African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 311: Chapter 298: Plundering

The appearance of the British was quickly reported by Lemons, causing Constantine to worry. Based on the British character of not getting up early without gaining, they must have an agenda. At least it shows that the British still place some importance on Zanzibar Island. Regardless of whether this inference is correct, Constantine decided to heighten vigilance in coastal areas.

...

Venice Port.

After conquering Venice, Albert did not stay long. Now it’s time to seize the momentum and completely defeat the Kingdom of Italy, so he quickly leads his troops westward, with a brigade from the second-line forces taking over Venice.

Lieutenant General Yademosuo, in charge of Venice, started to identify and expel local forces according to imperial orders, especially those who betrayed Austria.

Before Venice was attacked, a large number had already fled. Austria could only target the remaining industries and related individuals they couldn’t take away.

On the Venice docks.

A familiar bustling scene reappeared. Boxes of all sizes were being transported by Austria-Hungary soldiers through various means.

Boxes varied in size; large ones were carted in, while small ones could be carried by a single person.

These boxes were gathered from various military-controlled factories and enterprises in Venice. Heixinggen Consortium’s machinery evaluators confirmed the function and value of the machinery inside each factory, packing them into wooden boxes and hiring Austrian soldiers as porters.

”Be careful. If this gets damaged, it might be scrapped, and our loss will be significant. We won’t pay for it!” Adro from the Heixinggen Consortium addressed the Austrian big soldiers.

Will: ”Rest assured, sir! You’ve told us countless times, we’ll definitely be careful. After all, nobody messes with money.”

Adro: ”That’s not necessarily true. Yesterday, a few clumsy fools messed things up.”

Will: ”I’m different from them. I always work attentively and carefully. I made sure to find a flatbed truck to transport this stably before coming in.”

Adro: ”That’s good. See the red circle marked in red paint at the top left corner of the box? Be extra cautious with these kinds. Our workers will check them later. These are precision parts, and if damaged, they’ll be refused. Now, move them into Warehouse Number One.”

Two Austrian big soldiers carefully unload the box from the flatbed and transport it onto the ship.

In front of Warehouse Number One, they’re stopped. The staff opens the box with a key and carefully inspects it, noting a set of gear components inside with a pen.

”Alright, place it on the pile of red boxes on the right side of the warehouse. Here’s your receipt. You can exchange it for cash with this.”

Will and his comrade are delighted, as this money can allow them to enjoy a night at the tavern.

...

Inside Venice City Hall.

Anthony, manager of the Heixinggen Bank’s Venice branch, is meeting with General Yademosuo. On the table are the documents left by the Venice city government. Now, not a single Italian is seen in the Venice city government, while Austrians feel at home here.

Anthony sits across from Yademosuo, politely saying: ”General Yademosuo, I am Anthony, manager of the Heixinggen Bank’s Venice branch. This time I am entrusted by my superior.” Then, smiling, he adds: ”To specially thank you for your support, General Yademosuo, here’s a little token of our appreciation.”

After speaking, Anthony pulls out a Heixinggen Bank check from his black briefcase and hands it to Yademosuo. Upon seeing the amount on the check, Yademosuo happily exclaims: ”Hahaha, we’re all on the same side, no need to be so kind, it’s all a simple task, a simple task!”

Anthony: ”General Yademosuo, no need to be humble, it’s well deserved.”

Yademosuo nods and says: ”If that’s the case, if there’s any equipment from that factory you’re interested in, feel free to tell us. I guarantee it can be obtained, the price is negotiable.”

Currently, all industries in Venice are under Yademosuo’s supervision, so he has some say in this regard. Just letting his soldiers open an access point almost ensures a sale.

Anthony: ”There’s no need. The equipment from the sealed factories already meets our demand. After all, equipment in other factories is too outdated or damaged due to the war. Also, we need to consider leaving room for the locals. Otherwise, repeating history like the Italians wouldn’t be good. The wrath of the Venice citizens is quite terrifying.”

Yademosuo: ”That’s truly a pity. I thought you’re all for seizing everything! But Mr. Anthony, don’t you want to buy a little more? Now it’s practically free.”

That’s certainly impossible. The Heixinggen Consortium had been eyeing valuable goods before the war, and detailed lists had long been prepared. The transportation is ongoing.

Moreover, Yademosuo is somewhat greedy. In fact, for items desired by the Heixinggen Consortium, much less money can be spent through his subordinates, as soldiers also need to sell their goods to Heixinggen Bank, making it beneficial for both sides.

For Nairobi’s textile industry development, East Africa transported three large textile factories from Venice. Nairobi’s population compared to Venice is relatively small, implying they aren’t in the same tier, so part of the industry is sufficient for Nairobi’s development.

Now, some Venetian textile workers are already in Nairobi, along with Far East immigrant textile workers, enabling East Africa to recreate a complete textile industry framework.

Under the plundering by East Africa, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, Venice suffered significant losses in population and industry. However, Venice’s wealth was mainly concentrated among the rich, so the impact on ordinary people wasn’t significant. Before Austria-Hungary’s invasion, most people were already impoverished. Contrarily, East Africa’s large-scale population plundering decreased employment pressure for those who stayed, making it hard to discern right from wrong.