Chapter 529: Application to Return Home
Romania.
As a newly independent country emerging from the Ottoman Empire, the former Grand Duke of Romania had now been elevated to King of Romania—Carol I.
In the economic structure of the Romanian Kingdom, oil was a key industrial sector. Aside from that, Romania was hardly different from any other agricultural nation.
In newly developed oil field regions, the Romanian Petroleum Development Company had recently drilled three new wells and built a refinery using the latest technology to refine Romanian oil and develop more petroleum by-products.
This so-called Romanian Petroleum Development Company was in fact one of Ernst's enterprises—a strategic foothold in his petroleum resource strategy. Admittedly, Romania did not possess as much oil as initially hoped, but it was an ideal training ground for beginners. In other words, East Africa was using Romania to train its future petroleum workers.
Before the Hechingen Consortium entered the scene, Romania's oil development efforts were limited and primitive—mostly hand-dug pits with outdated techniques.
After the Hechingen Consortium's investment, Romanian oil development accelerated rapidly. Initially, Hechingen imported a large number of machines from the United States to increase production.
In the U.S., the oil industry was almost entirely monopolized by Rockefeller's Standard Oil, which controlled around 90% of the national oil market—a figure that would rise to 95% the following year.
Unlike the U.S., Europe was generally lacking in oil—at least in Western Europe. Eastern Europe, however, was a different story. Tsarist Russia possessed abundant oil resources, and both Romania and the Austro-Hungarian Empire had oil deposits. Even partitioned Poland had some reserves. Tsarist Russia had resources but lacked industry, the opposite of Western Europe.
Market demand for oil was not especially high in the 19th century. For example, Romania's annual oil consumption was only about 30,000 tons—a meager amount, over 10,000 tons of which were purchased by East Africa.
In the 19th century, oil was mainly used for lighting and medicinal purposes. There were even stories about Americans using oil to treat rheumatism, though Ernst had never witnessed it himself.
East Africa's oil imports were primarily intended for powering machinery and naval vessels operating on rivers and lakes.
East Africa possessed considerable oil reserves, especially near the Nile Basin, the Great Lakes region, and the Lake Turkana area in the north.
However, Ernst had no plans to exploit these resources immediately, especially those in the Nile Basin. That area, the oil-producing region of what had once been Sudan and South Sudan, bordered semi-colonial Egypt, which in turn was backed by Britain. Just like East Africa's delay in exploiting South African resources, Ernst preferred to avoid conflict with Britain over oil.
It wasn't that Britain necessarily cared much about oil, but the gold mines in South Africa were far more tempting. Nonetheless, Britain had a history of being spitefully obstructive, so Ernst thought it wiser to be cautious.
Moreover, the Romanian Petroleum Development Company alone was enough to keep Ernst busy. Once technology and personnel were fully developed, East Africa could directly apply them. After all, the Romanian royal family and the Hechingen royal family belonged to the same lineage—both Hohenzollerns. Romania's government would hardly block East African interests.
"Sigh, are all of you planning to return to East Africa?" the manager of the Romanian Petroleum Development Company asked the East African apprentices.
"Yes, manager. As you know, we came to Europe originally as overseas students. Now that the end of the year is near, we plan to take leave to visit our families in East Africa."
"That makes sense. You've worked here for two or three years now. I understand how you feel, but you can't all go back at once! Someone has to stay on duty. Here's the deal: you'll return in three groups. The second group can leave only after the first returns, and the third only after the second returns."
The manager wasn't about to let everyone leave at once, but he couldn't deny them time off either, so this compromise made sense.
"Manager, when we first came to work in Romania, it was arranged by the government. But I wonder—does the government intend for us to stay in Romania permanently?"
Their concern wasn't unfounded. Ever since they'd been assigned to Romania, East Africa had never called them back. If too much time passed, they feared becoming Romanian by default.
"Heh, no need to worry about that. If the government really intended to abandon you, would I be approving your leave to return home? You should understand that the oil industry is a nationally prioritized sector. However, since domestic development started late and infrastructure is weak, there's not much demand for your skills back home. Right now, learning oil extraction and refining in Romania is your best option."
Returning to East Africa at this point would be unwise, as there was no oil industry there yet—meaning no place for these apprentices. Staying in Romania to gain experience was exactly what the nation needed. It also created value for the Hechingen Consortium.
"You all are the future pillars of the country's petroleum sector. Naturally, the state won't let go of you easily. But don't stress—we don't interfere in your personal lives. If you get married and have children in Romania, that's fine. But keep in mind that you'll eventually return to East Africa. So if you start dating, be upfront with the local girls to avoid heartbreak later."
In the Romanian Petroleum Development Company, East African workers—particularly those with East African citizenship—made up the bulk of mid-to-high level or technical positions. They were considered a high-income group in Romania.
Therefore, solving the issue of being single wasn't hard for them. Besides, East Africa actively encouraged its citizens to "pluck cabbage" (i.e., marry locals) in other countries. Given East Africa's gender imbalance, such marriages were a win-win.
The manager's comments made the group of energetic young men blush and grin like fools. He rolled his eyes and said, "Look at yourselves! If that's the face you're going to use to chase girls, they'll all run away screaming."
"Take advantage of this trip home to see your families—and be sure to return on time. Next time, we'll only be able to communicate by telegram."
"Yes, Manager."
For East Africans working abroad, home visits were typically measured in years. Traveling overseas was still a cumbersome affair. That's why it was so difficult for the Romanian Petroleum Development Company to grant leave to so many employees at once.
Still, because of the unique nature of the company, it allowed these workers to return home for a period of rest.
The petroleum industry was a long-cycle business. Working ten or even twenty years wasn't uncommon. That's why the Romanian Petroleum Development Company encouraged its employees to settle and buy property in Romania.
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