Chapter 61: Cornucopia
If it is to deal with criminals, then Rock does not need too many people. After all, criminals appear in small numbers, and quality is more important than quantity to deal with them. Rock even looks down on the well-behaved Boers, not to mention the Indians who are in the way.
Escorting supplies to the front line is different. To deal with the Boer guerrillas who are good at attacking railways, the more people the better. If possible, Rock even wants to transfer all the police into the commando team.
But that was obviously impossible. August Russell could create convenience for Henry as much as possible to a certain extent, but he would not compromise without limits. The size of the commando was limited to 120 people, less than a company of regular army.
"We must deliver enough logistical supplies to Dordrecht, which is closest to Ladysmith, before February 25th. The offensive on the Eastern Front will start from Dordrecht." Henry looked at the map and introduced it to Rock, without realizing that he had leaked the British military plan on the Eastern Front.
"If we want to send it to Dordrecht, wouldn't it be closer to start from Durban? Why start from Cape Town?" Rock wanted to be lazy. Ladysmith is 200 kilometers away from Durban and 1,200 kilometers away from Cape Town. This is a long way to go .
Henry said nothing and rolled his eyes at Rock.
Rock understood immediately. If a former trade dog could see it, how could the generals in the expeditionary force headquarters not see it?
The damn expeditionary force headquarters did it on purpose. It is more convenient to travel from Cape Town to Durban by sea, while taking the railway would mean facing attacks from the Boer guerrillas. Don’t the generals in the headquarters know this?
No, they know, but maybe that's what they want to see!
"Well, if we have to take the railroad, then I'll need some Maxims and armored trains." Rock wanted to be as prepared as possible.
"Sure. There are plenty of Maxims in the warehouses and on armored trains. But, do you know how to use it?" Henry was a little curious. Maxim was different from Lee Enfield and required strict training to use it proficiently.
"Haha, don't worry. You may not know the training program of the Chinese Battalion yet." Rock was not worried about this problem. Not only was everyone in the Chinese Battalion a sharpshooter, they were also familiar with Maxim. Rock had read the information of the Chinese police officers. Not including the newly recruited ones, four of the previous Chinese police officers had received machine gun training.
You wouldn't believe it, right? The Huayong Battalion is so awesome! In addition to light weapons training, the Huayong soldiers also have to undergo machine gun training, horsemanship training, combat training, and so on. Low-ranking officers had to hand in all their sabers, otherwise it would have been very commemorative.
"Okay, leave the equipment to me, I'll coordinate it." Henry also wanted to go all out. Once on the battlefield, the Boers would not hold back.
"There is one more thing. If we transport supplies to the front line, then what about the security area we are responsible for now?" Rock was reluctant to give up the lucrative wharf. He wanted to be promoted and he also had to make money. The two were not contradictory. How could he be promoted without money?
"What should I do——" Henry was reluctant to do so. Rock was not stingy. Henry could get about 100 pounds of "filial piety" from Rock every week. This was not a small amount. Excluding bonuses, it was twenty times Henry's normal salary: "How about——give it to Stanley or Rahul temporarily?"
As police chiefs of the commando team, if the commando team has to go to the front line, Stanley and Rahul will have to go with them.
If it's because of the dock business, Henry can keep either Stanley or Rahul, but Rock is unlikely to stay. If Rock doesn't go with Henry, Henry would rather resign.
"No, as the size of the commando team expands, the number of sheriffs should also be increased. We should find a way to select another sheriff from the existing commandos." Rock would never let others interfere with his territory. He still trusts his own people the most.
Besides, the police station now has more than 100 Chinese police officers, and Rock is the only Chinese sheriff, which is really a bit lonely. Rock needs to support more Chinese police officers to take positions. Even if the sheriff is the glass ceiling for Chinese police officers, Rock needs as many Chinese sheriffs as possible.
"Who do you want to choose?" Henry was not surprised, nor did he object. Only by satisfying Rock would Rock do his best, and Henry could escape this disaster.
You can't avoid it, everything is just a passing cloud.
"Anton, he killed the last insurgent, and it's what he deserves." Rock already had a candidate in mind. Anton was very suitable in terms of both qualifications and ability.
"Okay, I'll go see the director tomorrow." Henry felt a sense of urgency. He was about to set off, so these things had to be arranged early.
In the evening, Rock found Anton and told him the good news.
To Rock's surprise, Anton was not very happy after hearing the news. He squatted on the steps at the door of the dormitory and smoked a whole cigarette. Anton sighed and said, "Forget it, Rock. I can't be the sheriff. Let Luo Yi do it. Luo Yi is quick-witted and has a keen eye for work. He is more famous than me now. It is more appropriate for Luo Yi to be the sheriff."
If we talk from this perspective, Luo Yi is indeed more suitable than Anton. After all, Luo Yi comes from a common background and he must have a good eye, otherwise he would not be alive today.
What's more, Luo Yi's performance when being whipped was very impressive. Even the British had to admit that although Luo Yi looked thin, he was very ruthless. As for the Indians , they looked at Luo Yi in the same way as they looked at Rock, with a little fear.
"Think it over carefully, Anton. This opportunity is rare." Rock didn't force him. He just reminded Anton not to miss the opportunity. If he missed this one, he didn't know when the next one would come.
"I know the opportunity is rare, but we will be on the battlefield in a few days. I will be more useful than Luo Yi on the battlefield." Anton usually procrastinates, but he can still make up his mind at the critical moment: "Our Huayong Battalion is also getting worse with each generation. The last batch of Huayong was a bit miserable because only you and I were corporals. This batch is even worse. There is not a single corporal. They are all privates, and they are all rookies. It's good enough if they don't wet their pants when they hear the cannon."
Rock has been busy asking for favors from the bureau these days and has not yet met the new Chinese police officers. Anton, on the other hand, knows them quite well.
"Okay, just think it through. Going to the battlefield is not necessarily a bad thing. For others, the battlefield is a Shura field, but for us, the battlefield is a treasure pot." Rock was really not worried, not because Rock was a time traveler, but because Rock understood the fighting power of the Huayongs.
