African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 818 - 122: Exorbitant Demands, Pay on the Spot

"Count Herman, your demands are nothing short of extortion. Even if we were to sell our Portuguese government, we couldn’t repay this astronomical figure. Given the current economic levels of Angola and Mozambique, we’ve been operating at a loss for years. It’s like a bottomless pit, with debt issues of our own that are hard to resolve. Do you really think we would surrender to East Africa for the sake of these two places?" the Portuguese representative said, blushing with anger.

Count Herman shamelessly replied, "That is not the case, Mr. Gers. We are not concerned with how Portugal manages Angola and Mozambique. After all, East Africa is a nation that loves peace, but that does not mean we are easily bullied. The outcome of this war is simply a result of Portugal overestimating its own strength. You’ve completely ignored the lessons of the last war—Portugal was the instigator of both wars, which fully reflects that the South African war was an act of self-destruction on your part."

"And don’t be quick to deny it; it is a reasonable demand that you compensate us for the enormous losses your acts of war have inflicted upon East Africa. If you wish to settle accounts, you’ll only find the numbers growing, especially since we’ve already waived a significant portion of the compensation."

Count Herman turned the tables with his argument, though Gers couldn’t refute him, feeling more aggrieved and constrained. It was a fact that Portugal lost the war, but to demand such compensation was indeed like extortion from East Africa.

So, Gers retorted, "The land you hold in the west of East Africa is practically barren, not worth much at all. As for the so-called dislocation of a million people, everyone knows that those uncivilized black people have no fixed homes anyway, and you probably wouldn’t count them as your people normally. So, East Africa’s demands are outright extortion of our Portuguese Kingdom."

Herman countered, "That’s inaccurate. First of all, the civilians affected by the war were indeed from East Africa. Moreover, are you implying that the 300,000 black troops in Portugal’s army don’t count as part of Portugal’s forces because of the color of their skin?"

"Our Portuguese army doesn’t have black people..." Gers tried to sever the connection between Portugal and the black troops, as those were the units Portugal was bound to abandon once defeat was clear.

Seeking to shirk war responsibilities through this point, Herman wasn’t having it: "Mr. Gers, you didn’t claim that these black people found their weapons from the African jungles, did you? The armaments of 300,000 men are authentic Portuguese productions, which you can’t deny. Moreover, as former territories under your control, these black people were your Portuguese subjects. Given that they raised their weapons, provided by you, against the Heixinggen Kingdom, shouldn’t you be held accountable for this?"

Pausing for a moment, Herman proceeded with a sarcastic inquiry: "Are you suggesting that these blacks weren’t wearing Portuguese military uniforms, or that they had the means to mobilize hundreds of thousands of troops themselves and manufacture Portuguese-standard weaponry?"

"You... I... you..." Gers wanted to accuse Herman of slander, but considering that East Africa certainly had ample evidence, especially with tens of thousands of Portuguese prisoners in hand, he was at a loss for words.

From the start, Gers found himself in a passive position. Portugal was inherently unjust, fought an ugly war, and lacked the power to contend with East Africa.

"Alright, Count Herman, I believe Portugal’s issues should be put on hold. The Portuguese economy simply cannot satisfy your greedy appetite. My advice remains: one should have a bottom line, and the same goes for nations. Perhaps East Africa isn’t equipped to handle such demands."

Salisbury stepped in to ease the situation for Gers, as other countries watched the spectacle. Only the UK could lend Portugal a hand, assisting its ally in these circumstances benefited Britain too.

East Africa’s considerable demand of over 80 million British Pounds mirrored the expenditures Britain incurred in the South African war. Recognizing it would practically translate to losses nearing two billion Pounds, on par with losses France faced after the Franco-Prussian War.

Of course, Salisbury understood that Count Herman, representing the East African government, had different motives.

This is the classic tactic of demanding the sky, intending to settle for immediate returns. The British, having played this negotiation game often, found their erstwhile opponents helplessly swallowing the bitter pill, even as they bore greater losses.

To everyone’s surprise, Britain’s turn to be on the receiving end had come. However, as the World Overlord, Britain wouldn’t fear East Africa’s "extortion"!

Salisbury said, "Count Herman, while East Africa may have gained a temporary advantage in the war, that doesn’t justify unreasonable demands. The British Empire simply wasn’t fighting seriously. As for those claimed 60,000 captives, it’s just hearsay. Everyone knows there are many white people in India too, and such claims are hard to confirm. Carrying over your allegations doesn’t settle anything on us."

Immediately, Salisbury sought to negate the fact of British soldiers being captives, as the ill-conducted South African war tarnished Britain’s international standing and would serve as a poor precedent for other colonies.

He continued, "Moreover, the series of economic loss claims are dubious. It’s widely known that the African continent is barren, and East Africa’s history in East Africa is a mere couple of decades old. Particularly in the southern development of East Africa, progress has been dismal, so the 80 million British Pounds war indemnity is undoubtedly unreasonable."

Count Herman replied, "Haha, our calculations are reasonable. In fact, the bulk of the war compensation calculations actually focuses on captives and military expenditures. As for British troop numbers, I believe we can distinguish between Indians and Britons."

"Hmm, are you attempting to challenge the British Empire’s limits! While our army might be somewhat short in strength due to limited military financing, the might of the Royal Navy is not to be challenged. If East Africa persists in its folly, I dare say East Africa will rue today’s aggression!"

With Salisbury’s words, the scene turned tense at once. Salisbury didn’t fear Herman’s extortion. Compared to the British Empire’s interests, captured British soldiers’ lives were insignificant.

At this point, Allen Tal, the host, had to intervene, "Lord Salisbury, let’s not get excited. There’s nothing that can’t be discussed. It’s not time for rash actions; a mutual step back is necessary to resolve the problem."

"Hmph!" Salisbury snorted, "Though wealthy, Britain won’t spare a dime for East African savages. If you have the guts, come to London and get it—just afraid you don’t have the courage!"

Hearing this, Von der Leyen could hold back no longer, stating firmly, "If that’s the case, the Heixinggen Kingdom won’t concede either. War will continue until we receive fair compensation. Let’s hope British Somaliland, Egypt, and other regions bordering East Africa display the same toughness."

Seeing the situation spiraling, Allen Tal quickly said, "Both of you, please calm down. We’re not trying to escalate matters. Today, personal emotions are too involved, making it unsuitable to continue the debate. Let’s recess until both sides cool down, then reconvene."

As he spoke, Count Allen Tal gestured to Von der Leyen and Herman, hinting they should quit while ahead. East Africa had gained some advantage today—better not to ask for more trouble.