59: Chapter 59 Talent Card

The arrival of the German Princess brought a breath of fresh air to Li Ling's territory.

The German Princess was arranged to stay in the guest room that Li Ling had specially prepared for her. The room was decorated to be warm and comfortable, and the table was filled with local snacks from Qingxia Kingdom and fresh flowers. The German Princess was very satisfied with everything and praised Li Ling's thoughtfulness repeatedly.

That evening, Li Ling hosted a banquet for the German Princess. The banquet was not overly grand, but the dishes were very rich, featuring both traditional delicacies of Qingxia Kingdom and the Western-style food the German Princess was accustomed to. The German Princess ate happily, and she was particularly full of praise for the roast duck of Qingxia Kingdom.

"This roast duck is so delicious!" the German Princess exclaimed while eating. "I have never eaten anything this good in Berlin."

"I am glad you like it," Li Ling said with a smile. "When you leave, I will have someone pack a few for you."

"Really?" The German Princess's eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful!"

The two ate and chatted, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. The German Princess asked many questions about Qingxia Kingdom, such as its customs, history, culture, and natural scenery. Li Ling answered them one by one and even told some interesting anecdotes and legends.

The German Princess listened with great interest, occasionally letting out exclamations of wonder.

"General Li, you are truly a knowledgeable person," the German Princess praised sincerely.

"You flatter me, German Princess," Li Ling said modestly. "I only know a little bit about it."

After the banquet, Li Ling escorted the German Princess back to her room. Standing at the door, the German Princess suddenly turned around, looked at Li Ling, and said softly, "General Li, I had a very happy time today. Thank you."

"You are too kind, German Princess," Li Ling said with a smile. "Please get some rest. I will accompany you to look around tomorrow."

"Okay," the German Princess nodded, then gathered her courage and said, "General Li, could you call me Elena? Calling me German Princess all the time feels too distant."

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "Alright, Elena."

The German Princess blushed, ran into the room quickly, and closed the door.

Li Ling stood outside the door, shook his head, and turned to leave.

"System, do you think she is interested in me?" Li Ling asked while walking.

"Is that even a question?" The System rolled its eyes. "She let you call her by her name; isn't that obvious enough?"

"But I still feel it's a bit unreal," Li Ling said. "A German Princess, how could she fall for someone like me..."

"Someone like you what?" The System interrupted him. "You are now a great General holding heavy troops, a hegemon of a region, and an important partner of the German Empire. What makes you think you aren't good enough for her? Besides, in matters of affection, there is no such thing as being worthy or unworthy; as long as two people like each other, that is enough."

Li Ling thought about it and felt the System made sense.

Just the day after the German Princess visited, the System suddenly notified Li Ling that because he had successfully thwarted the diplomatic pressure from the great powers and established a solid alliance with the German Empire, the System judged this to be a major achievement and rewarded him with a high-level lottery draw.

Li Ling immediately perked up: "A high-level lottery draw? What kind of good things are there?"

"You'll know once you draw," the System said. "Do you want to draw now?"

"Draw! Of course, draw!"

The System's lottery interface appeared on Li Ling's retina. A golden wheel spun rapidly, and Li Ling's heart rose with it.

The wheel spun slower and slower, eventually stopping on a special slot.

"Congratulations to the host, you have drawn a special reward—a Talent Card!" The System's voice carried a hint of surprise.

"A Talent Card? What kind of talent?" Li Ling asked excitedly.

"A German engineering team!" the System replied. "This is a team composed of fifty top-tier German engineers, covering multiple fields such as ship design, mechanical manufacturing, metallurgy, and chemical engineering. They will be manifested through the System within three days and will completely obey the host's orders."

Li Ling was so excited he almost jumped up: "That's great! What I lack most right now is professional talent!"

"Don't be happy too soon," the System poured cold water on him. "Although these engineers have strong professional capabilities, they need time to become familiar with your Production Base, and it is impossible for them to be effective right away."

"That is still better than nothing," Li Ling paced around the room excitedly. "With these engineers, my industrial system can reach a new level!"

Three days later, the fifty German engineers manifested as promised. They were all in their thirties and forties, prime age, experienced, and energetic. Li Ling met them personally and arranged their work and accommodation.

These engineers were very curious about Li Ling's Production Base. They had never seen such an advanced factory or such an efficient assembly line. Li Ling allowed them to study in the Production Base but did not allow them to take the core technology out.

Although the engineers were a bit regretful, they could understand. They knew that core technology was Li Ling's lifeline and could not be easily given to outsiders.

With the addition of this group of engineers, Li Ling's military production capacity increased significantly. They helped improve production processes, optimized assembly lines, and increased product quality. In less than a month, the production capacity of the Production Base increased by twenty percent.

Li Ling was very satisfied with this.

Meanwhile, Emily also learned the news of the German Princess's visit.

She felt a bit uncomfortable, but she also knew that her status could not compare with the German Princess. The other woman was a legitimate royal princess, while she was just the only daughter of a consortium; although her family was wealthy, there was a huge gap in status.

However, Emily was not discouraged. She knew that Li Ling was a pragmatic person who would not only value status. As long as she could bring tangible help to Li Ling, he would not ignore her.

Therefore, Emily began to study Chinese harder and tried even harder to understand the culture of Qingxia Kingdom. She also took the initiative to help Li Ling handle some trade affairs with Meijian Country, making use of her own strengths.

Li Ling noticed Emily's efforts and was a bit touched.

That afternoon, Emily came to find Li Ling and brought him a detailed report. The report analyzed the current economic situation and foreign policy of Meijian Country and predicted the measures that Meijian Country might take in the future.

After reading the report, Li Ling was very surprised: "Did you write this report?"

"Yes," Emily nodded. "My father often discusses these with me, and I have learned quite a bit from being immersed in it."

"It is written so well!" Li Ling praised sincerely. "This report is very useful to me."

Emily blushed: "As long as it can help you, that is enough."

Li Ling looked at her and suddenly asked: "Emily, why do you want to help me so much?"

Emily was stunned for a moment, then lowered her head and said softly: "Because... because I like you."

Li Ling was silent.

"I know that you already have Empress Su Wanqing by your side, as well as the German Princess," Emily raised her head and looked at Li Ling bravely. "I don't ask for anything; I just hope to stay by your side and help you do some things within my power."

Li Ling sighed, walked up, and gently patted her shoulder: "Emily, thank you for your feelings. But matters of affection cannot be forced. I need time."

"It's okay, I can wait." Emily smiled. Her smile carried a hint of bitterness, but it was filled with more determination.

After sending Emily away, Li Ling sat in the study for a long time without moving.

"System, what do you think I should do?" Li Ling asked with a bitter smile. "Empress Su Wanqing, the German Princess, Emily—three women, who should I choose?"

"Choose who? Why wouldn't you choose all of them?" the System said as a matter of course. "In this era of yours, isn't it normal for powerful and wealthy men to have multiple wives and concubines? Besides, these three women are all helpful to your cause. If you marry them, you can satisfy your emotional needs and consolidate your power—killing two birds with one stone."

Li Ling was speechless: "Why are you acting like a matchmaker?"

"This is called caring for the host's emotional life," the System chuckled. "Besides, I am not wrong. Empress Su Wanqing is your childhood sweetheart, with the deepest bond; the German Princess can help you consolidate your relationship with the German Empire; Emily can help you open up the situation with Meijian Country. These three women, not one can be missing."

Li Ling shook his head and stopped arguing with the System. He understood in his heart that although what the System said was realistic, it was not unreasonable. In this chaotic world, marriage is often not just a matter between two people but involves interests in all aspects.

But no matter what, he would not let down the sincerity of any of them.