African Entrepreneurship Record

Soon, Kumoyev and Lebria’s small boat successfully arrived in front of Freedom, and they climbed aboard using the soft ladder thrown down from the ship.

Freedom was already crowded with people, and the East African personnel on board began allocating areas to them.

The captain of Freedom, Hilda, looked at the swarming Russian refugees and couldn’t help but sigh, "I didn’t expect that at sixty years old, I’d still be able to sail such an old-style ship and lead a group of immigrants across the sea."

"It’s as if time has been pushed back thirty years, to when I first led a team to Haiti as a captain. But this time, the destination is the South Sea Region, and the passengers are not Black people, but White Slavs."

In his youth, Hilda had participated in the East African Government-organized "Black Slave Trade," and at that time, the ship he piloted was a wooden-hulled sailboat.

First Mate Vilkenitz said, "Can’t compare them with Black slaves; after all, they have now gained East African nationality, and their living conditions are much better than those of the Black slaves back then, with free space to move around on the ship and better food."

"Moreover, the South Sea, despite being a bit poor, is certainly much better than Russia. In the future, they might even thank fate for its favor this time!"

Vilkenitz is also an experienced old sailor who was active on the East African and Far East trade and migration routes for a long time.

Hilda said, "Anyway, it’s better than staying in Russia. Russia has been unlucky enough these years; I hear there was even a coup recently, and Nicholas II has stepped down."

Vilkenitz: "Haha, with Russia’s current plight, even the gods find it hard to save them. The Ottoman Empire has declared war on Russia, and the Allies have a significant advantage. Russia is embroiled in internal turmoil, and it’s likely to be the first casualty in the European war. Russia’s defeat might trigger a chain reaction in the war, and who knows if England and France can withstand it."

Since Russia’s turmoil began, the scales of war tipped back toward the Allies, making even the Ottomans restless and eager to take a bite out of Russia.

The whole of 1916 saw the Allies continue to make breakthroughs on the Eastern Front, and the Ottomans managing to hold back until 1917 was quite an effort.

Hilda said, "This time, the Ottoman Empire is well-prepared, and Russia is probably facing its most severe situation in hundreds of years of history."

"Napoleon might have invaded Moscow in the past, but back then, Russia had many allies, and the weather helped them turn the tide. This time, it’s not just France, but Germany, Austria-Hungary, and the Ottomans, three world powers, attacking Russia from three sides."

Though the Ottoman Empire isn’t considered a Great Power, its strength shouldn’t be underestimated, and like the Far East Empire, it’s a world power capable of shifting regional power balances.

Hilda favors the Ottoman Empire mainly because Russia is overly weakened now. Even if the Ottomans only exert Bulgaria’s combat power, they can still give Russia a hard lesson.

The Ottoman Empire poses threats to Russia in two directions: the Black Sea and Caucasus, significantly easing the Allies’ pressure. Considering the Ottoman Empire’s size alone, its involvement could cause the Russian front to collapse entirely.

Hilda said, "Over the years, we’ve sold quite a few weapons to the Ottomans, from rifles and machine guns to artillery and even some surface vessels. If they can wield the prowess from the last Russian-Turkish War, they could inflict heavy damage on Russian troops unless Russia exits the war, which is unlikely."

Hilda certainly doesn’t expect Russians to exit the war now, for obvious reasons. Russia has invested immense human, material, and financial resources in WWI, essentially staking the whole country’s destiny on this war.

Despite Nicholas II’s abdication, Hilda doesn’t believe the new Russian government has the willpower to stop the war.

As long as Russia doesn’t exit the war, no matter the outcome, Russia will face dire consequences since the battlefield between the Allies and Russia primarily lies in the core territories of Russia in Europe.

Vilkenitz didn’t disagree, jokingly saying, "By the time we return from the South Sea Region, the Eastern Front might already be over."

Hilda said, "You’re overthinking it. At first, every European country sought a swift victory. But no matter what they thought back then, they couldn’t have imagined this war dragging on till now. From Austria-Hungary’s declaration of war on Serbia, it’s been two and a half years already."

"Russia is vast and England and France have deep foundations, so it’s not impossible that the war might continue for years. Of course, if the war continues, it’s certainly beneficial for us, so let’s hope it doesn’t end prematurely."

"Or else, at my age, I wouldn’t be running routes with you young fellows, piloting a relic from the last century."

"In this sense, it shows the Empire’s international trade prosperity, all thanks to the outbreak of the European war, which granted us this opportunity."

"Grateful we live in a peaceful country; otherwise, it would be the Russians piloting the ships now instead of us."

As time passed, four hours later, Freedom’s passengers were finally all aboard.

Hilda and Vilkenitz didn’t chat much more and began directing the sailors to prepare to leave the coastal waters near Fau Town.

After departing Fau, safety would only come once they exit the Hormuz Strait. Though British in the Persian Gulf haven’t threatened East African ships so far, the risk hasn’t vanished.

With the Ottoman Empire officially involved in the war, no one knows if the British will act desperately and alter their strategy in the Persian Gulf.

Even with the East African Navy deterrence, there’s still the capability to deliberately hassle a few merchant ships.

A day later, Freedom and other East African merchant ships congregated near the coastline of the Beibu Gulf domain. East African merchant ships gathered here mainly to facilitate escort by the East African Navy.

With around twenty ships gathered, this temporary fleet, led by two East African destroyers Bela and Guilu, and a frigate Kitwe, majestically advanced towards the Hormuz Strait.

Freedom was manufactured in the 1890s, making it an old-fashioned sailboat but equipped with a steam propulsion system. However, it still struggled to keep up with the main fleet’s speed, falling behind and seeming out of place among modern steamships.

Though slow, the journey was relatively safe. Generally, the British wouldn’t block these returning ships.

After all, Britain’s main concern is East Africa supplying war materials to the Allies, and interception should target ships headed toward Basra Port.

This tactic, however, is challenging for the British. East Africa routinely patrols its cruisers and destroyers in the Hormuz Strait, and even battleships of the Indian Ocean Fleet occasionally appear.

These warships are East Africa’s ace in the hole. As North Atlantic trade stalled, East African naval strength began returning to the Indian Ocean.

In the war’s early days, much of the Indian Ocean Fleet supported the Atlantic direction. Now, with support fleets returning, the Indian Ocean Fleet is back at its peak.

British naval forces remaining in the Indian Ocean can’t focus on the Hormuz Strait because Britain must first ensure India’s safety, preventing them from assigning their main naval forces to the Persian Gulf.

As for the Berlin—Baghdad—Basra railway, while it greatly aids the Allies, it doesn’t compel Britain to risk disruption of Persian Gulf routes.

The Berlin—Baghdad—Basra railway, after all, is a terrestrial transport channel. With its complexity over multiple countries, connectivity is poor, and it can’t compete with maritime transport. As long as East African warships don’t sneak into the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, Britain remains unperturbed.