CHAPTER 32 #2
Hedy had not expected things to develop so quickly, sparking a nationwide wave of joint research and invention.
Now, with the steam industry flourishing, more people began to live dignified and fulfilling lives, allowing them to devote some of their time to exploring the unknown.
At this moment, a telegram arrived from the port of Pisa.
—The Chinese fleet has arrived here.
Their fleet was carrying goods, gold, and silver, and they intended to purchase large quantities of iron ore and coal.
The fleet was enough to strike awe into anyone. The towering ships, gleaming like a towering cathedral, did not have any large sails to catch the wind.
In terms of grandeur and strength, they were as formidable as a majestic silver dragon.
——
The Eastern guests had indeed arrived a bit too quickly.
When Hedy learned that they had arrived by steamship, she was momentarily at a loss for words.
She quickly obtained a photo of the steamship and fell into a long silence.
—The scale and modernity of that ship were on par with the massive vessel she had boarded at the age of twenty while trying to make a living at MGM.
It had a swimming pool, five decks of passenger cabins, and an astonishingly fast speed.
She could only be thankful that the empire was still in a post-war reconstruction phase, so it wasn't bringing even more powerful guns and cannons from Russia.
Back then, the Huns, named "The Scourge of God," had marched down from the northern borders, directly causing the largest population migration in European history, fundamentally altering a large portion of the medieval era.
"Your Majesty, the Chinese envoys have arrived."
She took a deep breath, raised her head, and walked out.
The current Chinese Empire was, like theirs, a constitutional monarchy.
It was said that the ancient indigenous people of that vast land could not accept the concepts of "equality" and "freedom," still willing to live within the traditional hierarchical system of rulers and subjects, fathers and sons.
But that was understandable.
Although their productivity had leapt to around the year 1900, Confucianism had dominated the vast land for nearly two thousand years.
Even from the standpoint of existing experience, the issues of aristocracy and capital that Italy needed to solve would undoubtedly have their counterparts in China.
As the officials rose, a group of Chinese people slowly walked in.
They all had black hair and black eyes—colors considered noble in Rome—and were dressed in satin and brocade. The intricate embroidery alone indicated that their clothes were of exceptional value.
The young man at the front had bright eyes and a smile at the corner of his lips.
Behind him were several middle-aged men, some wearing glasses, but the material was completely different from what they had in Italy.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," the man at the front greeted with an Eastern-style bow, speaking fluent English.
"My Chinese name is Zhuang Shu, and my English name is Eric.
I am the Minister of Foreign Affairs, appointed by the Emperor himself, and I bring His Majesty's most sincere greetings to you and Italy. "
The others introduced themselves in turn, shaking hands with the Italian officials.
They were very well-prepared.
Translators, rosters, gifts, lists, and even cooperation treaties.
After the simple pleasantries, beautiful women dressed in traditional Chinese ceremonial attire slowly stepped forward, holding various items.
Hedy recognized only a few of them.
High-quality tea leaves, precious gemstones, porcelain with icy white cracks, as well as flashlights and lighters.
It suddenly dawned on her that Italy hadn't even invented matches yet—because people hadn't fully understood the properties of red phosphorus and sulfur.
Among the gifts held by the handsome young men behind them, there were also a few small items and several books.
She stood up to examine the items, feeling an unfamiliar sense of distance.
In the past, in Florence, she had almost been a know-it-all.
"This is an internal combustion engine," Eric said, lifting his gaze, a smile in his dark eyes. "It’s also one of the major inventions of the Second Industrial Revolution."
Her eyes narrowed in realization, sensing something unexpected: "We need to talk."
"Indeed," he replied.
The ambassador turned and motioned for the other three envoys to join them. Two men and a woman simultaneously performed a bow.
“These are professors from our university in medicine, engineering, and science. If Italy requires their assistance, they will remain here for three years as part of our technological aid," the ambassador raised an eyebrow. "This is also a gesture of goodwill and friendship from the East."
"Truly grateful," she controlled her emotions, signaling the other officials to reciprocate the gesture in Italian. "Please follow me."
Leonardo glanced at them with a mix of surprise and caution but didn't rush to follow.
It wasn't until they were seated in a private meeting room that Hedy finally let out a long breath.
Some matters were not suitable to be discussed in front of these medieval natives.
When Hedy had returned from China on Columbus's ship, she had countless questions she hoped would be answered, but the captain clearly didn't have a vast store of knowledge nor had he recorded enough information—despite submitting ten notebooks, it was still not enough.
Rather than focusing on customs, local products, or cultural differences, she was more interested in practical matters.
What state was the East in? What was their political structure?
What was the economic situation and pricing like? Did they have tendencies toward long voyages or aggression?
And... had their rulers already noticed the anomalies of the Italian Queen?
Hedy wasn’t sure whether these people and herself came from the same time and space, nor how much they understood about the historical course of the world.
Some questions, if posed too abruptly, might even cause trouble.
Now, they were sitting on either side of a long table, and the room was silent.
“We are gratified that, even in these distant, ancient times, we are able to meet someone like you,” Eric said slowly. “This is one of the reasons the Empire extends its goodwill.”
What they needed wasn't just people who could understand and protect their technology.
What they needed were those who were at the same level of cognition, not brainwashed by religious or political ideologies.
In the past three hundred years, from the founding of their nation to the multiple wars that followed, they had underestimated the fanaticism of anti-intellectuals.
And it was because of one mistake after another that their quantum transporter, Zeta, was destroyed, their interconnection network bombed. Despite their original intention to push their technology to the level of the year 2000, they had unexpectedly fallen back a century.
More difficult to decipher than politics were human hearts.
Endless desires twisted people's understanding of technology and truth, and even when they knew it was wrong—people would unhesitatingly choose the path that better satisfied their thirst for power.
Hedy worked hard to maintain her emotional composure, even though hearing the term "internal combustion engine" brought a sudden jolt of shock, as though she had awoken to the twentieth century.
"Let’s cut to the chase," she said quietly. "What do you want?"
To give something, there must be something in return.
"Markets, resources, information," Eric said slowly, "and crucially, important allies."
Across the entire East, there was no rival that could match them, and this would inevitably lead to increasing internal strife and the weakening of national power.
Their first leader, Liu Zi, had once told a story.
If you completely separate a flock of sheep and a pack of wolves, placing them on two isolated islands, both would deteriorate faster.
The sheep would lose their vigilance without any natural predators, their bodies growing weaker and looser over time, and when they finally encounter wolves, they wouldn’t even know what fleeing meant.
The wolves would be the same.
A nation or a tribe could never dominate alone.
Long periods of stability would inevitably breed conflict—just a matter of whether it would be internal or external.
Even with superior technology, they didn’t dare to recklessly claim dominion over the entire world’s territory—it would serve no purpose.
What the government really needed to do was to build technology and order within its limited territory and advance the progress and prosperity of the entire nation.
"If Italy can become an equally prominent entity, we can accelerate our technological collaboration and improve the living conditions of each of our people within our lifetime," Eric said, looking at her. "Besides, East and West both need to exchange information, don't they?"
They would offer Italy ample industrial support, but would also subtly exert control.
Hedy understood his meaning completely.
If the world could be divided into five levels, the primitive, uncivilized Indians and Africans would remain on the lowest first level, while the European nations, which were advancing in science and culture, stood on the second level.
Italy, due to her existence, had advanced a century ahead, unified and transformed, standing on the third level through progress in science and economy.
And these ancient Eastern friends... they stood at the highest level.
They extended their hand, offering Italy the opportunity to step into the fourth level—but they would only allow Italy to stand on the fourth level, joining them in the search for the landing point of the sixth level.
She unconsciously took a deep breath, feeling something slowly settle within her.
No one could predict what this country would become a hundred years from now.
But at least, Italy should stand on the fourth level.