Chapter 330: Chapter 13 Headquarters Relocation
In places like South Sudan, the East African government’s arrangement is to first disperse some population to ensure it remains under East African control. As for land development, it will be tackled step by step, gradually consuming it with a large number of slaves. South Sudan is one of the hardest areas to develop in East Africa, aside from the tropical rainforest climate, so for now, focus on developing other regions.
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March 21, 1871.
Sweden.
After several days of investigation, Heixinggen Bank eventually reached an agreement with the Swedish Bank. Heixinggen Bank would invest heavily to purchase a complete set of printing equipment and related technology from the Swedish Bank.
Heixinggen Bank, after supplementing anti-counterfeiting measures and other technologies, will assemble and produce the first set of currency for the East African Kingdom in Mbeya city.
Along with the birth of East Africa’s first set of currency come several changes: Heixinggen Bank headquarters will move to Mombasa City, and at the same time, the East African Central Bank will be established in First Town. Therefore, back in Germany, Ernst held a high-level meeting in the current headquarters of Heixinggen Bank—Berlin—to discuss the relocation of the bank headquarters.
Ernst: "Today! I must emphasize that relocating the headquarters is essential. The Heixinggen Consortium itself is a multinational group. Although East Africa may have slightly poorer conditions compared to Germany and the Austria-Hungary Empire, it is the core region for the Heixinggen royal family. Moreover, I will personally be heading to East Africa soon, so for the bank’s future prospects and development, the headquarters must accompany me to East Africa."
Indeed, just as Ernst expected, when Ernst made this decision, many people looked distressed.
Consequently, Ernst continued, "This matter is closely related to you all. You may voice any opinions you have. Davis, I see you have the biggest concerns, so let’s hear your perspective first!"
Davis, having been named, had no choice but to say, "Your Highness, I am personally opposed to relocating the headquarters. You must understand, Heixinggen Bank’s scale means even a minor change is significant, let alone moving the headquarters, which is the brain of the bank. Just the relocation work for data and information is a challenging task."
Ernst affirmed, "You are right; the headquarters is the brain of the bank. Precisely because of its importance, it must be located in a safer environment, and I believe East Africa is this safer environment, don’t you agree?"
For Ernst, East Africa is undoubtedly safe. The nearly 200,000 local troops are the foundation, and most importantly, they all obey the Heixinggen royal family.
"As for the impact on work progress and data relocation, it is indeed a bit challenging, so I am giving you time to prepare. The deadline for this preparation is one year, sufficient to sort out all the data that needs relocating. Additionally, to avoid excessive workload, we will design two subsidiary centers in Berlin and Vienna to share the headquarters’ work, mainly delegating some European business while the headquarters primarily handles command and decision-making."
Davis: "Your Highness, if the headquarters moves to East Africa, how can we ensure smooth communication? You know commercial information is crucial for us, and I’m afraid in East Africa, this might be quite troublesome!"
Ernst: "Rest assured on this point. East Africa is not backward in terms of information contact; it is connected to the entire European telegraph network. Moreover, as Heixinggen Bank’s headquarters moves to East Africa, we will separately construct an exclusive undersea telegraph line to facilitate headquarters communication with various subordinate institutions in Europe."
The telegraph network from East Africa to Europe is actually always in excess capacity since there is hardly any civilian use that would congest the lines. Hence, even without laying new undersea cables, the East African telegraph lines are adequate for Heixinggen Bank headquarters.
Technical Director Mars: "Your Highness, for me, it’s not particularly important where I work, but many of us have families back in Germany, so your consideration is..."
Ernst: "This issue can be easily resolved. First, everyone going to East Africa will be granted nationality by the East African government and provided with a free home. You can choose to bring your whole family to live there, or leave them in Europe; it’s entirely up to your personal choice. In addition to wages, you’ll receive monthly meal allowances and free medical coverage."
Mars: "Your Highness, how will the education issue be addressed? I have three sons, so education is quite important to me."
Ernst promised, "Around the new headquarters, we will hire renowned European teachers to establish a dedicated school for employees’ children, including primary and secondary schools. As for university education, that’s up to your choice, since by then your children can live independently, so you can be assured!"
"Your Highness, I’ve heard Africa’s weather is very hot..."
"That’s a generalization; many places in East Africa are cooler than Europe, with spring-like conditions year-round and thus very habitable, so don’t worry about this issue."
"Mosquitoes and diseases..."
"Comprehensive medical care for employees will be set up. We will construct East Africa’s best hospital near the new headquarters, employing European doctors, so no need to worry about this. As for mosquitoes, they are rarely seen in East African urban areas; even if present, mosquito coils and nets will suffice."
Besides constructing a Western hospital, a Chinese hospital will also be set up, but Ernst believes the employees would prefer the Western hospital, despite how absurd Western medicine currently is. Europeans just follow this trend.
Concerning mosquitoes, they are rare in East African cities. The East African government will periodically eliminate environments fostering mosquitoes, so there’s no need to worry too much. As for the occasional ones that slip through, relying on mosquito repellents and other methods is completely sufficient.
"Your Highness, lastly, we’d prefer to occasionally return to Europe."
"No problem, I’ll arrange for special ships to easily take you back to Europe for family visits, business trips, and other personal matters."
The majority of Heixinggen Bank employees are not inclined to work in East Africa, so East Africa must ensure these employees can stay connected with Europe, thus calming them and continuing to create value for the Heixinggen royal family.
Ernst: "All right, then. It appears there aren’t any more objections to relocating the headquarters to East Africa?"
Ernst has proposed solutions according to the employees’ needs. Although working in East Africa is relatively remote, the acquisition of a multitude of benefits means there is no longer any opposition.
Ernst: "Very good, then this matter is settled. Next, we will discuss the issue of where to establish the headquarters. I have prepared data on a few East African cities with the best conditions for your reference. Take a look, and the city receiving the most support will become the future site of Heixinggen Bank’s new headquarters."
The cities Ernst proposed were Mombasa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, First Town, Bajamojo, and Mbeya. After enthusiastic discussion among employees, Nairobi, with its most favorable climate conditions, came out on top.
Even during its hottest months, Nairobi’s temperature does not exceed thirty degrees, generally ranging around twenty degrees, with twenty-nine degrees considered extreme heat. At other times, the temperature is mostly in the teens. Although its transportation might be slightly lacking, this temperature and climate are like paradise to Heixinggen Bank employees. After all, Berlin’s summer temperatures can easily exceed thirty degrees, and winter requires fireplaces for warmth—conditions considered extreme by Heixinggen Bank employees—so choosing Nairobi is not problematic, as its infrastructure is fairly complete. Furthermore, many Germans and Italians live there, mitigating any concerns about adapting to life.
They might have overthought it, as East Africans have their unique ways of living. To sum it up, there are numerous government regulations. However, most of Heixinggen Bank employees are highly educated individuals with high qualifications. Many of the regulations set by the East African government might just be part of their everyday routine, so they might be even more accustomed to East African lifestyle.