jakiro
Author: Wei Dai Source: X, @_weidai Translation: Shan Oppa, Bitchain Vision
Once upon a time, there was a prosperous city-state called Ethera (Ethera), which was famous all over the world for its innovation and wealth.When Ethera was at its peak, it became the center of the global economy, with its busy market, vibrant art and vigorous trade envious.However, prosperity brings development, and development also brings pressure.As Ethera’s population surges, the city’s infrastructure begins to be overwhelmed.Events such as “Da Xia Harvest” and “Art Frenzy” have attracted a large number of farmers and art collectors, resulting in unprecedented congestion and soaring cost of living.
The city’s leaders saw signs of crisis.“Ethera is suffocating from its own success,” they warned.Their solution?Expand.“The future of Ethera lies in multi-city development,” they declared, encouraging citizens to establish new settlements outside the city’s borders.These new cities will continue to be influenced by Ethera, allowing the metropolis to expand without losing its core identity.
Immigration has begun.At first, these new settlements were similar to Ethera, but over time they developed their own culture and characteristics.For a while, the plan worked very well.Ethera continues to flourish as its people expand into new lands.But soon after, a new problem arose: the roads connecting these cities are not standardized.Some roads are paved with stone, others are dirt roads, and many also require complex tolls and documents to cross the area.The commodity exchange that once only took a short walk turned into a long and complex journey through a split network.
Trade has slowed down.The once bustling market in Ethera became silent, and tax revenues plummeted as fewer and fewer businessmen returned to the capital.This city-state, once the center of the world, is facing a slow decline.
Subsequently, the “ripples technology explosion” brought new technological breakthroughs, allowing the peripheral satellite cities to expand rapidly and inexpensively.As these external regions flourished, their trade routes bypassed the Ethera market and further drained the lifeline of Ethera.
To make matters worse, many new cities began to tax themselves, choosing to keep their wealth in the city rather than return it to Ethera.These cities, once part of a great federation, are now gradually becoming independent forces, forming new alliances, leaving Ethera behind.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, a new metropolis called Solara is on the rise.Unlike Ethera, Solara does not encourage its people to expand outward.Instead, its leaders focus on vertical development, investing in future technologies such as flying cars, airflow turbines and towering skyscrapers.This allows Solara to continue to grow without expanding outwardly.Commodities and people move freely within their territory, and Solara’s population quickly surpassed Ethera.
Back at Ethera, a fierce debate broke out.”Our satellite cities are parasites!” Some people angrily accused these cities of becoming increasingly independent.Others believe that Ethera should follow Solara, develop upward and invest in cutting-edge technologies.But there are also warnings that Solara should not be simply copied.“Vertical growth can only take us to a certain stage,” they reminded, noting that Solara is also beginning to face restrictions on expansion.They proposed another solution: build a “unified highway” – a standardized seamless road that reconnects all cities in the Ethera Federation.They believe that these roads will restore commodity circulation and tax revenues, reignite trade that once made Ethera prosperous.“The real power of Ethera,” they argued, “is not about how high we are built, but about how well we are able to connect.”
Ethera is now standing at a crossroads.Should it mimic Solara’s skyscrapers or should it focus on repairing those split roads?Can it impose a federal tax without alienating the wealthiest satellite cities?This choice not only determines the future of Ethera, but also sets a precedent for the global decentralized economy.
In the dark, a small group of engineers silently devoted themselves to a bold vision—a future where vertical structures and interconnected roads coexist, ushering in a new era of prosperity.Their plan even includes a powerful tax system to maintain the capital and satellite cities.这是一个雄心勃勃的想法，可能会在未来几代人中重塑世界。
