Xueliang, Zejian and Boyan all sit in the the the courtyard of Ba Singh Se university in area four, the trees on the sides of the quad arch over where they're sitting creating some reprieve from the sun. Many stray dogs roam the campus, running past students and occupying sunny areas where they may be found lying down on the concrete ground or grass, above on the rooftops cats chase one another causing a ruckus for students who live on the top floor of the dormitories, sometimes even falling from trees and onto students. Zejian watched as Xueliang and Boyan played Schakhmatii, they sipped from their tea cups as they played the game, making fun of the strange people who drink "that nasty bean juice".
"Hey," A thought coursed through Zejian's mind. "How'd you leave Daili custody so fast, you were only there for like 8 hours."
"I didn't, they cloned and replaced me and gave me superior a knowledge and understanding of all the things in this world, that's why I'm beating Boyan right now." Answered Xueliang.
Boyan and Zejian laughed at the joke before returning to the question."No, actually though, like what did ask you and why were you out so fast?"
"It's a routine thing, every few months the Daili will question people. They asked me about how things are going in my life, and a few questions about some people, and then they made me fill out a sheet with a bunch of random questions."
"Really?" Zejian was still not convinced, normally foreigners are not used to the way of the Daili.
Boyan chimed in and said. "Yes, its normal, no one knows why they do it, but it doesn't really do any harm to anyone now does it?"
"I guess not, but still, its strange."
"For you, maybe but we're used to it, and soon you'll probably get used to it." Boyan always found it amusing when foreigners weren't used to Jazadii customs, it made things interesting but also complicates things in other areas.
Boyan and Xueliang continued playing as Zejian watched, as they entered the endgame the two entered into a draw by insufficient material.
"I always find it strange that there aren't homeless people in Ba Singh Se, because in Hikang you can stumble across homeless people in the streets." Zejian commented, he had only lived in Jazado for a year, his first was in the Shentso province where most Akarean immigrants go, Hikang is one of the port cities there and also a very popular destination for immigrants.
"Thats cause immigrants live." Xueliang bluntly put.
"The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Non-citizens have to pay rent and all that crap." answered Boyan.
"You guys don't have to pay rent?"
"No, do you have to pay rent in Akarea?" Replied Xueliang.
"Yes."
"Now that's pretty inhumane." added Boyan.
"What do you mean? Its a normal part of life, paying rent and installment payments and the other crap that my parents do."
"No, because depriving someone of a roof over their heads cause they don't have money is inhumane." Replied Boyan.
"Yeah but the government can't provide free housing for everyone, they don't have that many resources." "Um, yes they do, that's why we don't pay rent or even need to buy land." Boyan replied again, who was now starting to feel amused by the strange ideas that were propose by Zejian.
"How would that even work? and if people have free housing why would they even bother working?" Zejian pressed on, free real estate and not paying rent was only a dream in Akarea but somehow people in Jazado got it to work.
"Because people still need food, and water, and electricity, and furniture. Free housing just means that people don't need to worry about not having a place to stay if they lost their job or if they become sick and unable to work, but it doesn't mean that people will get everything for free." Answered Xueliang, who as a matter of fact, is studying the Jazadoan Government at the University.
"Ok, so what about land with natural resources and stuff, like if land was free, what stops corporations from exploiting the land and all that?"
"Because the government owns all the land, and I think the government leases land with natural resources to businesses." Replied Xueliang.
"Ok, so why do foreigners have to pay rent and all that crap?"
"Because if it was free for everyone, everyone would come here for the free housing. I mean you can probably go to a small town or a commune somewhere far from the city and live their for free, but then again, life away from the city is quite different." Answered Boyan.
"You guys have communes and that shit, really?"
"Yeah, they started popping up in the 70s around large farms, most people live their for free, as in no one pays for housing, and food is free, however the amount of free things vary from each one." Replied Boyan.
"Ok, what stops people from just taking everything in the commune and just selling it somewhere else for lots of money?"
"Most of the crap in the communes are like food, and that's about it, there's really nothing of value to steal there, and no one is going to let you take their furniture or phones or any of it. At most people will offer their services for free, and at the very least you will get free food, water and power, however the power and water and food are quite limited." Boyan replied again.
"So what stops someone from hoarding all the food, water and power?"
"Ok, so there's this magical thing, and I'm not sure if you heard about it, but it's called a switch. OK? and when people flip the switch they can stop the power going to your house, yes? and there's also another magical thing called a valve, and people can turn this valve and what it does is stop the water from going to your house. Then there's another thing called not giving assholes food, yes? and also another thing called not everyone is a greedy bastard who wants to hoard everything." Replied Boyan.
"This is also why foreigners have to pay for rent and also why foreigners on average need to spend more than Jazadii citizens. Because of this mindset that people need make as much money as possible and hoard all the free stuff." Added Xueliang. "And is also why communes aren't very receptive of foreigners, and also why the lifestyles of people in the communes is so radically different from that of a foreigner or just a greedy decadent person, that they wouldn't want to move there." "Huh. Can I move to a commune though?"
"Probably, but it'll be very hard to transition into that kind of living style." answered Boyan.
"Why?"
"So, most people in the communes are farmers or shepherds, they spend their time farming and herding animals, most of their diet are grains and rice, they eat meat like four times a week. So, you know, you're gonna have to give up some meat, and also fast with them because they are quite the religious bunch. But that probably why they don't have many thefts or crimes over there." Replied Boyan.
"Really? Isn't religion supposed to be the opiate of the masses or something like that?"
"Meh, it's more like the thing that holds everyone together. Its veneration of God that prevents people from committing crimes in the communes, also the fact that everyone there basically has everything they need to live, there's really no need for crime. In the city there's crime but normally the police or the Daili scare them enough so that crime is very minimal." Replied Xueliang.
"But what about-" before Zejian could speak he was cut off by Xueliang.
"Look if you really want to know you can probably go search up some essays or reports on the matter in the library or on the internet, I don't know how everything works neither does Boyan but we gave you the gist of it all. Extra reading won't hurt, but its a handful, manageable just a bore to read."