East Africa could not simply stand by and watch. The arrival of Glaide and William made Ernst see an opportunity, but if he wanted to secure the greatest possible benefit, he still had to negotiate separately with France and Spain.
In Ernst's view, Spain was already doomed this time. The United States was at a critical juncture in its transition toward imperialism, so no one could save Spain.
But if they could coordinate with France and other countries to reduce Spain's losses—especially its losses in the Asia-Pacific region—that would be very important.
For one thing, East Africa was also laying out its plans in the Nanyang region. At this time, apart from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, nearly every capable country was making moves in Nanyang. Britain, France, Germany, and East Africa were the most aggressive among them. If the United States joined the competition in Nanyang, it would undoubtedly be bad for everyone. The cake was only so big, yet another person with a huge appetite had arrived; everyone feared that their own "slice" would be eaten away.
Aside from the United States, Japan had been the most active player in Nanyang in Ernst's previous life. But Japan was currently running itself ragged trying to repay its debts, so it had no chance to join such a feast. Still, Ernst believed Japan would repeat its old mistakes in the future. After all, a dog could not stop eating shit.
In Ernst's view, although Britain and France occupied advantageous ecological niches in the Nanyang region, they were far less threatening than Japan and the United States.
After all, Britain and France had their energy tied up on the European continent. Their withdrawal from the Nanyang region was only a matter of time. Japan and the United States were different: not only were