Chapter 153: Sending "Goods"
Mikhail agreed to the deal with Giovanni, and they finalized their agreement. Giovanni offered to personally sponsor Mikhail with a bottle of Romantic Paris brand red wine, along with two bottles of Wrangler vodka, as a gesture of goodwill. Mikhail accepted the offer.
Giovanni's "goods" referred to laborers, specifically peasants who had faced hardships after the emancipation reform in Tsarist Russia. While the reform had granted freedom to the serfs, many of them still struggled due to various factors.
The Tsarist Russian government had prioritized the interests of landowners and nobles when redistributing land to the former serfs, leaving many with infertile or fragmented plots. Additionally, they had lost access to production tools like cattle and farm equipment.
The peasants were burdened with heavy debts and taxes, making their economic situation precarious. As a result, many of them sought opportunities elsewhere, either by migrating to the cities for work or returning to work for local landlords and nobles.
The Hechingen Consortium saw an opportunity in this surplus labor force from Tsarist Russia and began contacting powerful forces in the region. They offered to introduce labor at prices of 25 rubles per man and 17 rubles per woman. The Consortium aimed to control the immigration process, ensuring that it happened gradually to avoid overpaying and to have more autonomy in the selection of immigrants.
The immigrants from Tsarist Russia, considered to have lower human rights, were bought by East Africa, which aimed to promote mixed-race families in the region. East Africa had previously acquired them through various means, and the government decided whom they would marry.
The Hechingen Consortium followed a strategy of selecting high-quality immigrants from Tsarist Russia, preferably from old serf families with no education, making assimilation easier.
St. Petersburg served as a major transit port for Tsarist Russian immigrants on their way to East Africa. Giovanni, who had purchased labor, brought them to the city to complete the transaction.
Maxim inquired about Giovanni's methods for finding labor sources, and Giovanni shared some advice. He emphasized the importance of visiting the countryside, building relationships with local noble landlords, and interacting with villagers who had gone to the city to find work. Giovanni also stressed that dealing with rural areas could yield better results despite higher expenses.
Giovanni and Maxim had different responsibilities within the Consortium, with Giovanni focusing on business near Moscow and Maxim handling matters near St. Petersburg. They also operated in other regions, such as Poland, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and more, to acquire labor from Tsarist Russia.