81: Chapter 81 The Second Super Deluxe Gift Package

Section I: Post-war Aftermath

When news of the annihilation of the United Fleet spread across the world, Li Ling was standing on the bridge of the dragon might, looking at the wreckage and oil slicks floating on the sea surface.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the entire ocean a dark crimson.

The sea breeze rushed in, carrying the scent of gunpowder and burning, while several rescue ships in the distance were salvaging survivors from the water, lifeboats cutting white wakes across the sea surface.

Occasionally, faint cries for help could be heard, but they were quickly swallowed by the waves.

In this battle, of the more than sixty vessels of the United Fleet, over forty were sunk, more than ten were heavily damaged, and fewer than ten managed to escape.

Admiral Fisher sank into the sea with his flagship, while Dewey and Togo Heihachiro escaped with injuries; the main force of the United Fleet was completely destroyed.

However, the fleet of Li Ling also paid a heavy price.

One Dreadnought was heavily damaged, two were lightly damaged, one Pre-dreadnought sank, three Torpedo boats were lost, one Submarine was lost, 523 officers and soldiers were killed in action, and 612 were wounded.

Those young faces, those vibrant lives, had thus vanished forever into these cold waters.

"Sir, the rescue work is basically complete." The adjutant stepped forward, his voice low. "A total of over three hundred enemy officers and soldiers have been rescued from the water, while our missing personnel... are still being tallied."

Li Ling nodded without speaking.

He knew what "missing" meant—in these cold waters, missing was almost synonymous with death.

Those soldiers who had not boarded the lifeboats, those sailors who had been knocked unconscious by the blast wave and sunk to the seabed, they would never return.

"The list of fallen soldiers must be compiled immediately." Li Ling's voice was somewhat hoarse. "Double the pension payments, and as for the families... send people to offer condolences. You must ensure that the imperial pension reaches every single household. We cannot let the families of the martyrs lose heart."

"Yes!" The adjutant stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.

Li Ling took a deep breath and turned to walk back to his cabin. He needed a moment of solitude.

Just then, the system's notification sound suddenly rang in his mind, carrying a rare note of solemnity:

"Ding! The host has successfully routed the main force of the United Fleet, completely destroying the naval power of Japan, Meijian Country, and the United Kingdom, achieving a 'Key Development Node.' The system determines that the first volume is about to end and grants the host—the Second Super Deluxe Gift Package!"

Li Ling stopped abruptly, his eyes wide.

"What? The Second Super Deluxe Gift Package?" he exclaimed in his heart, his voice trembling. "System, you aren't lying to me, are you?"

"The system never lies to the host." The system's tone carried a hint of pride. "The contents of the gift package are as follows: First, a Satellite system—the first reconnaissance satellite, capable of global real-time reconnaissance and 24/7 surveillance of any target; Second, conventional forces for the Army, Air Force, and Navy—two Infantry Divisions (totaling 60,000 men), equipped with modern weapons; one Aviation Squadron (twelve biplanes), equipped with aerial bombs and machine guns. All troops are manifested by the system, completely obedient to the host's commands, and will not reveal the existence of the system."

After hearing this, Li Ling was stunned, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

A satellite! 60,000 modern infantry! Twelve planes!

Putting these things in 1899 was simply alien technology.

Especially that reconnaissance satellite—global real-time reconnaissance meant that every move of the enemy was under his nose, and any military deployment would have nowhere to hide.

And 60,000 modern infantry, plus twelve planes, were enough to more than double the strength of his Army and Air Force.

"System, you... why are you so generous today?" Li Ling asked stammeringly. "Did you take the wrong medicine?"

"The system did not take the wrong medicine." The system said testily. "The system just feels that the host has worked hard fighting wars for so many years, so it's time to give a decent reward. Besides, the first volume is about to end; it wouldn't be right not to give a big gift package."

Li Ling was so excited he almost jumped up, but he suppressed his excitement, kept a straight face, and said, "System, do you think I'm about to win, so you're giving me a little treat? I'm telling you, I don't fall for that! However... since you've given it, I will reluctantly accept it."

"Host, your mouth is stretched to your ears, yet you say you're reluctant?"

"Shut up!"

Section II: The Shock of the Satellite

Three days later, under the guidance of the system, Li Ling arrived at a secret base outside the city.

It was a complex surrounded by high walls, looking like an ordinary military camp on the surface, but after walking inside, Li Ling was completely stunned.

In the center of the base stood a huge launch tower, about fifty meters high, welded entirely from special steel, with its surface coated in anti-rust paint, gleaming with a cold metallic luster under the sun.

At the top of the launch tower, a silver-white rocket stood quietly, its streamlined body shining brightly in the sun, the engine nozzles at the tail glowing with a faint blue luster.

"This... is this a rocket?" Li Ling looked up, his jaw almost dropping. "System, didn't you say you were giving a satellite? Why did you even give a rocket?"

"How can you send a satellite into the sky without a rocket?" the system retorted. "Host, you don't think the satellite flies up by itself, do you?"

Li Ling was speechless.

Although he was a military industry expert in his previous life, he specialized in ship design and missile guidance; while he understood aerospace technology, seeing such a complete rocket standing before his eyes still left him too shocked to speak.

The rocket was about forty meters high and four meters in diameter, silver-white all over, with the flag of Qingxia Kingdom and the words "Sky Eye I" printed on the body.

The four engine nozzles at the tail were arranged neatly, each taller than a person, densely packed with pipes and circuits inside.

Around the rocket, dozens of technicians in white uniforms were busy conducting final checks; some were adjusting equipment, some reading data, and others checking fuel lines.

"System, how high can this rocket fly?" Li Ling asked.

"It can send the satellite into a low Earth orbit five hundred kilometers above the ground," the system replied. "After entering orbit, the satellite can conduct reconnaissance on any location on the globe within twenty-four hours, with a resolution reaching the decimeter level. Simply put, a car, a fishing boat, or even a person on the ground can be clearly captured by the satellite."

Li Ling gasped.

Decimeter-level resolution, while not much in the 21st century, was simply the perspective of a god in 1899.

With this satellite, any military deployment of the enemy was like fish on a chopping block, which he could slice however he pleased.

"When is the launch?" he asked impatiently.

"Tonight at eight o'clock sharp," the system said. "The host can press the launch button personally."

The launch time was set for eight o'clock in the evening.

Li Ling arrived at the control center an hour early, his palms sweating with nervousness.

The control center was located in an underground bunker near the launch tower, a huge circular hall with electronic screens covering the surrounding walls, displaying data and images of various parts of the rocket.

In the center of the hall was a huge console, densely covered with buttons, switches, and indicator lights, with several technicians sitting in front of the console, staring intently at the screens.

Li Ling stood at the command seat behind the console, the screen in front of him showing real-time footage of the rocket.

The afterglow of the sunset spilled onto the silver-white rocket body, dyeing it a golden red, so beautiful it didn't seem like a real object.

"System, do you think the satellite can successfully enter orbit?" Li Ling asked in his heart, his voice carrying a hint of tension.

"Products from the system are always high quality," the system said confidently. "Rest assured, host, there will absolutely be no problems. This rocket and satellite have both undergone rigorous testing, with a reliability of over 99.9%."

"And what about that 0.1%?"

"...Host, you are just being argumentative."

Time passed second by second.

At eight o'clock sharp, Li Ling took a deep breath and pressed the launch button on the console.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven..." the countdown came over the control center's speakers, each number striking Li Ling's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Three, two, one, ignition!"

A massive roar came from the ground, shaking the entire control center.

On the screen, the engine at the tail of the rocket spewed orange-red flames, and thick smoke and steam gushed out from the bottom of the launch tower, instantly engulfing the entire launch pad.

The rocket slowly lifted off, its speed increasing, dragging a long tail flame as it shot straight into the clouds.

"First-stage engine working normally, thrust stable."

"Second-stage engine ignited, rocket attitude normal."

"Fairing separated, satellite exposed to space."

"Third-stage engine working normally, satellite entered predetermined orbit!"

The technicians reported the rocket's status one after another, each piece of good news drawing a round of enthusiastic applause.

Li Ling stared fixedly at the screen, watching the light dot representing the rocket fly higher and farther on the map, until it broke through the atmosphere and entered outer space.

"Satellite has successfully entered orbit, solar panels deployed normally, signal reception normal!" The final report came over the speakers, and a deafening cheer erupted in the control center.

The technicians took off their headsets and hugged each other; some were even moved to tears.

To them, this was not just a successful technical test, but the first time in human history that a man-made object had been sent into space—although they were all virtual characters manifested by the system, that sense of achievement and pride was real.

Li Ling stood at the command seat, watching the tiny satellite slowly orbiting the Earth on the screen, his eyes slightly moist.

"System, do you think people on Earth can see it?"

"They cannot," the system said. "But it can see everything on Earth. From tonight on, no secret in the world can escape the host's eyes."

Li Ling took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

"Pass the order: the satellite is to enter 24-hour duty status. All Radar stations, intelligence departments, and military command centers are to be connected to the satellite data. I want real-time monitoring of global military developments; no movement can be missed."

"Understood," the system replied.

Section III: The Heavenly Eye Opens

Three days after the satellite launch, the first batch of reconnaissance photos was transmitted back to the ground.

Li Ling sat in front of the screen in the command center, looking at those high-definition satellite photos, and was completely stunned.

In the photos, the naval port on the east coast of Meijian Country was clearly visible, with dozens of warships quietly docked at the pier, and even the personnel on the decks were vaguely discernible.

In the distance, the skyline of Manhattan, New York, was silhouetted against the morning sun, and one could even make out the outline of the Statue of Liberty.

Another photo captured the Yokosuka Naval Shipyard in Japan.

In the photo, the dry dock destroyed by the Special Forces was clearly visible, with the huge wreckage of a ship hull tilted in the dock, surrounded by scattered equipment and materials.

Several Cruisers undergoing repairs were docked at the pier, their decks full of welders and fitters; one could even distinguish the tools in their hands.

"Good heavens, you can even see people clearly." Li Ling pointed to a small dot on the photo. "This person is smoking; you can even see the cigarette butt."

"Host, this is decimeter-level resolution," the system said proudly. "Seeing a pack of cigarettes on the ground from an altitude of five hundred kilometers is not a problem at all."

Li Ling rubbed his hands in excitement and immediately called for the head of the intelligence department.

"From today on, all satellite photos must be analyzed by the intelligence department." Li Ling pointed to the dense photos on the screen. "Focus on several types of targets: First, the naval ports and naval bases of the powers, especially those of Meijian Country, the United Kingdom, and Japan; Second, the arsenals and shipyards of the powers; we must figure out their production capacity; Third, the military exercises and troop movements of the powers; we must discover their operational intentions in advance."

The head of intelligence was a middle-aged man in his forties named Chen Zhiyuan, an intelligence expert manifested by the system.

He pushed up his glasses and looked carefully at the satellite photos, his eyes full of shock.

"Sir, these photos... are too clear." His voice was trembling. "With these things, every move of the enemy is under our nose; any of their military deployments is as if it were transparent."

"So, make good use of them." Li Ling patted his shoulder. "Classify and organize the photos, and send important intelligence to me immediately. In addition, form a special satellite image analysis team and train a group of professional talents."

"Yes!" Chen Zhiyuan stood at attention, saluted, and turned to leave.

Over the next few days, the satellite transmitted back more and more reconnaissance photos, covering almost all important military targets around the globe.

The naval port of Norfolk in Meijian Country, the Portsmouth Naval Base in the UK, Sasebo Port in Japan, the port of Toulon in France, the port of Lushun in Russia... every place was captured clearly, and even the models, quantities, and deployment positions of the warships could be accurately identified.

For the first time, Li Ling truly understood what a "God's-eye view" was.

In this era without reconnaissance satellites, his eyes could see across the globe, and no secret of the enemy could escape his view.

This absolute advantage in information was more terrifying than any weapon.

Section IV: Night Sky Observation

On the night of the successful satellite launch, Li Ling climbed to the roof of the command center alone.

In the night sky, stars were dense, and the Milky Way stretched across the horizon like a white ribbon of silk.

He searched for a long time among the stars and finally found the satellite that belonged to him—a small, slowly moving point of light, appearing and disappearing among the stars, like the most inconspicuous star in the night sky.

"System, do you think that in a few hundred years, humans will be able to fly to those stars?" Li Ling asked suddenly, his voice very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Host, in your previous life, humans had already landed on the moon. As for the more distant stars, it will take time," the system replied. "But one day, humans will step out of the solar system, toward the Milky Way, and into the depths of the universe."

"Then will our descendants be able to see that day?"

"If the host lays a good foundation now, they certainly will."

Li Ling was silent for a long time.

He looked at the small moving point of light in the sky, an indescribable emotion welling up in his heart.

He had been transmigrated to this era for nearly two years, transforming from an ignorant playboy into a great general with heavy troops in his hands, shaking one side of the land.

He had fought victorious battles and suffered defeats; he had killed people and saved people.

He had experienced so much, and lost so much.

Those sacrificed soldiers, those common people who lost their homes in the war, those compatriots still waiting for his rescue... whenever he thought of these people, he felt the burden on his shoulders grow heavier.

"System," he finally spoke. "Do you think I can unify the country?"

"Yes," the system replied without hesitation. "The host not only has the system but also determination and perseverance. These two things are more powerful than any weapon."

Li Ling smiled, a warm smile. "Thank you, System. Although you are usually stingy, have a sharp tongue, and are always arguing with me, at critical moments, you have never let me down."

"Host, are you complimenting me or insulting me?"

"Complimenting you." Li Ling laughed. "Of course I am complimenting you."

He jumped down from the roof, brushed the dust off his body, and strode toward the command center.

"Pass the order: convene a military meeting early tomorrow morning to discuss the Northern Expedition plan."

"Yes!"

Outside the window, the stars were brilliant, and the tiny satellite continued to orbit in space, looking down at this blue planet.

And below it, an ancient yet young civilization was quietly awakening.