Chapter 2 chapter 2

When I put on my slippers, the hands of the old clock hanging on the wall were pointing to about half past one.The time is just right.Kawabata thought.If you ride a bicycle, you will arrive at the venue in fifteen minutes.There are still fifteen minutes, which is just right for a final discussion with my companions. "Mom, I'm going out." She called behind the counter.The kitchen was just behind the long curtain. Setsuko opened the curtain and walked out of the kitchen.She still had a veil on her head.It seemed that she was making preparations before opening for business. "How long will it take?" Setsuko asked.Although she was fifty-four years old, there were not many wrinkles on her face.With proper makeup and grooming, she would look at least ten years younger than her actual age.However, she herself has no intention of dressing up, and in midsummer, at most, she just puts on a foundation with sunscreen effect.

"I don't know, I guess it will take two hours." Cheng Shi replied, "Today's appointment is for a group of guests. Did you ask when they will arrive?" "I didn't ask carefully, but I heard that it will probably be around dinner time." "Well, that's good. I guess I can make it back." "Ah, that's right. Kyohei is coming today." "Well, yes. He's coming alone?" "Yes. The tram should be here by now." "I see. I'll be passing by anyway, so I'll go to the station and have a look. If he gets lost, I'll bring him back."

"Well, I'll trouble you then. If Gongping gets lost, then I won't have the face to see my brother." Who would get lost in such a small place?Although thinking so in his heart, Cheng Shi still nodded and walked out the door.The weather outside was clear and sunny.The obsidian engraved with the words "Green Rock Village" shone brightly beside the entrance. Picking up the messenger bag, stepping on the bicycle, Cheng Shi pedaled towards the station.The surrounding roads are uneven. "Lvyanzhuang" is located on a high ground, and it is all the way downhill to the station.

In less than five minutes, Cheng Shi had arrived at the station.The tram seemed to arrive just in time, and the passengers descended the stairs to the platform.Having said that, the number is only a dozen or so. Among the crowd, there was a boy with a red T-shirt on his upper body and khaki shorts on his lower body.The boy also carried a backpack on his back. Although the unpredictable expression on the young man's face felt very familiar, but at the moment when he was about to speak to the young man, a trace of hesitation passed through Cheng Shi's heart.Chengshi hasn't seen Gongping for two years. Not only has Gongping grown a lot taller, but he also seems to be talking affectionately with a man beside him.Before Chengshi heard that Gongping came alone this time, and Chengshi also met Gongping's father several times.

But there is no doubt that the boy in front of him is Gongping.Not long after, Gongping also seemed to see the truth.He said something to the man beside him, and then ran to Chengshi in three steps at a time and said, "Hello." "Hello, Gongping. You've grown up a lot." "Huh? Really?" "Are you already in fifth grade?" "Hmm. Chengshi, did you come to pick me up on purpose?" Gongping narrowed his eyes and raised his head to look at Chengshi. Being called by his first name by a cousin who is almost twenty years younger than him, Cheng Shi always had a strange feeling in his heart.Perhaps this is also because Gong Ping learned from his parents when he heard his parents call him Cheng Shi.

"I came to see if you arrived safely. I have other things to do, but there is still some time. If you don't know how to get there, I will take you there." The boy shook his hands and head at the same time. "It's okay, I have a map here, and I've been here before. Just follow this road all the way up, right?" Gongping pointed to the ramp in front of him. "Yes, there is a big stone in front of the house, and that stone is the sign." "Ok, I know." "I said, Gongping. Do you know that man Gongping? I saw you talking to him just now." Chengshi turned his head and looked into the distance.The man who was with Gongping just now was talking on his mobile phone.

"I met him in the car. But I don't know him." "Huh? You don't know him, and you still talk to him?" This is not good, Cheng Shi thought.But the man didn't look like a bad guy. "There was a strange old man who troubled me before, and he helped me out." "Oh?" What's the trouble?Cheng Shi is more concerned about this issue.But, now that it's real, I'm relieved. "Then I'll go first." "Well, be careful on the road. Let's talk about it later." Gongping nodded and walked towards the ramp.After Gongping walked away, Chengshi pedaled the bicycle.The man was still standing at the taxi stand before.Cheng Shi couldn't help but feel sorry for him.In this town, taxis always come to match the arrival time of trams, and there are only two or three in total.If you can't see the car now, it is estimated that all the cars have already set off.It would take at least half an hour to wait for the car to come again.

Chengshi pedaled his bicycle briskly on the road along the coast.The wind with the aroma of rocks messed up her hair, but Cheng Shi didn't care at all.She hasn't had long hair for ten years.When she's in the mood, she'll dive into the sea, and drink beer at an izakaya without even taking a shower.From this aspect, it seems that Chengshi is not qualified to make fun of Setsuko for not loving makeup. Turning a corner on the way, Cheng Shi stayed away from the sea.Ahead is a slightly sloping uphill road.There are some shopping malls and banks on both sides of the road, and there is a little bustling atmosphere.Across the street, there is an obscure building ahead.There is the Municipal Public Hall.Today, there was an important meeting in the auditorium of the public hall.

After parking the bicycle at the designated place, Chengshi looked into the parking lot with his head.There is a sightseeing bus parked in the parking lot.Cheng Shi approached the car and looked at the sign posted on the front of the bus.The sign said "DESMEC Corporation".In transliteration, it can be translated into "Desmek".Its official name is the "Seabed Metal Mineral Resources Agency". The bus was empty.Probably everyone has arrived and is preparing to leave.That being the case, then Chengshi has to hurry up.She walked towards the entrance. At the entrance, the personnel of the city government are checking the entrants one by one.Cheng Shi let the other party look at the admission ticket, walked through the door, and walked towards the hall.

A large number of participants have gathered in the lobby.While she was looking around, Cheng Shi suddenly heard someone call her name. Moto Sawamura was also striding towards her.Sawamura, who had been working in Tokyo until spring, recently came back here.While helping his own electrical appliance store do business, Sawamura is working as a freelance writer.The face and the arms exposed under the shirt were tanned. "Why so late? Why did you go?" "Sorry. Where are the others?" "It's all here. This way." Cheng Shi followed Sawamura forward. Somehow they negotiated, and they occupied a preparation room.In the room, there were more than a dozen familiar faces.Half of them are about the same age as Cheng Shi, and the other half are about forty or fifty years old.Although everyone comes from all walks of life, they are all residents of Glasspool without exception.Although there are some old friends among them, most of them met through this campaign.

Sawamura took a deep breath, and then looked at the people in the room. "Let's listen to the other party's point of view for now. The information we sent just now records the situation that we investigated alone. According to the other party, the records in this document must have something inconsistent with the current situation. And This point is also the central issue of this discussion. However, the real discussion is tomorrow. After listening to the other party's explanation, we will hold another combat meeting tonight. Do you have any questions?" "There is no mention of money." A man who taught social studies in a middle school said, "How much economic benefit will this development have? I think the other party will emphasize this point to us." Sawamura smiled at the teacher. "The so-called economic benefits are just drawing cakes to satisfy our hunger. Everyone's paintings are different in size, and the size of the cake will change accordingly. Maybe the other party will speak very nicely, but we can't trust them completely. " and also.Cheng Shi interjected. "The key to the problem is not money, but how to protect this beautiful sea. Once the environment is damaged, even if it costs hundreds of millions, it will not be able to restore it to its original appearance." Hearing that Chengshi's tone was a little tough, the teacher of social studies shrugged. There was a knock on the door, and the door was pushed open.It was a young male government official who poked his head in from the door. "It's almost time, shall we advance to the venue?" it is good.Sawamura's answer sounded smug.Hearing Sawamura's words, everyone moved. The chairs in the lecture hall are arranged in many rows in the shape of stairs. If all of them are filled, there will probably be four to five hundred people.Although this lecture hall is designed for holding lectures, in Chengshi's memory, there seems to have never been any famous lectures in the local area. Cheng Shi and a few others sat down in the front seats, put the materials on the table, and got ready to take notes.Sawamura was checking the condition of the tape recorder. The empty lecture hall gradually filled with people.There are even figures of the mayor and mayor of the town.Not only the local residents, it is said that even a lot of people from neighboring cities, towns and villages came.Everyone is very interested, but almost no one understands - the matter discussed here this time is such a theme. Cheng Shi looked at the participants, and his eyes met with the eyes of one of the men.The man seemed to be over sixty years old, with gray hair, short cut, and a white cardigan.He smiled slightly and nodded at Chengshi.Cheng Shi also nodded, but in fact, she didn't remember who this person was at all. There is a long conference table on the podium, and several chairs are lined up beside the table.On the desk is a piece of paper with names and titles written on it.Although most of them are from DESMEC, there are also some oceanographers and physicists.Behind the conference table, there is a projector screen hanging. The front door opened, and a group of men in suits entered the lecture hall one after another.The men looked dignified, and under the leadership of the city government staff, they sat silently on the seats on the podium. Not far from this group of men is the host's seat.A bespectacled man in his thirties is holding a microphone. "It's almost time, let's start. Although there is still one guest who hasn't come, it is estimated that this guest will arrive soon—" Before the host finished speaking, the door of the lecture hall was suddenly pushed open.A man with a coat on his hands walked in quickly. Cheng Shi was shocked.Isn't this the one I saw at the station just now—the man who was with Kyohei.The reflection of sweat glistened near the man's temple.It seemed that he did not get a taxi.It is estimated that it came all the way from the station to here.Although it doesn't feel too far to ride a bicycle, it is actually a long way to go on foot. The man sat down on the seat with the words "Associate Professor Yukawa Gaku, Department of Physics, Teito University". "Uh, now that everything is here, let's start again." The host said again, "Now, we will start a briefing on the development of seabed metal mineral resources. I am the host of today's meeting, seabed metal minerals Please take care of Kuwano from the Publicity Division of Resource Organizations. Next, I would like to ask the head of the technical department to give you a general explanation." The head of the technical class stood up, and all the lights in the lecture hall were turned off.On the screen of the projector, the words "Related to the development of seabed mineral resources" were displayed. Cheng Shi straightened his back.She didn't want to miss a word from the other party.Protecting the sea is our mission.Natural treasures cannot be destroyed just to develop resources. This summer, a report published at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Resources and Energy Survey shocked the cities, towns and villages around Ura and the surrounding cities.According to the report, in order to develop and commercialize seabed hot water deposits, the sea area within tens of kilometers to the south from Glass Pool is an extremely suitable test site. The so-called seabed hot water deposits refer to the rock blocks formed by the metal components in the seawater erupted from the seabed and condensed after precipitation.These rocks not only contain copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver and other elements, but also contain a large amount of rare metals such as germanium and gallium.If these rare metals that are rare in the world can be mined in this sea area, then Japan will become a resource-rich country.Naturally, the government will not slack off technology development in this area.And DESMEC is its pioneer. In this plan, the reason why the government focused its attention here is that there is a shallow sea area with a width of about 800 meters near Glass Pool.If the seabed is shallow, the mining work will naturally become easier, and relatively, the development cost will be relatively reduced.It is tens of kilometers away from the land, which is also suitable for commercialization. After the public announcement of the plan, the nearby cities, towns and villages, headed by Glass Pond, were greatly shocked.What everyone felt was not the kind of anger when their own sea was trampled on.More people are looking forward to the emergence of this emerging industry in the local area.