The South African Potions Mystery（9/ The power of virginity）

 

9/ The power of virginity

 

Under the introduction of Matthew Mogera, Mr. Tang Jerry and I visited many people. The strange thing is that no one cares about the killing of children. They believe that it is God's will and they believe in the power of virginity. Even Mojiela thinks so, he believes that maybe it is precisely because of the protection of the power of virginity that he can continue to survive here. He told us: "The power of a virgin is greater than that of a sexually active adult." Mr. Tang Jerry looked very tired, perhaps because he could not find more clues, he decided to return to Johannesburg.

We arrived in Johannesburg after a long journey. After leaving the airport, there are many taxi drivers in the hall to solicit business. After some bargaining, I agreed with a driver to get to the Holiday Inn in Sandton for a total of 180 rand (South African currency, 1 rand is approximately equal to 1.3 yuan). The driver is white, but he speaks broken English, doesn't look like a local. Before I could ask, he introduced himself and said that he is a Serb from the former Yugoslavia region, who came to South Africa to develop due to the war in his hometown. It's only been a few years, and it has developed a little bit. This Toyota taxi is also a property I bought. While speaking, the car got on the wide expressway, and the commercial billboards on both sides of the road were one after another, giving people the impression of prosperity. The urban area of Johannesburg is full of high-rise buildings and criss-crossed by highways. It is almost indistinguishable from the developed countries in Europe. According to the driver, the Sandton we are going to is in the northern suburb of Joburg, which is a wealthy area, and it is the area with the most dense family swimming pools in the world. And Soweto in the southwestern suburbs is the largest slum settlement in the world. More than 40% of adults are unemployed, and many families can't even afford water bills. Professor Thornton told us: "Such a disparity between the rich and the poor is actually the crux of South Africa's security problems."

The driver was driving fast and talking too much. I was really afraid that something might happen to him, so I quickly signaled him to drive slower. The driver boasted: "Don't worry, I have driven from Yugoslavia to South Africa. I have never made a mistake in driving for so many years. I guarantee you will survive." It turns out that "Live to" is a traffic safety slogan commonly used in South Africa. It is similar to "Your relatives hope you return safely", but the expression is more explicit and direct. I noticed that such a sign would appear every few kilometers on the highway to remind drivers: "Arrive alive - The speed kills" ("Alive to - speed kills").

Coming off the highway, a long line of cars stopped at an intersection and waited for a red light. The intersection was bustling with people, there were little boys selling the newspapers of the day, and more old men, women and children in rags were begging. Most of the beggars are black, and there are some poor white people. They generally do not open their mouths to ask for money, but take a cardboard plate with the same words: "No job, no money, no food" ("No job, no money, no food"). They walked silently past each car, holding out their hands in anticipation of a handout. Probably because I have seen too many poor people like this, most people in the car were indifferent, only a few people occasionally handed over a few rands. A dilapidated jeep was sitting next to the taxi I was in. The white guy who drove the car had a very special reaction. Seeing the beggars approaching with a card, he also showed a card in the window: "me too" ( "I do not have either").

The further north you go, the closer you get to Sandton, and the more Mercedes-Benz and BMW cars on the road. There are garden houses on the roadside, looming behind the high walls. Most of the closed iron doors have an orange plastic patch with the words "Armed Response" ("Armed Response") emblazoned on it. The meaning of this is of course very clear. If there are gangsters who dare to rob, what awaits them is a "forced response" from the security company. The driver who knows the basics said that the monthly rent of a four-bedroom bungalow with a large living room and a garden swimming pool is generally around 5,000 rand. I figured it out in my mind, and it really wasn't very expensive. You can't rent a garden house of this standard in Beijing at such a price. I asked by the way: How much is the monthly security fee? The driver replied: Hiring a security guard without a gun and working 12 hours a day costs 4,000 rand a month. An additional R500 per month for guards with guns who can "respond by force". Hey guys, the cost of security in South Africa is about the same as rent. No wonder I read in the newspaper that the private security industry is currently the hottest industry in South Africa. There are more than 4,000 security companies across the country, and one out of every 200 South Africans is a security guard.

Mr. Tang Jerry said to me on the way: "Mr. Hualu, have you noticed the difference between the rich and the poor in Johannesburg? As the wealth inequality gap is getting wider and wider, the detection of the 'Muti' potion murder case will also become more and more serious." It's getting harder."

"Why? When does the difference in wealth have anything to do with the Munti' Potion murder?" I was puzzled.

Mr. Tang Jerry looked out the window: "I feel that as poverty deepens, the mysterious mechanism will increase. This mechanism is to use people's belief in magic to get rid of poverty and become rich. In this way, It's hard to draw a line between perpetrator and victim."