[Earthquake Hits the U.S. West Coast!]
[Magnitude 6.7 quake offshore California! Buildings near LA shake]
[San Francisco earthquake. No reported injuries so far]
[San Francisco Airport paralyzed. Flights continuously canceled]
[Signs of movement along the San Andreas Fault]
The western United States is part of the “Ring of Fire,” a circum-Pacific seismic belt. Therefore, the California area is classified as a seismic risk zone.
In the past year alone, there have been eight earthquakes of varying magnitudes; however, most were located far from land, resulting in little to no actual damage.
This latest quake had its epicenter nearly 100 kilometers away from the coast and was deeper than 10 kilometers, causing only minor shaking with no significant impact.
Seismologists are taking this earthquake seriously, claiming that the early warning system for seismic activity needs to be strengthened, but the public seemed to shrug it off.
There was some commotion due to temporary evacuations, but it was reported that there were no injuries or property damage.
***
In the moment the earthquake shook the ground, Kang Jin-hoo collapsed and lost consciousness. Ellie, who was with him, quickly called 911, and Kang Jin-hoo was immediately transported to a nearby hospital.
The test results showed a mild concussion caused by the fall. The attending physician said he would wake up soon if he took some rest.
After Jin-hoo collapsed, Ellie contacted the two of them right away. Initially, she thought he would wake up quickly.
However, when she received the news that he hadn’t woken up even after a day, she realized the seriousness of the situation.
Taek-gyu, who was at work, ran to Hyun-joo, who was in the building next door, as soon as he got the call.
“Sis! They say Jin-hoo still hasn’t woken up.”
Hyun-joo nodded.
“I just received a call from Ellie too.”
Only then did the medical staff begin detailed examinations, but they couldn’t find anything unusual.
It would be better if something was wrong so they could treat it. But with no abnormalities found and yet he still hadn’t woken up, there was nothing they could do.
“Can’t they just wake him up?”
“They say he doesn’t respond to any external stimuli.”
If it was a mild concussion from the fall, it would be normal for him to wake up soon. So why hasn’t he woken up yet?
“What should we do then?”
Hyun-joo pondered while smoking a cigarette. They couldn’t just wait indefinitely until news arrived. Thankfully, Ellie was there with her, but…
“Let’s head to America for now.”
Taek-gyu thought the same.
“Should we leave right away?”
Although no media reports had surfaced yet, it was only a matter of time. And when the truth came out, there was someone who would be shocked the most.
Hyun-joo told her brother, “I’ll arrange the flight, so you go get Jin-hoo’s mother. Make sure to tell her gently so she won’t be surprised.”
“Ah, got it.”
Taek-gyu immediately drove towards Dongtan.
***
Choi Mi-ja was spending her days in a house on the outskirts of Dongtan. She had grown accustomed to living with bodyguards.
When her husband’s business was doing well, there were many people she kept in contact with. However, after her husband died and their financial situation worsened, most of those connections faded away, except for a few acquaintances.
But when her son became famous, suddenly, messages started pouring in from all directions.
Relatives, long-lost friends, and even high school classmates whose faces she barely remembered reached out.
Aside from the few acquaintances she’d kept in touch with during hard times, she cut off contact with others. The only exception was the employees who had worked at her husband’s factory.
After the company closed, the employees scattered everywhere. She sought them out and found them, helping them look for jobs and providing monthly living expenses.
However, just because someone is wealthy doesn’t mean they’re bad, and just because someone is poor doesn’t mean they’re good.
Everyone was grateful, but some wanted more money or made unreasonable demands. Ultimately, their goal was money.
Having watched her husband’s business for a long time, she knew well that when things were good, all sorts of people would come forward with various requests.
If she tried to fulfill every request, it would never end. Thus, she firmly rejected demands that crossed the line.
Those who initially begged for help would turn suddenly resentful and accusatory if she kept saying no, asking why her son, a member of a wealthy family, couldn’t even help with this.
But that money ultimately belonged to her son, not her. To avoid causing him trouble, she needed to maintain her boundaries. So, she drew lines with relatives as well.
‘Is she coming in from the U.S.?’
She learned about the earthquake through the news.
Hearing about an earthquake worried her, but she felt relieved to know there were no casualties.
Coincidentally, she received a message from her son’s friend that due to a canceled flight, he might arrive a day or two late.
However, when Taek-gyu arrived at her home a day later, he shared a completely different story.
“What do you mean? Jin-hoo collapsed in America?”
“They say there’s nothing seriously wrong, so try not to worry too much.”
“Are you late because of the flight cancellation?”
“I’m sorry. I thought I’d wake up soon. To be honest, I was worried you’d be concerned if I told you…”
“Wait… Ah!”
Taekgyu quickly supported her as she almost collapsed and sat her down on the couch.
“P-Please calm down, Mother!”
She tightly grasped Taekgyu’s hand and said,
“What should we do about Jinwoo? Our Jinwoo…”
“Let’s go to America right now. Just pack the essentials.”
“O-Okay. That sounds good.”
She quickly packed her bags, and Taekgyu called Hyunjoo.
“I’m on my way with Jinwoo’s mother, sister. What about the flight?”
[They said they’d lend us a private jet from Seosung Group. Just come to Gimpo Airport right now.]
“That’s great. Got it.”
She packed her things in an instant.
“Hurry up, Taekgyu.”
“Okay. Did you pack your passport?”
“It’s right here.”
Taekgyu took the passport and was startled.
“Um… the passport has expired.”
***
[OTK Company CEO Kang Jinwoo Unconscious]
[Currently hospitalized near San Francisco]
[According to the attending physician, no significant abnormalities were found…]
[What is the future of OTK Company?]
News of Kang Jinwoo collapsing and not regaining consciousness quickly spread worldwide. Korean media also took a keen interest and reported extensively.
The internet erupted.
– Why did Kang Jinwoo collapse?
– They say he suffered a concussion from falling.
– Could it be related to an earthquake?
– That young punk got a concussion just from falling? He lacks resilience!
– Could there be another reason? Maybe he was hiding a serious illness.
– Isn’t it due to overwork and stress?
– But what if he never wakes up again?
– No way, right…?
– Shouldn’t OTK Company close down? It can’t operate without Kang Jinwoo.
– This shows that no matter how much money you have, health is the most important.
– Being a CEO is tough.
– He may have more money than me, but he can’t be freer than I am!
– Yes. Next, the unemployed.
***
Berkshire Hathaway grew through insurance, and it still holds significant importance in its operations.
The emergence of autonomous vehicles caused significant upheaval in the insurance industry. With fewer accidents, the insured party shifted from drivers to cars, severely impacting insurance profitability.
Consequently, Warren Buffett has maintained a negative stance on self-driving technology, harshly criticizing Nikola’s autopilot on several occasions.
Given this context, the investment in Seosung Electronics was even more shocking, as it effectively resembled an investment in both CarOS and autonomous driving.
Autonomous development firms and automakers scrambled to devise countermeasures, including Eunsung Motor.
A sense of crisis prevailed as there was a real risk of falling behind in the self-driving competition. Suddenly, news broke that Kang Jin-hoo had collapsed at the airport.
Han Chan-young saw the article and quickly received a report from his staff who gathered related information.
“What do they say the cause is?”
“We’re not sure yet.”
“They’re saying he doesn’t even react to external stimuli?”
“Given that he hasn’t woken up so far, it seems that way.”
OTK Company has 28 full-time employees. Including its subsidiary, K Company, the total is just 55, which is absurdly low considering its asset size. However, since they do not directly intervene in the subsidiary’s management, this number is sufficient.
Yet, it could be said that it is essentially a one-man operation under the CEO’s decisions.
OTK Company doesn’t just hold shares in CarOS; it also owns TS Company, a battery firm that must closely collaborate with CarOS, and a battery research institute.
With Kang Jin-hoo down, various businesses like investment, development, and collaboration will inevitably face delays.
“Keep monitoring the situation.”
“Understood.”
Once the employee left, Han Chan-young muttered his true feelings.
“I wish he would never wake up like this.”
In the financial world, there is a saying: “Money has no blood or tears.”
As the news of Kang Jin-hoo’s collapse spread, the automotive stocks, expected to gain from CarOS’s delayed new car launch, all rebounded, while Seosung Electronics and Seosung SDI saw declines.
The media and industry officials were on high alert, considering Kang Jin-hoo’s health condition and the potential impact it could have moving forward.
***
Three days had passed since Kang Jin-hoo collapsed.
As he still hadn’t awakened by this time, all sorts of speculative articles began to flood in.
If Kang Jin-hoo doesn’t wake up, to whom will the 80% share transfer? And who will take over the management moving forward?
Employees from OTK Company and K Company couldn’t hide their worries. Reporters flocked to the headquarters for coverage.
Although official interviews were declined, reporters instead interviewed passing employees.
Park Sang-yeop and Henry worked to calm the staff’s anxieties while enforcing internal regulations.
Business contacts expressed their concerns, and Ronald also posted a brief message on Twitter saying, “I pray for Kang Jin-hoo to wake up soon.”
***
Where am I?
I found myself at an intersection with traffic lights.
It appeared that hundreds of people were gathered in front of a building on the opposite side, perhaps for an event.
Next to me stood a white man in a perfectly fitted suit waiting for the signal. He exuded an elite air at first glance. Everything he had—clothes, shoes, bag—seemed expensive, and he wore a gold Rolex on his right wrist. Is he left-handed?
He was possibly in a hurry, talking on his Bluetooth headset while frequently glancing at his watch.
Moments later, the signal changed.
The man next to me quickly crossed the crosswalk.
In that instant…
BAM!
With a deafening sound, the ground shook like waves. People around me screamed and scattered in all directions.
The road cracked like shattered glass, and people running were sucked straight into the ground. The same happened to the cars speeding by.
CRASH!
The windows of a multi-story building burst simultaneously, raining glass shards down below.
A man in a suit was pulled into the cracked ground.
I was startled and reached out my hand. Fortunately, I was able to grab his hand just before he fell.
The man looked at me with a terrified expression. He shouted something, but his voice was drowned out by the deafening noise around us.
Just from his lip movements, I could tell he was asking for help.
I pulled with all my strength to lift him up. Suddenly, the sky darkened. The man, desperately hanging onto my hand, had a look of horror on his face.
I looked up.
A massive high-rise building was collapsing, blocking out the sun. It was already too late to escape. No, there was nowhere to run.
It was an incredibly surreal scene.
In that moment, the crack beneath my feet widened, and I fell into an endless darkness.
***
“Ugh!”
I opened my eyes wide.
The first thing that caught my attention was Taek-gyu eating pizza.
He seemed startled, with a slice in his mouth, blinking at me. Then he subtly raised his hand.
“You, you’re awake?”
I asked in disbelief.
“What are you doing here?”
Go
tf?