A major change in the forest world

Chapter 10.2 Special Video Summit on Ethnic Group Emergency Response

In 19, the giant tortoise still did not win the World Peace Prize for the Forest. Although the conversation with the white goose was fruitful, it would take time to actually implement it, and he absolutely could not do that during his term of office.

At the end of that year, on the eve of the forest's renewal and the revival of all things, a sudden viral storm swept in. Without gunpowder or war, it plunged millions of lives into fear and unease. This virus was unpredictable and highly contagious; within a short time, all the tribes, large and small, in the forest were infected to varying degrees. Fear kept them from venturing out, and the once bustling markets became deserted. Caravans engaged in inter-tribal trade halted their journeys, and the entire forest fell into a deathly silence.

As the leader of the desert tribe, the camel, at the suggestion of the tortoise and the phoenix who cared about the safety of the entire forest, immediately took the lead in convening the annual summit of the twenty tribes ahead of schedule. Considering the transmissibility of the virus, the summit was held via video conference.

Online meetings, though seemingly simple, are actually quite challenging. The key challenges lie in ensuring successful and smooth connections for all twenty groups, as well as network security, dealing with countless intrusions and attacks from hackers. The Camel King, in charge of the summit, decided to personally oversee the process, connecting with the other nineteen groups online in advance to confirm each connection was working correctly before finally feeling at ease.

On that day, the leaders of the twenty forest tribes, including the Great Tortoise, Phoenix, Eagle, Condor, Berlin Bear, Goat, and Fresh Fish, successively connected to the meeting via the internet, each sitting solemnly in the video conference.

Seeing everyone's worried expressions, Camel cleared his throat and broke the silence of the meeting. His tone was equally concerned: "Distinguished leaders, dear old friends, we have gathered here today not for trade, not for conflict or competition, but solely for this epidemic that is sweeping across the entire forest. The virus is now spreading everywhere, indiscriminately, regardless of region or race. It has already claimed the lives of some of our compatriots and caused countless others to suffer from the disease. If our respective races do not come up with a truly feasible solution and allow it to continue, the entire forest will be devastated. Therefore, I earnestly request that all of you old friends pool your wisdom and efforts, unite as one, and devise a good plan to eliminate the virus and overcome this crisis."

As soon as Camel finished speaking, the forest's big brother, Big Turtle, spoke first: "Before we think of a solution, let's understand the facts. What are the symptoms of this virus infection?" After speaking, he glanced at his underlings present.

Eagle, with his ingrained understanding, answered first: "Patients present with a variety of symptoms, common symptoms include fever, dry cough, fatigue, and abnormal sense of smell or taste. Some patients also experience nasal congestion, sore throat, and diarrhea. Severe cases may experience difficulty breathing and hypoxemia, and must seek medical attention immediately."

"The main symptoms are still respiratory symptoms: about 80% of patients experience a dry cough or cough up a small amount of white phlegm, often accompanied by a persistent low-grade fever (37.3-38℃) or a high fever (above 39℃). Patients infected with the Omeprone variant are more likely to experience upper respiratory symptoms, such as sore throat and hoarseness," Diao added, maintaining a romantic demeanor.

Berlin Bear catches the eagle's words: Other symptoms include systemic symptoms (approximately 60% of patients experience significant fatigue, and some experience muscle aches and headaches. Children may experience decreased mental state and loss of appetite).

Sensory dysfunction (approximately 30-50% of patients experience decreased sense of smell or dulled sense of taste, usually appearing 3-5 days after onset, and in severe cases may last for several weeks).

Fresh Fish, who usually kept to herself and lived a quiet life in her own little world, rarely interacting with the affairs of the forest world, actually spoke up, perhaps because of the online video conference. Her tone was calm and firm:

"As everyone knows, our Fresh Fish Clan is small in overall strength, with limited medical capabilities, a weak local medical system, and uneven distribution of medical resources. Even on ordinary days, we struggle to guarantee basic medical care for ordinary creatures. Now, facing such a large-scale major disease outbreak, we are facing a severe shortage of hospital beds and medical personnel, and our emergency epidemic prevention system is completely inadequate. Faced with a rapidly spreading epidemic, we simply lack the ability, unlike our Big Turtle and Phoenix brothers, to quickly control and develop drugs to eliminate the virus in a short period, and to provide effective treatment for all patients. But we..." We cannot stand idly by and watch the disaster spread, plunging our entire people into chaos and ultimately leading to our demise. Therefore, as the leaders of our people, our duty and our only responsibility is to close off the area, implement strict lockdown measures, control the movement of people, and ensure everyone works together to protect ourselves. Even if it means temporarily slowing down economic development, we must do everything in our power to safeguard every life and keep the virus completely out of our borders and from the lives of every patient.” He then added with utmost urgency, “Now I’m counting on Brother Phoenix and Brother Turtle to quickly produce a cure and save our people from this viral threat!”

Upon hearing this, the goat couldn't help but steal a glance at the phoenix, thinking: Whether someone has the strength or not, whether they are excellent or not, isn't something they can simply declare themselves; it's up to others to judge. Our initial approach to the pandemic—strict border controls and nationwide lockdowns—shows that, like the Fresh Fish Clan, we lacked the strength and could only resort to such helpless measures.

"Yes, Brother Turtle, Brother Phoenix, we have a basic understanding of the various symptoms caused by the virus in patients. All races are counting on you to be the first to prescribe the right medicine and produce a cure to eliminate the virus," the camel replied first.

"Yes, Big Turtle, Phoenix, we're counting on you to be the first to break through and produce a cure to eliminate the virus," the goat echoed. After saying this, he couldn't help but feel a little more respect for Phoenix.

Listening to the discussion, Phoenix became even more humble, remaining silent with a smile.

The giant tortoise was secretly plotting its next move: "In my opinion, this epidemic is just a mutated and more severe version of the flu we face every day. There's no need to panic and overreact! Besides, my Great Tortoise Kingdom has already accumulated a set of effective methods for dealing with major diseases, and we are far ahead in biopharmaceuticals. Weighing the pros and cons, there's no need to close all public places, stop all trade, or prohibit citizens from traveling together. After all, the real loss would be the economic shutdown caused by lockdowns!"

Seeing that everyone had finished their discussion, the Great Turtle spoke up: "Although our Great Turtle Kingdom is currently ahead in pharmaceutical manufacturing, the outbreak was sudden, and the disease is spreading too quickly. We are seeing more and more citizens infected and dying (especially elderly people with underlying health conditions who lack care), and our compatriots suffering from illness. If we don't take drastic measures like the Fresh Fish Kingdom and allow the virus to spread freely, it will only lead to a major disaster. But if we completely lock down and impose a ban, people's livelihoods and the economy will collapse completely. We are in a real dilemma. Therefore, I suggest that each ethnic group act according to its own actual situation. Those that need to be completely locked down should be completely locked down, those that need to be partially locked down should be partially locked down, and those that don't need to be locked down should also take corresponding measures to prevent the virus from spreading outwards and to a wider area."

The eagle, always known for its romantic and carefree nature, sighed, its tone full of helplessness:

"Our country, Diao Kingdom, has always cherished freedom and romance. Our people are already accustomed to a carefree and natural way of life. It is simply impossible to issue a travel ban now."

The phoenix finally spoke:

"My dear old friends, we must understand one thing clearly: the virus is now the common enemy of all living things in our forest. It has never been a problem for any one species, nor is it a problem that any one species has to face alone. We, the Phoenix, will definitely do our best in prevention and control, and cooperate with all species to take effective measures to prevent the spread of the virus. At the same time, we sincerely hope that Brother Big Turtle can work with us to produce a drug that can completely eliminate the virus as soon as possible."

Before the meeting concluded, the Great Turtle summarized, stating that everyone was caught in the same dilemma: whether to prioritize the economy or control the pandemic, a situation from which neither could be resolved simultaneously. Finally, the Great Turtle declared firmly: "No matter how cunning the virus is, no matter how much it mutates and coexists with our bodies, as Brother Phoenix aptly put it, everything has its counter. Sooner or later, we Great Turtles will produce a drug specifically designed to combat it!"

Once again, the Berlin Bear clapped his hands loudly first, followed by thunderous applause from the entire audience!

President Big Turtle's last words became the highlight of the entire event, and also gave everyone a great sense of reassurance!

Just like dealing with the pandemic, literature belongs to us, and to the world! Add it to your bookshelf if you like it; your support is my greatest motivation to keep writing!