The Chaebol Returns To The Presidency 1967 [EN]: Chapter 184

184. Covering the Sky with the Palm of a Hand

WHO Headquarters.

A heated debate erupted regarding the origin of the Hong Kong flu.

Director Huo Guo, brandishing fabricated data, was furious.

“Guizhou Province, China? Hong Kong was the first to report to the WHO, and then it spread to the mainland sequentially! Here are the Chinese healthcare records. Guizhou’s outbreak was *after* Hong Kong’s!”

This time, the epidemiologist presented a map of Asia showing the outbreak dates for each country and countered.

“Based on the official announcement date in Hong Kong, cases were reported in Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia two days later, and in the United States three days later. A week later, Hong Kong flu patients were reported in the United States.”

At this, Huo Guo became even more triumphant.

“See! No country reported it earlier than Hong Kong! There is no clearer evidence than this. Why can’t you trust science?”

“Director Huo Guo, haven’t you noticed anything strange about the dates on the map?”

“What’s strange?”

“The incubation period for the Hong Kong flu is two to four days. In Thailand and Malaysia, seventy people were confirmed within two or three days, and across the sea in Australia, seven people received treatment on the same day. This suggests that the origin isn’t Hong Kong, but another country where it was already widespread, and it spread to several countries simultaneously. Isn’t this scientific reasoning, Director?”

“Well, Hong Kong is a major global trading port, so it must have spread worldwide via ships and airplanes.”

“We conducted epidemiological investigations on all 170 travelers from Hong Kong to Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia. None of them developed the disease at all. This indicates they were not carriers of the infection.”

“……”

“As a result of epidemiological investigations of patients’ contacts in the four countries, a common factor emerged: visits to a factory in Shanghai, China. In other words, mainland China saw the outbreak earlier than Hong Kong. Is there any clearer scientific evidence than this?”

“Hmm, hmm, that’s slander. Pure speculation!”

“Slander? If you deny it so vehemently, I have no choice but to disclose this.”

“……”

“One of our WHO investigators entered Guizhou, China, and conducted an unofficial investigation.”

“Went to Guizhou?”

“As a result, we secured testimony that the flu had been rampant for six months and that accumulating bodies were being burned. Isn’t the immediate cremation of corpses in China a measure taken only in cases of epidemics or political reasons? Yet, they cremated nearly 10,000 infectious corpses.”

“That’s a very flawed deduction. It was just a common cold and flu epidemic, and the deceased were cremated to prevent infection. It’s not the Hong Kong flu.”

“Are you really trying to cover the sky with the palm of your hand?” [A Chinese idiom meaning to conceal the truth or deceive others].

“The current epidemic originated in Hong Kong. There’s no conclusive physical evidence to the contrary!”

The Secretary-General asked.

“Then, may the WHO officially investigate Guizhou Province?”

“Th-that’s not allowed!”

“Why not?”

“Because we are not obligated to respond to the WHO’s epidemiological investigation as it is not the country of initial outbreak.”

“If you are confident, why are you trying to avoid the investigation?”

“To prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.”

“To prevent unnecessary misunderstandings, you should confidently undergo the investigation.”

“That’s not possible.”

Director Huo Guo refused the WHO investigation.

But the media spin continued.

The fact that China was refusing the epidemiological investigation was reported by foreign media around the world.

– Chinese Government Refuses WHO’s Epidemiological Investigation into Hong Kong Flu Outbreak

– WHO Senior Official: “Suspect Outbreak in Guizhou Province Six Months Before Hong Kong.”

– China Recreates the Nightmare of the Asian Flu, What Are They Hiding?

Global public opinion was seething.

*

China.

A Standing Committee meeting was held.

Deng Xiaoping spoke irritably to the Minister of Disease Prevention.

“The whole world is pointing fingers at us. How are you going to handle this?”

Initially, when he suggested telling the truth, the Party leadership ordered concealment, and now that it was about to be exposed, he turned the blame on the responsible minister. Classic bureaucratic scapegoating.

The minister said.

“We will comply with the WHO’s request. We have already cremated all the corpses of flu victims, including those in Guizhou Province, so there is no remaining evidence. We can replace and fabricate all health center records.”

“Hmm, let’s do that. Thoroughly control the movements of the WHO investigators and make thorough preparations. This is the minister’s last chance!”

“Yes, Chairman!”

*

Guizhou Province, Health Center.

The WHO epidemiological investigation team was reviewing the medical records of the deceased.

Among the investigators was Da Liang, an investigator from Taiwan who had previously conducted an unofficial investigation in Guizhou.

The investigation team leader asked the head of the health center.

“Here, the deceased girl named Cai Ming is only listed as having a fever, but the exact diagnosis is not recorded?”

Hundreds of children and elderly people in one village died from the disease in a month, but the diagnoses were all unscientific opinions such as fever and old age.

“If they died or were in a coma before receiving treatment, we do not perform an autopsy and only record the external findings when processing the deceased. They may have had congenital diseases, and China has such a large population and high infant mortality rate that we do not identify the specific disease in each case.”

“The dates of death are accurate, right?”

“Of course. The cremation date is also recorded next to it.”

“Director, may we collect samples from the buried corpses?”

“Corpses? Unfortunately, in our country, we have a principle of cremating the deceased within three days. I regret that there are no corpses left for autopsy.”

The investigation team leader, who had copied the medical records, said.

“May we visit the village with the highest number of deaths?”

“Of course. Director Zhang! Guide them! Help them well if they need anything.”

“Yes, Director!”

As the WHO investigators left, the head of the health center smirked.

“No one can revive a creature that has become ashes, hahaha.”

*

The WHO investigators entered the village.

And immediately headed to the mountain behind the village.

Director Zhang asked.

“Where are you going?”

“I heard there is a cemetery in the village, so I am looking around.”

“That’s a grim place.”

“We will only look at the places where they were temporarily buried before cremation.”

“I understand.”

He guided the investigators without much suspicion.

They reached the communal cemetery that had been there for a long time.

The places where they had been temporarily buried were dug up, and small tombs were scattered next to them.

Da Liang said in a low voice to the investigation leader.

“It’s right there!”

It was a tomb with a small wooden sign.

Cai Ming!

The name of the child who died, whom the health center said had been cremated, was written on it.

Director Zhang was startled to see the temporary burial site where part of the corpse was exposed.

“Huh? Why wasn’t it cremated?”

The central government had issued an order for collective cremation, but the local government, overwhelmed by the number of deaths, signed only the cremation documents due to insufficient crematorium capacity, cremated only some of the temporarily buried corpses, and left the rest as they were.

The families of the deceased also wanted burial rather than cremation, so they did not bother to report it.

Da Liang had been aware of these facts through prior investigation.

Director Zhang expressed his difficulty.

“This shouldn’t be happening! I was told not to touch anything.”

Director Zhang was a paratrooper [someone appointed to a position without relevant experience] who had been hired as a cadre of the Party, completely unrelated to medical health.

Da Liang prescribed a common remedy that would change the minds of Chinese officials by 180 degrees: a bribe.

Da Liang slipped a heavy wad of Yuan notes to Director Zhang and said.

“The head of the health center told us to help with what we are doing, didn’t he?”

“Hmm, hmm, that’s right.”

“Who would know if you turned a blind eye, Director?”

“Th-that’s true. But why are you taking flesh from the dead?”

“It’s a necessary procedure for the epidemiological investigation. That’s why we came here. We have to search for months until we get a sample from the deceased. It’s better to finish quickly, isn’t it?”

“That’s right. Then do it quickly.”

While Director Zhang was pocketing the money, the investigators took samples from the corpses, put them in containers, and took evidentiary photos.

In that way, they collected samples from three corpses and quickly left the country.

*

Some time later.

The Chinese leadership was shocked by a Hong Kong newspaper article containing the WHO’s epidemiological investigation results that the Hong Kong flu had broken out in China half a year before Hong Kong.

Deng Xiaoping shouted at the Minister of Disease Prevention.

“What about the corpses that weren’t cremated?”

The minister trembled like a mouse in front of a cat.

“I deserve to die, Chairman!”

“You’re fired! Go and be investigated for treason immediately!”

“Chairman!”

The public security officers who had been waiting dragged him away.

The minister’s entire career, as well as the rest of his life, would be spent in forced labor, meeting a miserable death.

“How are we going to fix this! Fix it!”

A Standing Committee member said.

“Now that things have come to this, how about admitting it and blaming it on the intentional omission of reports by middle-level officials?”

“Hmm, by saying it was the Minister of Disease Prevention’s attempt to conceal it?”

“That’s right.”

“He’s going to die anyway; he should die for his country.”

“……”

*

The Minister of Disease Prevention, dressed in prison clothes and imprisoned, sat in front of a special public security officer.

The public security officer gave him a cigarette, lit it, and said.

“I have come to give you a last chance thanks to the Chairman’s consideration.”

“Really?”

“Treason must be repaid with patriotism. There is something you must do.”

“Just tell me. I will do anything.”

“Just memorize and say what is written here.”

A moment later, he sat in front of the camera and said with dry lips.

“…Because the number of deaths was so high, I was afraid of being held accountable, so I disobeyed the Party’s order to immediately report the new disease and reported it to the higher authorities as Asian flu and fever. I received bribes from the corpse cremation contractors and left about 30% of the corpses temporarily buried. I have committed a serious crime of betraying the country and the people.”

“Cut!”

“……”

“Good job. Wait here.”

“Thank you!”

*

The Chinese Party spokesman briefed foreign reporters.

“Here is a video of the corrupt official’s confession.”

The scene of the Disease Prevention Minister confessing was played on video.

-…I disobeyed the Party’s order to comply with the WHO’s policy and received bribes from contractors.

When the video ended, the spokesman said.

“Therefore, the Party has decided to punish the person severely as a warning to others.”

A British reporter asked.

“So, are you admitting that the flu occurred before Hong Kong?”

“Hmm, hmm, as a spokesman, I cannot answer questions other than the scheduled reading. That’s all.”

At that moment, the Minister of Disease Prevention was shot to death at the execution ground.

Bang!

*

WHO Headquarters.

The board of directors was meeting.

Director Huo Guo, showing fabricated documents again, was foaming at the mouth trying to make excuses.

“This is a document reported by the head of the Guizhou Province Health Center to the Central Disease Prevention Department. The head of the Disease Prevention Department, fearing accountability for the epidemic, omitted the report to the Party and even received bribes from contractors, committing anti-people acts. Our People’s Republic of China has resolutely responded to such inhumane crimes and severely punished the head.”

The Secretary-General asked.

“So, what are you trying to say?”

“The delay in reporting was not China’s intention.”

“Wasn’t it that you were trying to hide it from the beginning, not just late in reporting?