KEO.PLUS

“You’re right, Governor Anibal. History has taught us that we must not be too merciful to these indigenous people. As the saying goes, people from different tribes harbor different intentions. Under the overarching goal of Australia’s rise, it is not unreasonable to sacrifice all of the natives of New Guinea.” Arthur paused for a while before resolutely replying.

Seeing that Arthur agreed with his view, Governor Anibal Enrique Hernandez’s heart leaped with joy, and he hurriedly continued, “Your Highness, please rest assured, just give me an army of two thousand men and I guarantee that all the natives of New Guinea will become the strongest driving force for Australia’s development.”

Arthur, having made up his mind, no longer hesitated. Looking at the eager Governor Anibal, he smiled and said, “Governor Anibal, I’ll allocate two thousand troops to you. The requirement is to provide at least ten thousand natives per month for Australia’s native land, and the mining development in New Guinea must not be interfered with in any way. Can you do it?”

“I am happy to serve!” Governor Anibal immediately stood up respectfully, his firm gaze and tone representing his attitude.

After receiving Governor Anibal’s affirmative response, Arthur nodded with satisfaction and ended the discussion.

How to execute the plan afterwards is what Governor Anibal should be worried about; Arthur is only responsible for issuing the plan.

Later, accompanied by a series of colonial officials including Governor Anibal, Arthur inspected the army, minefields, government, and urban city of New Guinea and delivered some speeches in the city square.

Admittedly, the geographical location and resources of New Guinea have greatly elevated the value of this land.

Australian New Guinea is also rich in mineral resources, with gold mines, copper mines, silver mines, nickel mines, petroleum and natural gas, and other important mineral resources have been discovered, and their reserves are abundant.

As it is adjacent to the Netherlands’ Dutch East Indies Colony to the west, it also serves as a springboard for planning and layout in Southeast Asia, as well as a natural northern barrier for Australia.

More importantly, in comparison to the more distant New Zealand, New Guinea is not far from the Australian mainland and is even very close.

As the second-largest region in Oceania, once Australia and New Guinea are in control, it basically has control of the entire Oceania.

After inspecting the whole of New Guinea, Arthur encouraged all the colonial officials before returning to Australia aboard a warship amidst the respectful gazes of the crowd.

The trip to New Guinea did bring some good news. At least before the Netherlands made a move, Australia could still rely on the natives of New Guinea to achieve rapid industrial development in the early stages.

Although this might require the sacrifice of the interests of these natives, and even the vast majority of them may die in bloodshed.

But who cares? The history of the industrial rise of European nations is also the history of exploitation of colonial peoples around the world. Everyone will remember Europe’s current prosperity, and no one would pity the exploited nations.

As the saying goes, lagging behind leads to getting beaten; in order for Australia to become a world-class power, sacrifices must be made by other nations with pain on their part as well.

3rd May 1901, Sydney.

Arthur, who had returned to Sydney for just a few days, soon set off for some good news.

The news came from Benz. After requisitioning several factories in the vicinity of Sydney, Benz and Diesel quickly established their laboratories and factories and devoted themselves to the research and production of engines and cars.

Having researched the latest engines himself, Diesel joined forces with Benz, who had his own car research findings. They decided to develop the most advanced car in the world and make it Arthur’s vehicle.

Of course, this was also their way of showing their abilities to Arthur. After all, upon arrival in Australia, all of the funding for their research depended on Arthur’s support.

Showing their capabilities to Arthur in a timely manner would make it easier to request research funds in the future.

Three months later, on May 3rd, they finally worked overtime to produce a new car and eagerly invited Arthur to visit it personally.

Frankly, Arthur was somewhat astonished when he first saw the car jointly developed by Benz and Diesel.

Though it looked very rudimentary compared to the advanced cars of later generations, one couldn’t help but admire the Fathers of Automobiles, Benz, and the Diesel Engine, Diesel, when considering the developmental status of cars in this era.

This unnamed car was modified based on the Victoria cars developed by Benz.

In terms of its engine, the diesel engine developed by Diesel was adopted, resulting in a significant increase in the car’s power.

Theoretically, this car can reach a top speed of eighty kilometers per hour.

More importantly, because of using the diesel engine invented by Benz, the car can use a wide range of unexpected energy sources, including traditional gasoline and diesel, as well as peanut oil, olive oil, and other terms that no one would ever think of, as fuels of the car.

Unlike the common car design in later generations, the steering wheel of this car is installed in the center. In addition to the main driver’s seat, there are three seats in the rear row for passengers.

According to the perspective of this era, this is almost the most advanced car in the world. Benz’s engine ensures the stability of the car, and while it can’t prevent the noise of the engine’s operation, a car that can travel at 30 to 40 kilometers per hour for over two hundred kilometers is definitely attractive.

“Mr. Benz, Mr. Diesel, is this beauty really the product of your three months of work? I think that with a little modification, it could be put on the market and would definitely be sought after by many.” Arthur said to the two with some surprise.

Although it is far inferior to the cars of later generations in terms of performance and design, it is already completely marketable in terms of practicality.

This is precisely what astonishes Arthur. As far as performance is concerned, this car is on par with the T-model, which was born a few years later; this car is a practical vehicle that can open the automobile market entirely.

“To be precise, it is a car improved based on our previous research results, Your Highness. We are confident in claiming that this car is the world’s strongest in terms of performance. However, the bad news is that the cost of manufacturing this car is too high. It is probably impossible to popularize it in the market,” Benz said with an embarrassed smile, explaining to Arthur.

Benz’s previously developed Victoria cars were like that, although they were among the most advanced cars at the time in terms of performance, their high cost made them unattainable for the vast majority of people.