African Nationhood

Chapter 13 Verification and Negotiation (Part )
  “What I want is very simple, mainly the following points:
  1. I need a royal charter, and the colonial scope is set in the area surrounding Cape Colony;

2. I need an infantry company of guns and supporting ammunition as the starting capital of the colonial company;

3. I need to establish a foothold on a piece of land around the Cape Colony as a base for the colonial company;
  4. I need a title, which will help with the early development of my colonial company;

5. I need an exclusive deep-water port for loading and unloading cargo and transporting people.

6. After your country’s new rifles and new bullets are launched, your country needs to provide free assistance to my colony for four to eight production lines of Martini-Henry rifles and bullets.

We also need to dispatch technical personnel to help us train workers until we can successfully put into production.

In return, I will exclusively license the new gunpowder for 3 years.

In 3 years I will publish my patent and start applying for patent rights in other countries. "

After Shi Jintang finished speaking, he lit a cigarette again. Bannerman looked serious and remained silent.

Shi Jintang also knew that he could not disturb the other party's thoughts at this time.

Of the conditions he proposed, the first 3 and 6 don't matter at all, but the 4th and 5th are the key.

The reason why he said this was to test the British bottom line.

After Nobel failed to defend his rights in the UK, he went to other countries to promote his double-base gunpowder, and finally Italy accepted his new gunpowder.

The Italian military placed an order for the first batch of 300 tons and paid another 50 to purchase the patent license for "Knowledge Gunpowder".

When France learned of the news, it immediately smeared Nobel in the media, saying that he had plagiarized French military secrets, and confiscated his factories and personal assets.

The impoverished Nobel had no choice but to flee to Italy in despair and start all over again, eventually passing away in Italy.

Comparing the two, he doesn't want much.

Moreover, the first-mover advantage of new gunpowder was crucial to Britain.

Shi Jintang had no idea how shameless the imperialist British guys would be, and it all depended on luck in the end.

"As an Englishman, I think you're asking for a bit too much.

I find it difficult to ask Her Majesty the Queen to grant you a knighthood when you merely provide a recipe. "

After hearing what Bannerman said, Shi Jintang immediately understood that most of his requests would be passed.

After the Industrial Revolution, the British royal family had very strict control over titles and would not grant titles easily.

But the new gunpowder was unusual, and James Dewar, a former space-time thief, received a title from the British royal family.

Friedrich Labelle also received the Victoria Grand Cross from the royal family.

Therefore, Shi Jintang is not worried at all that the British military will not agree. If the British military does not agree, he can go to other countries.

In addition to Britain, the European powers of this era also included France and Germany.

Although Germany has just been reunified not long ago, Germany can't wait to compete with Britain and France for supremacy around the world.

At the African Colonial Congress held in Berlin in 1885, various countries delineated their spheres of influence.

This conference was initiated by Germany.

These European powers divided their respective interests through conferences and jointly carved up the African continent.

People of later generations often wonder why the national borders of African countries are so straight. It is because these great powers directly demarcate borders on the map and govern them.

Of course, it is now 1879, and there are still 6 years left for Shi Jintang to acquire a large territory.

Seeing that Bannerman was still silent, Shi Jintang took a deep breath and whispered: "I have established a joint-stock company with a French businessman.

This company will promote my Zippo lighters and cigarettes across Europe.

I wonder if Mr. Bannerman is interested in taking shares? "

After listening to Shi Jintang's words, the middle-aged white man who had been frowning just now immediately smiled and said: "Oh, what is the share capital of this company and how much principal is needed?"

He smiles when he senses benefits and changes his face as quickly as a chameleon. He is worthy of being a British guy.

He put out the cigarette in his hand and spit out a mouthful of thick phlegm, with a cheerful smile on his face.

Bannerman frowned. No matter how smart this oriental young man was, he could not conceal the nature of his origin in a backward and ignorant country.

"There is no rush to buy shares. Let's settle the negotiation between me and your country first. Then we can sit down and talk slowly when we have time."

Shi Jintang's meaning is obvious. If you want to get something cheap, you have to do my job well.

Bannerman frowned and chuckled, "Well, I understand."

Shi Jintang saw the British guy smiling happily, and he also laughed. I hope you really understand.

The two got into the carriage again and returned to Bannerman's manor, where they rested separately. Bannerman was nowhere to be seen for the next four or five days.

During the trip, Alice and Trudeau came to visit Shi Jintang together. They felt much relieved when they learned that their employer was well.

Shi Jintang was feeling uncomfortable, so he took the two of them to visit Bannerman's manor, and they stayed like this for two more days.

……

10 Downing Street, the official residence of the Prime Minister.

The conference room was filled with smoke, and the nobles holding pipes puffed away smoke.

The current Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, sat upright and looked at the helpless faces of the army and navy bosses on both sides of the conference table.

The 70-year-old man was not in good health. His cheeks were thin, his eyes were cloudy, and even his breath smelled bad.

Today's meeting must produce a result. Otherwise, if I spend all my time with these guys, when will it end?

"Your Highness the Duke, do you agree or disagree?"

When Prince George heard the Prime Minister's question, he quickly put down his pipe.

"My opinion is that this new type of gunpowder is completely in line with what the Qing people said. This is a gunpowder that is ahead of its time.

The first-mover advantage of new gunpowder was even more crucial to the British Empire.

It’s just that the three years for secret authorization are too short, and a few more years need to be added.

Bannerman, when you go to talk, you must fight for this point again. "

"No, absolutely not, he is a Qing national, how can we grant the title of the British Empire to a foreigner?
  Besides, his demands were too much. Just the guns and matching bullets required a battalion of equipment, and it was even more excessive to give him an exclusive deep-water port. "

The speaker was called Philip Howard Colom. He had a round face and thick cheek muscles, like a hamster.

He also has narrow eyes and a smile that looks more like a wretched hamster.

This man was one of the naval generals. He had previously served as the captain of the "Dreadnought", but now that he was unemployed, he came to the Admiralty to hang out.

Now that people from both factions have spoken, other officials in the conference room have also spoken to support their respective camps' arguments.

Bannerman was another idler present, able to attend the meeting because he now had liaison duties.

But he kept his duty and kept silent, never revealing any of his tendencies unless named.

And he adjusted some of the terms so that even if the senior management couldn't agree to everything, they could eventually get it done with Shi Jintang.

"Cough cough cough..."

Prime Minister Benjamin wanted to hold back, but his throat was so itchy that he couldn't hold it back and finally coughed up.

After coughing, I gasped again, and in the end I breathed out more than I took in.

Even though he was not feeling well, these bastards still kept arguing.

At the same time, many senior officials in the conference room wisely put out their pipes, fearing that the Prime Minister would get angry and curse others.

"Sir Benjamin, do you need to call a doctor?"

"No need, I can still hold on.

I have synthesized everyone's opinions and concluded that I cannot agree to all the requests made by the Qing man or not agree to them all.

We can try our best to satisfy the other party within our scope of authority, and reject anything that exceeds our scope of authority.

Mr. Bannerman, do you understand what I mean? "

Bannerman nodded, "What the Prime Minister means is to be more flexible and not rigid, right?"

Prime Minister Benjamin flicked his chest and nodded slightly, "Well, we can talk about everything except the title of a knight. As for the exclusive deep-water port.

I remember that there was a port on the coast of southwest Africa where whales could be seen, which could be given to him.

That place is surrounded by desert, and it will be of no use to us if we take it. "

Prime Minister Benjamin made the decision, and the others no longer argued, but kept flattering the Prime Minister.

He said a lot of nonsense about being knowledgeable and having a strong memory.

Bannerman hid in the corner and snickered. This time he could finally do the business.

　I beg readers for your support, thank you Puppet!

　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)