**The Doctor in Hiding: A Chinese Virologist's Desperate Quest for Safety**

In a shocking turn of events, Dr. Li-Meng Yan, a Chinese virologist who fled her home country and made waves in the US with her theories on the origin of COVID-19, is now living in hiding due to fears that Beijing wants revenge against her.

According to a recent report by the New York Times, Yan's decision to leave China was not just a matter of personal conviction, but also a calculated move to avoid what she perceives as an imminent threat from the Chinese government. The 36-year-old researcher claims that her work has made her a target for Beijing, which is allegedly using her family members to lure her back and silence her once and for all.

"For over five years, the CCP [Chinese Communist Party] has used my parents and Mahen as tools to lure me back, attempting to carry out a 'perfect crime' to erase the truth about the virus and avoid accountability," Yan revealed in an interview with the Times. Her statement comes after she was forced to leave her husband and family behind in China, where she had been working at a prestigious lab at the University of Hong Kong.

Yan's theory that COVID-19 originated from a Chinese laboratory has sparked controversy and debate among experts, but her allegations have also gained traction among some conservative groups in the US. She has appeared repeatedly on TV shows and social media platforms, touting her research and claiming that the virus was created as part of a covert government operation.

However, not everyone is convinced by Yan's narrative. Her husband, Dr. Ranawaka Perera, who is also a seasoned virologist, has disputed his wife's claims, stating that she was manipulated by online personalities who exploited her fears and anxieties for their own gain. One such individual, Wang Dinggang, a former Chinese businessman with ties to the US, has denied coercing Yan or using her as a pawn in a larger game.

Despite the controversy surrounding her theories, Yan's fears of reprisal from Beijing are not unfounded. In 2023, she was listed among the victims of a transnational repression scheme targeting US residents, allegedly carried out by members of the Chinese National Police. Additionally, Google has informed Yan that she is likely the victim of a state-sponsored hacking attempt to steal her password.

Now, in an effort to protect herself from what she believes are imminent threats from Beijing, Yan has severed ties with her family and remains in hiding in the US. Her husband, Perera, who traveled to the US to try and reconnect with his wife, expressed his deep concern for her well-being and safety, saying, "I just want to talk to her directly, and make sure that she's safe... If she's safe, and doesn't want to be with me, I can move on."

The case of Dr. Li-Meng Yan raises important questions about the intersection of politics, science, and national security in an era of global pandemics and rising tensions between nations. As the debate over the origin of COVID-19 continues to rage, one thing is clear: the truth about this pandemic remains as elusive as ever.