Chapter 562: Sophie's Decision
(Alpha Star System- Planet Gaia)
(Peterlor Estate- Hologram Suite #04)
Sophie sat down on the chair and mused thoughtfully over the information that she had just been given.
There were three very good points presented by the advisors.
By diverting the river, it was true that the national park could be affected by the loss of water.
And of course, the unprecedented explosion in population growth meant that Neuraon City had greater need for water.
Finally, there were the economic considerations of the industrial sector that required more water in order to expand the number of large-scale factories.
These factories could serve as a stimulant for the local economy and provide more job opportunities for the lower class.
Sophie furrowed her brows as she checked Sui Meng's memories for any ideas or solutions to her dilemma.
Unfortunately, she didn't find anything useful because Sui Meng did not take any economic classes and only knew some basic theories.
The hybrid girl remained silent for around five minutes and the tension inside the hall slowly grew with every passing second.
This simulation was shockingly realistic and the people inside the hall appeared to be real. They exchanged nervous glances as they waited for Sophie to come to a decision.
Sophie was a soft-hearted person and did not want the citizens of her territory to lack their basic needs such as food, water, and shelter.
The head of the financial sector mentioned using violence to quell any uprisings, but Sophie did not want to resort to such a measure unless it was a last resort.
Finally, after some time had passed, Sophie cleared her throat and stood up from her chair. The over seven feet tall hybrid girl towered over the advisors in the room.
"I have given careful consideration to each of your points, and I have made a decision," Sophie confidently spoke as her golden eyes swept over the faces of everyone in the hall.
"The river will only be partially diverted in order to maintain the protected wildlife reserve further down the stream."
"As for the excess water... it will be fed into a reservoir near Neuraon City and used for the needs of the population."
"What?! My lady please reconsider!" a voice interrupted Sophie's speech.
The hybrid girl frowned in displeasure but allowed Victor to walk forward and speak his objection to her decision.
"According to my estimations, the twenty large-scale factories will be able to increase our profits dramatically!" Victor pleaded desperately.
"I know..." Sophie nodded her head and coldly replied.
"I agree with your point that it is possible to expand our industrial sector however now is not the time to be hasty."
Cultivators worked in decades and centuries rather than years so Sophie decided to introduce a certain policy in order to reduce the water demand.
"Noah... can I see the data on the population in Neuraon City?" Sophie suddenly asked as she stretched out her hand.
The frail elderly man stepped forward and reached into his pocket to pull out a thin sheet of paper with trembling hands.
Sophie gently took the sheet of paper from him and browsed the data quickly to confirm her assumption.
She handed the paper back to the old man and then informed the advisors in the hall about her new policy.
"The population growth at the current rate is not sustainable. The fact that we have to divert a river to meet the demand speaks to a bigger issue," Sophie calmly spoke.
"We need the growth to slow down until eventually the reservoir of water is not longer needed.
"After we have reached that point then the water will be channeled to the industrial sector for the construction of new factories."
Victor still looked unhappy as did Aurora who was clearly not pleased that part of the river would be split.
Noah on the other hand looked slightly confused as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a thick pair of spectacles.
"My lady... how do you suggest that we slow down the growth?" Noah asked softly as he stared at the tall hybrid girl.
"Introduce new tax legislation and increase the taxes of those who have more than two children," Sophie replied smoothly as she explained her logic.
"The replacement birth rate for a population is around two point one but currently the birth rate in the city is around two point eight."
"In addition to the tax, we will have to reduce the number of immigrants in the next couple of decades so that the population will not increase."
"Lady Peterlor, this increase in taxes will be greatly unpopular. I fear that there will be some who would be unable to accept it," Noah hesitantly explained.
"Regardless of the pushback, I expect these new policies to be put in place as soon as possible," Sophie harshly spoke as she looked down at the trembling old man.
Noah opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly frozen in place. It was not just him, every other advisor in the hall remained motionless and then the scenery disappeared.
Sophie found herself standing in a white room with metallic lines running above the floor and on the ceiling.
"So how do you feel?" Duke Peterlor asked as he approached his daughter from the corner of the hologram suite.
"Nervous... did... did I make the right decision?" Sophie replied with a cautious smile.
Duke Peterlor did not answer her question and instead handed over a small orb-shaped device to Sophie.
"Inside this orb is a high spec simulation computer, I have already input the details about your planet and the decision that you made," Duke Peterlor spoke
"This device will predict the impact of your decision on the local economy, wildlife, and population."
Sophie chewed her lip as the orb-shaped device in her palm suddenly felt a lot heavier than before.
"You can take a break now and come back here in the afternoon. Feel free to look at the simulation device before we return," Duke Peterlor warmly spoke.
Sophie nodded and then left the room. The duke waited until his daughter had gone and then powered on his communicator.
He typed out a series of notes about Sophie's performance and the proud smile on his lips never left his face.
His daughter had done much better than he had initially expected.