"What? Who did you say is at the Schloss Friedrichshof now?"
Hans asked into the phone with a somewhat dazed voice.
After the demonstration ended, Hans returned to the New Palace of Potsdam in a relaxed mood, but then he received a phone call.
The call was from Princess Margaret, who had recently moved to the Schloss Friedrichshof with her family.
At first, he thought something serious had happened again.
If Princess Margaret just wanted to chat with him, she could have written a letter. In cases that weren't urgent, she shouldn't have made a special phone call.
But what Princess Margaret said left Hans shocked, completely beyond his imagination.
"The man said his name is Nikola Tesla. He looks a bit strange... Hans, is he really the person you invited to Germany?"
"Hahaha..."
Hans couldn't help but let out a helpless yet secretly delighted laugh.
Tesla.
Nikola Tesla?
"How on earth did this guy suddenly show up at the Schloss Friedrichshof?!"
Hans had thought that Nikola Tesla either hadn't received his letter at all or had received it but didn't know what he was doing. He never expected that Tesla would suddenly appear from behind in this way.
This was really absurd.
Hans shook his head and said to Princess Margaret:
"Yes, Your Highness. I'm really sorry, but could you please let him stay in the mansion for a while? I'll come to the Schloss Friedrichshof in person tomorrow."
After making the request to Princess Margaret, Hans hung up the phone.
He felt even more exhausted now than when the demonstration ended.
"Nikola Tesla..."
He was indeed a strange person.
Who would have thought that as soon as he received Hans' letter, he would directly cross the Atlantic Ocean and come to Germany.
This kind of initiative was simply terrifying.
However, this also indicated that Nikola Tesla was interested in Hans' proposal of jointly developing the radio. For Hans, this wasn't a bad thing.
"Since Reginald Fessenden is no longer an option, I must seize the opportunity with Tesla."
Of course, there were more than just these two pioneers in the field of radio.
For example, in Italy, there was Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, who had commercialized radio communication.
But this man already had his own business, the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company. He was a successful person and was unlikely to accept Hans' proposal.
Moreover, he was of a different type and not easy to deal with.
In comparison, Nikola Tesla was more suitable.
Although he was a strange person, he was always a pure scientist and inventor.
"It seems I'm going to have to prepare for a long journey again."
Hans murmured with anticipation for Nikola Tesla.
...
"Long time no see, Hans."
"Your Highness, I hope you are well."
Two days later.
Hans finally arrived at the Schloss Friedrichshof after a long time and had a cordial conversation with Princess Margaret, whom he hadn't seen for a long time.
"Is Mr. Tesla in the mansion?"
"Yes, he's in the reception hall," Princess Margaret replied.
"He is a quiet but strange person. It makes one wonder if this man is really a very famous scientist in the United States?"
"Geniuses usually have some eccentricities in their personalities."
"Ah, so you..."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Princess Margaret covered the corner of her mouth with her hand and smiled, then led Hans into the mansion.
The Schloss Friedrichshof was exactly the same as it had been when Empress Victoria was alive, without the slightest change.
To be honest, he still found it incredible to own this huge mansion.
"Are you Baron Hans von Joe?"
As soon as Hans entered the reception hall, a strange man stood up and spoke.
"I am Nikola Tesla."
The father of alternating current.
A genius with a troubled fate.
And the earliest "mad scientist", known as the oddest among the odd.
"I'm finally honored to meet the genius of the century."
Tesla's appearance was exactly the same as the photos Hans had seen in his previous life. Moreover, he was extremely handsome.
It was said that his handsomeness even made his peers like Thomas Edison jealous, and it seemed that this was indeed true.
However, although Nikola Tesla received a lot of attention from many women, he himself had no interest in marriage or even love.
"Indeed, I am a genius."
"Haha, ha ha..."
His personality was indeed very unique.
After the two shook hands, they sat on the sofa for a more in-depth conversation.
"I didn't expect to meet you in this way. It would have been better if you had at least replied to my letter."
"Time is limited. Instead of spending months writing letters, isn't it more efficient to meet and talk directly?"
"Haha, this shows that you are interested in my proposal."
Hans handed the proposal he had prepared in advance to Tesla.
"I'm very interested in the wireless communication technology that has received a lot of attention recently. The wireless transmission technology that can transmit human voices or music in real time through radio waves."
"Yes, you mentioned it in your letter."
"This technology sounds like a dream, but I don't think it's impossible at all. In fact, related technologies have already started to emerge."
Just a few days later, on December 23rd, Reginald Fessenden, who had rejected Hans' proposal, would successfully achieve the first long-distance wireless transmission.
It could be said that the technology of attaching human voices to radio waves had already been developed.
"My goal is to create a device that can receive one-way communication. Let's call it a 'radio' for now."
"Radio..."
"Yes, Mr. Tesla, please imagine this. Up until now, people could only obtain external information by word of mouth or by reading newspapers."
Therefore, on the day an event occurred, it was almost impossible to immediately learn about what was happening in a distant place.
"But with a radio, people can sit in an armchair and receive information such as news and weather forecasts in real time."
Moreover, in terms of politics and military affairs, its value is immeasurable.
It's no accident that Hans is so determined to promote radio technology.
After all, before the middle of the 20th century, the influence of the radio was comparable to that of television, or even a smartphone.
"To develop the radio, you need my help."
"Of course, Mr. Tesla. You are a pioneer in wireless communication technology. It's a fact that you developed the radiotelegraph earlier than Marconi."
"Hmm, that's true. You know a lot about it."
Upon hearing Hans' recognition of him, the corners of Nikola Tesla's mouth turned up slightly, and he was obviously in a good mood.
This wasn't Hans flattering him, but the truth.
Just as usual, although Tesla developed the technology ahead of others, he didn't earn a single penny because he lost his patent.
"So, Mr. Tesla, would you like to cooperate with me to jointly develop the radio?"
"Hmm... To be honest, I really want to accept the baron's proposal, but there is one problem."