Chapter 972 Tire Blowout
"Can I get gas with this certificate?" Amanda said, sitting in Xiao Peng's passenger seat, holding a piece of paper. "Why are there pictures on it?"
They could now legitimately stay in Xiao Peng's car: they had put three sheep in their car during the sandstorm. Those three sheep had finally reached heaven, chewing up everything from clothes to tents and car seats!
Sheep are quite good at chewing things!
Basically, sheep are the ones that cause the most damage to vegetation. Cows, horses, and camels only nibble on leaves, but sheep can even nibble on the roots of plants if they don't have enough food!
This is why scientific grazing is needed. A considerable part of the current serious desertification problem in Mauritania is caused by overgrazing.
There was a mess in Renault's car, so Amanda and Melanie got into Xiao Peng's car, while Perrin stayed with Renault - love is enough!
Xiao Peng explained with a smile: "Mohande only went to elementary school and can't write many words, but they are used to it here."
Melanie said, "What did he say when he asked you to go to the tent? Why did you run faster than a rabbit when you left? I saw that everyone around us looked disappointed."
Xiao Peng sighed and said, "Don't mention it. They just proposed to me and asked me to marry their daughter. How could I not run away quickly?"
Melanie couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "Is that Mohande the matchmaker here?"
Xiao Peng shook his head and said, "Don't underestimate Mohande. He is the highest administrative officer here! He is responsible for coordinating relations between the government and the tribes."
Melanie's eyes widened. "But he can't even recognize all the words!"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "He's also the most educated and knowledgeable person here. You guys are educated, so would you come and live here?"
Melanie and the others were all silent.
Xiao Peng continued, "You're studying in Paris, and it's already a question whether you'll ever return to your hometown, let alone come here. Just like our country just achieved complete poverty alleviation, you can't imagine how difficult that was! But even so, people don't want to go to relatively poor places. People want to go to better places; it's human nature."
"But we can't let someone like this manage this place!" Renault's voice came from the intercom.
Hearing this, Xiao Peng laughed. "What are you talking about? What's wrong with this guy? Do you think he's uneducated and unqualified for this position? Well, let me tell you a true story: There's a very poor area in the southwest of our country. For many years, the country worked very hard to lift it out of poverty. Recently, something happened there that caused quite a stir."
"Oh? What's the matter?" Melanie asked curiously.
Xiao Peng explained, "There was a local who was born and raised there. He was incredibly handsome and had a truly innocent smile. Someone posted his photo online, and he instantly had countless young fans online, becoming a viral influencer. The local tourism bureau then directly asked him to be an ambassador to attract more tourists, and he's since become a civil servant. But this news caused a huge uproar, and countless people became jealous because this young man had little education, having only attended elementary school."
"Becoming a civil servant in our country is a dream for many people. The competition for the civil service exam is fierce every year, and that young man got the position that others dream of just because he's handsome. So there's a lot of jealousy, and people are saying all sorts of things, like 'good looks are worse than academic performance.'"
Perrin's voice came over the intercom: "They're right! If something like this happened to me, I would definitely organize a protest! Otherwise, what's the point of studying?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Since you want to stay in Paris, let me ask you, if after you graduate you were asked to work as civil servants in Grigny or Clichy-sous-Bois, would you go?"
Grigny and Clichy-sous-Bois mentioned by Xiao Peng are both cities around Paris.
Grigny is located in the Essonne department, south of Paris, just 25 kilometers from the capital. However, this small town has a poverty rate of 44.8%, the highest in France! Poverty is a problem, and public safety is even more problematic. Police officers are even unsafe on patrol. Just last year, a molotov cocktail attacked a police car, seriously injuring four officers.
Clichy-sous-Bois is located in the northern suburbs of Paris, close to the 93rd department. It is similar to Grigny. Although the public security there has improved in recent years, it is only an "improvement".
Although they did not answer Xiao Peng's question, the two women sitting in his car were shaking their heads.
Xiao Peng continued, "Many locals in that internet celebrity's hometown never went to school. Although they've escaped poverty, they're still very poor, and the living environment is much worse than elsewhere. Poverty alleviation is a difficult task, but developing it is even more challenging. Officials there are like 'a good cook can't cook without rice.' They need talent, but there's none! I'm not exaggerating; even a junior high school diploma is considered a high-level diploma there, and you can basically find a good job. Yet, even so, few choose to go there. The local government will certainly do everything it can to promote development. Since an internet celebrity can attract attention, they're definitely going to be used. Those who envy him are actually quite ridiculous, but understandable. There are so many people who are angry and laugh at others' incompetence. Instead of focusing on others, it's better to live your own life. Don't act like an expert and offer 'brilliant opinions' on things you can't do yourself."
After hearing this, Renault sighed, "Sir, you should go give lectures to our school. Why do I feel like you know everything?"
Xiao Peng smiled and said, "Read more books, walk more, and meet more friends."
Melanie, who was sitting next to Xiao Peng, asked, "Sir, what's your reason for rejecting Mohande?"
"Me?" Xiao Peng said, "I told him I have girlfriends, and three of them!"
"Haha!" Melanie laughed. "They believe that? Isn't that a lie?"
Xiao Peng said, "I really didn't lie. I do have three girlfriends, but they really gave me a hard time, so I came to Africa to relax."
Melanie and the others laughed after hearing this.
Perrin said, "All men are like this. They like to brag when it comes to women!"
Xiao Peng was about to retort when he heard a loud bang outside the car window and saw the front of the Renault car suddenly tilt to one side.
"The front tire exploded!" Xiao Peng quickly shouted into the intercom, "Hold steady and don't brake!"
In the end, he was still a little late. Renault felt the tire burst and stepped on the brakes subconsciously. Their car quickly turned sideways and then turned upside down with all four wheels facing upwards.
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