African Business Chronicles

Chapter 62: Intense Battle

Basil , leading over twenty staff members, was pushing carts eastward. After about two hours and ten miles, they encountered an incoming East African colony military force.

Felix stepped forward and greeted Basil : "Basil , why are you out here? What's the situation inside Zanzibar now?"

"Ai..." Basil sighed.

"A coup took place in the Zanzibar Sultanate. Bagash bin Said took control of the military and imprisoned Sultan Majid bin Said. We were driven out by Bagash's people."

"Where did the immigrants go? Today's ship should have arrived, right?" Felix asked.

"The ship that arrived today was from Europe. I told them to head north to Tanga Port," Basil answered.

Felix narrowed his eyes and spoke in a deep tone: "These Zanzibar people have really grown bold. If the tiger doesn't show its claws, they think we are sick cats. This time, we'll show them what's what!"

Basil , slightly surprised, asked, "Are you planning to retaliate right away? Don't you want to wait for the main forces to arrive first?"

Felix scoffed, "That Zanzibar army isn't worth worrying about. I'll teach them a lesson first."

Basil , now concerned, said, "Don't act rashly. If things go wrong, it could end badly." He then signaled Hans Zhang with his eyes to try and convince Felix.

Hans Zhang placed his hand on Basil 's shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry. Felix knows what he's doing. He may be bold, but we never do anything we aren't sure of. And besides, we're not without legs. If things go wrong, we can always run."

Seeing that these two wouldn't listen, Basil reluctantly asked, "So, what's your plan?"

Felix spoke up, "Of course, we'll assess the situation first before acting. We're not idiots, just rushing in without thinking."

Felix had been in East Africa long enough to know that he mostly fought untrained natives, so there was little need for strategy. A simple volley of gunfire would easily win the day. But now, facing a slightly more formidable opponent like Zanzibar, he was excited to finally face a challenge.

"Don't go back yet. We're short on manpower. Join us, and I'll lead you to fight your way back to Dar es Salaam," Felix said to Basil and the others.

"Alright, we'll trust you this time. But don't mess things up," Basil replied.

Basil had been a Prussian soldier and wasn't particularly afraid of fighting, though he was more cautious by nature.

"Don't worry! I'm here in East Africa for the high salary. My family's waiting for me to return! I value my life highly. I haven't enjoyed it yet, so I won't mess things up," Felix assured, patting his chest.

The German colonial soldiers were indeed hired for high wages. Apart from a base salary, they earned money based on their performance in battle. Although each battle didn't bring much, there were plenty of battles to fight in East Africa. Over time, this would lead to a considerable income, which was why Felix and his men relished the idea of combat—especially in a place like Zanzibar, which had a more developed, state-like structure in East Africa. A single battle there could be worth several raids on primitive tribes.

Ernst's directive for the colony was to follow the plan and always expand in a controlled manner. If they went beyond the designated areas, it would be like working for free.

As for the Zanzibar Sultanate, Ernst had given clear instructions: "If they don't threaten the East African colony, don't provoke them." Since the Zanzibar Sultanate had not yet posed a threat to the East African colony, Felix found no reason to attack until they made the first move.

The students of the Heking Military Academy and the people sent by the consortium would monitor the effects and details of the war. They weren't paid based on battle achievements, so they weren't overly enthusiastic about warfare.

Since the Zanzibar Sultanate had not previously targeted the East African colony, Felix had no reason to attack them. But now that the Zanzibar Sultanate had made a move against them, Felix felt no qualms about taking action.

Evening, the weather began to cool.

Outside Zanzibar City.

Felix and his group hid in the forest not far from the city, waiting for the intelligence officers to return.

After a while, an Arab-dressed person emerged from Dar es Salaam and entered the dense forest.

"Report, sir. I've gathered the information. The enemy is not on lockdown, and ordinary people can still enter and exit freely. There are no soldiers on the streets. Zanzibar is now under Bagash bin Said's rule, and his people are in the royal palace..." the scout reported.

"Good. You rest for now," Felix instructed.

Turning to those around him, he added: "It seems that Bagash bin Said is not someone who can achieve great things. He doesn't even know he's picked a fight with the wrong people. Now he's not acting carefully."

"Not too surprising. In my years of experience in Southeast Asia, I've seen many leaders of small nations who act arrogantly. It's not unusual," Basil remarked.

"Once it gets dark, we'll sneak in and catch them off guard," Felix said, clenching his fist in front of his chest, speaking firmly.

He then pulled out a map of Dar es Salaam and pointed to the royal palace on the map.

"Capture the leader first. We'll storm their command center and let Bagash bin Said experience what it's like to be captured."

At 7:00 PM, night had fallen.

The East African colony army sneaked into the city. The operation went smoothly, and Dar es Salaam's royal palace was located in the center of the city, a three-story building made of brick and stone.

Bagash bin Said was hosting a victory feast. As the new ruler, he felt the day had gone exceptionally well. He had seized power, abolished backward systems, and expelled the Germans from Dar es Salaam port—all within a single day.

Bagash bin Said had arranged a grand feast to celebrate his success.

Due to religious reasons, there was no alcohol on the table, but there was coffee and coconut.

Bagash bin Said raised a coconut and addressed the guests: "Today is the greatest day in Zanzibar's history..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a sudden commotion erupted outside the palace, followed by the sound of gunfire: "Bang, bang, bang..."

"What's happening? Abdullah, go check!" Bagash bin Said shouted angrily. "Who's missing from the feast today?"

The first thought that came to Bagash bin Said's mind was that it was the remnants of Majid bin Said's supporters.

The ministers present exchanged glances. They realized that only Bagash bin Said's forces had weapons now. Could it be the Germans from the East African colony? That didn't make sense. If they wanted revenge, they would have to gather forces, which would take a few days to arrive.

Although everyone knew that there were two to three hundred East African colonial soldiers stationed not far from Dar es Salaam, two to three hundred men wouldn't be so reckless, right?

They didn't know Felix's character. Felix, with his Prussian military spirit, was used to going straight into the fray. Though Prussia was considered war-crazy in Europe, its army was still somewhat overrated in the eyes of the great powers.

Felix had served as a soldier in Prussia before retiring. But he couldn't sit still in Europe; he came to Africa to bully the natives. The natives had disappointed him, as they were no challenge. So now, encountering a slightly stronger force like Zanzibar, Felix was eager for a fight.

Outside the palace, Felix calmly commanded the battle.

The Zanzibar soldiers were too weak for him, and he saw them as no match for his troops.

"First squad, grenadiers, prepare and aim at the gates. Throw everything you've got!"

Due to the conditions in East Africa, grenades were the only substantial weapons available, apart from the coastal defense artillery at Tanga Port. In Europe, with the widespread use of artillery and fortified positions, the importance of grenadiers had decreased. But in East Africa, grenades were like "nuclear weapons." No matter how tough the natives were, they would scatter as soon as a grenade exploded.

Zanzibar, with its simple cannons and "advanced" military, wasn't as easily frightened by grenades. But Felix had no intention of using grenades to win the fight.

The Zanzibar royal palace was a fairly large three-story building, made of brick and stone. Because it was a palace, the Zanzibar soldiers hadn't had time to set up proper defenses and could only take shelter behind the walls of the palace.

The palace gates and windows became the only shooting positions, so Felix concentrated his ammunition on breaching the gates.

"Boom..." With a loud explosion, half of the palace gate collapsed. The soldiers in front of the gate were immediately taken out, and those behind the gate were lying on the ground, crying out in pain.

Due to the palace's complex structure, it was difficult for reinforcements to come quickly.

Felix, hearing the gunfire stop at the gate, drew his sabre and waved it forward, shouting: "Soldiers, victory is ahead! Charge in with me!"

"Kill..."

Due to the night, the Zanzibar soldiers didn't know the enemy's numbers, so they didn't dare to fight outside the palace. Once the colonial soldiers stormed in, they ret

reated inside.

Inside the palace, the narrow corridors made it difficult for them to fight back. The more advanced East African colonial soldiers blocked them inside.

Those with sharp minds had already fled in the dark. Abdullah, who had just arrived to give orders, was captured by four or five East African soldiers before he could even act.

The Zanzibar soldiers had no heart to resist. Some escaped through the windows, others ran frantically through the building. At this point, they didn't care about the palace anymore; survival was their only priority.

¹ Note: A li is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. In historical usage, its exact measure varied, but many people consider 1 li roughly equal to 500 meters.

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