Extreme germ phobia

Chapter 270 Monopoly and Competition

"Ah—so good!" Ouyang sprawled on the bed, letting out an exaggerated cry.

A soft bed, a warm blanket, a safe house—everything was a luxury that was hard to come by in the epidemic area. Now that he had it all again, every cell in his body was overjoyed.

Zhu Yiming buried his head in the blanket and rubbed himself against it, feeling an indescribable sense of comfort: "Sigh, it's all tears when I talk about it. How did we get through so long in the epidemic area?"

This is what it means to lose something and then get it back.

“Who says otherwise!” Ou Yang sighed with a mixture of emotion and reflection. “Why are people such strange creatures?”

Zhu Yiming poked his head out from under the covers: "What life insights have you gained this time?"

"Greed is the root of all!" Ouyang rolled over to find a more comfortable position. "We always take people and things for granted, only to realize after we lose them that we should have appreciated them before."

Zhu Yiming blinked: "From what you're saying, it sounds like you've just broken up with someone?"

"Get lost, was that what I meant?" Ou Yang rolled his eyes. "I meant this bed, this blanket, and this room!"

“That’s true.” Zhu Yiming nodded in agreement.

Compared to the epidemic area, this place is simply paradise.

However, Ouyang did not completely relax. Even though this was his own territory, he remained somewhat vigilant and kept his sidearm with him at all times.

Especially 43.

He will only hand over his service weapon if he leaves the United States.

However, he himself doesn't understand how long it will take for him to readjust to a peaceful life after getting used to facing various dangers, and whether he will develop post-traumatic stress disorder if he has the opportunity to return to China.

Looking back to when the pandemic first broke out, he was always thinking about whether it was legal or not, and whether it would cause trouble. But under the immense pressure to survive, he soon put all his concerns aside.

To survive, he was capable of anything, from murder to arson; now that things have calmed down, he's finding it hard to adjust.

Ou Yang's mind wandered for a while, and the more he thought about it, the less he could sleep. So he got up, went to the window, drew back the curtains, and looked out the window.

The office building wasn't very tall, and the view from the windows was narrow, offering no glimpse of the myriad lights of the city. Only a few lights dispelled the darkness, adding a touch of color to the quiet night.

Ou Yang stood still for a moment, and the unease in his heart slowly subsided.
Forget it, the boat will naturally go straight when it reaches the bridge.

He picked up his phone and dialed Luo Hui's number. After several rings, Luo Hui answered: "Ou Yang? Why are you calling me at this hour? Is something wrong?"

Luo Hui's voice was low and hoarse, revealing an undeniable weariness.

Ou Yang glanced at Zhu Yiming, who had already fallen asleep, and said in a low voice, "It's alright, we've arrived at the office and just wanted to let you know we're safe."

"It's good that you're alright." Luo Hui breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you alright?" Ou Yang asked. "Your voice doesn't sound right."

"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired. I'll get a good night's sleep and I'll be fine," Luo Hui said.

The embassy has too many affairs to handle. Everyone, including Luo Hui, works non-stop from morning till night. It would be a lie to say they aren't tired.

Ou Yang finally revealed his purpose: "Lao Luo, I'd like to make a phone call home, is that convenient?"

Luo Hui sighed: "I'll apply for it for you tomorrow, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay, I'll wait for your news." With that, Ou Yang hung up the phone and let out a soft sigh.

Reality is often more dramatic than stories. Before the pandemic, Ouyang could not only call home but also send videos, allowing him to communicate without barriers anytime, anywhere, even though they were in opposite hemispheres.

Although I lost contact with my family later, after the epidemic spread, domestic operators immediately announced that all communication devices in the epidemic area would be kept on indefinitely, even if they were in arrears.

Later, the service was expanded to all people in the country, regardless of whether they were in an epidemic area.

Countless people in the US have benefited from this, being able to contact their families across the ocean in a timely manner.

This can be described as a great act of merit.

While phone lines remain open, not all communication base stations are functioning properly, meaning that people in epidemic areas may not have the opportunity to make calls even if they have the means.

Furthermore, for reasons unknown, all network services were unilaterally suspended.

It's not that I can't access the internet, but that I can't contact people back home.

Ou Yang once discussed this matter with Luo Hui. He felt that since the epidemic had already spread, the true situation should be reported back in detail, instead of burying one's head in the sand and creating some kind of one-way network.

Only when people at home know what the real epidemic area is like will ordinary people have enough sense of crisis, and then unite to face the impact of the epidemic together.

However, Luo Hui told him that this was done to stabilize the situation.

There are too many compatriots in the United States. Those who are confirmed to be safe are fine, as they can contact their families. But what about those compatriots who are disabled, trapped, killed, or missing?
It's alright for people with disabilities, at least they're still alive. But what about the other situations?
When their loved ones at home see how brutal the real epidemic area is, what will these people think? And what will they do next?
Will they lose their temper and cause trouble that shouldn't have happened? Or will they make all sorts of unrealistic demands?

Therefore, external communication must be restricted.

Only those who are deemed safe can communicate with domestic authorities in accordance with the rules.

After hanging up the phone, Ou Yang was wide awake and was wondering what to do to pass the time when suddenly the piercing sound of police sirens came from the street.

Zhu Yiming jumped up and pulled the Glock out from under the pillow.

"Don't be nervous, it's okay," Ou Yang said.

Zhu Yiming calmed down, but didn't put down his gun: "What happened?"

"I don't know," Ou Yang shook his head.

The police siren grew louder as it approached, and the two men tensed up again, but the police car only passed the office and sped away.

Shortly afterward, the sirens stopped, and Ouyang vaguely heard a few gunshots.

He tried to open the window to listen more clearly, but found that the window had been sealed shut and could not be opened at all.

The gunshots quickly faded away, and the city gradually quieted down under the cover of night, as if nothing had happened.

Now, not only Ou Yang, but also Zhu Yiming couldn't sleep. One guessed that outsiders might have broken into the city, while the other thought it was just a routine police dispatch.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Ou Yang dodged to the door, his hand instinctively resting on the gun under his arm: "Who is it?"

Neither he nor Zhu Yiming felt there was anything wrong with doing so.

"It's me!" Jiang Yuwei's voice came from outside the door.

Ou Yang opened the door, and Jiang Yuwei, dressed in pajamas, barged in and sat on Ou Yang's bed without any hesitation.

Zhu Yiming asked curiously, "What's wrong? Can't you sleep either?" Jiang Yuwei pouted, "You two have each other for company, but I live alone, how can I sleep!"

Zhu Yiming's expression was exaggerated: "Oh, I thought you couldn't sleep because you missed Ou Yang!"

"Get lost!" Jiang Yuwei swung a pillow and threw it at him, glancing guiltily at Ou Yang.

Zhu Yiming blocked him with a smile, while constantly winking and making faces.

Ou Yang glared fiercely at Zhu Yiming: "If you can't sleep, then move in with us."

Jiang Yuwei smiled brightly: "It's settled then."

After saying that, he lay down on Ouyang's bed and pulled the blanket over himself.

In the past, considering other people's opinions and views, Ou Yang would not have said such a thing, and Jiang Yuwei would not have agreed so readily.

But after going through so much, especially after teetering on the brink of death several times, their mindset was completely different from before, and many conventional things were no longer so important.

It's not necessary to care what others say or think; the feelings of your own people are more important!
That being said, many people care too much about what others think, which leads to many tragedies that could have been avoided.

Zhu Yiming, showing no signs of forgetting, teased, "Hey, why are you lying there? Come over here!"

Jiang Yuwei couldn't find anything to throw away, so she could only angrily curse, "Get out!"

Zhu Yiming blinked: "Then I'll go out?"

Boom boom boom!
The knocking interrupted their playful banter. Jiang Yuwei threw off the covers and sat obediently on the edge of the bed.

Ouyang darted to the door again: "Who is it?"

"It's me!" Duan Shuxun's voice came from outside the door.

When Ou Yang opened the door, Duan Shuxun breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Jiang Yuwei: "Hey, you scared me! So you've all been here!"

"What's wrong?" Ou Yang glanced at the time; it was almost ten o'clock.

There can't be no reason why they came looking for us at this time.

"That's right, it was my oversight before, I didn't explain some things clearly," Duan Shuxun explained. "There's a curfew in Salaiton at night, and everyone except the police, shift workers, and guards is prohibited from going out."

"Oh, I see." Ouyang nodded. "Don't worry, we're in quarantine for seven days, right? We won't be going out."

"Also, did you hear the alarm just now?" Duan Shuxun asked.

"I heard you, so what?"

"I just received the news that an infected person has been found a few blocks away..."

Zhu Yiming instinctively straightened his body: "Isn't Shalayton a safe zone?"

Duan Shuxun sighed: "It is a safe zone, but this safe zone is relative."

The trio exchanged bewildered glances. Why did this sound so awkward?
“This place is generally safe, but it’s not without infected people,” Duan Shuxun continued to explain. “Simply put, the safety here is achieved by using various purification devices to keep the infection rate to a minimum.”

Zhu Yiming suddenly realized: "So this place isn't free of infections, but rather well-controlled?"

“That’s right!” Duan Shuxun nodded. “As I said, the detection device is also an alarm device. Once spores are detected, an alarm will be sounded immediately, and the relevant personnel will rush to the scene to eliminate the infected person in the shortest possible time.”

"Moreover, eliminating infected individuals is only the first step. Next, we need to dispose of corpses harmlessly, seal off buildings, conduct comprehensive disinfection, and so on. We've even installed spore-disposal equipment in the sewers to ensure that the spores don't spread." Duan Shuxun drew a circle with his arm. "Our equipment is spread throughout the city, turning it into an organic whole. Only in this way can we effectively control the situation."

"So strict?" Zhu Yiming looked astonished. "Old Mi is really that willing to go to such lengths?"

"It has to be worth it, otherwise the infection can't be controlled."

Ou Yang was filled with emotion: "If we had had such a strict control system back then, the epidemic would not have developed to this point today."

That's what he said, but he seriously doubted how long this approach could last.

It's not that the equipment is unusable, but so many people are living on an isolated island surrounded by the epidemic area, relying on supplies for food and shelter. In the short term, they can rely on the reserves of supplies, but in the long term, will the reserves of supplies be enough?

Are we relying on air freight?
Furthermore, while the city walls did keep outsiders out, they also trapped the Salaidon people inside.

These people cannot make a living entirely in the city; some of them must have to leave the city to make a living.

What should they do then?
Of course, how the old man survives is none of his business. Perhaps the old man already has a plan and has already solved the problem. There is no need for him to worry unnecessarily.

“The United States is not the United States it used to be. When problems arise, they don’t try to solve them immediately,” Duan Shuxun said, unable to hide his disdain. “We are different.”

It goes without saying that the trio knew how the University of Tokyo handled the situation when the pandemic struck.

The whole country works as one, with not only the leaders doing their best, but also the people sparing no effort. When one place is in trouble, help comes from all sides, and everyone works together to overcome difficulties.

There is only one branch in the entire world!

Ouyang asked curiously, "How many of our people are left in Salaidon?"

“Not many.” Duan Shuxun understood what Ou Yang wanted to ask. “Those who could be evacuated have been evacuated, and the rest are in the office. Don’t worry, it’s very safe here. Once the quarantine is over, we can send you away… I know you don’t need to be quarantined, but rules are rules. We can’t make an exception just because you few are immune. Otherwise, once this loophole is opened, someone will definitely try to exploit it, and it would be troublesome if an infected person managed to slip through.”

The trio wholeheartedly agreed.

"It's okay, it's only seven days, just treat it as a holiday," Zhu Yiming said.

Ou Yang suddenly realized a blind spot: "Hey, wait a minute, how much does one of your devices cost?"

“It depends on the model. Large equipment costs at least several hundred thousand dollars, while small household equipment costs three to five thousand. What? Do you think something is wrong?” Duan Shuxun asked back, already prepared to refute.

Ouyang immediately pointed out the problem: "How much equipment would such a large city require? And how much equipment would be needed for all the cities in the world? It's only worth a little over two hundred tons of gold? That's far too little!"

Zhu Yiming and Jiang Yuwei also realized what was going on. "Right, although the epidemic area occupies half of the entire area, the other half is a safe zone. How much purification equipment would we need to install in such a large area? Would a mere two hundred tons of gold be enough?"

Dongda University isn't here to help the poor. Besides, the US is so wealthy, why would they need Dongda University's help?

"You mean this?" Duan Shuxun laughed. "We're not the only ones that make purification equipment."

"Wow, all those two hundred-plus tons are your company's profits? How many companies are doing this?" Zhu Yiming was immediately shocked.

“Three companies.” Duan Shuxun held up three fingers and chuckled, “but they all use the same company’s technology.”

Zhu Yiming asked, puzzled, "Then why are there three families?"

Duan Shuxun said in a serious tone, "One company is called a monopoly, three companies are called competition, how can they be the same thing?"

(End of this chapter)