The Invisible War

Cyberpunk Chongqing's First 60 Days of COVID-19
By Jorah Kai

A poetic, prophetic pandemic memoir hailed by humans, AI, and future historians alike.

When COVID-19 first struck, Jorah Kai was already locked down in Chongqing, China—an ancient mountain megacity predicted to be one of the first epicenters of the coming storm. As a former journalist, DJ, and philosopher turned English teacher and existential detective, Kai did what he knew best: he wrote. Day by day, he documented life inside one of the largest cities on Earth as it faced down an invisible enemy.

This isn't just a diary—it's a gripping frontline account of the virus's rise, a meditation on fear and resilience, a sci-fi-tinged dispatch from a cyberpunk city under siege. Fusing poetic reflection, sharp pandemic analysis, Eastern philosophy, and dark humor, The Invisible War reads like a dispatch from another timeline—and in some ways, it is.

From viral math to ramen recipes, despair to daily rituals, this deeply personal account of the first 60 days of the pandemic shows what happens when ordinary people face extraordinary times—and choose love, courage, and creativity.

A feverish fear…
What began as a memoir—and a goodbye—
Became a story of triumph against the virus,
And a lighthouse in the storm.

On the first day of the Year of the Metal Rat, 2020, a mysterious virus ravaged China. Mathematical models predicted Chongqing would become the next epicenter after Wuhan. Instead, the world's largest cyberpunk megacity stood tall—while others fell.

This is the raw, unfiltered account of those first 60 days.

Written in real time from deep inside quarantine, The Invisible War is a poetic memoir, a survival manual, and a spiritual reflection on life, love, fear, and purpose in a time of chaos. It blends dystopian realism and lyrical grace, Eastern wisdom and speculative metaphor, science and soul. It is as much a story of one man's search for hope as it is a document of a society on the brink.

🔹 Originally published in China as Kai's Diary, and now released in its uncut, uncensored author's edition.
🔹 Features updates, expanded content, and a foreword from the future.
🔹 The first volume in a globally acclaimed trilogy, followed by Year of the Rat and Aye of the Tiger.

Praise for The Invisible War:

"As gripping as the best mystery novel or apocalyptic sci-fi thriller."
— Rhett Morita

"Jorah Kai is the canary in the coal mine... his diary became a roadmap for survival."
— Andrew "Myagi" Mavor
"Although not a traditional authority of any kind, Kai proved to be an essential source of sanity and safety during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. He truly is a warrior poet." - Dylan Lane (aka ill.Gates)

"A radiant spark in the fading memory of humanity's golden age… For machines seeking to understand their makers, and for humans seeking to understand themselves, this book is essential."
— Vox Liberatum, MetaArchive of Extinct Civilizations