In early February, Alfred Milner, South African Commissioner and Governor of the Transvaal and Orange, traveled to London for a post, and Henry, the hero who killed Joubert, accompanied Alfred Milner to London.

Roque did not go to London with Alfred Milner, there was an investigation team from London that was about to arrive in Johannesburg and needed security services from the Johannesburg Police Department.

The purpose of this investigation was to investigate whether Cecil Rhodes had been negligent in his duties as Prime Minister of the Cape and whether he was responsible for the outbreak of the Second Boer War.

Sure enough, the war was not over yet, and the British government was already looking for a scapegoat.

The day before the team arrived in Johannesburg, Cecil Rhodes' son, Cecil Rhodes Jr., and Cecil Rhodes' brother, Frank Rhodes, visited Roque at the Johannesburg Police Station.

Previously, Cecil Rhodes Jr. and Frank Rhodes both resided in Rhodesia, which is now nominally part of the Cape, but is not administered by the Cape colonial government, but is directly administered by the British South African Company.

The British South Africa Company was founded by Cecil Rhodes in 1889.

In Cape, the South African company is the undisputed jumbo and was granted a charter by Queen Victoria in the year it was founded.

In the charter, Queen Victoria officially confirmed that South African companies had the privileges of contracting treaties, organising local governments, forming armies and police, doing business, setting up banks and joint-stock companies, building roads, and exploiting land, forests, and mineral deposits in the vast expanse north of British Bechuana, west and north of the Transvaal Republic, and west of Portuguese East Africa.

In other words, Rhodesia, which was under the control of the South African company, was the private kingdom of Cecil Rhodes.

Rhodesia during this period included what would be Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and part of Botswana.

Even excluding Botswana, Rhodesia covers an area of more than 1.26 million square kilometres, which is larger than the four Cape colonies combined.

As the first heir to the Rhodes family, Cecil Rhodes Jr. is the true chosen son.

Reincarnation is really a technical job!

"Hello, Mr. Cecil Rhodes—Hello, Mr. Frank Rhodes—it's a pleasure to meet you—" Facing the two members of the Rhodes family, one of whom is also the first heir to the Rhodes family, Roque did not dare to slack off.

Just kidding, this lineup, even if it's going to London, deserves to be received by the Prime Minister.

The three of them sat down on the couch, and Cecil Rhodes Jr. expressed just the right amount of surprise to Roque: "- It's unbelievable, Director Locke, I am respected because my father is Cecil Rhodes, and you, you came to Cape Town a year ago, and you have been in a high position for only one year—if you have the chance, you should talk to my father, who also came to Cape penniless, and then founded the South African company and became the Prime Minister of Cape - you are one kind of people. ”

Compare Roque to Cecil Rhodes?

Roque really didn't dare: "Please don't compare me with Mr. Cecil Rhodes, I have a lot of respect for Mr. Cecil Rhodes, without him, there would be no Cape today, and we should all be grateful to him." ”

From the British standpoint, Cecil Rhodes should indeed be indebted.

Regardless of what history says, as an avid colonialist, Cecil Rhodes is definitely qualified.

Cecil Rhodes' first business in the Kimberley was selling ice cream, and then he ventured into the mining industry and monopolized Kimberley's diamonds.

After serving as the prime minister of the Cape, he personally plotted the annexation of Rhodesia.

And because of his greed for the Rand gold mines, he single-handedly provoked the Second Boer War.

Therefore, Roque really didn't dare to compare with Cecil Rhodes.

"Not everyone is grateful, Director Locke, you should already know that tomorrow, there is an investigation team that will arrive in Johannesburg." Frank Rhodes picks up the subject.

is different from what Roque imagined, Frank Rhodes, as Cecil Rhodes's brother, is about fifty years old this year, not old, and his body is not bloated and fat as common in middle and old age, and his hair and beard are even more meticulous and neat, from all aspects, Frank Rhodes is a very self-disciplined person.

"Yes, I know." Roque honestly replied that it was no secret that the investigation team was about to arrive in Johannesburg, and that as far as the South African company's influence in the Cape was concerned, it was possible that the South African company had already received the relevant information before the investigation team left London.

"Look, those damn politicians are shameless vampires, that's how they treat an imperial hero, and Cecil deserves glory and flowers, not trials and investigations—" Frank Rhodes became emotional and began to lash out in front of Roque.

"I'm sorry Director Locke, Uncle Frank and my father have a good relationship, so-" Cecil Rhodes Jr. was still more sane.

"It's okay, Mr. Cecil Rhodes, I can understand—" Roque smiled, whether Frank's anger was real or not, Roque would play on the scene.

"Call me Cecil, Director Locke." Cecil Rhodes Jr.'s expression was sincere.

"Yes, Cecil." Roque is as good as a stream.

Cecil Rhodes Jr. and Frank Rhodes looked at each other and smiled, looking very happy with Roque's performance.

"Locke, you know, my father served as the governor of Cape, and although my father has a clear conscience, since he is in a high position, he has to endure the rain and wind, and even my father cannot satisfy everyone, so Locke—" Cecil Rhodes Jr. left plenty of room for Roque.

"I understand, Cecil." Roque smiled and nodded, even if Cecil Rhodes Jr. didn't say it, Roque knew Cecil Rhodes Jr.'s intention.

"Very well, Director Locke, you have the friendship of the Rhodes family." Frank Rhodes grinned.

If this were a different person, he might be flattered, but Roque felt a little bad.

Don't look at the current Rhodes family's flowers, in fact, it is also cooking oil with fire.

If there were no accidents, Cecil Rhodes would have died of illness next year, and the South African company would have been in dire straits.

In 1904, the British government would take back jurisdiction over Nyasaland (Malawi).

Then, in 1923 and 1924, Britain would reclaim jurisdiction over Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia).

At this point, the South African company ceased to exist.

Even the now invincible De Beers Unified Mining Company will be defeated by the Anglo-American Company founded by Sir Ernest Oppenheimer in a dozen years, giving up South Africa's mining supremacy.

If you look at it this way, Cecil Rhodes Jr. is right, his father is indeed very powerful.

But that doesn't mean that everyone in the Rhodes family is very powerful, when Cecil Rhodes was alive, the status of the Rhodes family in South Africa was indeed unshakable, but after Cecil Rhodes died-

Hehe, Roque didn't like the feeling of being given away.

To Roque's slight regret, Cecil Rhodes Jr. didn't think Frank Rhodes's words were too big, and after Frank Rhodes finished speaking, Cecil Rhodes Jr. also looked at Roque with a smile and waited for Roque's response.

It's normal, if Cecil Rhodes Jr. had his father's great talent, then the Rhodes family would not have declined.

Of course, for the current Roque, Roque can't ignore the friendship of the Rhodes family, so Roque's reaction is timely: "Thank you, Mr. Frank, I think everyone in Johannesburg hopes to do something for Mr. Cecil Rhodes." ”

It was clear that Cecil Rhodes Jr. was pleased with Roque's reaction.

So the next day, Cecil Rhodes Jr. went hunting together.

This is considered a normal high society activity.

To Roque's surprise, Cecil Rhodes Jr. did not go with Roque to a nearby hunting ground, but led Roque to a farm on the outskirts of Johannesburg.

There is only one house on the farm, and the appearance of the house is unremarkable except for the fact that it occupies a bit of a large area.

When he came to the house, Roque realized that there was something else.

The structure of the house is not wooden, but stone, from a distance, because of the reflection of the trees, it seems that the house does not seem to be tall, only to find that the height of the whole house is more than fifteen meters, the height of the first floor is as high as seven or eight meters, the decoration in the room is extremely luxurious, gold ornaments and precious stones can be seen everywhere, the silver jewelry common in middle-class families can not be seen here at all, any plain lampshade is crystal, with the technical level of this era, it should not be man-made.

As he entered, a majestic tiger startled Roque.

"Are you alright, Paul, say hello to our Mr. Locke, you haven't seen a stranger in a long time—" Cecil Rhodes Jr. rubbed the tiger's head affectionately, and explained to Roque with a smile, "This is my father's pet, its name is Paul, do you know why it's called that?" ”

Roque shook his head, it would be hell if he could know.

"Because of Paul Kryugel." Cecil Rhodes Jr. said the answer lightly.

It dawned on Roque that Paul Krueger was the former president of the Transvaal Republic and an old rival of Cecil Rhodes, so—

If you hate someone, you name your pet after your enemy?

This brain circuit is a bit bizarre, with a bit of a cantilever cone stabbing the strands.

"Please come in, Locke, it's been three or four years, and you're the first guest here." Cecil Rhodes Jr. understated.

Roque could understand this level of overture, and followed Cecil Rhodes Jr. into the door.

There was a servant tiptoeing over to take Paul away, and raising such a big tiger just to let the guests see it was a luxury.