Chapter 35 Two Worlds
It would be more appropriate for Henry to propose hiring more Chinese police officers from the Chinese Battalion.
In any case, Henry is the real captain of the commando team. Rock, the deputy captain, has little influence and is of Chinese descent. It is inappropriate for him to express opinions on this issue, but Henry does not have this problem. Chinese policemen like Rock have proved their loyalty by naturalization and their worth by strength. Moreover, there are very few Chinese people in the entire Cape Colony. More Chinese immigrants in Cape Town have to cling to the British to survive. I believe the British can see this.
"I will make this suggestion to the inspector, but the result is not guaranteed. You should understand that." Henry agreed to make the suggestion, but was not optimistic.
Even though Chinese police officers have many advantages, it is still the British who make the decisions.
In fact, Rock could understand that the British would consider this issue more comprehensively and would not proceed entirely according to Rock's idea. For example, after Sharma was exiled to Robben Island, the position of chief of police became vacant, and the British did not promote the better-performing Chinese police officer to be chief of police. The newly promoted chief of police was still of Indian descent.
This is the balance of power. In order to ensure the loyalty of Chinese police officers, the British will even suppress them appropriately. If it were Rock, he would do the same.
Killing Sharma did not bring Rock a more relaxed living space. There are nearly twenty police chiefs in the Cape Town Police Department, and more than half of them are of Indian descent. Killing Sharma cannot change this situation. On the contrary, because of the deterioration of his relationship with Sharma, Rock became the target of public criticism. Therefore, Rock still has to act carefully and not give others an advantage easily.
After leaving Henry's office, Rock immediately went to find Anton and told him the good news that the boat ticket had been reimbursed.
"Reimbursement? Really?" Anton couldn't believe it.
"Really, hurry up and bring your family to Cape Town. God knows when will cancel this policy." Rock was more anxious than Anton. This policy was temporary and would definitely be canceled in the future.
Regarding immigration, the British did have regulations in this regard in order to enrich their colonies around the world. However, Henry told Rock that Australia and Canada have now cancelled this preferential policy to attract immigrants, and the Cape Colony will definitely cancel it in the future, so they have to hurry.
Cape Town is far away from Qing Dynasty. Even if Anton sent a telegram to the Huayong Battalion in Weihai, Qing Dynasty, hoping to immigrate his family to Cape Town as soon as possible, it would take about a month to travel from Qing Dynasty to Cape Town by the fastest merchant ship. What's more, Anton and his family would not board the ship immediately after receiving the telegram. It always takes a decision-making process, so it will take time for Anton and his family to reunite with their families.
"I'll send the telegram right away." Anton made up his mind. Sending a telegram was of course not free, but Anton didn't care about the money now.
By the way, after bringing down Sharma, Rock also realized that the Chinese policemen's desire for money is endless, so Rock decided to continue the business of setting up the trap, but the method must be improved, and the Chinese can no longer come forward. In a few days, when Luo Yi is in better health, Luo Yi will teach Di Rang the relevant techniques. At that time, Di Rang will come forward to set up the trap, and Luo Yi and others will assist. Even if the Indian police chief uses the same trick again, it cannot be blamed on Rock.
"Come on, I'll help you design a new look so you look more like a Capetonian." Rock put on the custom-made suit that the tailor had just delivered, and he looked brand new from head to toe.
Nearly ten pounds was indeed good value for money. The brand new tailcoat was straight and crisp, the shiny leather shoes were able to reflect a person's shadow, and the gold watch chain across his chest was blinding. Rock still brought a gun, which was hidden under the tailcoat and was not obvious. He put on a top hat and picked up a cane. From behind, Rock was an authentic British gentleman.
"You--" Anton looked at Rock's new outfit and said "you" for a long time but no one could come up with a clear answer.
There is a saying that goes, "Clothes make the man; Buddhas depend on gold ornaments." A set of appropriate clothes can indeed change a person's overall image.
Rock's assets are not bad. He is 1.80 meters tall and has an angular face. Because he has been practicing martial arts for many years, Rock has a very strong body. In the jargon, he is a standard "clothes rack". In addition, Rock always stands with his chest up, head up, abdomen in, and hips lifted. Even many British people cannot do this, unless they are descendants of aristocrats who have received strict etiquette training since childhood. Anton has seen Rock wearing police uniforms many times. At first glance, his most direct feeling when he saw Rock wearing such an outfit was that it was inappropriate.
Yes, it's inappropriate. In Anton's opinion, Rock's clothes are a bit out of line. In Cape Town, only upper-class people with a certain status would dress like this. It doesn't seem appropriate for Rock, a policeman, to wear such clothes.
"There's nothing inappropriate about it. There is no rule in Cape Town that Chinese people can't wear formal wear. As I said, if you want others to respect you, you must first not see yourself clearly. We Chinese are no worse than anyone else. Being a policeman is also a serious profession. If we think we are inferior to others, why should foreigners look at us with respect?" Rock wanted to subtly instill correct ideas into Anton anytime and anywhere. If he wanted Anton to figure it out on his own, he would probably never figure it out in his lifetime.
"So, we're all going to dress like this from now on?" Anton didn't dislike the clothes because they were ugly, but because they were too expensive. Rock went with Anton to order these clothes, and Anton knew how much Rock's clothes cost.
"You don't have to dress like this, but if your clothes are inappropriate, don't expect foreigners to look at you with respect." Rock didn't force them. If you want to stand out, you have to spend some money. Rock doesn't have enough money now and can't afford to buy such clothes for all Chinese police officers, otherwise he wouldn't be so stingy.
As long as the problem can be solved with money, it is not a problem for Rock.
"Didn't you order two sets? Lend me one to try." Anton didn't treat Rock as an outsider. He gritted his teeth and swallowed his saliva, deciding to follow Rock's pace.
You have to keep up closely. When they were in the Huayong Battalion, Anton and Rock were both corporals. Because Rock was taciturn, Anton had even higher prestige in the Huayong. It has only been a few months since they came to Cape Town. When they first arrived in Cape Town, everyone was a patrolman. Now there is a clear gap between Rock and Anton, which fully proves that Rock is right.
If Anton doesn't keep up with Rock's pace, the gap between him and Rock will probably become bigger and bigger , and they will become people from two completely different worlds.
