Chapter 59: Princess Danaman

Since returning to Brazil, it had been several weeks since Zhang Hainuo had seen Florence. Schneider Senior mentioned that she hadn't been feeling too well lately, so she had gone to stay at a classmate's farm in the countryside for a while.

Zhang Hainuo had a faint idea of what was on the mind of this young lady, but with her temperament, he feared that earnest advice might only complicate things further. So, he had to adopt a wait-and-see approach, hoping that she would gain a clear understanding upon seeing the wedding ring on his ring finger.

It had been over a year since arriving in Brazil, and Zhang Hainuo still only knew a few simple Portuguese phrases. While dealing with matters in Salvador, a city with many German immigrants, was manageable, going further afield required him to bring along a dedicated translator. In Florence's absence, he had temporarily hired another Portuguese translator through the German Chamber of Commerce.

The new translator was a young blond fellow, somewhat handsome in appearance but giving off a vibe of youthful naivety. In terms of professionalism and demeanor, Zhang Hainuo found himself reminiscing about Florence.

After dealing with some recent affairs at the shipyard, Zhang Hainuo took Hessen and Otto to visit the Royal Ironworks to introduce them to the management and to learn about the latest developments with the installation of the equipment under the guidance of the Krupp expert team.

In order to replace this new equipment, the Royal Ironworks had temporarily shut down nearly a third of its equipment. The installation and debugging of the new equipment were underway under the guidance of the Krupp expert team. The Germans' meticulousness was evident here; they even personally attended to the smallest components, leaving the factory managers impressed.

Despite the full cooperation of the factory, it would still take six months to officially produce the new high-quality steel. During this time, Schneider Shipyard's two 2000-ton dry docks would begin construction of new ships one after the other, all using the highest quality steel currently available from the Royal Ironworks. Equipment purchased from the Weisel Shipyard (more precisely, purchased from the Allied and Associated Powers Supervisory Commission) had all arrived, and progress on the new 5000-ton and 8000-ton dry docks was proceeding smoothly. The planned two 10,000-ton dry docks, being the most costly and labor-intensive, were scheduled to begin construction in the fiscal years 1921 and 1922.

After returning from the Royal Ironworks, Zhang Hainuo began to focus on the upcoming Brazilian elections. Since he had not yet lived in Brazil for the statutory period, he only had permanent residency and was not eligible to vote or be elected. However, he was acutely aware of the importance of having influential backers for the shipyard's operational strategy and related industrial expansion. On this point, his thoughts aligned with those of Sir von Bahr, the chairman of the German Chamber of Commerce. In recent times, this German tycoon had been hosting high-level parties at his luxurious seaside villa every weekend. Besides the actively campaigning German-Brazilian politicians or those somewhat associated with Germany, the invitees included local German-Brazilian businessmen and social elites.

At such gatherings, aside from seeing familiar faces, Zhang Hainuo also met many "newcomers", such as Laut. Walk, who was preparing to run for the next Bahia State Assembly. Born in Brazil to German immigrant parents, this man grew up in a wealthy farming family. However, during World War I, he returned to Germany alone to join the frontline combat forces. Although he didn't achieve any notable military feats, the scars on his face commanded respect. There was also Renock Shaw, a popular candidate for the new mayor of Salvador, with a quarter German heritage. According to Sir von Bahr, this man was very "practical," and bribery was just routine for him.

As for Zhang Hainuo's old friend, Hyde Wood, who was currently the Deputy Mayor of Salvador, his target this time was a government congressman in Rio de Janeiro. At the peak of his political career, Hyde Wood, who was usually well taken care of, had received over $30,000 in unconditional donations from the German Business Association. Zhang Hainuo also donated $25,000 on behalf of Schneider Shipyard. With such substantial financial backing, he was likely to become the wealthiest candidate in all of Brazil.

At such parties, the most dazzling and active figures were these ambitious politicians. Sir von Bahr, who claimed to be the wealthiest man in Salvador, and his family were also the center of attention. As for someone like Zhang Hainuo, a mysterious, wealthy, and handsome "Austrian businessman," he seemed to have a particular allure to the heavily perfumed ladies in extravagant attire. They always found reasons to strike up conversations with him and subtly inquire about his personal affairs. Upon learning that Zhang Hainuo had recently married in Denmark, these women all expressed pity, but despite the conspicuous ring on his ring finger, they continued to flirt and introduce their female companions to him tirelessly.

It was at one of these gatherings that Zhang Hainuo and Edénia Danaman met.

In Brazil, everyone knew the Danaman family, just as even children in Germany knew Krupp. It was no exaggeration to say that the Royal Cigar Manufacturer brand had become a symbol of high-quality cigars in Brazil, just as Krupp was to German cannons.

However, when others mentioned her surname, Edénia's reaction seemed very indifferent, even somewhat cold. Zhang Hainuo later learned that this young girl, who grew up in Germany and immigrated to Brazil at the age of 15, was actually the illegitimate daughter of the seventh son of the founder of the cigar kingdom. Although she had been accepted by the Danaman family, her father's position within the family was not high, let alone her status as a bastard daughter who was often the subject of gossip behind her back.

Although Edénia was beautiful and graceful, Zhang Hainuo, in the throes of newlywed bliss, had no eyes for other women. All he knew was that her father, Carter Danaman, had been recently sent to Salvador to manage their family's cigar import and export business. This man, who had lost his wife early on, had only Edénia as his daughter, whom he treated as a pearl in his palm.

Such gatherings remained excellent opportunities for Zhang Hainuo to connect with politicians and those about to enter the political arena. He discreetly sought out individuals he deemed promising and worthy of support. Once identified, he spared no expense in writing out checks—half of which went into the shipyard's public fund, while the other half was considered his personal investment.

During these gatherings, as politicians and aspiring figures gracefully danced to the music, Zhang Hainuo would typically retreat to the garden, where he repeatedly bumped into Edneia, who arrived with similar intentions. Over time, Edneia became increasingly candid in her conversations with Zhang Hainuo, though members of the Danaan family, apart from her father, were topics she avoided discussing.

Around Christmas time, still a relatively warm period in Brazil, Zhang Hainuo received an unexpected invitation from Carter Danaan, inviting him to a Christmas party at their new residence by the sea in Salvador.

For Zhang Hainuo, such an opportunity to mingle with direct members of the Danaan family was not to be missed. While his fundamental goal wasn't to expand in Brazil, he highly valued the country's resources, especially its strategic ones. He didn't anticipate Brazil siding with the Axis powers in the future global war, given the immense pressure from Britain and America. However, establishing close ties with Brazil's elite and discreetly importing strategic resources, such as Germany's much-needed natural rubber and rare metals, held significant value to him.

Carter Danaan's Christmas party felt more like a small gathering of friends to Zhang Hainuo. Only a dozen or so people attended, with no prominent members of the Danaan family present. The Von Bauns, the Heidwouts, and other familiar faces from the Von Baun household, along with Zhang Hainuo and the Carter father-daughter duo, constituted the main attendees of this intimate gathering.

Apart from slightly more etiquette and finer food than commoner gatherings, upper-class Christmas dinners didn't differ much. Gratitude was expressed, hopes for the coming year were shared, and for Zhang Hainuo in 1921, his greatest wish was for the shipyard's production to normalize swiftly, preferably with submarine development and construction advancing ahead of schedule. Additionally, he hoped for Anna's mother to recover her health soon.

Before the party ended, Edneia mysteriously informed Zhang Hainuo that her father would be returning to the Danaan family estate in São Félix for Christmas, but she personally had no desire to go there whatsoever. Her father was somewhat uneasy about leaving her alone, hence she hoped to stay at the Schneider Shipyard for a while—known for its excellent accommodation in Salvador. Schneider senior was jokingly referred to as the "kindest capitalist" due to this reputation, which somewhat puzzled the Schneider, who only held a one percent stake in the shipyard.

Initially, Zhang Hainuo's first reaction to Edneia's request was that she might be a spy infiltrating the people. However, upon further consideration, it seemed unnecessary for the granddaughter of a Brazilian cigar industry magnate, even with her status as an illegitimate child, to gather intelligence from a civilian shipyard. Moreover, after a series of events such as the Thomas crew mutiny and Rode's death in Danzig, the crew's vigilance was high, and the shipyard's security measures had become more stringent. After a brief exchange with Carter Danaan, Zhang Hainuo agreed to take care of Edneia during the Christmas period.

However, what amused Zhang Hainuo was that Edneia showed up the next day, accompanied by a group of people—two cooks, three maids, and four bodyguards. Consequently, Zhang Hainuo had to arrange for an additional house to accommodate these attendants. Such a sight made him reflect: indeed, the Danaan family's style was evident, even for an illegitimate daughter, their demeanor was grand.

At just 17 years and two months old, Edneia, in Zhang Hainuo's original era, had not even reached legal adulthood, yet she was already a prototype beauty. With her exquisite features and stature, coupled with her German heritage, the unmarried crew members couldn't help but be captivated—compared to Florence, who was straightforward and wild, Edneia was the epitome of a true German beauty!

Speaking of which, Cao Cao also returned for Christmas. Zhang Hainuo intended to offer Florence a permanent contract as a full-time translator at the Schneider Shipyard after consulting with her and her family. This meant she could continue working here as a translator as long as she wished. However, Florence decisively rejected the suggestion with just one glance at Edneia behind Zhang Hainuo, opting instead to become Schneider senior's full-time assistant—meaning she would handle everything besides work. Seeing Schneider senior's helpless expression, Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but sigh...

Just before Christmas, Hyde-Wood brought good news to Zhang Hainuo—their application to establish an aviation company had been approved. The new company, Brazilian Eagle Aviation Company, would be based on the three seaplanes and four trainer aircraft they acquired from Curtiss. For operational convenience, Schneider senior would remain as the company's business representative—holding one percent of the company's shares, while the remaining ninety-nine percent was shared among the German crew members and Fred.

After months of training, twelve out of the twenty-two crew members who participated in pilot training passed the final assessment. Although they didn't have formal pilot licenses, in present-day Brazil, they could fully operate civilian aircraft after obtaining government permission.