Cabinda in East Africa was only a hundred kilometers from Black Point, so the Belgians of Black Point were no strangers to Cabinda, this "international metropolis." All it took was a boat ticket to reach Cabinda, though the two places were also connected by road.
To the citizens of Black Point, Cabinda's prosperity did not pale in the slightest beside Brussels, Belgium's capital. Many of Black Point's Belgian elites even lived in Cabinda year-round.
Hughes hailed a taxi, then invited his brother's family to his residence.
Hermann said in some surprise, "Isn't this too extravagant?"
To Hermann, automobiles were rare things. Europe's automobile industry lagged far behind not only East Africa's, but even that of the United States. Thus, only the wealthy could afford cars in Europe, and Hermann's family was not well-off. Usually, they could only look on enviously at the rich and aristocrats driving through the streets of Belgium.
Hughes said nonchalantly, "Take a look at how many cars there are in Black Point and you'll understand. There are quite a lot of automobiles here. I don't know how things have developed back home these past few years, but when I first came to Black Point, I was shocked too."
"Antwerp, our hometown, counted as a major city in Belgium, yet when I left Antwerp, you could barely see a few cars on an ordinary day. But the moment I arrived in Black Point, I found that there were a great many cars here."
"Especially in recent years, the number of cars in Black Point has surged at breakneck speed. Almost anyone with a little money buys one. There are still plenty of rich people in Black Point—I'd estimate there are no fewer than ten thousand cars in the entire city."
Black Point's total population was only a