Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

"Hello! Book delivery!" Beijing residents are hearing these words at their front door more often. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, food and other grocery delivery services have sustained many people, and now books are being added to consumers' shopping list. More than 70 bookstores in Beijing have teamed up with food delivery platforms to provide the delivery of "fresh" books within half an hour. Some bookstores have also added stationary, cultural and creative products on the platform. For students who are preparing for vital exams and parents looking after young children, books and learning aids are in high demand. The new book delivery service is not only helping yield profits for bookstores but also meeting consumers' needs at the time when shopping in not advised. The coronavirus outbreak has hit various industries hard, but some services are turning adversity into opportunity. China as a whole is struggling to seek a balance between epidemic containment and resumption of work; perhaps it is time for other industries and companies to shift thinking patterns and find new solutions during these tough times.