African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 368: Chapter 47 Soga

In fact, East Africa will also face this problem. Many people in East Africa have never seen a train, and there will definitely be some who experience fear the first time they see such a steel monster. This requires the government to educate and reassure the public along the railway lines to resolve the issue.

”Look, everyone!”

Outside the window, a team of railway workers was at work, and at this moment, the railway was changing, splitting into a branch track heading south, where workers were laying tracks.

”Mr. Aryan! Didn’t you say the railway was completed? What are they doing then?”

Aryan was a bit irritated. These people were so inexperienced, always questioning him, so he replied impatiently, ”It is completed! And it’s been done for months, according to East African government officials. Clearly, this is a branch line under construction. You should know what a branch line is, right? Do you think once a road is finished it doesn’t connect to other places? Even in the Far East, main roads are connected by smaller ones!”

Apparently, they did not notice Aryan’s displeasure and continued to ask, ”Where does this branch line lead?”

This time, Aryan didn’t bother to respond. It was his first time in the East African Kingdom, and with every question directed at him, how on earth would he know where this railway branch leads? As previously mentioned, though Aryan’s nationality was East African, he had only ever stayed in Europe and the Far East and knew nothing about East Africa itself. Besides, he wasn’t in geography or railways, just a minor officer in the East African Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Knowing the general idea was already good enough. These doctors from the Far East just always seemed to be looking for trouble; how was this any of their concern?

The branch turned south from the main line.

In a place out of sight from the group, a large construction site was underway. This was the destination of the branch line - ”Soga.” Soga is located due south of Bajamojo, southwest of Dar es Salaam, and southeast of First Town, forming a diamond shape with these four points.

After the renovation of Dar es Salaam was completed, the large engineering team did not disband or get sent elsewhere, but was instead uniformly transferred to Soga, located thirty-six kilometers southwest of Dar es Salaam.

Indeed, Soga is the latest city planned by Ernst. Soga’s geographical location can’t be said to be excellent, but it’s certainly not bad. It’s a bit of a distance from the First Railway, but subsequent branch lines will connect to it.

Although the purpose of Soga City is unclear, its specifications are very high. Ernst specifically invited royal designers from Vienna to plan and design Soga City. Soga City is modeled after Vienna and focuses on building a ”garden city,” a positioning that is different from First Town, Dar es Salaam, and Bajamojo.

Nobody knows what Ernst’s intentions are, not even Kang Guo or Constantine know what Ernst’s goal is in building this city. However, there’s no major issue with a new city being built, so nobody is very concerned.

On the construction site.

”Mr. Lawrence, according to the plans, we’re supposed to build a flower bed here, but isn’t this specification a bit wasteful in terms of area?”

Lawrence: ”Just do as I instruct. The flower bed is for aesthetic purposes. Look, this is a Y-shaped junction, and directly ahead of the junction, a three-story building will be constructed. A large flower bed in the middle of this junction can serve as a buffer while allowing high-rise buildings on three sides to all view the flower bed. This not only provides a sense of security but also is pleasing to the eye.”

While Lawrence was instructing his subordinates, workers on-site were digging up the city’s drainage system. Soga City’s drainage facilities were designed to be even more advanced compared to Dar es Salaam’s.

The designed population for Soga City is not large, about fifty thousand, but in terms of infrastructure, it’s on par with Dar es Salaam, which can accommodate approximately one hundred and fifty thousand residents.

Moreover, the architecture of Soga City is more elaborate in its design, with many buildings incorporating elements similar to those of Austria-Hungary’s Mei Quan Palace. Fountains, plazas, flower beds, and wooded areas are commonplace, embodying the French-style gardens akin to those at Mei Quan Palace.

After educating his assistant, Lawrence asked his partner, ”Mr. Dress, what do you think we should use as a symbol for this artwork?”

Dress is also one of Soga City’s designers. The difference between him and Lawrence is that Lawrence excels in classicism, while Dress leans towards modernism, focusing more on the convenience of city life in his designs.

Dress: ”A landmark can be the finishing touch to any cultured city, so we should design something with a German characteristic to reflect the essence of Soga City.”

”Essence, but what is the essence of Soga City?” Dress’s words prompted Lawrence to ponder.

Berlin has the Brandenburg Gate, Paris has the Arc de Triomphe, Vienna has St. Stephen’s Cathedral, England has Big Ben, and New York’s Statue of Liberty engrave themselves in people’s memories, infusing a city’s image with soul. So, what is the soul of Soga City?

Firstly, Soga is an East African city, and secondly, East Africa is a German country, so Soga should have these two characteristics.

Dress: ”How about we build a fountain plaza to reflect the artistic characteristics of Soga City?”

Lawrence: ”Making a plaza famous is a bit challenging. It must be built large enough to attract attention, and it’s clear that Soga City’s scale doesn’t match that of a large plaza. I think maybe a large sculpture could leave a lasting impression.”

Dress: ”A sculpture won’t work. I thought of that initially. It requires extremely high design standards and a master-level person. Moreover, there’s nothing in it for us two, and even though Soga City is in Africa, it’s an extraordinary piece of art.”

For Dress, having control over the design of a city is quite an achievement, even if it’s in Africa. After all, how many people can boast the power to design an entire city?

Lawrence: ”It’s not easy to highlight the design features of Soga City and simultaneously enhance our own value. Soga City can be said to be the most perfect of the many cities I’ve designed, entirely a dream city conceived on a blank slate. Alas, why aren’t we being invited to design a European city? Even an invite to a secondary city would be good.”

Lawrence sighed, thinking that if Soga City were in Europe, more people could see the city he designed, significantly boosting his commercial value and reputation.

Unfortunately, Soga City is being built in this godforsaken place in East Africa, and even once built, who would live here? Lawrence and Drake both agreed that Soga City was merely Ernst’s plaything. Now, even though Soga City was already a third complete, no one had moved in, only the construction teams and designers were present.