As of Feb 3, Yueqing had recorded 108 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, about one-third of them in Wenzhou, which ranks second among cities outside Hubei province — the epicenter of the outbreak — with the highest number of patients diagnosed with the disease after Chongqing municipality.

It wasn't what Bentley had anticipated. A consultant with a Swiss company, the 71-year-old executive arrived in Wenzhou shortly after the Lunar New Year. He was preparing to start a consultancy project as soon as the public holidays ended and then return to Hong Kong later in February.

When he arrived in Wenzhou, the city had recorded only about 30 cases of the coronavirus. He thought the epidemic would soon be contained, considering Wenzhou's distance from Wuhan.

What he didn't take into account are the close links between people of both places. Wenzhou is famed for its business connections, with a vast number of its residents involved in an immense network of financial activities across the nation.