Chapter 427 You Are Guilty: Kindness and Forgiveness

Wang Xiao accepted the business card from Deputy Mayor Delamini, but it seemed like he didn't have anything to trouble him with.

If she really wanted to deal with the authorities, it would be more appropriate for her to contact the Russian embassy first.

Unexpectedly, just one day after sunset, Deputy Mayor Delamini contacted her again.

Of course, I didn't visit in person, but called by mobile phone—I have to say, South Africa's communication infrastructure is really quite good. The ownership rate of mobile phones and pagers here is frighteningly high, and the signal is also quite good.

Wang Xiao is in the car. If she wants to understand the real South Africa, she definitely needs to see both the city and the countryside.

When the phone was handed to her, she thought Deputy Mayor Dlamini was trying to persuade her to increase her investment in Cape Town, and she was trying to figure out how to brush it off.

The moment they opened their mouth, it sounded like a civil service interview: "Miss Wang, I have a question for you: how do you get wealthy regions to be willing to spend money to help impoverished regions?"

Wang Xiao was completely confused. What was he doing?

Deputy Mayor Dlamini quickly explained, "I've heard that in China, there's a tradition of wealthy regions helping impoverished regions. I'd like to know why people in wealthy regions are willing to do this? Won't they protest or hold demonstrations?"

Wang Xiao was truly speechless upon hearing this.

Dude, do you think I'm Doraemon? Are you so satisfied with my township enterprise plan from yesterday that you're using me as a free consultant?

Let me get this straight: when I was a campaign advisor for the Russian president, my monthly salary was $10,000.

Yes, she received the highest level of compensation from the campaign committee, just like Chubbs, with a monthly salary of $10,000.

Deputy Mayor Dlamini continued rambling on: "I've heard that many people travel from wealthy areas to impoverished areas to provide assistance, not as individuals, but in an organized manner, and this has been going on for many years. Can you tell me how you manage to do that?"

Wang Xiao guessed that this involved South Africa's racial issues again.

Although black people in South Africa have now achieved political liberation, the wealthy population remains predominantly white. This severe imbalance in political and economic status naturally leads to intense conflict.

Not wanting to make a mistake, she dodged the question directly: "Oh, about the aid you mentioned? Well, that's because the oath of joining the Communist Party clearly states that one should endure hardship before enjoying comforts and be ready to sacrifice everything for the Party and the people at any time. So, of course they will go when the organization arranges it."

Deputy Mayor Dlamini on the other end was completely stumped. They were talking about political beliefs; how could he possibly keep up?

Wang Xiao was about to hang up: "I don't know much more. I've never met a true Communist Party member who would go against the organization's arrangements."

In fact, when it comes to aiding Xinjiang and Tibet, if you put aside other places, in 1996, you could have the people of Jiangdong hold a referendum to see if they were willing to give away so much money.

The answer is most likely no.

Wealth is a relative concept. In fact, in this era, most ordinary people, especially farmers, can only eat meat during festivals.

The significant improvement in people's living standards only occurred after China joined the WTO and truly entered the global economic industrial chain.

Does that mean we should stop supporting economically underdeveloped regions before then? That's impossible.

How did it do that? By relying on a strong government.

If you make everything a vote, it may seem like democracy on the surface, but in reality it's just a way of shifting blame.

Imagine you're getting an appliance repaired at home. The repairman points to a bunch of wires and asks you to decide which wire to cut and which to reconnect.

How would you know?

The South African government is now somewhat inclined to this approach. Because it resolved ethnic conflicts peacefully, it's stubbornly sticking to its old ways and practically adopting a laissez-faire mentality.

That won't do.

She was really disappointed that Ivanov wasn't around, otherwise she would definitely have grabbed him and started complaining about him.

Lyuba can't do that; she's busy with work and needs to be on full alert.

Because the security here is really bad. When they came out in the morning, they saw several young black men grab the cameras that tourists were hanging around their necks, drag them down, and make them fall to the ground.

Wang Xiao hung up the phone politely: "I'm sorry, the two countries have different national conditions, and I don't know what South Africa should do better."

Dlamini couldn't hide his regret, but still politely thanked him and reiterated that he could contact him anytime if he had any questions.

Wang Xiao hung up the phone, glanced out the car window, and casually asked, "How much longer?"

Counselor Petrov replied, "We've arrived."

Wang Xiao exclaimed in surprise, "So fast?"

She felt it would take at most fifteen minutes to drive there from the hotel in the city center.

Petrov nodded: "It's only 20 kilometers from the city center."

The car made a turn and stopped, revealing the outline of the house in everyone's view.

What kind of house is this? It's a semi-circular shed built with branches and thatch, with the sides plastered with mud or cow dung. Among them, those with tin roofs are considered mansions.

There were no skyscrapers, no tree-lined avenues, only garbage everywhere and buzzing flies and mosquitoes.

Wang Xiao didn't know how to describe the shock of the scene before her.

Do you understand? It's like that Tiananmen Square, so clean and tidy that you could sleep there without any psychological pressure, where you just watched the flag-raising ceremony, and then you step on the gas and in 15 minutes, you're plunged into a world that is a concrete manifestation of poverty, filth, and chaos.

That's absurd.

Every country has poor areas, but there is a physical distance between wealth and poverty. The suburbs of developed cities are certainly not bad, because the economic zone naturally has a radiating effect.

But it didn't. This predominantly Black neighborhood, just 20 kilometers from downtown Cape Town, didn't have it. It was poorer and more backward than a primitive society.

Idle youths and children wandered the streets, their eyes filled with a blank stare.

Black vendors held several items in their hands and tried to sell them to passersby, their faces devoid of smiles.

The sunshine in Cape Town is so brilliant, even more brilliant than its elegant name, the Golden City.

But the bright sunshine seemed to have no effect on this land.

Counselor Petrov sighed, “Before coming to South Africa, I worked in Ethiopia for several years. It’s one of the most underdeveloped countries in the world, very poor. But I think Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is so much better than here.”

When he first saw the predominantly Black neighborhoods of South Africa, he couldn't believe his eyes.

What kind of cruel apartheid system could have created such an absurd and tragic situation?

It's not simply a restaurant where Black and white people can't sit at the same table; nor is it just that Black and white people have their own bus stops and don't ride the same bus.

It is a complete erasure. On the one hand, white rulers enjoy the wealth accumulated by exploiting blacks; on the other hand, it completely eliminates any trace of your existence, making you disappear entirely from their world.

In that instant, Wang Xiao even understood those black robbers.

Compared to the torment they suffered back then, their current retaliation is utterly insignificant.

She cursed, "Those beasts are really scum."

Petrov sighed, "They don't treat people like human beings."

Since the 1960s, the international community has generally imposed sanctions on South Africa, which is not simply due to political factors; otherwise, the Soviet Union and the United States would not have taken action together.

Wang Xiao let out a long sigh of relief: "President Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize is well-deserved, and the black people of South Africa are really easy to talk to."

Surprisingly, they didn't retaliate in kind.

Manager Zhang, who had been following the boss the whole way, quickly chimed in, "Old Hei is still very kind and easy to talk to."

Wang Xiao said meaningfully, "This is more than just kindness. Kindness means not taking from others when you're full, but they're the ones who haven't even had enough to eat yet."

Manager Zhang felt like someone had grabbed the back of his neck again. He seriously suspected that the boss was targeting him, that he was being unfair by reaching out after he was already full.

He could only manage a weak laugh, his voice barely audible: "That's why old black people are good."

He said that in the morning, but after having a seafood lunch, he changed his mind in the afternoon.

It's not that there was anything wrong with the seafood. Cape Town is right by the sea, and the restaurants around the harbor serve fresh seafood.

Instead, the drill bit factory went on strike again.

Yes, it's the same place as yesterday. The owner's surname is Zheng, and he's from the same hometown as Manager Zhang.

Yesterday, he begged and pleaded with everyone he knew, and finally managed to persuade the workers to go back to work. He rushed to finish the order for that young black man.

But his workers did not think the matter was over, and after lunch, the strike resumed.

Factory Director Zheng was at his wit's end. He made a phone call to Manager Zhang, asking him to contact the local government to resolve the issue.

Otherwise, if we keep letting him argue with the Black workers, wouldn't it never end? We'd lose money if we missed an order.

Wang Xiao was also curious about how the city of Cape Town would handle such a labor dispute that had reached the government.

So without saying a word, she went directly to the municipal government.

Counselor Petrov shared the same sentiment. Currently, no Russian businessmen have established businesses in South Africa, and he needs experience in this area.

So a large group of people marched off to the Cape Town City Hall.

However, to their surprise, the city government was even more lively, with a group of people protesting while holding banners.

Since their banners weren't written in English, Wang Xiao couldn't understand what they were protesting about.

Besides, as long as they don't directly storm the city government, she doesn't care what they're protesting about.

But Deputy Mayor Dlamini couldn't ignore it; it was within his job responsibilities.

Therefore, he could only apologize to Manager Zhang and Wang Xiao's group. He had to deal with this before he could go to the factory to persuade the striking workers.

Factory Manager Zheng was anxious: "Mayor, when will you be able to finish this? My orders can't wait. If the factory continues like this, we'll have to close down."

Dlamini looked exhausted: "But I really can't leave right now, I have to handle the work in order."

Factory Director Zheng was almost in tears, repeatedly bowing and pleading, "Please, have mercy! They've been refusing to pay the five fees for a long time. Could you please help me resolve the workers' issue first?"

Wang Xiao became curious and turned to Manager Zhang to ask, "What are the five expenses?"

"It's property tax, water and electricity bills, and other municipal fees," Manager Zhang explained in a low voice. "The local government here mainly relies on these funds to make a living."

Wang Xiao was slightly puzzled: "Why don't they pay?"

Honestly, she thought Cape Town's municipal infrastructure was quite good; the streets were so clean. It's a bit unreasonable not to pay the water and electricity bills.

Besides, the people protesting outside holding signs are all white, and you can tell from their clothes that they are not people who are very poor.

So Wang Xiao followed up with, "Is five mana a high cost?"

"Not high, it adds up to a few hundred rand, which isn't high for them."

Manager Zhang noticed the boss's confusion and explained in a low voice, "They are dissatisfied that the government is using their money to support the black neighborhood."

Wang Xiao finally understood why Delamini had asked him out of the blue that morning how to get people from wealthy areas to willingly help poor and underdeveloped areas.

Standing in the deputy mayor's office, looking down at the white protesters still holding banners in the courtyard, she felt a surge of anger rising to her head.

The old saying is so true: if you repay evil with good, how will you repay good?

Human nature can be truly despicable at times.

If you smile at him/her and treat him/her kindly, he/she will think you are easy to bully.

It often takes a hard slap to clear their eyes.

Wang Xiao turned his head, looked at Delamini, and said softly, "Sir, I don't know how to get rich people to willingly help poor people, but if it's about paying five fees, perhaps you could try this method and see if you can get them to pay the money?"

Fifteen minutes later, Deputy Mayor Dlamini rushed out of his office, his fists clenched tightly: "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, now come with me, and I'll tell you why you have to pay this money?"

In Cape Town, cars are extremely common, and almost every white family owns one.

But the protesters were unwilling to follow the deputy mayor anywhere. Any problems could be resolved at the city hall.

Dlamini glanced around: "Because, as you wish, they won't appear in your sight; you'll have to go there yourself."

His tone had hardened. "Ladies and gentlemen! If you want to resolve this issue quickly, please cooperate with my actions. I am also very busy and have no time to waste."

So the long convoy drove off to the Black neighborhood.

As they approached the garbage dump, many people wanted to step on the gas and leave this unpleasant place as quickly as possible.

But Dlamini had already stopped the car, opened the door, and gestured for the group of white people to come out so they could see the hell on earth that they and their ancestors had created.

The semi-circular huts, made of branches, thatch, and mud, were densely packed together.

The corrugated iron roofs reflect a glaring, cheap light under the scorching sun; they are already rare "luxury homes" here.

Many of the shacks were simply cobbled together from plastic sheeting, cardboard, and scrap metal, and were on the verge of collapse.

Garbage was everywhere, and flies and mosquitoes buzzed around the filthy puddles and rotting food scraps.

Dust swirled on the road, and ragged children with vacant eyes played barefoot beside piles of garbage. Several gaunt old men sat in the shadows.

The arrival of these uninvited guests did not attract their attention; it seemed that they were just existing, and nothing could concern them anymore.

Cape Town's clean, high-quality air doesn't reach the predominantly Black neighborhood; the air there seems to have solidified, with only the buzzing of flies and the distant barking of dogs.

The brilliant afternoon sun in the Golden City has lost its gentleness and softness, leaving only scorching heat and despair.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Delamini’s voice was not loud, but firm and resonant, with a suppressed tremor, “Welcome to the other side of Cape Town, the place where your ‘five fees’ do not wish to go. Look here! This is the reality of the lives of your ‘lazy’ and ‘greedy’ fellow blacks! Tell me, do you really believe that they were born this way?!”

He pointed sharply at the appalling slums, each word like a hammered steel nail: "This is not poverty! This is the ruins left by crime! It is the hell you, and your fathers and grandfathers, who practiced a apartheid system that was hardly better than the Nazis!"

A stir ran through the crowd; some wanted to object, but Dlamini's voice suddenly rose, drowning out all the noise:

"Do you know what the Nazis did to the Jews! Concentration camps, gas chambers, systematic extermination! And what did your predecessors, those white governments that made and enforced segregation laws, do to us?!"

"The Bantustan system! Forcibly driving black people to barren lands, depriving them of their right to own urban land, and confining them to impoverished reservations!"

"The Pass Law! It restricts the freedom of movement of Black people. Without a pass, they cannot even enter 'white cities' to look for work. Once they 'illegally' overstay their visas, they face arrest, imprisonment, and torture!"

"Job Retention Act! It confines Black people to the lowest, most dangerous, and lowest-paying jobs!"

“Educational segregation! Giving Black people an inferior education designed to train servants, not citizens!”

"And there's the 'Group Housing Act'! It forcibly separates different races, creating this absurd situation of being worlds apart despite being so close!"

Dlamini's chest heaved violently, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and pain.

"The Nazi concentration camps used barbed wire and machine guns to create segregation, and your government uses laws, police, and prisons to create the same cruel segregation and oppression!"

“You enjoy the prosperity and cleanliness built on the blood, tears and corpses of Black people, yet you criticize them for being poor and backward?! Every brick and every road in Cape Town beneath your feet is soaked with the sweat and even lives of exploited and enslaved Black people! Your comfortable life today is built on the foundation of imprisoning them in this hell for generations!”

He waved his arms forcefully, his cold gaze sweeping over the protesters whose faces were beginning to turn pale: "What did the Germans do after World War II? They genuinely repented! They passed laws banning Nazi ideology! They paid huge sums of money in reparations to various countries and individual victims, and they haven't stopped to this day! They demonstrated through their actions their sincerity in facing up to their historical crimes and atoning for them! It is this attitude that allowed Germany to rise from the ruins, win the world's respect, and become the engine of Europe!"

"Even so, the Jews have never forgotten the torture and suffering they endured! Mossad hunted down Nazis who escaped to the ends of the earth, even decades later! This is the victims' deep-seated hatred for the perpetrators and their unwavering right to seek justice!"

The open space was as quiet as death, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves and people breathing heavily.

Several protesters exchanged furtive glances.

How many people are not afraid of death? The Mossad's pursuit of Nazis terrifies them.

Dlamini's voice, however, lowered, veiled by a heavy sense of sorrow: "Look at us, the black people and people of color in South Africa! After enduring unimaginable suffering, what did we choose? President Mandela chose forgiveness and reconciliation! We chose to put aside hatred and avoid further bloodshed! We chose to believe in a shared future for South Africa, regardless of skin color! But this absolutely does not mean that the crimes you committed back then did not exist! It absolutely does not mean that those sufferings have been wiped clean! Your crimes are no less serious than those of the Nazis!"

"Our kindness and tolerance are giving this country a chance, not giving you the privilege to evade responsibility and whitewash history!"

The white man who was leading the group couldn't take it anymore and spoke up to defend himself and his compatriots: "Mr. Deputy Mayor! This is not fair! We...we were just following the government's laws! We are not the ones who made the laws! How can you pin all the blame on us? Apartheid harmed the whole of South Africa, and we are victims too!"

Wang Xiao wanted to sneer as she listened. Sure enough, the murderer's logic was always the same.

These words sounded so familiar to him. Didn't the Japanese war criminals back then also cry and insist that they were victims of the war as well?

Dlamini whirled around, his gaze sharp as a razor-sharp blade, piercing straight at the man:

"Obey the law? What a high-sounding reason! According to your logic, all Nazi war criminals should be pardoned because they were only carrying out the Führer's orders. Eichmann was merely 'obeying orders'! The guards at Auschwitz were just 'doing their duty'! Isn't that right?!"

He stepped forward, almost pressing his face against the other man's: "When a guard of the Berlin Wall was carrying out orders to fire on his compatriots trying to climb over the wall, he could have chosen to raise the muzzle of his gun by five centimeters! Those five centimeters were protecting the last vestige of human conscience!"

“Tell me, gentlemen and ladies, when you comfortably enjoy the cheap services of Black maids, when you watch Black laborers build your garden villas under the scorching sun for meager wages, when you comfortably refuse to pay the ‘five fees’ that should benefit everyone while enjoying municipal services in well-equipped ‘white neighborhoods’… have you ever raised your guns even a centimeter?! Where is your conscience?!”

"You didn't! You chose to turn a blind eye! You chose to remain silent! You chose to enjoy the benefits brought by this evil system! You are also accomplices of this system!"

Dlamini's voice did not rise any higher; he made a request in a calm yet chilling tone: "Ladies and gentlemen, we need to work together to maintain peace in South Africa. Please let the real victims feel your sincerity, your knowing that the past was wrong, and your sincerity in wanting to correct it."

The white women who followed couldn't bear the heavy psychological pressure and broke down first: "Sir, please don't say any more, I will pay the five fees."

The more thrilling the scenes of Mossad hunting down Nazis depicted in those exciting novels and movies, the deeper their fear now lies.

Only criminals truly know the evil they have committed.

Dlamini smiled and nodded politely, saying, "Kind ladies, I believe you can all feel your sincerity. And you, my gentlemen? Are you willing to build a rainbow bridge for harmonious coexistence among all races?"

By the time everyone returned to the city, the protesters had taken down their banners and promised to pay the five fees immediately.

Petrov, who had witnessed the entire process from beginning to end, now truly understood the power of a presidential advisor.

Ha! These white South Africans are so fragile. He suspected they'd have nightmares tonight.

Wang Xiao smiled at Delamini and said, "Sir, can you now go and resolve the strike issue?"

Dlamini immediately nodded in agreement: "I'll go to the factory right away."

He acted like a firefighter, not even bothering to return to the city government, and immediately turned the steering wheel and went to the factory.

Unfortunately, he didn't have a good solution for labor disputes; he could only offer earnest advice.

The final result was that Factory Director Zheng promised another pay raise this year. Those who led the strike received an extra week's wages, settled their accounts, and left.

Wang Xiao was truly disappointed; she had thought that this vice mayor had some clever methods.

Forget it, it's better to rely on yourself than to ask others for help.

Turning to Manager Zhang, she instructed him: "If the group sets up a factory here, remember my recruitment principles: absolutely do not hire seasoned strikers. They've tasted the benefits, and they'll only become more aggressive in the future. So recruit recent graduates; they're young and learn quickly. Also, adopt piece-rate wages—the more you work, the more you earn—to prevent anyone from slacking off."

Manager Zhang's eyes lit up instantly, and he looked at his boss with anticipation: "You want to open a factory? What kind of factory? I mean, how big of a factory do you need? Are there any requirements for the location?"

Wang Xiao smiled and said, "It's about producing allure and the power of love."

For the past few years, sexy lingerie and toys haven't entered the African market; it's time to make a move.

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[Let me see] Good morning!

Regarding the article "The Dilemma of the 'Rainbow Nation' - A Fragmentary Account of a Trip to South Africa" ​​published in the September 1997 issue of Contemporary World magazine, the author, Zhong Weiyun, visited South Africa for 18 days in June 1997 as a member of the academic exchange and investigation group of the China Association for International Exchange.