Chapter 14: No Eyes
The Cape Town Immigration Office is located on Walter Street next to the pier. New immigrants can quickly complete the naturalization procedures when they get ashore, and then they can become official Capetonians. Compared with the troublesome immigration procedures in later generations, the procedure is incredibly simple.
It only took Rock ten minutes to complete all the registrations and officially become a Cape Town citizen.
After becoming a naturalized citizen, the most direct benefit is that according to the regulations of the Cape Town Police Department, Rock's monthly salary will increase to five pounds from next month. Although this is still half less than that of the British, it is a world of difference compared to the previous monthly salary of 1.2 pounds.
"Rocke, can I become a Cape Town citizen?" Rocke failed to convince Anton, but succeeded in moving Kunal. Most Indian police officers have become Cape Town residents, and Indians do not have as strong a sense of homeland as the Chinese.
This is a fact. In the 21st century, India and the Republic are the two most populous countries in the world. Both countries have a large number of students studying abroad. The difference is that many Chinese choose to return to their home country to serve after completing their studies, while once Indians go abroad, they will try their best to sever any relationship with India.
The same is true for Chinese and Indians in Cape Town. Many Chinese just need the job of police to earn money and will return to China in the future. However, few Indian policemen want to return to India. Many of them have become permanent .
"Cape Town is not a country and there is no such thing as nationality. I just registered as a permanent resident of Cape Town and am eligible to settle down in Cape Town. If you want to do that, of course you can." When he is not angry, Rock is still very kind. He is also willing to help with Kunale's problems. After all, they are colleagues and there is no deep hatred between them.
Pooh!
Even though there is a deep hatred, Rock will never forget it. Kunale abandoned Rock and ran away alone when Rock needed him the most, so Rock now wants to change a partner. Li De is a good choice. The young man is obedient and has a good eye. At least when Rock encounters danger, he can rest assured and leave his back to Li De.
"Then I'll ask for leave later. I also want to become a permanent resident of Cape Town." Kunale couldn't wait and turned back to the police station to ask for leave.
This is the difference. Although both of them were dealing with personal matters, Rock did it while working, while Kunale had to ask for leave separately.
It can be said that Rock does not distinguish between public and private affairs, but in Cape Town, where police force is increasingly tight, every police officer is important. Why does he have to spend a whole day to do something that can be done in ten minutes? Do you really think that the superiors can't see or do anything? Many times, people are sentenced to "death penalty" without knowing it. Rock can guarantee that if Kunale asks for leave, Kunale will never get ahead in the Cape Town Police Department.
Of course, Rock would not remind Kunal that if he wanted to take leave, he could just take leave. Rock could take the opportunity to apply for a new partner. Anyway, the British assigned an Indian policeman to every Chinese policeman just to facilitate communication. Rock had no problem with English, so naturally there was no barrier to communication.
Back at the police station, Kunal asked for leave, and Rock also went to see Henry Matilda to try to apply for a new partner.
Henry Matilda was receiving a middle-aged woman in luxurious clothes in his office. With Rock's rich experience in dealing with foreigners, he could barely hear that the woman was speaking Italian, but Rock didn't speak Italian either, so he couldn't help much.
"God, can you send someone to help me and tell me what this person is saying--" Henry Matilda was already desperate. Cape Town was not luxurious enough to equip the police station with Italian translators. Even in the whole of Cape Town, there were few people who understood Italian.
Italian is a Latin language and English is a Germanic language, so the difference is huge and fundamentally different. There are dozens of languages in more than a dozen countries in Western Europe, and even English is divided into British and American styles, so language is an important factor that affects people's communication.
"Hello, can you speak another language? For example, English or French?" Rock tried to communicate with the woman. Thanks to his previous foreign trade experience and several major languages, Rock could at least say hello to people, which he had practiced specially.
"Locke, can you understand what she is saying?" Henry Matilda was very surprised. As a well-informed British man, Henry Matilda didn't know what the woman was saying, but Rocke could stutter and greet the woman. This overturned Henry Matilda's perception of Chinese people.
Of course, Henry Matilda's so-called "well-informed" is only relative. For most Chinese people, Henry Matilda can be considered well-informed, but for Rock, Henry Matilda's contacts are about the same as those of a country bumpkin. According to statistics, in the Internet age, people receive information so frequently that one day is equivalent to one year for the ancients, so Henry Matilda's knowledge is really nothing to Rock.
"Just a little bit. That's all I know." Rock was helpless. If the woman didn't know other languages, then Rock couldn't do anything.
"That's great. Finally someone can understand what I'm saying. Don't you have an Italian translator in your police station?" The woman also breathed a sigh of relief and said the last sentence in French.
Compared to Italian, French is much simpler, and Henry Matilda immediately became furious: "You know French? Then why don't you use French?"
"You didn't ask." The woman said angrily, obviously not caring about Henry Matilda, the little sheriff.
"Fuck!" Henry Matilda mouthed the words silently but did not curse out loud. Nowadays, women who can show their faces are not ordinary people. Looking at the clothes the woman wears, one can tell that she must come from a good family. Henry Matilda cannot afford to offend those nobles.
"Sheriff, I want to take a whole day off. I also want to obtain Cape Town citizenship." Kunale finally found a chance and immediately made his request.
"Get out! Who told you that Cape Town is a country? Do you need a whole day to do something that can be done in ten minutes? Since you want to rest so much, then go and guard the warehouse and get out of my sight immediately." Henry Matilda finally found a vent for her anger. It was Kunaler, the blind guy, who deserved to be in trouble. Henry Matilda was angry and couldn't afford to offend the lady, so she took it out on Kunaler.
Poor Kunale was stunned by the barrage of criticism. At least the patrolman had a chance to make some dirty money, but put in solitary confinement. Those who resold supplies would be shot. The British were never lenient in this regard.
