African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 209: Chapter 197 Settlement

”Mr. Mwesili, this is the payment from our East African government. You may want to count it,” Merk said.

”Yes,” Mwesili gave a look and gestured to two Black people beside him.

For Mwesili, no formality is more important than profit, so he let people begin counting the firearms provided by East Africa immediately.

Two indigenous officials started counting carefully box by box. It’s rare for the Yake Kingdom, where even prenatal education was hard-pressed, to gather two people who know a little math.

It didn’t take long.

”Your Majesty, not one is missing.” The two Yake Kingdom officials reported.

However, Mwesili was not reassured. He went to a box, took out a musket, inspected it carefully, and then randomly checked a few more boxes.

”Mr. Merk, may I test-fire it?” Mwesili asked.

”Of course, it’s your right,” Merk responded.

Mwesili skillfully loaded a gun, then aimed at a distant big tree, pulled the trigger, and with a ”bang,” a hole appeared in the tree.

Only then did Mwesili show a satisfied smile, saying, ”You’re doing well! I’m very pleased with this deal.”

”Naturally, our East African government places great value on integrity and would never deceive you with those crappy goods, my friend,” Merk said.

Though saying so verbally, Merk thought otherwise. These guns were defective products from East Africa that had been repaired. They could be used normally but would be considered junk in the East African colonies.

East Africa had at least tens of thousands of guns, most of which were obsolete muskets eliminated from Europe, with a lot of issues, some of which would have various problems after being used a few times.

Then, the East African government would send these problematic guns to East African arms factories for repair, and the worst batch from those repaired guns would be sent to Mwesili.

”By the way, Mr. Mwesili, because of your cooperation this time, which made us in East Africa very satisfied, we also prepared some other gifts for you,” Merk said.

With a wave of Merk’s hand, several East African soldiers unloaded three boxes from a wagon, which looked quite large, probably filled with many items.

”What’s packed inside?”

”You can open and see.”

Curious about these unexpected gifts, Mwesili still, wary of deceit, had his men go ahead to open and inspect them.

As the first box was opened, it was a case of alcohol, not much, only five bottles total, padded with straw at the bottom.

Mwesili’s eyes lit up instantly, and he stepped forward to examine one bottle closely.

Glass bottles were a rarity to Mwesili, and their craftsmanship was so perfect, though the shape was somewhat peculiar.

”Mr. Merk, is this bottle made of gems filled with water?” Mwesili inquired.

”It’s alcohol inside,” Merk replied.

”This kind of alcohol must be very valuable!” Mwesili questioned like a bumpkin.

Something packed in such exquisite works of art should not be ordinary, especially when Merk said it contained alcohol, Mwesili became more convinced the alcohol was extraordinarily precious.

Mwesili had drunk alcohol, but it was locally brewed banana fruit wine from the Yake Kingdom, full of impurities and very cloudy. Seeing the liquid in the bottle so pure, Mwesili thought it was water.

As for why this artwork contained water, it might be an East African peculiarity, was Mwesili’s thought before Merk stated it was alcohol inside.

”You’re right, see the symbol on the bottle, of a horseman, so in our place, this kind of alcohol is known as ’Vodka.’ It’s exceedingly rare, such that only a few in Europe can afford it,” Merk said, exaggerating wildly.

”Where is Europe?”

”It’s my homeland.”

”Are the few people only your king can afford it?” Mwesili asked.

”Of course, only people of your status can drink this kind of alcohol,” Merk said.

On hearing this, Mwesili was instantly satisfied; just like himself, isn’t that the same as their king? This alcohol matched his stature.

Actually, Merk deliberately said this because, in his mind, how could Mwesili be compared to people from the civilized world?

Vodka, a familiar brand, is that common vodka with explosive sales in Tsarist Russia, the favorite of Russian lower-class drunks.

Yet, owing to the contribution of Russian drunks, Vodka became the highest-production alcohol of the Heixinggen Consortium.

The low price was its biggest advantage, hence used by East Africa to gift Mwesili.

Mwesili was already eager to taste the alcohol, fiddled with it for a while, found the wooden stopper atop, gripped the bottle in one hand, yanked with the other firmly, and opened it, taking a big sip directly.

”The taste is really good; your sincerity from East Africa is commendable. This friendship I’ll remember!”

”We never hold back for friends,” Merk said smilingly.

With such good things in the first box, Mwesili was already eager to see what the remaining two boxes contained.

He personally took action this time, holding a bottle in one hand, and opened the second box, inside which lay a textile.

”Mr. Merk, what is this?”

Merk approached, took out the textile, shook it with his hand, revealing a cloak made from cotton cloth before Mwesili.

Sewn with uniquely African animal patterns, it seemed gaudy but was fairly well-made, especially compared to Mwesili’s robe, indeed quite delicate.

”This is the cloak we prepared for you, to better display your regal aura,” Merk said.

Mwesili accepted it, examined it carefully, indeed ”finely crafted,” patterns beautiful too, multi-colored, especially the lions and crocodiles on it, truly ”vivid and lifelike.”

”Good, truly good; I am very satisfied with this gift,” Mwesili put the cloak back into the box.

Approaching the third box, he opened it, and this time Mwesili was utterly clueless about what was before him.

Taking alcohol bottles as artworks made from gems, and textiles Mwesili knew, even if unaware of its function, but what was before him now was somewhat beyond his comprehension, never had he seen such in Africa!

Merk went up and said, ”This is our East African specialty, called cigarettes, used for smoking, to make one feel pleasant.”

”How do you smoke this stuff?”

Merk took out a box, removed the wrapper, drew one out, lit it, and began teaching Mwesili how to smoke.

Soon enough, Mwesili got the hang of it, but he was puzzled, ”This thing doesn’t feel quite good, isn’t it just smoke!”

Merk said, ”Effects won’t show in the short-term, but over time, you’ll realize the fun in it.”

Yet Mwesili remained skeptical, so Merk told him again, ”After each meal, smoke one; in a few days, you’ll know the joy in it.”

...

The reason East Africa gifted Mwesili, naturally, was with ill intention; both cigarettes and alcohol were addictive things, once Mwesili’s stock ran out, he’d naturally contact East African colonies proactively.

Anyway, as Mwesili was now off to seize territories, he could always snatch some good stuff from other indigenous peoples, and East Africa would trade cigarettes and alcohol then.

Of course, Mwesili being quite on the ball, handed over the original Yake Kingdom territory to East Africa cooperatively and proactively expelled the citizens to the borders with other indigenous nations, saving East African colonies a lot of trouble, hence East African colonies should ”reward” well.

Yet Mwesili was not without cunning. After leaving Yake Kingdom, he didn’t choose to neighbor East Africa again but snatched a relatively far-off site as a base, if it weren’t for East African payment not arriving, he’d probably have run farther, subsequently, he still needed East Africa to replenish ammunition, so cutting ties completely wasn’t possible..

With firearms handed over to Mwesili, East African colonies were unworried, the more chaotic Zambia got, the better, after all, Mwesili had few guns, posing no threat to East Africa’s safety.

And, with weapons in hand, Mwesili surely wouldn’t stay idle, neighboring indigenous peoples were sure to suffer, just seeing who was more unfortunate.