December 7, 1929.
Benghazi.
This was a town in northeastern Libya, now an Italian colony. After Benito came to power, constrained by Italy's national strength, he found it difficult to wield his ambitions as freely as he had in his previous life.
But he was clearly not someone who could sit still. To expand Italy's territory, Benito set his sights on eastern Libya, right where British and French spheres of influence met. Though most of it was desert, the coast still had some habitable areas, and Benghazi lay within this region.
The facts proved that Benito's move had been highly successful. Britain and France, each weighing its own interests, tacitly accepted Italy's expansion in the region. Italy had long been Britain's ally, while France, though it had entered Libya at the start of the century, had its interests concentrated in the western region centered on Tripoli.
Benghazi had been Libya's second-largest city and most important port in the previous life. Now, it was only the size of a town. Yet given Libya's population, Benghazi, though not large, was still one of the most prosperous and developed cities in the region.
Especially after Italy took control of the place, it stepped up Benghazi's construction, finally setting the city on the road to modernization. But Italy's economy itself was weak, and the region had no worthwhile resources, so investment in Benghazi remained limited.
But this year, Benghazi was about to undergo some changes, because East Africa had set its sights on it.
Belit, an expert from the East African Northern Railway Construction Company, and his survey team were conducting project research in Benghazi.
Belit said, "Benghazi and Tobruk are the only two ports in Italian Libya with relatively favorable conditions. Therefore, the North African Railway can only choose one of these two