African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 457: Chapter 135: Arriving Home

In First Town City, everyone received a warm welcome, a scene that happened for the second time; the last time was when Constantine came to East Africa, although Ernst had also been to First Town, he hurriedly participated in the southern battlefield.

This time is different, the royal wedding should be more lively, so upon arriving in First Town, Ernst and Karina went through another ”wedding” ceremony according to plan.

However, unlike Vienna, East Africa didn’t have as many distinguished guests, and after a simple acceptance of blessings from their subordinates, the family gathered at Sweet Palace.

”Karina, I don’t have anything fancy to give you, this is a crown I commissioned in Europe, consider it a meeting gift.” Constantine chuckled and let his attendant present the crown to Karina.

His son finally got married, the next step is to have grandchildren to inherit the vast land the Heixinggen royal family has established. This is especially important to Constantine, as noble education makes European nobility particularly attentive to family, even more than themselves.

Although Constantine and Ernst are both from the Hohenzollern family, Heixinggen is a branch parallel to the Prussian royal family and the Sigmaringen royal family. Therefore, the expansion of the Heixinggen royal lineage fits Constantine’s idea; and what does expansion mean? Of course, it’s a thriving lineage, gaining both power and wealth, now with power and wealth present, what’s missing are people.

”Thank you, Your Majesty!” Karina replied respectfully.

This is the Habsburg family, or rather, a reflection of Empress Dowager Sophie’s education.

”Put it on and see!” Ernst took off the crown and put it on Karina’s head, and with the crown enhancing her appearance, she indeed seemed more radiant.

Married women of European royalty can wear crowns, though saying it like this isn’t quite correct, these kinds of things are directly linked to women; referring to it as a women’s crown is more suitable. According to Ernst’s understanding, it’s actually much like the function of hair clips, serving a decorative purpose.

East Africa’s crowns are never stingy in the use of gems, and ”valuable” diamonds can only serve as a base, while it’s the other gems that give it vitality.

The crown of the Crown Princess drew a fixed gaze from Princess Charlotte, which was inevitable since in East Africa, the most abundant things are all kinds of gems; even resource-scarce places like Kenya are rich in various gems, thanks to East Africa’s closed planned economy.

If not, East Africans might have all rushed off to dig ”stones,” which is probably the current situation in some colonies, grain exports are worth little, and don’t possess scarcity, so colonists are more keen on high-profit industries, like gems that have high profit on the international market and are welcomed, thus are key focuses of colonial development.

The results of aiming high and neglecting foundation industries ultimately repay colonizers and middlemen with high profits, but the adverse outcomes respond to the bottom-level citizens, as there’s no excellent and healthy agricultural foundation, resulting in some countries with excellent natural conditions where citizens can’t even eat.

In a past life, Brazil was a perfect example; in most people’s impression, Brazilians are very poor, with Brazilian slums being quite famous worldwide.

But Brazil is actually quite strong; its agriculture and industry are quite decent, Brazil’s cultivated land area is 1.2 billion acres, and crops are harvested three times a year, with excellent water and heat resources; its population is just over 200 million, Brazil’s total grain output reaches over 200 million tons, which equates to more than a tonne of grain per person per year, far surpassing a certain Eastern Power, coming close to the United States, and the superior agriculture also makes Brazil one of the largest net grain-exporting countries globally; it’s the world’s largest coffee, sugarcane, second-largest soybean production and exporting country, etc. By rights, Brazilians should have no problem getting enough to eat.

However, fifty percent of Brazilians don’t have enough to eat, which can be seen from Brazil’s absurd urbanization rate; Brazil’s urbanization rate exceeds eighty-five percent, the problem is Brazil’s industrial capacity is fundamentally insufficient to support such a large population, leading to many individuals flowing into the gray-black industries, with gangs prevalent in Brazil.

Yet Brazil’s industry can’t support the employment of Brazilians, but Brazil’s industrial capacity ranks in the top ten worldwide, and even has a standalone aircraft manufacturing sector.

In the 21st century, countries able to occupy a certain market share in the commercial aircraft manufacturing industry are seen by Ernst as quite formidable.

When it comes down to it, the wealth created by Brazil, ordinary people gain nothing from it, the polarization is too severe.

Therefore, Ernst believes in national development: without agriculture, there’s no stability, without industry, there’s no strength, without commerce, there’s no wealth. Stabilizing a nation’s existence definitely starts with agriculture, getting agricultural production and distribution right is what many developing countries should prioritize first.

Once agricultural issues are properly managed, they can strongly support industrial development, reducing dependence on foreign capital; take East Africa for instance, its development is super-speed; even relying solely on agriculture, East Africa could still develop, but the speed wouldn’t be so fast, and East Africa’s development acceleration is driven by the Heixinggen Consortium.

Heixinggen Consortium for East Africa is akin to ”foreign” capital, it’s part of the productive overflow from the German region; it’s a normal practice internationally to borrow for development, what Ernst plays is merely a trick of shifting left-hand to right-hand, but after a round of capital flow, East Africa’s industry gets developed.

As for the issue of ’without commerce there’s no wealth,’ it’s also understandable, wealth is relative, if I have one more dollar than you, then I’m wealthier than you, so the purpose of commerce is to move others’ money into one’s own pocket.

Moving others’ money into one’s pocket, Ernst thinks comprises three major categories: robbery, fraud, and trading. Robbery means colonialism, fraud means the finance industry, trading means developing export trade.

East Africa is involved in all three categories: colonialism is the foundation of East Africa’s nation-building, over twenty million Black people are the objects of East African plundering, East Africa lacks conditions for finance industry, but Heixinggen Bank is doing it, amidst the current economic crisis, Heixinggen Bank’s assets have soared, it’s harvesting the capital of Europe and America; regarding export trade, there’s no need to elaborate.

Thinking this way, Ernst suddenly feels a bit ruthless, countless people get entangled for East Africa’s development, but upon thinking further, if I don’t take the money, it’ll be swallowed by Jewish capital and other capitals, used for ”lending,” it’s better to use it myself for Africa’s development!

Ernst’s thoughts wandered, drawing Constantine’s dissatisfaction: ”Ernst, stop daydreaming, today is different from usual, there aren’t so many national matters for you to ponder!”

”Uh, father, you’re right, I was just a bit enthralled by Karina!” Ernst responded inventively.

Making Karina a bit shy, but this is normal, between nobles, meeting means mutual praise.

”Hmm, it’s best that way.” Constantine said.

”Your Grace, why don’t you and your wife move to First Town this time, after all, East Africa doesn’t have many acquaintances, Karina doesn’t have many playmates here, so you as parents should spend more time with her.” Constantine proposed to the Ferdinands.

The Grand Duke Ferdinand resided in Bajamojo City for work reasons; that was because back then the East African Navy was in its infancy, with only the Grand Duke Ferdinand knowing the ropes. Now the East African Navy has its framework, there is support from the Austrian Navy, and no need for personal involvement in everything; plus Constantine considered that the Grand Duke Ferdinand and his wife left their daughter in Mei Quan Palace initially to go to Mexico, now getting them together compensates for the lost time.

”Of course, once naval affairs are settled, I’ll move here with Charlotte.” The Grand Duke Ferdinand said.