Chapter 33: Karma

Chapter 33: Karma

Translated by me, edited by drpetro.

No wonder the water quality here at the Dragon Creek beach kept deteriorating. So there’s a factory secretly dumping wastewater here.

This kind of dark green sewage is probably coming from a nearby chemical plant.

Furthermore, from the heavy corrosion and the amount of silt on top of the pipe, it has probably been in use for many years now.

To be honest, the discharge of wastewater by companies is an art.

The low-end companies directly discharge their wastewater stealthly into rivers and lakes. Then, not long after they start discharging, the entire lake or river is either colored gorgeously like a flower bed or stinks to no end.

This is really easy for the bureau of industry and commerce and environment protection office to find and sue them for. Owners who dare to do this generally are low level scum with thick skins. After they pay the fine that comes with the lawsuit, they just look for a different location to do it all over again.

As for the more well off companies, they would drill a well to connect to the underground water system and use high pressure systems to pump the wastewater directly into the ground.

Companies using these kind of methods are rarely caught. The tap water that ordinary citizens use generally comes from surface wells, so there is a very low probability of someone getting contaminated.

But the drawbacks for these methods are quite clear: there is only so much room in the underground aquifers, so it can only be used by those companies with small amounts of sewage. If it was the pipe next to the M.P.C.V., then it would probably fill up the underground aquifer in just half a month when running at full capacity.

Discharging into the deep sea is clearly one of the best options available. The seawater moves with each high and low tide. It also has all kinds of currents and jet streams to move the water.

As soon as the wastewater is discharged, it’ll be immediately dispersed by the currents. Plus the color of the wastewater is quite similar to the surrounding water, so it’s next to impossible to detect it above the waters.

At the same time, the cost of constructing a deep sea discharge pipeline is simply astonishing; it’s definitely not for the lighthearted.

But if this price tag is paid for, then the cost of treating the wastewater will be forever saved.

There is only Ye Qing developing here at Dragon Creek beach, but even so, now that he’s found the cause of the surrounding water deterioration, he definitely needed to do something.

The first idea that popped into Ye Qing’s mind was to weld the discharge end shut, this way the chemical factory will really be stuck because they need to cut open a new opening along the pipeline before they can start discharging again.

Underwater works are always difficult. Not mentioning anything else, just for the chemical factory to find the end of this pipeline will most likely take a significant amount of effort, money, and time.

At the same time, if he were to weld the pipe shut, then it’ll also raise suspicions as there are only two companies in Zhongyun that can perform underwater construction works.

Hence Ye Qing directly drove the M.P.C.V. back, then had a peon find a piece of wood from the warehouse and cut it into a big cork.

Ye Qing, using his pocket knife, carved a whale and a circle shaped english logo onto the wood.

—— Sea Shepherd Conservation Society!

This is an international conservation society that can easily rival a small nation’s naval powers. They regularly appear on the news, using water cannons and stink bombs to disrupt whaling operations.

Ye Qing doesn’t have any favorable impression of this group of foreigners, but neither does he care. Using them as a scapegoat here is more than appropriate.

10 minutes later, the M.P.C.V. carried the giant cork in its arms, following the underwater tunnel, drove back to the rusted pipeline.

The discharge rate of the pipeline isn’t fast at all. The M.P.C.V., with it’s mechanical arms, can easily lift several hundred pound object. Using it here to stick the cork into the pipe is just too easy.

Moreover wood materials will swell upon getting spooked, so it’s a very fitting choice for sealing off the pipe.

At this moment, on the other end of the underwater pipeline.

A factory situated west of Huanhai Avenue, 10 plus kilometers away from the Dragon Creek beach, is a large chemical plant which specialises in producing all kinds of plastic materials.

A water pump system with high levels of automation and many large pumps was working at full capacity, pumping the wastewater from the wastewater reservoir into the pipeline and out into the ocean.

This set of equipment is called the Negative-pressure-free water supply control system. Normally only water pumping stations use them to send water through long distances.

Just as it was working happily, suddenly a barrage of ‘dididi~’ buzzed from the control system, and all the machinery in the system stopped working.

The person on duty, who was leisurely watching T.V., had quite the scare, and immediately went to find the cause.

Losing pressure from the pipeline means the pipeline was unable to discharge its contents properly. This shift worker hurriedly increased the outgoing pressure, hoping that the increase in pressure could break through whatever was blocking the pipeline.

Setup complete, the pressurized system began to work again, yet came to a crashing halt again in just several minutes.

Unable to get rid of the wastewater means a delay to the entire production system. With no other options left, the worker in the control room called the owner on the internal line and made a huge fuss about it.

10 minutes later, a big bellied man wearing a gold watch entered.

“The… The pipeline got blocked by some unknown object.” The worker in charge carefully explained.

“Then hurry up and increase the pressure. If the pipe is blocked then the wastewater pool will fill up in less than half an hour.” The owner is anxious as all heck: “Are you looking to stop the whole production line here?”

”

“It’s no use boss, I already set the pressure to max.”

“Keep it on then, how the heck do you screw up at watching a machine.” The plant owner angrily said: “Keep the pressure at max, I do not believe that the blockage can’t be flushed away.”

The person in charge of overlooking the equipment hurriedly nodded, ran over to the control system, then with experienced hands set the pressure system to bypass its safety measures.

Half a minute later, the pressurized system started to run again.

This time there were no restrictions: high pressured air began to flow into the pipe from the compressor non-stop.

As the hand on the pressure gage increased non-stop, the plant owner’s face paled non-stop.

Normally when the pipe gets blocked, it’s always when there isn’t a need to get rid of the wastewater. It’s not rare for the pipe to get blocked due to all the algae and junk being carried by the current. But generally these thing won’t cause the pressure to budge at all, and are really easy to flush out.

Now, it actually got blocked during working hours.

And the blockage is really extreme since the pressure isn’t dropping at all.

*Bang*

The sound of a large explosion broke his thoughts. The pipeline’s safety bolts shot out and wastewater as far as the eyes could see shot out like a water cannon.

The person on duty and the factory’s boss cried out in despair, but to no avail. They didn’t even get the chance to run, as the wastewater shot across the whole room.

Dark green wastewater, an overwhelming stench, don’t mention getting drenched, just the smell alone is enough to make someone faint. Now the two of them are completely soaked in it.

“Hel…… *vomit*……” The owner didn’t even get the chance to yell for help, before he was made to vomit by the smell in the room.

………………

At this very moment, Ye Qing just packed up all his tools, and stood on Huanhai Avenue waiting for Gangjie Chemical’s boss Gong Wei to pick him up.

Yesterday he made me accept this thank you dinner no matter what, and he’s even taking me to the most expensive place in Zhongyun just to get high. [Tl: not drug high.]

Alright……

Ye Qing admitted that he was interested. The most expensive place in Zhongyun by last night’s research was Silver Palace entertainment club.

The internet describe the place as members only. Ordinary people don’t even have the qualifications to enter.

A rose red Bentley Mulsanne glided to a stop in front of Ye Qing. When the back window came down, it exposed Gong Wei’s proud face.

“Xiao Ye, get on.”