CHAPTER 542: CHAPTER 220 APPLICATION TO RETURN TO THE COUNTRY

Romania.

As a newly independent country from the Ottoman Empire, the former Grand Duke of Romania has now been elevated to the King of Romania, specifically Carol I.

In the economic structure of the Kingdom of Romania, oil is an important industrial project, apart from which Romania is almost indistinguishable from other agricultural countries.

In the newly developed oil field regions, the Romanian Petroleum Development Company has recently opened three new oil wells and constructed a refinery using the latest technology, aiming to develop more petroleum by-products based on Romanian oil refining.

The so-called Romanian Petroleum Development Company is also Ernst’s enterprise, serving as Ernst’s grip on oil resources. Of course, Romania’s oil resources are not as abundant as imagined, but it’s a good training ground for beginners. In other words, East Africa is training its future oil workers in Romania.

Before the Heixinggen consortium entered, Romanian oil development and utilization were entirely small-scale with extremely backward production methods, relying solely on hand-dug pits for production.

After the Heixinggen consortium’s investment, Romanian oil development hit the fast lane. Initially, Heixinggen straightforwardly imported a large batch of machinery from the United States to increase output.

The American oil industry is almost entirely monopolized by Rockefeller, forming Standard Oil Company, occupying about ninety percent of the US oil market, and next year, this percentage will further expand to ninety-five.

Unlike the United States, Europe is an oil-deficient region. Of course, Ernst refers to Western Europe, as Eastern Europe is different. Russia’s oil resources are quite rich, while both Romania and Austria-Hungary have oil distributions, and Poland, which has been partitioned, also has some oil reserves. Russia has resources but lacks industry, which is contrary to current Western Europe.

Moreover, the market demand for oil isn’t very high. For example, the oil usage produced by Romania is about thirty thousand tons per year, which could be considered pathetically low, with over ten thousand tons of that being procured by East Africa.

In the 19th century, the use of oil was primarily concentrated on lighting and pharmaceuticals. It’s said that Americans use oil to treat rheumatism, something Ernst hasn’t witnessed.

As for East Africa’s import of oil, it’s mainly for the use of machinery and the River and Lake Team’s vessels in East Africa.

East Africa has quite a substantial oil reserve, especially in the Nile River basin area, the Great Lakes Region, and the northern region of Lake Turkana.

However, Ernst does not intend to develop these oil resources now, especially those in the Nile River basin.

That area was the oil-producing region of Sudan in the previous life, bordering the boundary line, and north of the boundary is semi-colonial Egypt, backed by the British. Just as he is temporarily not developing South Africa’s resources, Ernst also doesn’t want to trigger a conflict with Britain due to resource development.

Of course, the Brits might not care much about the small oil yield, as the gold mines in South Africa attract the British fatally. However, Britain is typically one that harms others to no profit for itself, so it’s better to be on the safe side in case they just want to cause trouble!

Moreover, the Romanian Petroleum Development Company is enough for Ernst to handle. Once the future technology and personnel are ready, East Africa can use them directly. After all, the Romanian royal family and the Heixinggen royal family are one family, and a single pen cannot write two Hohenzollerns; there’s absolutely no need to worry about the Romanian government restricting East Africa.

"Hey, are you all planning on returning to East Africa?" the manager of the Romanian Petroleum Development Company asked the East African trainees.

"Yes, manager, you know we initially came to Europe as exchange students, and now it’s the end of the year, so we plan to request leave for returning to East Africa to visit our families."

"Indeed, you’ve been working here for two or three years; I understand your feelings. However, you can’t all go back! Someone has to stay on duty. Here’s the plan: split into three groups to return home, and only when the first group returns can the second group go back to East Africa, then after the second group returns, the third group can head to East Africa."

The manager obviously wouldn’t let everyone go, nor could he let them all return to East Africa, so he came up with this plan.

"Manager, when we came to work in Romania, it was allocated by the government, but I want to know if the government intends for us to stay in Romania indefinitely?"

It’s no wonder they speculate, having been assigned to Romania to study and work, and not being allowed to go back to East Africa all that time. If it drags on too long, they might even become Romanians themselves.

"Haha, you don’t have to worry about that. If you were truly forgotten, would I approve of leave for you to visit home? Actually, you should understand that the petroleum industry is a sector the nation holds in high regard, but domestic exploitation started late, with poor infrastructure. So, learning petroleum extraction and refining technology in Romania is the best choice for you."

Returning to East Africa now, these petroleum trainees would have nowhere to demonstrate their skills. East Africa does not intend to prematurely develop the oil industry. Without an oil industry, there naturally is no shortage of oil workers, so these trainees staying in Romania to continually accumulate experience is what’s needed by the country—they’re also creating value for the Heixinggen consortium.

"You all are the pillars of the future oil industry of the nation, and the country certainly won’t let go easily. Of course, there’s no need to be anxious. Just study and work hard. We don’t interfere in your private lives. If you choose to marry and have children in Romania, it’s okay. However, I need to remind you that you will have to return to East Africa eventually, so if you start relationships, make sure to communicate this to the local girls properly, lest there be issues later."

Petroleum industry workers, especially East African nationals in the Romanian Petroleum Development Company, mostly hold middle to high positions or are technical staff, considered high-income earners in Romania.

Therefore, resolving singleness for employees of the Romanian Petroleum Development Company is quite straightforward. Moreover, East Africa encourages its own people to "pluck cabbages" from other countries, given the persistent issue of gender imbalance in East Africa. If they can marry local girls during their spare time, East Africa supports it, killing two birds with one stone.

The manager’s words amused the group of young, energetic men, who then had a delighted look. Perplexed, he commented, "Look at you all! Behaving like this won’t help solve your singlehood; the local girls will only be scared away."

"Take the opportunity during this visit home to see your families, but remember to come back to work soon. Next time, you’ll only be able to communicate via telegram."

"Yes, manager."

For East Africans working abroad, returning home typically takes an entire year due to the tedious nature of sea travel during this era, making it challenging for the Romanian Petroleum Development Company to grant leave to so many employees.

However, due to the uniqueness of the Romanian Petroleum Development Company, the company allows them to return home for a period of rest.

The oil sector can be considered long-term employment, running for a decade or more without issue; thus, the Romanian Petroleum Development Company encourages its employees to settle down and establish themselves in Romania.