Invasion of America

Chapter 111 Compromise
"To sign, or not to sign?"

Fauci held several thin copies of the 'COVID-19 emergency response plan' in his hand, his brow furrowed.

The cover of the first proposal stated "shortage of medical supplies and equipment," a "gift" from the Emergency Management Office that felt like cold nails piercing his eyes.

The virus, like an invisible ghost, has been rampant, pushing countless medical staff to the brink of exhaustion and devouring medical supplies and equipment at an unprecedented rate.

Masks and protective suits, which are usually inconspicuous consumables, are now in demand dozens or even hundreds of times higher than usual.

Meanwhile, expensive equipment such as ventilators, artificial lungs, and dialysis machines are in dire need.

The most urgently needed technology right now is the "artificial lung." When a patient loses their respiratory function, it can replace a failing heart and lungs, giving the immune system a precious chance to breathe.

However, "artificial lungs" are not only expensive and have a long production cycle, but also rarely stockpile in large quantities in peacetime.

In the event of a large-scale respiratory infectious disease outbreak, demand will explode like a flood.

At this moment, the number of "artificial lungs" in Washington, D.C. is already in short supply, and hospitals are like ants on a hot plate, searching everywhere for spare equipment.
-
Fauci glanced at Oliver Harden, who was leisurely sitting beside him, and an uncontrollable anger rose in his heart, making him grit his teeth in hatred.

Today is the Department of Health's routine meeting, and also Fauci's first meeting since taking office.

Department heads and hospital administrators either attended in person or waited online.

All eyes were on the newly appointed chairman, hoping he could solve the problem.

But the first challenge put Fauci in a very difficult position – how to alleviate the extreme shortage of medical supplies and equipment in a short period of time?

The report lists three seemingly feasible solutions.

The first option was to use the supplies that the "Ministry of Health" had stockpiled for dealing with emergencies—Fauci immediately rejected this idea in his mind.

It has been half a month since the outbreak began. If reserves were sufficient, they would have been put into use long ago. The current shortage of supplies stems from a lack of them!
Fauci's visit to the Ministry of Health was intended to cover up the truth on behalf of the older bureaucratic class. However, as an octogenarian, he could sense the underlying issues behind the shortage of supplies.

The Ministry of Health's inventory may have already been secretly replaced, or even be completely empty.

Take the most basic face mask as an example. This thing has an expiration date, and once it expires, it can only be discarded.

In the absence of a large-scale epidemic, the Ministry of Health's inventory is often just a routine check and is rarely actually used.

The outbreak of an epidemic is a low-probability event, even lower than the chance of winning the lottery—someone wins the lottery every now and then, while an epidemic may not happen even once every few decades.

This cognitive bias will inevitably give rise to all sorts of unexpected problems.

In his report, Oliver Harden proposed a thorough investigation of the Ministry of Health's hundreds of warehouses of all sizes across the country, to inventory all supplies, and then to allocate and use them in a unified manner.

When Fauci saw this line, his temples throbbed, and he wished he could shoot two cold beams of light into Harden's eyes and pierce him through—checking the inventory? What if they find a problem?
It's safe to say that this will definitely uncover problems.

As for 'unified allocation', Fauci wouldn't even dare to think about it—with the virus breaking out across the entire United States, the federal states would rather watch people in other states die than send their own stockpiles out.

Those selfish bastards are lucky they don't go out and rob.

"Damn Harden, how could he come up with such a terrible idea?" Fauci felt that Oliver Harden was completely unprofessional and wished he could get rid of the guy from the Department of Health as soon as possible.

Therefore, checking the inventory is impossible; the only option left is the second one—borrowing from the military?

Seeing this, Fauci would be furious—is this an idea a normal person could come up with?
If you drag the Pentagon into this, believe it or not, the generals in the military will refuse outright on the grounds of 'national security'!
The report also stated—"Hoping to put pressure on the Pentagon through the 'white house'? If the 'white house' had that ability, it wouldn't have prevented the Department of Defense from passing financial audits for seven consecutive years."

The military is even more closed off than the Ministry of Health; the more authoritarian it is, the more secretive it is. The Pentagon probably doesn't even know what's in its own vaults.
This is a topic that should not be touched.

If the best option is unavailable, and the middle option is also unavailable, then we can only resort to the worst option—spend money to purchase, spend a lot of money to purchase as quickly as possible, and spend an extremely large amount of money to purchase from 'Dongda' and airlift it over as soon as possible.

People-to-people exchanges between China and the United States have ceased, but trade and freight remain busy. Given the urgency of the pandemic, it's clear that a month-long sea freight journey is unacceptable; air freight is the only option.

Sighing inwardly, Fauci watched as hospital administrators, desperately needing supplies, signed their names on the procurement reports.

This contract is worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. Just as everyone breathed a sigh of relief, Harden sarcastically remarked, "We should be grateful."

"The industrial system at the University of Tokyo wasn't destroyed by the virus; it has sufficient production capacity and is still willing to sell to us. Otherwise, we would be in big trouble."

Both online and offline, everyone's expressions instantly turned extremely grim.
-
I felt quite pleased when Zhou Qingfeng was being sarcastic and sarcastic.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a very large annual budget, one of the highest-spending departments in the federal government, at around $1.8 trillion.

It accounts for a quarter of federal government spending.

This is just the budget; if all the resources it consumes are factored in, the total amount will exceed 2.6 trillion US dollars.

Zhou Qingfeng sometimes feels bewildered, wondering how he managed to get to where he is today and become one of the controllers of a "giant" department.

With just a few clicks and the signing of a few documents, one can amass staggering wealth from an inexhaustible torrent of funds.

This sense of power, almost like controlling the lifeline of the nation, filled him with excitement, but also with a subtle, almost arrogant satisfaction.

When the report marked "shortage of supplies" was handed to Fauci, he was like a seasoned hunter who had already anticipated the prey's next move.

Faced with such a huge gap and urgent needs, the old bureaucrat had almost no other choice but to choose the seemingly most direct but actually most easily manipulated path of "procurement".

The entire United States, and indeed the world, is shrouded in the enormous social upheaval brought about by the "X" virus, with countless ordinary people struggling in panic and despair.

But in the eyes of the powerful and wealthy, this was a once-in-a-lifetime feast of wealth and an excellent opportunity to monetize their power.

The 08 subprime crisis, a storm that nearly destroyed global financial markets, was ultimately nothing more than a game of wealth reshuffling.

Countless large financial institutions collapsed, and countless people lost their fortunes, but the enormous wealth on paper did not disappear; it simply flowed like a tide into the pockets of a few "smart" people who had already made their moves.

Now, the rampant spread of the "X" virus and the cries of despair from the lower classes are nothing more than a triumphant prelude to wealth to those in power.

With just a few strokes of his pen, Zhou Qingfeng could channel the enormous sums of money allocated by the Ministry of Health for disaster relief into his meticulously constructed private treasury, like a trickle of water.

He could even be considered "rule-abiding"—he didn't directly embezzle public funds, but instead instructed the "Ministry of Health's" chief procurement officer to issue huge orders to companies designated by him.

Of course, the goods still need to be delivered, and their quality must be acceptable. After all, going too far could easily attract unnecessary attention.

As for the price, it's perfectly reasonable to increase it four or five times.

With tight deadlines, workers need to work overtime; the global supply chain is strained, naturally driving up the cost of raw materials and transportation.

They can come up with all sorts of reasons at will, enough to shut up any doubts.

Zhou Qingfeng even thought with an almost condescending "benevolence" that this was not expensive, as he did not simply add a zero to the price.

This is already a "huge concession" made out of consideration for the suffering of the American people.

At this moment, Kelly, who is staying at 'Dongda', should be busy registering a new pharmaceutical company or acquiring a 'shell' trading company.

At this moment, no one knows how much profit Zhou Qingfeng can extract from the Ministry of Health's emergency orders—not even he himself can estimate it.
-
The problem of supplies and equipment for the US Department of Health and Human Services is relatively easy to solve; they can simply buy them. The bigger troubles that follow are far more pressing.

Harden signed a draft bill to provide subsidies to all healthcare workers on duty during the pandemic. By the time Fauci became chairman of the Health Care Efficiency Commission, the draft bill was finalized and submitted for confirmation.

When Fauci saw this draft, he really should thank Harden's ancestors for eight generations—you bastard, if you wanted to win people over, just sign it! Why did you sign a draft that has no legal effect?
Because this draft has huge loopholes, its implementation would inevitably cause a huge uproar, but it was sent over at this particular time, clearly trying to drag Fauci down with him!
The draft is simple: it aims to provide subsidies to medical staff who remain at their posts during the pandemic, in recognition of their hard work and great sacrifices.

This sounds reasonable, but the scope of this draft is limited to just over 10,000 medical staff in Washington, D.C.!
There are over six million healthcare workers in the United States!

Don't the healthcare workers in various states who are also fighting on the front lines of life and death and under tremendous pressure deserve this compensation?
In Fauci's eyes, this seemingly generous plan was a carefully packaged poison, a trap with hidden dangers.

To sign or not to sign?

If approved, the Department of Health will use federal tax revenue to provide subsidies solely to healthcare workers in Washington, D.C.

One can imagine the intense anger and dissatisfaction that healthcare workers in other states would feel upon learning this news.

In order to appease the public, state governments will inevitably exert tremendous pressure on the federal government.

But if they don't sign... the massive bureaucratic body of the "Ministry of Health" might be able to withstand the pressure of public opinion for a while, after all, they are already used to all kinds of accusations and criticisms.

But what about the medical staff in Washington, D.C., who have been struggling under high-intensity, overloaded working conditions for half a month?
They made enormous sacrifices, hoping to receive some belated solace. If their hopes are dashed, they will surely "rebel"!
Fauci had already witnessed the fury of the exhausted medical staff at the National Rehabilitation Center when he attempted to announce the removal of Harden from his position as vice chairman.

They vehemently denounced the government's incompetence, expressed their support for Harden, and even threatened to stage a collective strike.

Even now, the memory of that scene still sends shivers down Fauci's spine.

This is why Harden is still the vice chairman – he has many opponents, but just as many supporters.

What if all healthcare workers in the US were given money? The healthcare workers would be happy, of course, but the US Treasury Department would be unhappy.

Harden's asking price is $1,000 per person per day, which, multiplied by the number of people in the millions, is no small sum.

Besides the messy issue of handing out money, the equally troublesome matter of 'recruiting people' is also a problem.

Currently, the National Guard of Maryland and Virginia is maintaining order in Washington, D.C., but both states are also experiencing outbreaks and have long wanted to withdraw their own personnel.

Harden proposed recruiting medical volunteers to fill the manpower shortage in the military and police and maintain the current order in the "District". The two states will definitely agree, but the "White House" is unlikely to agree.

"Sigh," Fauci sighed deeply.

As a seasoned bureaucrat, he glanced at Harden beside him, adopted a humble attitude as if the previous conflict had never happened, and said in a low voice, "Harden, I need to talk to you privately."
-
In the ministerial meeting room, without needing many instructions, everyone present tacitly stood up and left the meeting room quietly, like the receding tide.

As the heavy conference room doors slowly closed, Fauci lowered his head slightly and said in a conciliatory tone, "Harden, I want to apologize to you. My attitude towards you before... may not have been very good."

possible?!
Zhou Qingfeng chuckled lazily, leaned back in his large leather chair, put his legs up on the edge of the smooth conference table, and asked casually yet provocatively, "What do you want?"

Fauci suppressed his rising anger and tried to remain calm as he said, "Those healthcare subsidy proposals you signed simply cannot pass under the existing framework."

"Then let's not approve it." Zhou Qingfeng waved his hand casually and laughed nonchalantly: "This world is just a giant makeshift operation."

"Our president spouts nonsense on social media every day, so isn't it normal for us administrative staff to occasionally come up with some absurd and immature proposals?"

Fauci's expression turned serious: "But your proposals have already generated considerable social reaction, and healthcare workers have high expectations. We can't just ignore them."

Harden is already carrying a strong public opinion, and if not handled properly, it will further exacerbate social unrest.

Zhou Qingfeng burst into hearty laughter, looking at the old bureaucrat opposite him with great interest: "Your Excellency Chairman, I don't believe you have no way to deal with this situation."

He paused, then said jokingly, "It's nothing more than 'making do' for now, making some symbolic 'modifications,' and then just 'muddling through' to get through the immediate difficulties first."

He stretched out his finger and pointed it in the air a few times. "Providing special allowances to healthcare workers on duty across the United States is a must, but it can be limited to the period of the pandemic."

Then, we should try to declare the pandemic over as soon as possible, or at least declare it under effective control. This way, the required expenditures won't be as enormous as we imagine.

Then, Zhou Qingfeng turned his gaze to the window, "As for the lockdown of Washington, D.C., it has long been a mere formality. Rather than continuing to maintain a meaningless formality, it would be better to simply lift it."

There shouldn't be too much opposition.

Those who have developed antibodies are allowed to move freely in the city, but those who are frail or ill are advised to continue to stay home and recuperate.

"Whether the residents of the 'Special Zone' will panic as a result, or whether they will immediately flee the city to find what they perceive as a safer refuge, is beyond our control."

Finally, he offered the "perfect" reason for lifting the lockdown: "Herd immunity has been largely achieved, and there is no need to maintain strict lockdown measures any longer."

After listening to Zhou Qingfeng's seemingly absurd but actually politically calculated remarks, Fauci's expression grew increasingly grave. He shook his head worriedly.

“I am an expert in infectious diseases, and this ‘X’ virus is different from the past. The epidemic will not end so easily. If we let our guard down now, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head as well, his tone light yet detached, "That's a matter for the future. What does it have to do with you and me in the future?"

Fauci stared at Zhou Qingfeng's face, thinking to himself, "This guy is a born bureaucrat, calculating in every way. But for now, we have no choice but to solve the problem by following his methods."

As for this guy's reckless behavior in the future, it's best to get him removed from the 'Ministry of Health' as ​​soon as possible, otherwise he'll cause even bigger trouble.
-
At this moment, far across the Pacific Ocean, Kelly is on the top floor of the Electric Flight headquarters in Shanghai, gazing at the orderly cityscape below through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows.

In stark contrast to the tranquility outside the window, her heart was churning with anxiety over the increasingly out-of-control pandemic situation in America.

Although strict lockdown measures have been implemented at the University of Tokyo, the streets are not deserted; instead, they present a peculiar scene of bustling activity.

Unmanned delivery vehicles tirelessly shuttle through the empty streets, accurately delivering daily necessities to various closed-off communities.

Drones take off and land like swarms of bees between buildings, delivering individual needs to customers one by one.

Kelly can still easily order takeout; she simply operates a drone on her phone, which will then deliver the food to the rooftop platform of the headquarters building, where staff will retrieve it.

The entire process is efficient and contactless, minimizing the chance of infection.

As for patients, there are already mature and rigorous procedures in place, which simply involve strictly separating mild and severe cases and taking all necessary measures to cut off the transmission chain of the virus.

No matter how powerful a virus is, it must still follow scientific principles.

As for the production line for 'electric flight', it not only did not stop due to the pandemic, but it also faced a flood of orders.

The demand for low-altitude logistics within cities has seen explosive growth during the pandemic.

As the government seeks safer and more efficient modes of transportation, "electric flight" has had to accelerate its plans to expand production capacity.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Kelly's father, Jeff Connery, did everything he could to get to "Eastern University".

Unlike Kelly's worries, this elderly father had no particular anxieties. Instead, staring at the endless stream of new orders appearing on his computer screen, he posed a profound and perplexing question:

"Where did Victor get so many new orders for medical supplies? These purchase amounts, often exceeding hundreds of millions of dollars, don't seem like the needs of an individual or a small organization!"

Kelly, what on earth is that brat up to?
Can I continue to increase my investment in the 'Holy Light' Group?

There's been so much safe-haven money flowing out of Wall Street, shouldn't you, 'Electric Flight', issue another batch of corporate bonds?
US bank interest rates are incredibly low right now, hot money is practically falling off the shelves, let's issue another 10 billion dollars in debt!
"Ten billion, that's it!"

(End of this chapter)