Of course, this is somewhat sophistical. As for East Africa's current national strength, it's no exaggeration to say that unless the world's powers join forces, they pose no threat to East Africa. A single country attempting to invade East Africa is basically impossible.

"Mr. Hel, let's not digress; let's talk business. After all, national affairs are for the higher-ups to consider. We small figures can only support within our scope of ability, like in the economic domain, which is just as crucial to a country as the military." Maxim said.

Hel: "You're right. This time, our company aims to increase the purchase of East African agricultural products. Recently, the world economy has improved slightly, so we're planning to expand our textile raw materials, and based on this, we intend to import a batch of cotton from Luanda." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Hel did not specify the quantity and price, naturally hoping East Africa would offer concessions. In actual trade between the two countries, East Africa suffers a disadvantage since it's an agricultural nation that can only export low-value-added products like agricultural goods and minerals to Germany.

However, this is not important for Luanda City; currently, Angola has accumulated a batch of agricultural products urgently in need of an outlet.

After all, Angola used to be a raw material base for Portugal. Now it understands expanding local agricultural cultivation on this basis; with increased production and a more urgent pursuit of sales.

"We can lower the price by ten percent, but your purchase scale must be at least a thousand pounds; otherwise, we can only reduce it by five percent."

This can be considered bundled sales, but even if not, Angola's cotton price is relatively low.

"And what if my purchase scale exceeds a thousand pounds? Suppose it reaches two thousand pounds or higher, can you offer further discounts based on quantity?" Hel, as a businessman, naturally hopes to obtain more.

However, Maxim couldn't make this decision. He said: "In that case, I'll have to consult my superiors first. I can advocate for you, but Mr. Hel, could you let me know your demand so I can report to them effectively."

Hel said mysteriously: "The unit should be changed to ten thousand pounds at least, but the specific quantity depends on your sincerity."

...

Only under peaceful and stable conditions can East Africa focus on economic development, a condition Germany and Austria do not have.

In fact, apart from the German Country, the country investing most in East Africa is surprisingly France.

Although due to Germany, France holds some resentment towards Germans, French capital remains practical, especially after losing Lorraine and Alsace. The development of France's domestic industry became restricted, and given the strength of its financial sector, over the past five years, France's investment in East Africa has steadily increased.

Certainly, it might be partly because East Africa's lesson to the British was gratifying to France. Before Germany, the contradiction between England and France has been one of the major conflicts on the continent. This conjecture isn't entirely unfounded, considering that before the South African War, France had almost zero investment in East Africa, only after did it dramatically increase.

Of course, this also relates to the lack of a real conflict between East Africa and France, as previously, Austria's relations with France were good; now, Germany and Austria's relations are closer.

East Africa is isolated in the southeast of the African continent, while France, apart from Madagascar and Gabon colonies, has almost no conflict of interests and geopolitics.

Moreover, East Africa is a large market and a raw material base; in recent years, industrial and agricultural scales have been rapidly growing, making it impossible for any country to overlook East Africa.

In reality, East Africa's success has also stimulated French colonial activities in West Africa and North Africa. Of course, they can't turn West African colonies into independent countries like East Africa, but West Africa and North Africa are just a Mediterranean distance from France, making "integration" feasible.

However, due to East Africa, France's competitors in West Africa and North Africa have greatly increased, such as the United Kingdom and Germany, forcing them strategically towards West Africa and North Africa; even smaller countries like Belgium can seize opportunities.

Today's Belgian colonies are practically a patchwork of former French Gabon and Congo (Brazzaville) colonial territories.

France has few solutions for Belgium, as Belgium is crucial to France in Europe, serving as a buffer with Germany and providing vital mineral resources for France's industrial development.

According to 1884 data from the East African Migration Agency, the number of permanent French residents in East Africa is second only to Germans, Austria-Hungary people, and Arabs, reaching over three thousand, mostly engaged in commercial trade, with a few investing in building factories in East Africa, representing the permanent population.

After all, there are significant investment risks in East Africa, mainly due to strict inspections and regulations. Only Germany and Austria, with government backing, have some powerful businessmen and companies daring to invest in East Africa.

As for making quick profits from East Africa, it's basically unlikely, as East African financial industry nearly doesn't exist, offering limited operational space, making many East African investors pursue substantive business.

There's more to gain by starting a phantom company in other countries for major deception and quick earnings, or assuming the role of "Supreme Emperor" in colonies or underdeveloped countries, which is faster and more satisfying than investing in East Africa, providing a sense of superiority.

In this regard, German enterprises are naturally more welcomed in East Africa; beside the various friendly relations and close connections between the two countries, Germany's financial sector developed late, with many practical individuals, lacking the many cunning thoughts other country's businessmen have, including Austria, considering the 1873 economic crisis was triggered by Austria's financial sector's credibility issues.

These factors have contributed to East Africa's long-standing partnership with Austria, but East Africa's trade with Germany has later surpassed that scale, particularly after opening several ports on the West Coast, which became more evident.

Previously, a large part of East German trade had to transit through Austria-Hungary, but after the opening of the West Coast ports, business ships from both countries could directly travel through the Atlantic Ocean without detouring via the Mediterranean.

Of course, besides German capital, East Africa is welcoming enterprises and merchants from other countries willing to invest in East Africa's coastal regions, including those from the United Kingdom and Portuguese.

East Africa actually harbors no strong animosity towards Portugal; Portugal simply suffers the crime of possession, which led East Africa to target them. Although some conflicts were indeed initiated by Portugal, they were fueled by East Africa's active incitement in the background.

This is similar to how Europe and America kept expanding their influence in Eastern Europe, forcing Russia into a corner; East Africa also adopts this tactic against Portugal.

East Africa deliberately encircled Portuguese territories, finally dividing and surrounding Portugal's two colonies. With such conditions, how could Portugal not feel anxious? And the Portuguese government's ideas are completely correct.

East Africa aims to achieve the ultimate annexation of Portugal's two colonies, even if Portugal doesn't resist, the final outcome will not change, and the South African War merely accelerated this process.

Certainly, before the war, East Africa held great hostility towards Portugal, but after the war concluded, East Africa completely changed its approach, especially in attracting Portuguese merchants, since once the Portuguese leave, what happens to the goods originally supplied to Portuguese mainland from Angola and Mozambique?

So, until today, Portugal may curse East Africa domestically, yet Portuguese merchants continue to be significant buyers of East African products.

After all, Portuguese merchants have operated on the East African coast for over a hundred years; giving up these commercial channels would be unwise, doing business with East Africa might involve losses, but it offers profits; abandoning it directly would mean unemployment.