Zhidu Airport is not large, and it is crowded with people coming and going. Wang Yao made a phone call to Qiu Dingxiong at the exit. After all, seven or eight days have already been wasted. He didn't know if President Qiu still needed his help in the investigation. If not, he would prepare to transfer to Ziqiang County.
"Damn, I thought you were missing. What happened until now?" Qiu Dingxiong answered the phone, greatly surprised by Wang Yao's appearance.
“Something came up at home and I was delayed for a few days. Do you still need me to come over?” Wang Yao asked.
“Come on over, you’re an expert, let’s brainstorm together,” Qiu Dingxiong said. “Wait for me at the airport, I’ll arrange a car to pick you up.”
Wang Yao and Hui Shuo waited at the airport for a while. A man came over holding a sign with Wang Yao's name on it. Wang Yao and Hui Shuo got into his car and drove towards the city.
Wang Yao noticed that the greenery in Zhidu was far superior to that in Huadu. From the city center to the airport, Huadu was filled with high-rise buildings, making it impossible to distinguish between the city center and the suburbs. Only in the gaps between the buildings were there a few specks of greenery, like seasonings in cooking.
As soon as you leave the airport, it feels like you've entered a vast forest. There are lush trees everywhere, and the car seems to be weaving through the woods. Occasionally, one or two buildings appear by the roadside, like wooden cabins in the forest, which amazes Wang Yao.
"The greenery here is so good! It's almost like a forest park!" Wang Yao couldn't help but exclaim.
"It's fake. Except for the real trees along the roadside, the rest are all made of paper," the driver scoffed.
"Fake?" Wang Yao was taken aback. He stared blankly out the car window at the dense, seemingly endless forest, utterly astonished. Even if it was made of paper, the cost must have been considerable, right? What was the meaning of the people of Zhidu using paper to create forests for no reason?
"Absolutely. The people of Zhidu are clever. Nowadays, the higher-ups emphasize environmental protection and focus on greening and forest coverage rates in their assessments of local areas. So, these clever people in Zhidu used paper to create forests, and suddenly Zhidu's forest coverage rate jumped to the top in the world. Even foreign groups come here to see the scenery," the driver said.
"He... forged documents... and the higher-ups aren't going to investigate?" Wang Yao was puzzled.
"That's why people from Zhidu are so clever. They didn't say they were using paper to create forests; they said the paper trees were for decoration, to be erected there for aesthetic purposes. Imagine such a large area filled with white cardboard—wouldn't that be annoying? Also, these paper trees serve as markers for land use..."
"The presence of paper trees indicates a green area, paper buildings indicate a residential and commercial area, and paper factories naturally indicate an industrial area. This practice is a measure taken by local authorities to control land resources, and the higher-ups can't really say anything about it..."
"Even the forest coverage statistics in Zhidu are never accurate. You can only find out the exact figure, which trees are real and which are fake, by listening to the locals. That's why the people of Zhidu are so clever!" the driver explained, shaking his head and sighing.
"So, many of those buildings along the roadside are also fake?" Wang Yao asked in astonishment.
"Well, the paper and advertising industries are quite developed here in Zhidu, and the things they make are so realistic that you can't tell the difference unless you look closely. Many migrant workers live in paper houses, which are safer than real houses and don't have to worry about earthquakes," the driver laughed.
"This...it must cost a lot of money, right?" Wang Yao looked out the window and couldn't help but marvel. All the open spaces had been decorated. This was quite a spectacle, wasn't it? No wonder foreigners would come here in groups to visit. You know what, you really can't see this anywhere else.
"It's just making paper, right? How much can it cost? But logging for papermaking has cleared out several hills near Zhidu, and now they're all covered in paper trees. It's got a unique charm," the driver laughed.
As the car emerged from the jungle, the city began to take shape. Sure enough, Wang Yao saw huge buildings made of cardboard or plastic sheets every now and then along the roadside.
However, these buildings are all covered with advertisements, such as "Élysée Palace, starting from the lowest price per square meter..." and "Niagara View Garden, your ideal home..." etc. Around these buildings, workers wearing gas masks can often be seen going in and out.
"This... the entire construction is inside the paper building?" Wang Yao asked curiously.
"Of course. Think about it, all the trees in Zhidu have been cut down to make paper. If all the construction work were done in an open environment, would the air be safe? That's why all the construction projects in Zhidu are done in a closed environment. Without a gas mask, you simply can't get in."
"Every building needs a dust settling period after completion. Only after the dust settling period is over can the paper houses on the outside be dismantled," the driver said.
"Oh, wait? It rained yesterday?" Wang Yao nodded, then suddenly noticed that the ground was very wet. Their car was following behind the car in front, and the windows were splattered with mud. The driver kept using the wipers to spray water to clean it. But when Wang Yao saw that the sky outside was clear, he couldn't help but ask.
"The watering is continuous, 24 hours a day. Sprinklers have been installed in many places. Even on sunny days, you have to wear rain boots to go out on the street. You have to be careful when you walk on the street, or you'll be sprayed with water. This place is full of fake trees. Without these things, how can the PM2.5 be reduced?"
The driver gave a blank explanation.
“In Zhidu, we are not afraid of anything except two things: wind and rain. If it is both windy and rainy, it can be fatal. All staff members of all units must be on duty and guard their own areas of responsibility, and be ready to pick up or replace cardboard that has been knocked down or damaged by the wind and rain at any time.”
That's true. Cardboard can't withstand wind and rain. Wang Yao looked out the window at the street scene where real and fake were mixed together, making it hard to tell the difference. He was amazed.
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