'Lion Rock Spirit' boosts business leader

Charles Hui looked out from the confinement of his apartment and wondered if the novel coronavirus would ruin his business. The Hong Kong native runs an education center in Wuhan, Hubei province, which he calls his second home.

His 35 employees are not allowed to work due to the outbreak.

However, the 60-year-old said he is remaining calm. Despite living in Wuhan for many years, Hui still has faith in the "Lion Rock Spirit", the "can do" attitude of people from Hong Kong.

Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, has been under lockdown since Jan 23. Since the coronavirus outbreak started, the city has seen the highest number of infected patients nationwide and reported the most deaths.

Hui has lived in Hubei's capital for nearly 14 years and is married to a local woman. They have two children.

He went out to buy groceries just ahead of the lockdown, which was implemented two days before Chinese New Year. It never occurred to him that it would be the last time he would leave his compound for some time.

The usually busy streets of Hankou district were deserted, with only supermarkets and pharmacies still open.

"I was a bit shocked, but not scared. I got what I needed," he said.

Having not left his home for more than a month, he is becoming more anxious every day.

His education center helps students from Wuhan apply for universities in Hong Kong, but business has suffered since late last year.

While business had already fallen 70 percent because of the troubles in Hong Kong, the company was brought to a standstill by the epidemic.

Now, Hui works from 9 am to 8 pm every day, figuring out ways to reach more potential students and find additional financial support. After dinner, he spends quality time with his 10-year-old and 3-year-old children.

He reports his temperature twice a day in a WeChat group for his family and other locals. The group is managed by the community's neighborhood committee, which is responsible for identifying suspected cases of coronavirus infection.

Every few days, Hui visits the committee's office in his compound to fetch groceries he orders via a different WeChat group, which is also managed by the committee.

"I've never run out of daily necessities, nor have I heard of anyone nearby doing so," he said.

When asked what he will do after the virus has been contained, Hui said he will work hard to find more students.

"I think I can save the business if I work really hard," he said.