Chapter 207: Changing of the Guard
In the month of August, a refreshing sea breeze carried with it a heavy downpour, drenching the streets of the entire city. In places devoid of proper roads, the scene turned particularly muddy, making each step an endeavor through thick, clinging mud.
After the relentless three-day rain, life returned to the streets with a newfound vigor. The thoroughfares bustled with pedestrians, horse-drawn carts, and an air of chaos—an uncommon sight in East Africa. The streets now rivaled the bustling development areas of Dar es Salaam and Mombasa.
These cities, unlike East African settlements, maintained order with the help of specialized police forces. Many of these city policemen were once soldiers who, following reforms, transitioned into law enforcement roles.
The effectiveness of law enforcement ensured that East Africa enjoyed a relatively orderly environment, even in its villages, where dedicated security personnel were posted. In these rural areas, law enforcement was unchanged, as the sparse populations remained under the jurisdiction of nearby township or city police stations.
Ships continued to dock at the port, initiating fierce competition among merchants and gangs vying for business opportunities.
The scene at the pier was vibrant, but if we rewound time by three years, the notion of such prosperity in this locale would have seemed implausible. Richard, representing the German Commercial Liaison Office, recalled those days vividly.
Three years prior, when he first arrived, this place was a mere small town with a modest population. Port facilities were rudimentary, and the architectural landscape consisted of quaint mud houses topped with grass-thatched roofs.
One unchanging aspect was the residents' sallow, emaciated appearance, a stark reminder of the malnutrition that plagued most of them.
However, this was not East Africa; it was Jiaozhou in the Far East.
Jiaozhou served as a transit port for immigrants from both East Africa and the Far East. Immigrants from northern China would eventually congregate here before being transported to East Africa.
While some individuals from the northwest might also commence their journey here, their numbers were minuscule. The influence of East African officials extended, at most, to the Henan region.
Southward, Shanghai served as the primary transshipment port, where the Hechingen Consortium faced stiff competition from British and American interests. The Germans, it seemed, lagged in the art of propagating rumors. Though many of East Africa's conditions were indeed legitimate, many were misled to the United States, often lured by the prospect of employment as railway laborers.
In the first half of the current year, the completion of the Pacific Railway in the United States bore witness to the unquantifiable human suffering of these laborers, most of which went unnoticed.
For the local Chinese population, these hidden travails were invisible. Ernst had no means to expose this deception; the United States was no longer the United States of old, and the potential threat to East Africa was too great to be dismissed. Particularly in the Far East, where the Hexingen Consortium's roots lay, relinquishing this vital source of immigration was inconceivable.
In such a context, Jiaozhou played a crucial role. It was the point of convergence for immigrants from both East Africa and the Far East, serving as the nucleus where these individuals would later be dispatched to their respective destinations.
Though East Africa was its primary focus, the Hexingen Consortium also initiated business operations in Jiaozhou. East Africa's demand for its own products was insatiable, necessitating the transport of large volumes of goods from East Africa to this region.
Furthermore, the consortium established several small factories in Jiaozhou, primarily textile mills. While the scale of these operations remained modest, they were sufficient for their intended purposes.
This choice was driven by practicality. Neither East Africa nor Germany was well-suited for the textile industry. Manpower was limited in East Africa, and entrusting such intricate work to Black laborers was impractical. Germany had ventured into textiles, but results had been lackluster. With the Hexingen Consortium's expansion, Ernst was determined not to repeat those mistakes.
Riding on the back of East Africa's burgeoning trade, Jiaozhou's economy experienced rapid growth. Tariff revenue increased substantially, attracting the attention of Qing authorities. The city was removed from Yantai East Customs' jurisdiction, gaining independent administrative status and propelling local bureaucrats to higher positions.
However, just as Richard relished this thriving scene, the German Commercial Liaison Office's signboard was replaced, and a new one bearing the name "Hechingen Far East Commercial Liaison Office" was unveiled.
"Why did you change your sign, Mr. Richard?" inquired a Qing government official responsible for liaising with the Hexingen Consortium.
"It's a directive from above, Mr. Wang. We will no longer use our previous name."
"I understand Deutsche, but does this 'Hechingen' mean the same as the 'Hechingen Bank' established the previous year?"
"Exactly, 'Hechingen' is a state within Germany.