Imaginative Future 3

Chapter 5

With the team dispersed, each member plunging into their assigned tasks, the weight of the day settled on my shoulders like a physical burden. The silence in my apartment, usually a comforting solitude, now felt oppressive, a stark reminder of the isolation creeping into our lives. But there was one more call I needed to make, a lifeline to the support I desperately craved. I dialed Valerie's number, the familiar ringing tone a small beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness.

"What's up, Babe JX?" Valerie's voice, warm and familiar, filled my ear, a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. I could almost picture her smile, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners.

> "Hey, Honey Valerie. Are you free to talk now?" I asked, my voice strained, the weariness seeping into every syllable.

"Anything for you, Babe," she replied, her tone laced with a gentle concern that sent a wave of gratitude through me. "What's wrong?"

"Are Ryan, Jane, and Charmaine with you? If they are, I'd like to initiate a meeting with you guys. I need to talk to you all."

"What's happening, Babe? You sound stressed, upset," Valerie observed, her voice softening, her intuition always sharp. "Is it the lockdown?"

"It is. Very stressed. Apparently, our Prime Minister has just initiated a full lockdown protocol. Work from home is the default now, and the implications are staggering. I just had a meeting with Jade, Aloysius, and Clynston, and they're facing an insane amount of paperwork, logistical nightmares, and staffing crises. I don’t know how we will manage." I rubbed my tired eyes, the weight of the world pressing down on me.

"Ryan's already started a ConferenceMeet," Valerie said, her voice reassuring, a steady anchor in the storm. "Join in. Don't worry, we'll talk it through. We’re here for you."

Five minutes later, I joined the virtual meeting. The familiar grid of faces appeared on my screen, their expressions mirroring my own concern.

"Hey Jiaxing. What's so urgent that you needed to meet us?" Jane asked, her eyes filled with a concern that went beyond professional courtesy.

"Hey Jane, Ryan, Charmaine, and Valerie. First of all, I'd like to thank you for agreeing to meet on ConferenceMeet," I began, my voice a little shaky, the words catching in my throat. "I wanted to give you an update, a reality check. Everything's… well, complicated here. Our Prime Minister has initiated a full lockdown. As you know, with our building's size and the range of services we provide, we're facing a massive workload. Jade is working with HR to handle the childcare and student care sectors, dealing with panicked parents and staffing shortages. Aloysius is shifting our current work to online platforms, a chaotic scramble to adapt to a virtual world. And Clynston is tackling the paperwork I need to submit to the government for approval, a labyrinth of regulations and protocols, especially since we have parents working in frontline sectors, whose children we must care for. We are stretched to the limit."

"Wow, that sounds absolutely wild," Jane said, her eyes wide with disbelief, her voice laced with a genuine concern. "A full lockdown? That's intense. We saw it on the news, but hearing it from you, it feels real."

"How can we help you, Jiaxing?" Ryan asked, his expression serious and focused, his eyes conveying a silent promise of support. "We're here, even if we're miles away. We want to help."

"We need your help," I admitted, a wave of relief washing over me. "We need your insights, your perspective. You're observing this from a different angle, in a different country. You might see things we're missing." I paused, my gaze sweeping across their faces. "We need to work together, even across continents. We need to be a united front."