Dossiers Bizarres 2 - L'Étrange et le Réel

Chapitre 4

really.

"You'll just have to put this news on hold for now. I'm keeping an eye on it; as soon as the higher-ups give the go-ahead, I'll send you over to make a big story out of it." The man in front of me seemed to have completely forgotten how he had confidently secured the propaganda department's approval yesterday, and he spoke to me with a sincere expression.

Fortunately, I never had high expectations of him, so I nodded a few times and left the deputy editor-in-chief's office.

The Propaganda Department's ban was also much harsher than usual. Historically, the Propaganda Department has regulated news through two methods: verbal communication at briefings and official documents. However, based on the documents I've seen before, they usually use phrases like "recommendation to postpone reporting." This time, all signs point to something unusual.

As I passed the Social Affairs Department, I saw Hong Lingling waving at me, so I quickly went over to her.

"Do you have any news?" I asked.

"Yesterday morning, Ruijin Hospital and Huashan Hospital urgently dispatched doctors and nurses from their infectious disease wards to form a special medical team. They were picked up by a military vehicle, which must be it. However, the secrecy was very good; no one knows where they went. Moreover, none of the team members went home yesterday. I heard that they were told beforehand that they could not leave or contact the outside world before the work was finished! I asked several doctors, and they all said it couldn't be bird flu; it must be something much more terrible. There are rumors going around in the hospital now."

"What could be even more terrifying?"

“Some people say that only diseases like anthrax or Ebola would make the government so prepared,” Hong Lingling said in a low voice.

I shivered.

Ebola is one of the most virulent viruses ever recorded. The time from infection to onset is extremely short. I've seen pictures showing actual bleeding from all seven orifices during the initial stages; in later stages, even tiny droplets of blood that don't clot seep from the pores. Most people die within 24 hours. In 1995, an outbreak occurred in Kikovyk, Democratic Republic of Congo. A total of 315 patients were reported, forcing the closure of the city's only two hospitals. 30% of the doctors and 10% of the nurses were infected. In the initial stages of the epidemic, the mortality rate reached 100%.

While anthrax doesn't have the same horrific mortality rate as Ebola, it is far more contagious. A 1993 report by the U.S. Congressional Office of Technology indicated that anthrax attacks could cause a catastrophe greater than a nuclear bomb. Because just one hundred-millionth of a gram of anthrax bacteria can kill a person, it was considered an ideal biological weapon. This virus can survive for decades or even longer under natural conditions. The U.S. has been attacked by anthrax multiple times since 9/11. In November 2001, U.S. Senator Reese received a letter containing anthrax bacteria; fortunately, he didn't open it, as the virus inside was enough to kill 100,000 people.

If it's such an infectious disease, then wouldn't the parents living in the community be...?

I dare not think any further.

"Sigh." Hong Lingling looked at me with some concern.

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing." I knew I must look terrible.

"I'll make a few more calls later to ask."

"Let's not do it for now. The publicity department has issued a notice that we can't report it."

"Huh?" Hong Lingling looked disappointed. "Can't I claim it again? Sigh, I should have thought of that earlier." She leaned back in her chair, listless.

It seems she's prepared to give up. What can a reporter do when faced with a ban from the propaganda department?

But in this matter, I am not just a reporter; she can give up, but I cannot.

Liang Yingwu hadn't called yet. That night, lying in bed, I thought about who might be able to help, planning to make a few more calls the next day. As for Guo Dong, it was best to leave him out for now.

Just then, my phone rang.

It's past midnight, who could it be? Liang Yingwu?

I jumped out of bed, ran barefoot into the living room, and pulled my phone out of my bag.

It was a call from the newspaper. I was initially disappointed, but as I pressed the answer button, a certain expectation arose within me.

"Hey, come to the office right away, within half an hour," Blue Head said fieryly on the phone. By this time, all the pages of tomorrow's newspaper had been pieced together, and after the duty manager reviewed them, they would be sent to the factory for printing. It seemed that Blue Head was the deputy manager on duty today.

"Oh, what is it?"

"We'll talk when you get here, hurry up."

"Is it... Xinjingyuan?" I asked tentatively, holding my phone between my head and shoulder while putting on my socks.

"Um."

My heart skipped a beat: "Come right now."

I ran around the house, forcibly pulling myself to put on my clothes, grabbed my bag, shoved on my shoes, and leaped out of the house, the door slamming shut behind me.

Sitting in the taxi, the chill of the outside air lingered in my loosely buttoned collar. An inexplicable force seemed to pull me along; what kind of news awaited me at the newspaper office?

Blue Head was waiting for me in the office. Next to him was a slightly balding man in his forties. His face looked familiar; he seemed to be the deputy director of the municipal propaganda department.

"Minister Qin, this is Na Duo." The man in blue omitted the word "Deputy" and introduced me to him.

"You insisted on interviewing Xin Jingyuan, didn't you?" After exchanging greetings, Director Qin asked me directly.

I couldn't tell whether his tone was kind or malicious, but the current situation left me no room for maneuver or testing him.

"Yes," I answered crisply.

Qin Bu's brows furrowed into a deep frown: "That place has been tightly sealed off, and I'm not entirely sure what happened. But one thing is certain: if word gets out, it will cause serious panic."

Even though I was mentally prepared, I still felt a pang of anxiety when he gave me that suggestion.

"I heard your parents live there?" Qin Bu paused for a moment before asking.

"Yes, that's why I'm very worried."

"The government's decision to seal off the area was a last resort, and such a measure was necessary. However, the people also have the right to know, so it is indeed necessary for media representatives to participate and supervise," the forty-something-year-old section chief said carefully.

“But,” he changed his tone, “such an important interview should have been conducted by a senior reporter specially dispatched by Xinhua News Agency.”

I knew in my heart that since he came to the newspaper office so late, he must have allowed me to go in for an interview, but because I was so eager, my heart started pounding when I heard him say that.

“Considering that your parents are there, and although you can’t be called a senior reporter yet, your professional skills are excellent, so…” He paused, his expression becoming more serious, and said, “After research by the Shanghai Municipal Government’s Xinjingyuan Special Handling Team and a report to the General Office of the State Council, it has been decided to allow Na Duo, a reporter from the Shanghai Morning Star, to enter Xinjingyuan for interviews.”

My heart was pounding. "Report to the General Office of the State Council?" This was indeed an event that could shake the central government!

After conveying the city government's decision, Minister Qin relaxed somewhat, a smile appearing on his face. He said, "You're so young, yet you already have this kind of experience; your future is limitless. Let me give you a general overview so you have a sense of what's going on. A rare and dangerous infectious disease has broken out in that community. Internationally renowned medical institutions have sent experts to provide support, and the city has also urgently established a medical team to be stationed there. As for the current situation inside… you'll have to find out for yourself." He hesitated, unsure whether it was inconvenient to say more or if he, as a department head, was simply unaware of the specifics.

I recalled the foreigners I saw that day; most of them were foreign experts who came to provide support.

Bluehead couldn't help but smile and said, "This is an honor, so much. It's an honor for you personally and for our Morning Star newspaper."

"I will do my best to complete the interview," I said.

"It is an honor, but also a test. There are some things I need to say upfront. First, although it is gradually being brought under control, it is still very dangerous. Protective clothing cannot guarantee that you will not be infected, and once you are infected, I can tell you that the mortality rate is quite high."

“That’s where journalists should be. War correspondents are the most respected in this profession,” I said without hesitation.

"Secondly, although you can go in and conduct interviews now, it doesn't mean that your article will be published immediately. When it will be published and how it will be published are all subject to the arrangements of the Publicity Department. This is journalistic discipline. There is even a possibility that it may not be published publicly in the end and can only be written into an internal report. You need to be mentally prepared."

"OK."

"Third, before the manuscript is officially published, you must not discuss anything you see in Xinjingyuan with irrelevant people, and it is strictly forbidden to spread it on the Internet."

"Okay." I nodded, pondering the meaning of his words, and asked hesitantly, "Does that mean I can freely enter and leave Xinjingyuan, instead of being restricted to entering but not leaving like the medical team?"

Minister Qin gave me a strange look, looked at me for a while, and nodded very slightly: "Yes. But you will definitely have a physical examination when you leave every day. In addition, please go to public places less often during this period and remember the people you have been in close contact with."

He took a certificate out of his bag and handed it to me: "You can enter tomorrow with this. Your information, including your photo, has already been given to the troops sealing off Xinjingyuan."

"Who is the person in charge there now?"

"The leaders of the special task force just left this morning."

His words reminded me of the two cars I had seen.

"As you know, this matter is being kept secret from the public, so it's not appropriate for city leaders to stay there all the time. The deputy director of the Health Bureau is currently overseeing the operation on-site, but the specific medical procedures are being handled by experts from Heller International. He will help arrange your interview."

As soon as I left the newspaper office, I called Liang Yingwu to thank him. Although Director Qin didn't reveal anything tonight, it's ridiculous that he let me do an interview just because my parents live there.

"Be careful in that place," Liang Yingwu said calmly.

"Ha, I've weathered all those storms, and the Nian beast couldn't do anything to me. To think I'd get sick and die from it would be a joke." The Nian beast I was referring to was something extremely dangerous that I experienced with Liang Yingwu. Saying it couldn't do anything to me isn't entirely accurate; it's more accurate to say that I haven't been harmed by the Nian beast. The subtle differences involved can't be explained in just a few words.

"However, being able to come and go at any time is far beyond my expectations; this special exception is..."

Liang Yingwu simply chuckled and said nothing.

The weather forecast predicted a drop in temperature, and when I returned home, the outside temperature was only around two or three degrees Celsius. The wind howled strangely through the empty streets and between buildings.

What awaits me tomorrow in that once-familiar residential area?

My concerns for my parents' safety, my fear of unknown threats, and the excitement nurtured by my innate curiosity—these emotions were all intertwined.

My heart is pounding.

A gust of wind swirled into my neck and head, I shivered, clutched my collar, and quickened my pace.

"Watch out ahead!" I yelled.

The screeching sound of brakes and the immense forward force hit me at the same time; if I hadn't been wearing my seatbelt, my head would have hit the windshield.

It's too late.

I clearly felt the car vibrate. Looking out, I saw that the front of the Santana taxi I was in had been firmly welded to the rear of the Mazda in front of it.

"What the hell were you looking at?" I couldn't help but scold the chubby, round-faced driver next to me.

It's 8:23 AM. After this intersection, the gate of Xinjingyuan is not far ahead, but the person next to me was doing something else, turning their head towards me, so they weren't prepared for the sudden braking of the Mazda in front of them when it failed to run the yellow light. If I hadn't yelled, they probably would have smashed the trunk of that car. Although it's already a mess.

"Ah, sigh." The chubby, round-faced man sighed heavily. "That woman was really beautiful, she looked like she was mixed race. I glanced at her a couple of times. Sigh. Are you alright?"

I was speechless for a moment.

"Never mind, there's still a little way, I'll walk."

I climbed out of the car, and the Mazda owner had already gotten out and was cursing angrily. His chubby, round face also came out, and looking at the obviously deformed front and rear of the car, his little nose and eyes were all scrunched up.

I shook my head and glanced back. A tall, beautiful woman was walking towards me a dozen steps away. It seemed to be the beauty who had distracted the chubby-faced man.

I was too embarrassed to look any longer. The pedestrian light had already turned green, so I quickly crossed the intersection, still thinking to myself that my glance had only left a vague impression, yet the driver could tell I was mixed-race and stared at me for at least five seconds. No wonder he hit me.

The security guards at the entrance of the residential area had changed shifts; it wasn't the two I'd seen before. That unpleasant smell still lingered in the air. I handed them my identification and press pass, and they examined them carefully before picking up their walkie-talkie and making a call.

As I was waiting, I heard the soldier next to me say, "Excuse me, miss, this is a restricted area now, you cannot enter."

I turned my head and saw that it was that mixed-race beauty.

I didn't get a good look at her in that fleeting glance, but now that she's standing right in front of me, I can't help but feel amazed.

Her features were sharply defined, with a delicate, high nose. Many would find her features too angular, but I found them beautiful. Her eyes were pale blue; gazing into them would be captivating—if not for their icy depths. Ah, a beauty best admired from afar, nestled by a warm fireplace.

She was over 1.7 meters tall, wearing a classic beige long trench coat from Burberry with a fitted waist, and her long black hair was styled in an updo. Standing in the damp, chilly air of early winter in Shanghai, coupled with the solemnity emanating from her head to toe, she exuded a rather British charm.

The woman glanced at me, then shifted her gaze to the soldier: "I am a special researcher from Heller International Medical Institute. Our expert, Rembrandt, has already started working here. Just ask him to come out." Her Mandarin had a southern accent and sounded a bit stiff; I guessed she might have grown up abroad.

"I'm sorry, I'm only responsible for guarding this place, I know nothing else. No one else is allowed to enter without a special pass."

What a competent security guard! I thought to myself. It's rare to find someone so unmoved by such a beautiful woman.

Her long, delicate eyebrows furrowed, indicating that she had realized how difficult this warrior was to deal with, but she had no intention of giving up for the time being, and the atmosphere became a little tense.

"How about this?" As soon as I spoke, both pairs of eyes looked over.

"Someone will come to pick me up later. If the person you're looking for is inside, he should know."

"Okay." She nodded slightly to me as a way of expressing her gratitude.

Waiting around is getting a bit boring, especially with a beautiful woman next to me. I should at least say something. Besides, if she's a special research fellow, she could be my interviewee too.