Jing Xi was experiencing mixed feelings. As it turned out, none of the 50,000 Uighurs that his men had infected with the virus had developed any symptoms. On the bright side, this meant that his own infection was unlikely to kill him.
Jing studied his latest blood test. The Hei Bai virus was still dormant in his body, but it seemed to not do anything to him. On the hand, he hadn't developed antibodies to it either. What a bizarre virus.
Jing put his blood test aside, and he opened a bag of Brazil nuts. He hadn't eaten Brazil nuts for years, but it was good to have some variety in his diet. Jing took up a handful pf nuts and he started chewing on them, when his secretary, Biyu Sang, called him over the intercom.
- Chairman Xi. Vice Chancellor Chi Wang requests that you come with him to the cabinet's finance meeting.
Jing got irritated with Biyu. She needed to learn her place and not speak to him like that. Jing calmed down. He knew that Biyu was stuck between a rock and a hard place as she couldn't reject the Vice Chancellor's commands. Thus, it was Chi Wang that he needed to put into place! Jing put away the nuts and replied.
- Tell him that I am on my way.
Having said this, Jing picked up a flower vase and chucked it into the wall. On his way to the meeting, he spoke to Biyu:
- Biyu, you better clean up the vase that you made me break in my office. Don't anger me more today!
***
Jing listened Chancellor Chi Wang who described how the previous year's Coronavirus outbreak had benefitted the Chinese dictatorship. That crisis had been a stroke of genius. Shortly after the virus had struck China. Jing and his comrades had found out the truth. That the virus was extremely contagious but not very virulent. By concealing this fact, Jing and his politburo had declared that China had conquered the epidemic. They had quadrupled their wealth trading on the international markets that had collapsed due to unfounded fears.
But the Coronavirus outbreak was over, and the world would be sceptical if a similar virus were to arise. Jing needed a new plan to enrichen himself and weaken his enemies.
Chi Wang:
- So, by selling our US treasury bonds on the 23rd of March 2020 and buying shares at the same time, we doubled our wealth.
Suddenly, Jing felt sick. Had anyone in the politburo poisoned him? He realised that he hadn't touched any of the food or beverage in the meeting room. Jing coughed violently and got up.
Chi Wang:
- Chairman Xi. Are you okay? Should I call our doctors?
Jing shook his head, and he exited the room. "I need to get to my office and contact Dr Song Bao" He thought. This was easier said than done. Jing was struggling to walk upright and the room became blurry. On top of that his skin had a burning itch.
"Where is Biyu?" Jing thought, and he soon found his answer as he stumbled over Biyu in his office. Biyu started at Jing in terror:
- Chairman Xi. What is going on?
Jing:
- Biyu? What the fuck are you doing in my office, you stupid cow? Call Dr Song Bao and tell him to get here immediately.
Biyu:
- But Dr Bao is not in Beijing today, can I get someone else?
Jing:
- No! It has to be Dr Bao. Call him and get him to come here. Send a helicopter to his location and pick him up. Now leave!
Biyu did as Jing instructed and she rushed out of the room. "The bastards have poisoned me. I need to purge!" Jing thought and he crawled to the rubbish bin, put his fingers in his throat, and purged. After that he passed out.
***
Jing Xi woke up in his private residence. Dr Bao and Jing's wife Lan Peng stood by his side. Lan sighed of relief:
- Oh, thank god you are awake. Dr Bao and I has been so worried about you.
Jing processed Lan's statement. He knew that it was a lie. His wife didn't give a shit about him, and he was fairly certain that she had an affair with Song Wang. Jing had been too busy scheming against the world and copulating with the beautiful Min Li, to verify the suspicion, but it was on his 'to-do' list.
Jing:
- Don't waste our time with this charade Lan. Please leave the room. I need to speak to Dr Bao.
Lan Peng got up, and she left the room without saying a word. As she left the room, Jing turned towards Song Bao and spoke:
- So, what happened to me? Did someone poison me.
Song shook his head and replied:
- I am afraid that your Hei Bai virus infection has activated at last. We might need to prepare for the worst. I have brought opioids to alleviate your pain.
Jing shook his head:
- I don't need to ease any pain. I am a fighter and I won't go without a fight.
Song:
- As you wish, Chairman Xi. I will be nearby if you change your mind.
Jing:
- Dr Bao. Do you know if anyone else from the group has fallen ill yet?
Song:
- Not as far as I know. But I will find out for you.
- We don't have a cure against this virus, so what do you want me to do?
Jing:
- Stay in the background for now. I need to feel this virus myself. Only then can I understand it and learn from it.
Song:
- Understood. Just press the emergency button, and I will come. Best of luck Chairman Xi.
As Song left the room, Jing started writhing in pain. His skin felt like he was on fire and he had to use his iron will to not scratch it. He pulled himself together and he pulled off his shirt. Jing made his way to a mirror. He stared in horror as bark like streaks were spreading across his body. "I have to come up with something or I will die." Jing concluded.
Jing decided that he wouldn't call his doctor. That fool had suggested opioids to reduce the pain, but that wouldn't do anything against the symptoms. "Something I ate must have triggered the virus" Jing thought. Could it be the Brazil Nuts? Jing decided that he would try an extreme measure to get out of his predicament. He would need to cleanse his body from toxins through sweating and shitting it all out. If he was wrong, he would die, but at least he would have died as a fighter. Jing pressed the emergency button and Song Bao rushed in.
Jing:
- Dr Song. Bring me laxatives and ghost chili at once.
Song stared at Jing's skin rash that was growing as he watched it. Song protested against the order:
- Are you insane? You cannot put your body under more stress. It will kill you.
Jing:
- So, would your bloody opium. The white devils used opium against us during the 19th century. I will never succumb to such foreign influences. Now do as I request. You might be my personal doctor, and the health minister, but I am the Chairman of CPOC!
Song:
- Understood, heavenly master.
Having said this, Song bowed and ran away to procure the supplies.
Song came back ten minutes later, and he handed Jing the laxatives and the ghost chill. To his amazement Jing skolled the bottle of laxatives and ate several of the super strong chillies.
Jing:
- Please leave, I doubt that the coming hours will be pleasant.
Song did as Jing instructed and he rushed to leave Jing's private quarters. Jing rushed to the bathroom bracing himself for several unpleasant hours.
***
A few hours later, Jing emerged from the bathroom. He was severely dehydrated and covered in sickly stinking sweat. But it was worth it. The skin rash had reversed and it no longer pained him much. He pressed a button and Song Bao entered the room.
Song Bao stared at Jing. He was pale, dress in his underwear, and a thick layer of rancid sickly sweat covered his body. Jing smiled and spoke:
- I did it. I beat the Hei Bai virus. I would have died if I followed your advice.
Song:
- I don't understand. How could laxatives and chili reverse your skin condition?
Jing:
- I thought about my day. The only thing I did differently today was that I ate a handful of Brazil nuts. Brazil nuts have a very high selenium content. Thus, selenium must be what is activating the Hei Bai virus. So, I drank heaps of laxatives and I ate a lot of chili to excrete the selenium. It was hell, but at least it saved my life.
Song:
- This is amazing, Chairman Xi.
Jing:
- Yes. Get some medical staff here. I need a saline drip to recover. Also send a large shipment of Brazil nuts to the Lop County concentration camps, we need to find out whether selenium is what triggers the virus.
Song:
- Understood, Chairman Xi. I will do your bidding.
After saying this, Song left the room while a medical team rushed in to attach Jing to a saline drip to aid his recovery. Realising that he needed to recuperate, Jing didn't leave the bed for several days.