Chapter 13: Commendation
Early in the morning, Rock got up early and washed. He would officially start working from today, and he wanted to make a good impression on his boss.
When other colleagues got up, Rock had already finished his morning exercises and took a cold shower. Cape Town was in summer in November, and the climate was completely different from that of the Qing Dynasty.
Cape Town has a typical Mediterranean climate. Its summer is from November to February of the following year, and its winter is from May to August. Cape Town's summer climate is warm and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 26 degrees, which can be described as a pleasant climate.
After putting on a full set of police uniform, Rock felt pretty good about himself. After enjoying a hearty breakfast in the cafeteria, Rock arrived at the police station early to start his day's work.
"Luo, you're here just in time. Take this box of pistols back. From today on, we'll also be equipped with weapons." There are sixteen policemen in Rock's squad. The chief's name is Henry Matilda. Rock is lucky to meet Henry Matilda as soon as he arrives at the police station: "You're here early. I thought you were going to rest for a few days."
It must be said that both Chinese and Indian policemen are quite lazy. Before working hours, the policemen would not come to the police station even if they were doing nothing in the dormitory. For most of them, this is just a job.
But for Rock, this is a channel for upward promotion, so Rock has to be more proactive. Just by coming to work half an hour early, Rock got the opportunity to communicate with Henry Matilda alone.
"Call me Locke, Sheriff. This is my English name. I hope I can be as strong as a rock. I have rested long enough." Rock moved swiftly. He picked up the box and followed Henry Matilda, slightly lagging behind by half a body length.
"Locke, it's a very nice name, and a good idea." Henry Matilda was a little surprised. Among the Chinese policemen Henry Matilda had come into contact with, Rock was the first one with an English name.
If it were Anton and his family, they would probably insist on not changing their surnames, names, or surnames. In fact, this is just like whether to burn paper or bring flowers when visiting a grave. There is no need to insist on this. If a white person wants to work and live in the Qing Dynasty, wouldn't it be more convenient to give himself a Chinese name? At least this way it would be more acceptable to the Chinese people.
The same goes for overseas Chinese like Rock. When they live in a city where white people predominate, they must actively accept everything about this city, including its name , and not be incompatible with this city. Only in this way will others see their efforts and be willing to give them opportunities, and only then will they have the possibility of promotion.
It's a simple fact, why can Sharma become the chief of police?
Because on the day Sharma arrived in Cape Town, he applied for Cape Town citizenship and became a formal Capetonian. This is the correct attitude. Before Rock, other Chinese police officers stuck to tradition. Apart from accepting British salaries, they resisted everything British and were unwilling to learn even English other than common expressions. Under such circumstances, the British naturally would not regard the Chinese as their own people, and the Chinese would never get the opportunity for promotion.
"Thank you. If it is convenient, I will go to the Immigration Bureau to apply for naturalization tomorrow, and then see if there is a suitable house nearby. If possible, I will settle down in Cape Town." Rock is very decisive. Since he wants to surrender to the British, he will do it thoroughly and cut off all his retreat routes. Only in this way can he gain the trust of the British.
"That's the right idea, Locke, I support you to do this. So, I'll give you another day off and you can go and finish this thing first." Henry Matilda encouraged Rock to become a citizen as soon as possible. This was in line with the general trend of the Cape Colony. There were too few British people, and they had to rely on foreign population to rule the vast colonies around the world.
"No need, I can do it while I'm patrolling the streets, it won't affect my work." Rock has a clear goal. Compared to taking a day off, it is more important to leave an impression on his boss that he is serious and responsible at work.
"Very good, it's rare that you have this idea. Pick one of these pistols and go to the training ground to fire a few rounds. You need to familiarize yourself with your weapon as soon as possible." Henry Matilda looked at Rock with admiration. This was what Rock wanted.
Rock and his men are going to be equipped with Webley revolvers. The biggest feature of this pistol is that when the shooter folds the barrel downward, the shells in the cylinder will also pop out at the same time, making it convenient for the shooter to reload.
The Webley revolver began to be equipped to British troops in 1877. The Second Boer War was the first time that the Webley revolver was widely used. Compared with previous pistols, the Webley revolver was advanced enough. This pistol had a higher processing standard, so its performance was reliable and it was durable. But at the same time, the Webley revolver also had obvious shortcomings, such as slow rate of fire, insufficient muzzle kinetic energy, excessive recoil, etc.
In fact, they were all new guns and there was nothing to pick and choose. Rock picked up one at random. Henry Matilda recorded the gun number and the gun belonged to Rock. Rock could even take the gun back to the dormitory. According to regulations, each gun was equipped with 30 rounds of bullets, but there was no restriction. Cape Town was the logistics base for attacking the Boers, and the stockpiled bullets were simply too many. Rock easily got 200 rounds of bullets from the warehouse at one time.
It's really too easy. Fortunately, Rock is not short of money for the time being, otherwise reselling bullets would be a good business.
After getting the bullets, Rock immediately turned around and went to the training ground. Although Rock was in good physical condition, it was obvious that the pistol had greater lethality, so Rock had to familiarize himself with his weapon in the shortest time possible.
Bang—bang—bang—
Rock's shooting speed is not fast. While ensuring accuracy as much as possible, Rock has to carefully feel the recoil of the pistol.
For ordinary people, the recoil of the Webley revolver may be too strong, but for Rock, who has been practicing martial arts since childhood, this level of recoil is acceptable. Although it is his first time to come into contact with a Webley revolver, Rock has a good talent and can quickly score more than eight rings on the ten-meter target.
Yes, it is a ten-meter target. For a pistol, it is meaningless to pursue the range. Most of the occasions where a pistol is used are close encounters or indoors. It is more meaningful to ensure the speed of drawing the gun and the accuracy of the first shot. Rock is very experienced in this regard. When he was in the Huayong Battalion, Rock's shooting results were excellent.
Of course, this is nothing to brag about. Most of the Chinese soldiers had excellent shooting results. British officers praised each of them as a sharpshooter who never missed a shot. This was a rare compliment.
