, orange-red molten iron, covering his face and weeping for a long time—in his youth, he had been an apprentice in a British steel mill, back when foreigners never let him touch the core technology. Now, he could refine steel better than the foreigners himself.

Coal production had increased two and a half times, going from five million tons to twelve million tons. The coal mines of Pingdingshan were dug three hundred meters underground, where the temperature in the tunnels remained above forty degrees Celsius year-round. Workers swung their pickaxes bare-chested, sweat mixing with coal dust to form black rivers running down their backs. Only with enough coal could steam locomotives run freely on the railways; only with sufficient fuel could power plants light up the nights of Jinling City with electric lamps—a light ten times brighter than kerosene lamps. When it first shone into the homes of ordinary people, many elderly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, thinking it was a manifestation of the gods, while some turned their palms over and over under the light, murmuring, "How is this light not blinding?"

The railway mileage in operation reached 8,200 kilometers, exceeding the original plan of 5,000 kilometers by more than sixty percent. Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou's steel rulers and blueprints had spread to every province. It took only half a day by train from Jinling to Shanghai, two days and nights to the Capital, and three days and nights to Yangcheng. Most of the post stations along the way had closed down because no one needed to deliver letters by horse anymore—telegrams and railways had sewn the entire country together. Once, while sitting on an inspection train and watching the fields and villages recede rapidly outside the window, Vice Minister Zhan Tianyou suddenly remarked, "This old man has built railways all his life, but only today do I feel that these tracks are not laying a road, but laying the nation's lifeblood."

Grain production had increased by one and a half times. The chimneys of the chemical fertilizer plants outside Jinling City spewed white smoke day and night, and those grayish-white powders were packed into sacks and transported to the fields. An old farmer in the wheat fields of Western Henan held the new grain seeds, tears streaming down his face as he said, "Four hundred catties of wheat per mu? This old man has farmed for forty years and has never seen such a sight." Those improved strains of wheat and rice bent low with heavy ears, as if bowing to the earth. During the autumn harvest, the grain in the granaries was piled up to the rafters. The old storekeeper would count them every night, laughing as he counted, and then crying as he laughed.

At that moment, the system's prompt sounded, interrupting Li Ling's thoughts.

[Ding! Detected that the host has completed the major achievement "First Five-Year Plan Mid-Term Over-fulfillment"! Reward: One lucky draw opportunity (Advanced). Would you like to draw now?]

Li Ling's eyes lit up. He walked quickly back to the desk, sat down with a thud, and said gruffly, "Draw! Draw now!"

[Host, please wait... Draw in progress... Congratulations to the host! You have obtained: Radio Technology (Full Version)! Includes schematic diagrams, production processes, operation manuals, and personnel training programs, which can cover the entire military, country, and civilian communication networks!]

"Radio?" Li Ling blinked. "Is that the thing that can send telegrams across hundreds of miles?"

[Yes, host. Radio technology can be divided into two levels: military and civilian. The military version includes long-wave long-range communication stations, medium-wave tactical radio stations, and portable walkie-talkies. The effective communication distance of the long-wave station can reach 3,000 kilometers, allowing direct, real-time contact with the ocean-going fleet. Tactical radio stations cover division-and-regiment-level communications within fifty kilometers, while walkie-talkies can achieve instant communication for battalion-and-company-level units. The civilian version can be used for radio stations and civilian telegraph networks, improving the efficiency of social information transmission. The system also comes with a set of cryptographic encryption algorithms; even if the enemy intercepts the signal, they cannot decipher it. Among them, the walkie-talkies utilize frequency-hopping technology, switching communication frequencies every 0.3 seconds. Even if the enemy intercepts a brief signal, they cannot lock on and track it continuously.]

"Walkie-talkies?" Li Ling's eyes lit up. "Like those 'Calling headquarters, over' things in movies?"

[...Host, your analogy is very vivid. Yes, it is exactly that kind of "Calling headquarters, over" thing. However, it is lighter, more energy-efficient, and has stronger anti-interference capabilities than the 'SCR-300' used by American soldiers in World War II. Each main unit weighs about 3.5 kilograms, has an effective communication range of five kilometers, and is equipped with an encrypted voice module. In complex terrains such as jungles, mountains, and urban street combat, its communication reliability remains above ninety percent, and the battery life can reach up to twelve hours of continuous operation.]

"Holy crap!" Li Ling stood straight up in excitement, slamming his fist onto the red sandalwood desk, causing the plate of osmanthus cakes to jump a few times. "Do you know what this means?! From now on, when my troops go to war, they will never have to rely on messengers riding horses back and forth again! Once an order is issued, all battalion commanders can receive it within three seconds! And the enemy won't even understand it!"

[Host, the system suggests you calm down and watch your blood pressure. Additionally, this technology is equally applicable to civilian use. You can establish radio stations to broadcast news, education, and entertainment programs to the entire country via radio waves. This will greatly enhance national cohesion and social mobilization capabilities. Centered on Jinling, the first batch of medium-wave radio stations can have a coverage radius of up to two hundred kilometers, and the signal can subsequently cover major cities nationwide by establishing relay stations.]

"Radio stations!" Li Ling's eyes grew even brighter, shining like two lit lightbulbs. "Yes! This is great! I want to build a radio station in Jinling! Let everyone in the country hear my voice! Aren't those foreign powers' newspapers full of nonsense? I'll speak for myself! Let the common people know the truth!"

He paced back and forth in the study in excitement, rubbing his hands one moment and slapping the table the next, like a child who had just received a beloved toy. Empress Su Wanqing watched from the side, unable to help but cover her mouth and laugh.

"Your Majesty, what is the matter with you?" she asked softly. "What is making you so happy?"

Li Ling snapped out of it and cleared his throat. "Nothing, nothing. I am studying... uh... state affairs. By the way, Wanqing, pass down my decree to have the people from the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Industry come see me immediately. There is a new piece of equipment to be fully deployed."

Empress Su Wanqing curtsied. "This consort will see to it immediately." As she turned, her skirt lightly brushed against the threshold, like a drifting cloud.

After she left, Li Ling sat back at his desk, staring at the invisible system interface, and said triumphantly, "System, this thing is not bad. You've finally been generous for once."

[Host, the system has always been generous; you just don't recognize quality. By the way, let me remind you that the promotion of radio technology requires supporting production lines and training systems. It is recommended that the host prioritize deploying the military version in military camps and naval fleets before gradually transitioning to civilian use. The first batch of production lines will require a thirty-day commissioning period, and a training program for three thousand operators can be launched simultaneously. The training content will include basic circuit principles, equipment operation, troubleshooting, and encrypted communication protocols.]

"I know, I know," Li Ling waved his hand. "What's the rush? Good things must be used where they matter most. Pass down the order: the first batch will produce one hundred long-wave radio stations to equip all capital ships of the First Fleet; three hundred tactical radio stations to be equipped to all division-level units of the five army groups; and produce one thousand walkie-talkies first, to be distributed to various regiment-level command posts and Special Forces."

[Understood. The Production Base has activated the relevant production lines, and the first batch of deliveries is expected to be completed within thirty days. Among them, the communication distance of the long-wave radio stations can reach four thousand kilometers at night, which is enough to enable real-time calls between Jinling and the ocean-going fleet. This will be a decisive advantage in naval warfare—while the enemy is still using signal flags and lights to transmit messages, your orders will have already spread throughout the entire fleet.]

That afternoon, Li Ling convened a small-scale imperial meeting in the Imperial Study, with only Chief of Staff Zhang Wanshan, Lin Yongsheng, Minister of Rites Shen Zhibai, and a few core advisors attending. The autumn sun outside was just right, its golden rays spilling through the carved window lattices, casting patches of mottled light and shadow on the blue brick floor. Dust floated slowly in the beams of light like countless fine golden specks. The air was filled with a scent of mixed sweet osmanthus and ink, along with the slight crackling sound of burning charcoal in the brazier.

"Everyone," Li Ling said, getting straight to the point as he pushed the mid-term summary report to the center of the table. "You have all seen the achievements of the Five-Year Plan. Steel, coal, railways, grain... everything that could be exceeded has been exceeded. Now, I have an even more important matter to announce."

He scanned the people seated around him, his gaze finally landing on the azure direction of Japan on the sea chart.

"The First Five-Year Plan has been completed ahead of schedule and exceeded, greatly boosting our national strength. The military has finished rearming, the fleet has completed reorganization, and morale is high. As for the threats in the north—those warlords and foreign forces—they have been mostly wiped out. Therefore, I have decided that our next step must be to shift our focus."

He walked to the wall and suddenly pulled away a silk cloth covering a giant map. As the silk cloth fell, it brought a gentle breeze, rustling the papers on the table like countless white doves flapping their wings.

On the map, the strategic situation of the entire eastern part of Asia was clear at a glance, and the most eye-catching feature was that island nation surrounded by a ring of vermilion arrows—Japan. Those arrows used fine lines to mark troop strength, routes, and time nodes, every stroke dripping with a coldness born of meticulous calculation.

"Next," Li Ling's finger traced across the map, finally landing heavily on the mainland of Japan, "it is time to deal with this bunch of buffoons. With the full support of Meijian Country, they have been frantically rebuilding their navy, and they have even dragged in Britain and France to form a new intervention coalition. Intelligence shows that their Sasebo military port has repaired three large dry docks and is simultaneously constructing two new Cruisers; in the dry docks of the Kure Naval Arsenal, the keel of a Battleship modeled after the British 'Dreadnought' class has already been laid. This is not just to fight us, this is to strangle us in our cradle! But I will not give them the chance!"

"He who strikes first gains the upper hand, while he who strikes late is controlled by others. We must strike before they finish assembling!"

His voice suddenly rose, carrying an unquestionable certainty that shook the dust on the rafters, causing it to fall in showers:

The meeting room fell silent for a moment, and then the rough roars of the generals erupted, like muffled thunder rolling across the roof.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"It's time to let them taste our power!"

"I've been waiting five years for this day!"

Li Ling raised his hand to signal for silence and continued, "Next, I will deploy the specific operational plan. But before that—System, when will the rewards arrive?" He suddenly turned to the system in his mind, a hint of urgency in his tone.

[The first batch of radio equipment is being produced overnight in the advanced workshops of the Production Base, with delivery expected in a month. However, host, the system reminds you: new equipment also requires a break-in period. It is recommended that you conduct radio communication tactical drills during this month to familiarize grassroots officers with this new tool of "voice transmission over thousands of miles." The drill content should include communication recovery under signal interference, multi-channel coordinated command, and communication priority allocation in emergencies.]

"A month? That's enough!" Li Ling grinned, his smile carrying a hint of the cunning and confidence unique to a sly schemer. "In a month, I will show the people of Japan what we call—the invisible front!"

The autumn sun outside was just right, a ray of golden light falling over Japan on the sea chart, as if gilding the impending great war with a cruel golden edge. In the distance, a solitary eagle swept across the sky, drawing a long arc in the blue sky.