Chapter 351: Domed Bases
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In reality, the desert environment was not as easy to manage or administer as one might imagine. This was particularly the case in large deserts where the climate often changed rapidly. Sometimes, a sandstorm would make all your efforts go to waste.
Even if there was enough fresh water, things could be useless. The wind would rip up newly planted saplings, and the moving sand ma.s.ses would drown newly built houses. A grain of sand might look tiny but large amounts of them could swamp anything. However, Xing Hai Technologies was not helpless against this.
Xing Hai Technologies had simulated an effective transformation program in its supercomputers for the deserts like the Sahara. The program was called the “Domed Base”.
They would use a high-strength graphene material to construct a semi-ellipsoidal transparent cover with a diameter of 1.5 kilometers and a height of 150 meters in the desert. Hence, it was called a dome. This ma.s.sive transparent cover was very st.u.r.dy and had a smooth and glossy surface that could resist sandstorms above level 18.
In addition, considering that the sunlight in the desert area was ample and strong, the surface of the transparent cover was coated with a thin layer of material that could generate power from solar energy. The electricity generated was enough for tens of thousands of households.
A large and deep pool would be dug inside the dome to accommodate the freshwater drawn from the seaside.
Some palm trees were planted around the pond. Some houses, warehouses, and factories were also built. These were enough for 100,000 people to take refuge in when a sandstorm arrived.
But the Domed Base was not for people to live in. It was to facilitate the transformation of the desert.
After each Dome was built, an unmanned aircraft sprayed a special glue evenly into the desert area around the base. The glue would solidify the fine sand together. Thus, the sand would lose its mobility and would no longer be blown away by the wind.
Every Domed Base would be fixed as a core from which it would be responsible for the transformation of a desert area of 31,400 square kilometers. This area was based on a radius of 100 kilometers extending from the core of the Domed Base. The entire Sahara desert could be settled with 300 of such bases.
With sufficient equipment and staff, the transformation could be completed in about ten to fifteen years.
There was one deadly drawback— the high cost.
The construction cost of a single Domed Base and its supporting facilities exceeded $100 billion. $30 trillion was needed to build 300 bases, and this was just the cost of construction.
When all subsequent costs were included, it was estimated that over $100 trillion was needed to transform the entire Sahara desert. Based on the financial resources of Xing Hai Technologies, it was impossible to complete such a huge project. Chen Jin would not consider spending so much money anyway.
So what should the company do? It needed to seek to collaborate with other countries and invite private capital ventures to join.
“A Domed Base means the transformation of 31,400 square kilometers of desert. With a density of 100 people per square kilometer, it can accommodate at least 3.14 million people. 300 bases can accommodate at least 900 million people.”
“Now, the world’s population has reached 8.3 billion. Many countries with outdated economies and small land areas have reached the point of explosion. Their land cannot accommodate such a huge number of people. There will be immediate unrest once their economic situation deteriorates.”
“The populations of most developed countries have stopped growing and some are even experiencing negative growth. They don’t have to think about this issue at all. For survival, for a better life, they know where to run.”
“Hence, the world has become peaceful. The powerful countries do not have to strike the weak countries. Developed countries do not have to bully the backward countries. Striking a poor country is equivalent to a prodding a ‘population bomb’. Countless refugees will run to your country in an instant. If you strike me again in any way, the more I will integrate with you. I will come and enjoy the welfare of your country.”
“The poorer the place, the higher their birth rate and the faster the population grows. This is simply a natural law. So the rich lands are inundated with the poor, the developed countries are overwhelmed by the backward and the civilized are overwhelmed by the ignorant. This is entirely possible in the future. The powerful Roman Empire was wiped out by barbarians. It is possible for the history of civilizations regressing a millennium to repeat itself again.”
“If the economies of developing countries do not develop sufficiently and they continue to lag behind, their populations will increase. The number of global refugees will increase in the future too. From the current two or three hundred million, it will increase by 500 million, one billion, two billion and even more. They will flood into the developed countries at an accelerated rate. If that happens, they will need a savior who can solve the problem.”
“This savior may be a tyrant, a master at extermination. They might advocate to eliminate half of the population and solve the crisis of survival. But it is also possible that it will be me.”
“The big business that Xing Hai Technologies proposes to do will be related to this. And I believe it will be supported by all the developed and developing countries.”
“One billion people, two billion or even ten billion, we have ways to ‘digest’ them and profit from the process.”
“It would also lay a solid foundation for the implementation of Xing Hai Technologies’ final plan.”
“It may be really possible for that boundless sea of stars to emerge from what used to be a desert.”
…
5th of June.
Shortly after Lanfelord was successfully re-elected.
Chen Jin sent his robot double on a flight to Merica. It entered the White House and had a secret meeting with Lanfelord that lasted for four hours.
A strategic partners.h.i.+p was reached. The main content of the agreement was a commitment from the Merican government that they would spend 50 billion USD to support Xing Hai Technologies’ building of three Domed Bases. The government would also provide the relevant facilities and support needed for this process.
After the three Domed Bases and the transformation of the surrounding desert environment were completed, Merica was willing to provide more than 10 million people to live happily forevermore in those lands that would be full of vitality.
Boom!
The partners.h.i.+p was announced. Once the news had been reported by several media outlets, Merican netizens were first shocked, then immediately impa.s.sioned!
“Oh G.o.d, I know that voting for Lanfelord was the right thing. He has found a way to save us!”
“A population of ten million. 50 billion USD is only a year’s expenses compared to the welfare that they have devoured and the benefits they have enjoyed. But, we can send them away now. This is such a good deal!”
“I used to have misunderstandings about Xing Hai Technologies, but I want to apologize now. This time, you have done a very good thing. I am very grateful.”
“Now, I am very fond of Xing Hai Technologies. All media, please don’t criticize this great company again. They are our saviors!”
“Yes, we should be more lenient towards Xing Hai Technologies and show them a little tolerance. But, the main thing that we have to be grateful for is Lanfelord’s brilliance. He is the greatest hero in my heart.”
“Why don’t the government give Xing Hai Technologies a little more money? For example, 100 billion USD. I think it will cost more than ten million to support the extra population.”
…
News of the partners.h.i.+p between Xing Hai Technologies and the Merican government had spread to Europe. The whole of Europe was astir.
Germany, Britain, France and other countries immediately issued applications of partners.h.i.+p to Xing Hai Technologies! They all wanted to donate some funds and play their part in contributing to the company’s “Domed Base” project.