As a senior intelligence analyst at the Departnt of Holand Security, Dias has been so busy these days that he doesn’t even have ti to catch his breath, and he has no mind to deal with Zhou Qingfeng.
The shadow of the stock market crash has not yet dissipated, and a more severe crisis is perating the air of Washington D.C., which can no longer be ignored.
Dias has been in etings all these days, with his briefcase always stuffed with two thick analytical reports, ready to submit one at any mont.
The cover of the first report is printed in blue, with a neat title: "Limited Impact Analysis of the Virus on the United States Economy."
Inside, it elaborates—"Excess mortality helps alleviate pension pressure, short-term bearish effects have been exhausted, and in the long run, it will be of great assistance in solving the fiscal deficit."
The data charts are flashy, with curves twisting like a joyous snake. It even confidently predicts at the end: "The economy will rebound within six months, and the stock market has bottod out."
The second report, however, seems like its mirror image, with a glaring red cover: "Virus Spread and Economic Recession Risk Assessnt."
Its content coldly warns—"Virus out of control will bring imnse public pressure; excess mortality may trigger an economic panic recession, and the United States’ global image and leadership will suffer irreversible damage."
The text exudes a doomsday chill, and the appendix lists a series of shocking numbers: the unemploynt rate could soar to 20%, and GDP may shrink by one-third.
The State Council, Ministry of Finance, Departnt of Health and Human Services, Federal Ergency Managent Agency, even the Departnt of Holand Security...
All governnt agencies are working around the clock to prepare materials, like a group of children busy building sandcastles, gearing up for the secret inquiries from Congress and the White House.
At each eting, the projector light shines on the white wall, below are faces full of exhaustion and numbness.
The docunts pile up like mountains, coffee cups stack up over the table, and the air is filled with a mix of sweat and the choking sll of tobacco.
Yet, all these inquiries during etings are useless. No one wants to take responsibility, everyone is passing the buck, each with two reports in their pocket, just waiting to act based on the higher-ups’ preferences.
Whichever report the higher-ups favor, that’s the one that gets submitted.
The Treasury Secretary slams the table, calling the stock market’s surge a "miracle," the Health Secretary mutters that the pandemic "isn’t that severe," and the Secretary of State is busy announcing to the world that "everything is under control."
The most sensible decision now is imdiate nationwide immunization to delay the virus outbreak and buy ti for a more effective response.
The developnt and production of RNA vaccines are very fast, and the cost is low. The United States military’s secret research team knows they made a mistake and is now working hard to redy it.
Yet, a group of cunning individuals collectively acts dumb, refusing to order nationwide control, looking like clowns in a circus performing a farce.
Dias stands at his office window in the Departnt of Holand Security Building, overlooking the rolling traffic on Nebraska Avenue.
As dusk falls, the car lights form a twinkling river of light in the twilight, but all he sees is a gray haze of fatigue.
The pandemic is as urgent as an out-of-control train, yet the situation is as disorganized as a pile of loose sand, and no one is willing to step up to clean up the ss.
The ministers are busy shirking responsibility, the lawmakers are busy putting on a show, and that "blonde guy" in the White House is busy tweeting, each acting like a trickster, making do day by day.
In the office, the phone on the desk keeps ringing, he doesn’t bother to answer; the email notifications on the computer feel like death chis, he doesn’t bother to check.
Efforts seem to have been for nothing; hard work has led back to square one; half a lifeti of scheming has turned out to be useless.
"No fear of enemies like gods, but helpless with superiors like pigs."
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At night, JP Morgan’s armored vehicle delivers one million US dollars in cash to Old Lady Grey’s villa.
Two heavy iron boxes contain banknotes of different denominations, weighing dozens of kilograms. It takes two guards to lift them.
Along with the cash is a batch of ’X’ virus RNA vaccines that require cold storage—these vaccines are rapidly spreading among the elite circles; without them, it’s up to one’s body to withstand the virus.
The bank is quite considerate of high net-worth clients, able to get whatever is needed.
Lucy, with so dical skills, takes out the vaccine to inject the family mbers who need it—Zhou Qingfeng doesn’t need it; his body has already rged with the virus.
"Although Dongda has not yet developed the vaccine, they are preparing to implent lockdowns. Why is the United States so slow to react on this matter?" Lucy complains after injecting her grandfather.
Old Lady Grey, having completed her injection, presses the blood spot on her arm and sneers, "Because the people in Congress and the White House are waiting to shift the bla, otherwise their approval ratings will drop."
Hamr sighs at this; having lived long, he has seen much. Being clever yet losing everything is too common for him to even comnt.
With the help of the bank’s connections, Zhou Qingfeng spent money to get vaccines for everyone around him.
This includes Kelly at Dongda, the Gray Shark in the shelter, Old Juan who returned to xico, the Kongges family hiding in Panama, and the wandering Xiao Jinlang.
He even asked Old Xiao if he could deliver ten thousand doses of ’X’ virus vaccine to the employees of ’Electric Flight.’ After all, the vaccine itself is not expensive.
Old Xiao shook his head, indicating that unapproved vaccines cannot be used dostically. Unless... the people are taken to Hong Kong, Macau, or abroad.
Zhou Qingfeng’s thought on this is... it’s not impossible.
In his past life mory of the apocalypse, the "X" virus outbreak happened like a sudden blizzard, catching the entire world off guard in an ice storm, severely straining dical resources.
Now with his intervention... the country is at least three months ahead in preparation. Although there is no vaccine yet, at least there are lockdowns.
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