Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 566: Don’t you plan to apply for a certificate?
The real situation was far more serious than what Lorena described, and people who didn't care about politics could hardly imagine how big a commotion she said was. It was impossible to describe it in simple words, but it was enough to know that after the meeting, 36 people in the city government's departments responsible for environmental management and mineral exploration were dismissed, and 11 people were arrested, including Mr. Greenwood, the director of the Lotterdana City Disaster Detection Bureau and the archbishop of the Sea Rest Church.

This undoubtedly caused a huge earthquake in the political environment of Lotdana City, and the sensational effect it caused may last for several years before gradually subsiding. The decisiveness and ruthlessness of the leader of the expedition Heng also made him the most feared and unpopular person in the city overnight - of course, this fear and rejection was limited to those officials who were anxious about their positions. For ordinary people, the arrival of Heng and the entire expedition team was undoubtedly a great thing, so there were so many people at the dock yesterday who spontaneously went to greet them, and it was crowded for a while.

When Lingge first heard this, he also thought it was a good thing.

"The Mindelias government and the religious order have finally begun to take the environmental pollution problem in Lotdana seriously?" The young man raised his eyebrows slightly. "It seems a little too late, but considering the ability and determination shown by Mr. Heng, it doesn't seem too late."

At least it gives people hope that the city of Lotterdana can regain its former glory. No matter how long the period is, ten or twenty years, as long as there is hope, people will not lose confidence in this city.

After hearing what Lingge said, Rolena smiled slightly but did not comment.

"But," Saint Shalia asked in confusion, "What does this have to do with you, Miss Lorena? Why did the staff of the Investigation and Governance Committee come to visit you?"

Rolena shook her head. "They didn't come to visit me, they came to inform me."

She took out the folded document from her large fluffy sleeves, but did not unfold it. She just showed it to Ling Ge and the others, and smiled slightly. "This is a new document jointly issued by the Public Health Bureau, Hydrological Bureau and Natural Disaster Detection Bureau of Lotterdana City after the meeting. It is called the "Lotterdana City Suburban and Territorial Waters Area Water Management Regulations". Article 13 of the production regulations clearly stipulates that factories, markets, slaughterhouses, shops and other business premises in this city must obtain an "Environmental Regulations Permit Certificate" before they can operate normally. The purpose is to ensure that industrial and commercial activities will not cause major environmental pollution, causing the already serious marine pollution problem to worsen again. The two people just now came to promote this document to me. Except for me, probably all the shops operating in the city will receive the same document."

The new regulations were just promulgated yesterday, and they started promoting them door-to-door today? This speed is really fast, which doesn't seem to be the efficiency that a government department should have. However, considering that there is also the promotion of the religious group, Ling Ge was relieved.

"What happens if we can't get a permit?" Saint Shallia asked.

"It's very simple." Rorona answered with a smile, although her words were not funny at all: "According to the provisions of this regulation, business premises that cannot obtain a license must make rectifications within a time limit. If rectifications cannot be made or the rectifications still do not comply with the regulations, they will be forcibly closed down and the government will provide financial compensation. In short, they will be closed down~"

It was a tough measure, and it was in line with the style of the Jiaotuan United. But… rectification, abolition, and economic compensation, why did these three words appear together so familiar to me? Linger frowned slightly, feeling that he had seen the same plot before.

Alice stared at the folded document in Rorona's hand without blinking, as if she could see through the back of the paper and read the words clearly. She asked curiously, "So you also have to apply for that environmental regulation or permit? Oh, the name is so long, I can't remember it."

Wouldn't it be OK if you removed the two "whats"? Ling Ge secretly complained, and at the same time finally understood where the sense of déjà vu came from: Isn't this just a replica of the "Religious Decree" in the city of Lotdana! ?

First, the "Religious Decree" forced the closure of religious sites such as churches and monasteries, and the "Water Management Ordinance" forced the closure of business premises such as shops and factories; secondly, the "Religious Decree" was introduced to maintain the purity of the religious field and to control the increasingly serious pollution of pseudo-religions and cults, and the "Water Management Ordinance" was introduced to maintain the cleanliness of the waters around the city of Lotdana and to control the increasingly serious environmental pollution; finally, the "Religious Decree" was a policy jointly led and enforced by religious groups, and the "Water Management Ordinance" was also a policy jointly led and enforced by religious groups.

To sum up, the "Water Management Regulations" are the "Religious Decrees", and the argument is complete.

No wonder!
Lingge calmed down and soon discovered the subtle differences between the two policies: the mandatory closure measures of the "Religious Ordinance" were aimed at all religions except the seven major orthodox churches, and there was no room for buffer or negotiation. The futile actions of the Linville City Religious Mutual Aid Committee had proved this; while the mandatory closure measures of the "Water Management Regulations" only targeted those business premises that could not obtain a license certificate. Formal stores, factories, markets and slaughterhouses could still operate normally.

Therefore, probably, the girl named Lorena in front of me will not have the same ending as me. As long as she goes to the relevant government department to apply for a so-called "Environmental Regulations Permit Certificate", she can still run this magical workshop; unlike a young man far away in Linville City, who faced the pressure of reality and the doubts of his sister, and coldly closed the church he had run for many years, and for this he also failed the expectations of his adoptive father.

Linger looked at Rolena in the wheelchair with a complicated look. The figure of her taking the "Water Management Regulations" from the staff of the Investigation and Governance Committee just now seemed to overlap with the figure of the young man who took the "Notice of Order to Correct the Deadline" from patrol officer Barton half a year ago, and then separated again quickly. They are different after all, and will have different choices and different endings. No two people in this world will walk the same exact path, just as after today, they will leave the city of Lotterdana and never meet this girl again, clearly, firmly, and unquestionably.

So, he gradually put his mind at ease and no longer worried about whether what was happening now was similar to what had happened in the past, as if he had already determined that the plot should develop in this way, and they and the girl in front of them should be just a passer-by who met by chance during the journey.

But sometimes, things that people cannot question will be questioned by fate.

Then, Saint Xia Liya suddenly felt that the thread of fate around her had undergone a subtle change at this moment, just like a string being plucked, and a subtle ripple appeared in a place that could not be seen by the naked eye. She subconsciously raised her head and looked around, but everything around her was calm. She saw the cold morning sunlight shining on the mottled stone bricks in the port area, the cat on the old wall jumped down the alley, the white-billed sparrow chirped on the branches of the sycamore, and a yellow leaf was blown by the wind and slowly fell into the small ditch filled with green water... Everything was so normal, and there was no abnormality.

Is this my illusion? Or did fate escape me without my noticing?

She was a little confused for a moment, but soon got the answer, because Rorona's voice came from beside her. She answered Alice's question softly and gently: "No."

"I don't plan to apply for that permit."

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)