20X1, August.

Africa, Sahara Desert, inside Dome 9.

It's noon.

Under a date palm tree full of ripe fruits, Zhang Xingyang rested on the soft lawn with his head on his hands and a cloth hat on his face.

But he wasn't asleep, he was thinking about something.

Three years.

He has been coming to this place for three years, from 25 to 28 years old...... His precious youth was spent here.

"Desert Free City, a free and open place that embraces infinite possibilities."

Zhang Xingyang, who worked in a restaurant a few years ago, happened to hear this advertisement, and after seeing the city under the giant transparent glass cover, his heart was shocked, and he didn't know why, but his head suddenly became hot, so he signed up to come here.

At that time, he was tired of the job in the restaurant, he was too young to do a lifetime of serving dishes and doing chores in the kitchen, but he did not have a high degree and few skills, so he could only do some low-level labor.

The recruitment advertisement for Desert Free City, the magnificent desert scenery, made him want to come and explore.

Even if you stay in this desert forever, it is better than not seeing any hope.

It's just that......

After the initial curiosity and excitement passed, now he has a vague regret in his heart.

Tedious.

This place is so boring.

There isn't much entertainment.

After the mobile phone is connected to the iFi satellite network, the network speed is okay at first, but there are too many people connected to the back, and they can only make calls and send text messages.

Of course, Huayao Company has sent people over, promising to build a 5G network by the end of this year, when the mobile phone can experience high-speed Internet access and re-embrace the modern world.

Entertainment is only one aspect, there are many versatile people in the team, there are good people who play the guitar, dance well, and do a bit of acrobatics...... Including Zhang Xingyang, he also has good cooking skills.

People who will enjoy life will never feel bored and boring.

But loneliness is real, and it springs up in everyone's mind from time to time.

People are siblings, and the moon is the hometown of Ming.

The longer I stay here, the more I miss my family and friends, and the more I miss my hometown...... It's human nature.

Homesickness is secondary, after all, there is a phone to call, if you miss it too much, just make a call back.

The most difficult thing to overcome is the discomfort in life.

There is little entertainment.

There are few shops and supermarkets.

There is no festive flavor to celebrate the festival.

The New Year is not as festive as the New Year.

The main part of the day is to work, planting lawns and trees in every corner.

Living in such an environment is like boring studying, and you will lose a lot of joy over time.

even retreated.

Zhang Xingyang heard a lot of complaints:

"It's better to stay in the country, there's nothing here."

"I regret coming here a little, and there is pressure to develop in China, but there is the Internet, express delivery, takeaway, and cinema, what about here? Everything had to be built from scratch. ”

"The problem is that the salary is not high, only more than 5,000 a month, and it is not less than 5,000 to find any job in China."

"Do you really want to stay in this place for the rest of your life? Desert Freedom City, hehe, freedom is not clearly felt, loneliness is the first step. ”

"I don't want anything, can Xinghai Technology send some women over? Of the more than 500,000 laborers in our base, less than one-tenth are women, most of whom come with their husbands, and most of them are singles...... Can Xinghai Technology help solve the problem of singleness? ”

"Yes, I'm about to suffocate to death! There's not even a place to put out fire. ”

Hearing this, Zhang Xingyang also had the urge to apply to leave or even escape.

Because he is not only single, but also a virgin.

In this desert, where the stove is used for twelve months of the year, many people are so restless that they can't sleep.

There were even some criminal incidents.

More than 100,000 laborers applied to leave, but because of the clause in the contract that "the city is not allowed to leave the post until it is completed", it was refused, and then turned into an escape operation.

The overall morale of the labor group at the No. 9 Dome Base is very low, and the work efficiency has decreased significantly.

……

"Man is a social animal and an emotional creature."

"The working environment at the Dome is not too tough, the robots do the main heavy physical work, and the laborers are just doing some simple tasks."

"They don't feel happy because they have been cut off from social, cultural, and emotional ties, as if they have been exiled to an island."

"This situation is the same as the 18th century M people's yearning for Europe, even if they are very rich materially, but the spirit is very empty and the soul is very lonely."

"If this situation is not improved, it will be difficult for the workers in the Dome to feel a sense of belonging to the place they are pioneering, but to think about how to return."

"In the past six months, the number of workers who have applied to return to country Z and other countries has exceeded 1,000 per month on average, and even if they have to carry a million liquidated damages, they have to leave, which shows that they can't bear the loneliness and find it difficult to break free from cultural shackles."

Alice analyzed.

"Do you want to let go back to China to visit relatives?"

Chen Jin frowned, the problem is that if this is released, some of the workers will definitely not come back, and they will disappear without a trace, and then they will have to face the problem of "no one comes".

"Workers can't be allowed to return to China, but family members can visit in the past."

Chen Jin shook his head: "This has been implemented a long time ago, and the family members are reimbursed for air tickets and ferry tickets, but there are still many laborers who want to leave." ”

Everything is difficult at the beginning, and pioneering is the most difficult and hard of all things, and you have to endure the helplessness and loneliness of being far away from your hometown.

The ancients said that "the road is blue, and the mountains and forests are enlightened", and its artistic conception can only be felt when you are engaged in similar work.

Modern people do not have to worry about food and clothing, rich in entertainment activities, and suddenly devote themselves to the transformation of the desert, endure all kinds of inconveniences in life, mental grinding, and there are really not many people who persevere.

Alice has also found a solution to this dilemma.

"Master, we need to instill a sense of identity in the workers of every city."

"Let them identify with the profession they are engaged in, with the land under their feet."

"It's more important to let them know who they are."

"There is no doubt that they are no longer from country Z or Southeast Asia, they have abandoned their former nationalities, and since they set foot on this desert, they have been desert free city people who belong to the Earth Federation."

"They can say they are citizens of Liberty City, or they can be citizens of the Earth Federation."

"Because 1% of each free city's tax revenue is paid to the Earth Federation, they have no problem calling themselves citizens of the Earth Federation."

"And in the Earth Federation Council, each free city has a seat of representation and can actively participate in international affairs."

"300 free cities, that's 300 tickets...... Liberty City will be a force to be reckoned with. ”

"It is precisely because of the international voice and the right to vote that every citizen of the Free City is equal to the citizens of any country, and is a member of one big family, and there is no need to feel lost and lonely."

"Once he established his identity, he took root and was able to overcome it with both hands and diligence, no matter what difficulties he encountered."

"Because the ground under their feet is their beautiful home."

Well~

Chen Jin nodded.

Alice is right, once people have an identity, it is equivalent to having roots, and they will no longer feel floating and confused.

It's like a job, you can only keep doing it if you agree with it.

Therefore, the establishment of the Earth Federation, to a considerable extent, solved the identity problem of the laborers, so that they do not feel that they are refugees or labor immigrants, but citizens of the Federation, and they are the masters of this desert!

……

Under the date palm tree.

Zhang Xingyang, who was a little disturbed, suddenly heard the voice of the radio:

"Hard-working workers, I have great news for you: the Earth Federation has been founded!"

"From today onwards, you are a glorious citizen of the Earth Federation, and you will proudly open up this land that belongs to you as a citizen of the planet......"

"From today onwards, please forget your respective origins, your race and skin color, in this land of freedom, you are all equal, you have the same duties and powers, and you represent the civilization of this planet......"

"Rejoice, celebrate, a new era is coming, embrace a bright and beautiful future!"

Hear this excited broadcast.

Zhang Xingyang opened his eyes.

Removed the cloth hat from his face.

He sat up and slowly rose from the ground.

Looking around, hundreds of thousands of workers like him in the dome base also stood up one after another, with a slight dazed face and a bright light in their eyes.