The Enclosure Movement

With a command from Ernst, new directives and supplies were sent across the ocean to East Africa. Upon receiving Ernst's orders, the East African colony launched the "Enclosure Movement."

In First Town, the security officer selected the physically stronger immigrants today to form the first Chinese army of the East African colony. Those selected would be recorded in the archives.

A long line of people formed in front of the First Town government building. These were the potential recruits who had passed the initial screening, and they were preparing for what the officer called "registration."

"Name?"

"Wang Tiegen."

"Age?"

"23."

The registrar filled out the paper: "Name: Tiegen Wang, Age: 23, Occupation: Mercenary, ID: 0423."

He then handed Wang Tiegen a small card bearing the ID number 0423.

"Take this number and go to the fourth group over there to collect your equipment."

The "equipment" consisted of a new uniform and a flintlock rifle produced by the Hechingen Arms Factory.

These were Prussian regular army uniforms ordered from Berlin. The entire uniform was light blue. Due to the different environment in Africa compared to Europe, the distinctive Prussian spiked helmet was not issued.

Instead, soldiers wore peaked caps similar to those of later eras, made of cotton cloth for good sun protection and breathability.

They were also issued a pair of yellow-green military shoes. Because of the high temperatures in Africa, specially modified military boots were not suitable.

Wang Tiegen followed the instructions to the fourth group. Many people were already lined up there. These were hastily assembled Chinese soldiers preparing to venture into the deep inland of East Africa.

Under the command of German officers, they would now head to places like Dodoma and Mwanza to establish new colonial outposts.

Their primary mission was to clear out the natives along the way and open up a safe new road for subsequent immigrant migration.

Upon reaching their destination, they would also need to clear out the wild beasts and native tribes near the new outpost. After all, the East African land Ernst was claiming included areas that would become famous in later times.

Therefore, the environment was not lacking, and native tribes would naturally choose to live there, whether for hunting or rudimentary agriculture. They needed space for their activities.

This would pose a threat to the safety of the East African colonists. Thus, the newly formed Chinese army was tasked with clearing out these native tribes before the immigrants arrived.

Concurrently, the new colonial outposts would serve as future transit points for immigrants, and with small checkpoints along the route, a relatively safe and mature immigration network could be established.

"Everyone, attention!" the fair-skinned commander stood at the front and gave the order. "I am your first officer, Andre. From today onwards, you are all members of the East Africa Vanguard Fourth Squad!"

Beside him stood a young student from the Hechingen Military Academy, responsible for translation and serving as the squad's staff officer.

"Our esteemed His Highness Prince Ernst has decided to send our squad to the region of Kigoma on the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika to develop new land. All of you are participants in this military operation."

"You will face not only savages and wild beasts, but also African insects, diseases, and a harsh environment. Therefore, each of you may face a life-threatening situation. To increase your chances of survival, you will undergo three days of special training."

Andre yielded his position to the Hechingen Military Academy student, whose name was Zhou Wei. He was among the first batch of students at the Hechingen Military Academy and had been studying for several months, becoming proficient in reading and writing German.

Having been trained by Prussian officers and benefiting from the excellent and ample food at the Hechingen Military Academy, the sixteen-year-old was no longer as gaunt as when he first arrived in Germany.

He now stood tall and straight before these temporarily conscripted immigrants. Despite his young age, he exuded an aura of natural authority.

"Hello, I am Zhou Wei, who graduated early from the Prussian Hechingen Military Academy. I have been favored by the principal and assigned to the East African colony to serve as your officer. You can report any issues to me in the future." Zhou Wei's self-introduction was concise and to the point.

"For the next three days, you will receive training from Officer Andre and myself. I believe you have witnessed the fertile lands of the East African colony; this will be our home in the future, and you are all part of this home. Do not bring the bad habits from the Far East into the army. From now on, you all have only one identity: 'soldier,' or as the common saying goes, a soldier."

Zhou Wei stated sternly, "There are only two words you must always remember: 'Obey.' Therefore, you must abide by military discipline and regulations and follow the commands of your officers. If I find anyone disobeying orders or violating military discipline and regulations, do not blame me for being ruthless."

Everyone in the East Africa Vanguard Fourth Squad listened intently to Zhou Wei's speech. Although Zhou Wei was young, the Germans behind him and his evident spirit, different from that of the colonial immigrants, combined with his powerful and resonant Chinese speech, made these honest immigrant soldiers dare not act presumptuously.

"Tomorrow morning, everyone must be here on time for assembly. The time is within half an hour after the first bell rings. Do you all understand?" Zhou Wei asked.

In the colony, only Germans had watches to tell time. Therefore, to organize the colony's production activities, several large bells were shipped from Europe and distributed to various outposts. At the appointed times, dedicated bell-ringers would announce the hour.

Chinese immigrants arranged their daily activities according to the bells. The first bell in the morning usually rang around eight or nine o'clock. Since German watches also needed winding and time correction, they were not always perfectly punctual.

The immigrants in the colony had ample free time. Apart from agricultural production, there was nothing else to do. It was like in the Far East, where farmers also had their off-seasons. This was a natural arrangement, as not all times were suitable for sowing and crop growth.

"Alright, you are dismissed." Zhou Wei announced the disbandment of the troops and left with the German officer. Zhou Wei had a brief conversation with the German mercenary about the training arrangements for the next day before heading to his newly assigned quarters.

These quarters were actually in the backyard of the First Town government building, where a room had been converted into temporary dormitory for students of the Hechingen Military Academy.

Upon returning to the dormitory, the others had also arrived. A total of six people lived in the dormitory; they were all outstanding students from the Hechingen Military Academy.

"How do you feel about it, Zhou Wei?" Wang Mingdong inquired.

"It's alright. It's only the first day, so it's hard to tell good from bad. We'll see what they're made of when the training starts tomorrow."

"I wasn't asking about the training. I was asking how you feel about the conditions in the East African colony?"

"It's okay. There's great potential for the future, but the current conditions are indeed much worse than in Hechingen, though better than in the Far East." Zhou Wei replied.

"Zhou Wei, do you think we've been relegated or promoted?" Gao Youming, a roommate, asked.

Zhou Wei shook his head. "It's hard to say. The conditions here are certainly not as good as in Europe, but the principal clearly values this place, so I can't be sure. However, I am optimistic about your future. As long as we honestly complete the tasks assigned by the principal, no matter how things change in the future, if we are capable, the principal will recognize our efforts."

Five days later, six fully equipped colonial teams assembled on the training ground. After a mobilization ceremony, they embarked on their journey to conquer East Africa.