Chapter 0943: Planning for SARS

As for acting, in fact, everyone has it.

In the workplace, in daily life, each of us plays a role we are accustomed to—maybe an employee, maybe a son, or maybe a father. So acting is not something only actors possess; to be precise, it is a theory that all intelligent beings practice.

An actor's performance cannot surpass this understanding.

Of course, unlike ordinary people, professional actors, besides receiving professional training, certainly have good comprehension skills. After all, acting is not an easy task. Life is not just about the present hardships, but also about the wet and...

Well, I digress.

In short, in Zhao Fusheng's view, there are some things he should tell his father, and some things he need not worry his parents too much about.

But regarding the SARS issue, Zhao Fusheng felt he should make his father take it seriously, because in the coming period, it would be a major event affecting the entire country.

Regardless of whether there was some country pulling the strings behind the scenes, for all descendants of the Yan and Huang, this was a test.

And after listening to Zhao Fusheng's account, Zhao Dad's expression turned quite grim.

"Is everything you said true?"

Zhao Dad looked at Zhao Fusheng and slowly asked.

Although his son did not lie, the problem was that what Zhao Fusheng had just said sounded too absurd—a contagious disease that could sweep the whole country, even fatal in severe cases. What was going on?

"There are already rumors online. You can have someone check it out," Zhao Fusheng said with a bitter smile. "To be honest, I wish what I heard was just alarmist talk, but now it seems this matter is not that simple."

He was telling the truth. SARS, known in China as atypical pneumonia, first appeared in the Deshun area of Guangdong Province. Starting in December, people were hospitalized due to infection, including medical staff.

Around the same time, news about atypical pneumonia began circulating online, but because the disease was not well understood, related comments were chaotic and did not attract attention. Except for Zhao Fusheng, who had been paying attention to gathering information, no one knew what level of chaos this would bring to the country.

Zhao Fusheng was even more aware that starting from the middle of this month, some critically ill patients would be sent to Guangzhou for rescue, and after the Spring Festival...

Rumors spread that fumigating with white vinegar and drinking Banlangen could prevent the strange disease, and panic buying began in the market. At the worst of the panic buying, a pack of Banlangen that usually cost less than ten yuan suddenly soared to thirty or forty yuan, and the price of white vinegar also rose steadily, from ten yuan to eighty yuan, then one hundred yuan. On that very day, a photojournalist even captured a historical photo of white vinegar selling for one thousand yuan per bottle.

Everyone went crazy!

To be honest, Zhao Fusheng did not want to see that scene happen.

But he was helpless, because after all, he was not a person of great authority whose word was law. The most he could do was to protect the people around him and tell them not to believe certain rumors.

At the very least, Zhao Fusheng knew that the domestic attention to the epidemic at that time was actually insufficient.

Zhao Fusheng did not understand certain rules in officialdom, but after reading many books and seeing declassified documents circulated online, he could more or less guess some.

It was nothing more than the mindset of deceiving superiors and subordinates, turning big issues into small ones, and small ones into nothing, causing some cadres to shirk responsibility in the face of the epidemic.

They did not know to what extent this SARS outbreak would evolve.

"Do you mean this disease will spread to our Ninghai?" Zhao Dad looked at Zhao Fusheng suspiciously, somewhat puzzled. In his view, Ninghai was too far from Guangdong Province—completely unrelated places. How could it be possible?

Zhao Fusheng smiled bitterly and helplessly explained to his father: "This disease can be transmitted through the respiratory tract. Several of my celebrity friends in the capital have all canceled their trips to Guangdong."

"Really? That serious?" Zhao Dad immediately became serious upon hearing this. After all, if even celebrities would rather lose money than go to Guangdong, then this matter might indeed be true.

After all, no one would turn down money.

"Yes, very serious." Zhao Fusheng looked at his father. He did not mind making things sound even more serious, so that at least his father would be mentally prepared.

"Then what should we do?" Zhao Dad looked at his son. "Should we also stockpile some Banlangen and vinegar?"

This was the news he had just heard from Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Stockpiling is definitely necessary, but we can't sell at high prices."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Dad was taken aback, then frowned deeply. Obviously, he was pondering Zhao Fusheng's words.

After all, at his age, with considerable social experience and insight, Zhao Dad was now, to some extent, a successful businessman. Even if he could not compare to the tycoons who maneuvered freely, he still had his own ideas.

Although Zhao Fusheng's words only hinted at the beginning, Zhao Dad was considering the specific operability of this matter.

Seeing his father pondering, Zhao Fusheng was not in a hurry. He picked up the fruit his mother had cut and began to eat.

After a long while, Zhao Dad looked up at Zhao Fusheng and said: "I think this matter is still not good. After all, profiteering from national disasters is too despicable."

Blinking, Zhao Fusheng revealed a satisfied smile. His father was still the same father, not blinded by money, knowing that some things could be done and some could not.

"What are you smiling at?" Zhao Dad looked at his son curiously.

Zhao Fusheng said: "Nothing, Dad. We won't profiteer from national disasters, but we can't just stand by and watch those unscrupulous merchants harm the people, can we?"

"What do you mean?"

Zhao Dad was a bit confused, not quite understanding Zhao Fusheng's words.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled: "Simple. We buy a large amount of vinegar and Banlangen, and then when someone raises prices in the market, we sell them at a low price."

"Huh?"

Zhao Dad still did not quite grasp his son's meaning.

Sighing, Zhao Fusheng said: "Dad, think about it. If a pack of Banlangen that usually costs ten yuan sells for thirty or forty, how much profit can those profiteers make? What we need to do is, when someone sells at thirty or forty, we sell at fifteen. That way, we can both make money and help those in need, right?"

"But what if they buy from us and then resell to others?" Zhao Dad frowned, quickly hitting on the key issue.

Zhao Fusheng said flatly: "Simple. We limit daily purchases per person with ID cards."

Zhao Dad immediately laughed. He had to admit, his son really had a lot of clever ideas.