Chapter 319: Headquarters Relocation
Places like South Sudan are managed by the East African government by first sprinkling some population around to ensure they remain under East African control. As for land development, it proceeds step by step using a large number of slaves, slowly wearing them out. South Sudan is considered one of the hardest areas to develop in East African territory—besides the tropical rainforest climate—so for the time being, they'll just leave it there and focus on developing other regions.
…
March 21, 1871.
Sweden.
After a few days of investigation, the Hechingen Bank finally reached an agreement with the Swedish Bank. The Hechingen Bank invested heavily to purchase a complete set of banknote-printing equipment and related technology from the Swedish Bank.
Once the Hechingen Bank has filled in the gaps in its anti-counterfeiting methods and other techniques, it will assemble and produce the East African Kingdom's first set of currency in Mbeya City.
In addition to launching the kingdom's first currency, there are further changes: The headquarters of the Hechingen Bank will be moved to Damombasa City, and the First Town will establish an East African central bank. Returning to Germany, Ernst held a high-level meeting at the current headquarters of the Hechingen Bank in Berlin to discuss plans for relocating the bank's main office.
Ernst declared: "Today, I want to stress that this relocation of the headquarters is mandatory. The Hechingen Consortium is a multinational group. Although conditions in East Africa may be slightly worse than in Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is, after all, the power base of the Hechingen royal family. Besides, I will soon be heading to East Africa myself, so for the bank's future and development, the headquarters must move with me to East Africa."
As Ernst expected, the moment he made this announcement, many people looked pained.
So he went on: "This matter certainly affects all of you closely. If you have any concerns, please speak up. Davis, you seem to have the strongest objections, so why don't you start by sharing your thoughts?"
The named Davis had no choice but to speak up: "Your Highness, I personally object to relocating the headquarters. You know the scale of the Hechingen Bank—one change can affect everything, and for the central hub that is our headquarters, simply moving all our records and data alone is already a huge undertaking."
Ernst nodded. "You're right that the headquarters is the bank's nerve center. Because of its importance, it needs to be in a safer environment, and I believe East Africa is that safer environment. Wouldn't you all agree?"
From Ernst's perspective, East Africa is definitely safer. The local army of nearly two hundred thousand troops is the bedrock of his confidence, and above all, they take orders directly from the Hechingen royal family.
"As for the impact on workflow, the relocation of records and data, yes, it will be difficult. That's why I'm giving you a year to prepare—enough time to organize everything that needs to be moved. And to keep the workload manageable, we'll set up two branch centers in Berlin and Vienna to share the main office's work, primarily handling the European side of things. The main headquarters will focus on management and strategic decisions." Ernst continued.
Davis asked, "Your Highness, if the headquarters is moved to East Africa, how can we ensure smooth communications? After all, commercial information is vital to us, and that might be more complicated in East Africa, right?"
Ernst replied, "Don't worry about that. East Africa isn't behind on communications; it's already connected to Europe's telegraph network. Moreover, when the Hechingen Bank headquarters relocates to East Africa, we'll build a dedicated undersea telegraph line, exclusively for the bank's main office to contact its various branches in Europe."
In fact, East Africa's telegraph system has always been more than enough, because there is hardly any civilian traffic that might clog the lines. Even if a new cable weren't laid, the existing lines would still suffice for the Hechingen Bank headquarters.
Technical Director Mars said, "Your Highness, I don't really care where I work, but a lot of us have families in Germany, so what should we do about that…?"
Ernst answered, "That's simple to fix. First, anyone going to East Africa will be granted citizenship by the East African government and will receive a free house. You can choose to bring your family there to live, or leave them in Europe—entirely up to you. Besides your wages, you'll get a monthly food allowance and free medical coverage."
Mars continued, "Your Highness, what about education? I have three sons, so their schooling matters to me."
Ernst promised, "Around the new headquarters, we'll hire top European teachers to set up a special school for employees' children, covering elementary and secondary education. As for college, that's up to you, because by the time your kids reach university age, they can handle more independence. That should ease your concerns, right?"
"Your Highness, I've heard Africa is very hot…"
"That's too general. Many parts of East Africa are cooler than Europe, with springlike weather all year. There's no need to worry about the climate."
"What about mosquitoes and diseases…?"
"We'll build a comprehensive medical facility for employees, creating the best hospital in East Africa near the new headquarters with European doctors, so you don't have to worry about that. As for mosquitoes, they're rarely found in East African cities, but even if you come across them, using mosquito repellent and nets is enough."
Along with a Western-style hospital, Ernst also plans a traditional Chinese hospital, although he figures employees will probably prefer Western medicine. Even if Western medicine of this era can be rather simplistic, that's still what Europeans trust.
As for mosquitoes, East African cities actually see them infrequently, because the local government regularly eradicates breeding grounds. Any that remain can be handled with mosquito coils and other repellents, so it's really no big deal.
"Your Highness, one last question. We'd like the freedom to return to Europe from time to time."
"That's no problem. I'll arrange for dedicated ships that will let you go back to Europe whenever you need to—visiting relatives, going on business trips, or handling personal affairs."
Most Hechingen Bank employees aren't very keen on working in East Africa, so the kingdom must ensure they can maintain ties with Europe. This will help keep morale up and encourage them to continue creating value for the Hechingen royal family.
Ernst concluded: "Alright, then—do you have any more concerns about relocating the headquarters to East Africa?"
He had provided solutions to everyone's worries. Although working in East Africa might be a bit remote, the advantages are substantial, so no one opposed the decision further.
Ernst said, "Great. Then that's settled. Now we need to discuss where to actually set up the new headquarters. I have data on several East African cities with the best conditions for you to review—take a look. Whichever gets the most support will become the new home of the Hechingen Bank's main office."
The options Ernst gave were Mombasa, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, First Town, Bagamoyo, and Mbeya. After lively discussion, Nairobi won out thanks to its excellent climate conditions.
Even in its hottest month, Nairobi's temperature rarely surpasses 30 degrees Celsius, generally staying in the mid-twenties—29 degrees is considered sweltering. The rest of the time, it's usually in the teens. Although its transportation might be slightly inferior, for Hechingen Bank employees, such mild temperatures are paradise. After all, in Berlin, summer can easily rise past 30 degrees, and winter demands a fireplace for warmth—both extremes for the bank's staff. So Nairobi was chosen without issue; it also has decent infrastructure, plus plenty of Germans and Italians living there, so they needn't fear cultural discomfort.
They're probably worrying too much. East Africa has its own distinctive lifestyle, with a government that sets a myriad of rules. But since most Hechingen Bank staff are well educated and disciplined, many of the East African government's regulations simply align with habits they already have. They may find it easy to adapt to East African life.
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