Professor Brown stated in an NBC interview:
“The massive earthquake in southern Mexico is certainly not a precursor to ‘The Big One’. Rather, this earthquake has confirmed that the energy from the Ring of Fire is being released, and the movements along the San Andreas Fault have eased.”
Other experts echoed similar sentiments.
Until now, there had been some skepticism regarding Professor Mohan’s claims. However, the situation completely changed after the southern Mexico earthquake.
Mainstream media unleashed criticism. They attacked us by dragging in aspects of our personal lives that had nothing to do with the incident.
Conservative media focused on the fact that Professor Mohan’s grandmother was Indian and that I am Korean, implying that people like us, not purely Caucasian, had no right to make such statements.
Some even claimed that I was connected to ISIS or that I had met porn stars in a secret room to engage in sexual activities.
This makes one realize that no matter the country, sensationalist journalists exist.
The internet was buzzing just as much.
– Was the prediction of a major earthquake wrong?
– They said a major quake would hit the central region, but it hit the south instead. Serves them right!
– But even if it was a major earthquake, it doesn’t seem like there was much damage.
– The claim that a million people would die from ‘The Big One’ is nonsense.
– That’s rural Mexico. If it happened in San Francisco, the story would be different.
– In return, San Francisco is much better designed for earthquakes. Even with similar quakes, casualties would likely be much lower.
– I was worried for days and couldn’t sleep well, but I think I can finally sleep peacefully today.
– ‘The Big One’ will absolutely not happen!
Online gambling sites were also heated.
Each site started betting on the likelihood of an M9.0 or higher earthquake occurring in San Francisco in September.
People do not lie when money is on the line. Therefore, various predictions have shown that the accuracy of betting sites is quite high.
Until then, ‘No’ was dominant at 81 to 19. However, after the major earthquake in southern Mexico, that ratio changed to 92 to 8.
Taek-gyu muttered while observing this.
“Still, 8 percent believes in our words.”
“…….”
It’s hard to tell if they really believe it or are just aiming for a quick fortune.
“The payouts should be considerable. Should I place a bet too?”
“Gambling is illegal.”
In South Korea, due to the principle of nationality, betting on legally operated gambling sites abroad can still lead to punishment.
Taek-gyu nodded and replied.
“Then I need to do it without getting caught.”
Well, if you don’t get caught, it isn’t a crime.
I received a call from Professor Mohan. Perhaps due to the media criticism, he sounded disheartened.
[That’s strange. According to the data analysis, an earthquake should occur in Mexico City.]
What I saw was indeed the ‘Mexico City Major Earthquake.’
“It just happened in the south first; the Mexico City earthquake you mentioned hasn’t occurred yet. It will likely happen soon.”
According to Professor Mohan’s analysis, it is before the Big One.
The question is when exactly that will be.
Right now, both the media and political circles are excitedly claiming that our assertion is wrong. In this situation, there’s no way to execute an evacuation plan.
To reverse the tide, the Mexico City earthquake needs to be proven.
It would be nice if we could glean other information, like with the San Francisco earthquake…
[The earthquake in Mexico is merely a precursor to the Big One. Having already experienced one earthquake, the next one will be smaller.]
“That’s somewhat reassuring.”
Still, since Mexico City is the capital of Mexico, the damage is likely to be much greater than that of the pijijiapan earthquake.
“Don’t worry about anything else, just focus on the research.”
[Got it.]
After the call ended, I put my phone down.
Now only 20 days remain.
***
Upon seeing the article, Park Si-hyeong burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
He always wore a pretentious smile in front of the media and the public; it had been a while since he could laugh freely like this.
“So even the great Kang Jin-hoo can be wrong sometimes.”
Professor Mohan had claimed the potential for a big one in academia for a long time. Until then, no one had paid attention to his assertion, but after Kang Jin-hoo stepped in, it gained significant traction. However, this incident proved that claim to be incorrect.
It had only caused unnecessary chaos in California.
If nothing significant happens within the next three weeks, Kang Jin-hoo will lose all shares and management rights of OTK Company.
Although it was a voluntary deposit, the California state government would certainly exercise its rights.
During the financial meeting, I listened to domestic earthquake experts.
They all said the same thing: predicting the location and magnitude of an earthquake is difficult, and accurately timing it is virtually impossible.
“Why on earth did he do something so foolish?”
Successful people sometimes make ridiculous mistakes. They become intoxicated by ongoing success, convinced that they can never fail.
Did he, after a few big successes in investments, actually think he could predict disasters too?
Perhaps he became mentally unstable after suffering a collapse from an earthquake, or he may have been deceived by Professor Mohan’s words.
Regardless, it’s too late to come to his senses now.
Park Si-hyeong recalled his tumultuous history with Kang Jin-hoo: the raids, the National Intelligence Service’s investigations, the situation with Hosung Savings Bank, and more.
As a result, he suffered serious setbacks to his morality and image, had to issue a public apology, cut ties with associates, and even had his father-in-law arrested.
Being meticulous, Park Si-hyeong never forgot his grudges. So, after becoming president, he indiscriminately retaliated, mobilizing the media, conservative organizations, and investigative agencies.
The only reason he hadn’t gone after Kang Jin-hoo until now was because Ronald was behind him. But now, Ronald had no choice but to abandon Kang Jin-hoo.
The Korean presidential election was also just around the corner.
He still holds power, and now, when Kang Jin-hoo is on the verge of collapse, this is truly the last opportunity to take action.
American media outlets were pouring criticism on Kang Jin-hoo and Professor Mohan. Among them were many articles that had no basis and were nonsensical.
Daily World News.
It’s known for publishing outrageous stories, like a famous Hollywood actress being pregnant with the son of a Libyan dictator, or that the U.S. government captures aliens for experimentation.
Essentially, it’s a tabloid that wouldn’t even rank in the media, akin to a sports newspaper in Korea.
There was an article claiming that Kang Jin-hoo had sexual relations with porn stars in a private room at FaceIt.
Even Americans dismissed it as a joke…
What the truth is doesn’t matter. If the media reported the truth, he wouldn’t even have made it to the presidency.
‘What the public believes is the truth.’
Park Si-hyeong muttered as he read the article.
“I guess I need to pay them back for what they’ve done.”
***
After the massive earthquake in southern Mexico, the employees of OTK Company were severely shaken.
Fortunately, Henry, who was in charge of operations, performed his duties flawlessly. The container ships entered the harbor one after another.
I was holed up in a hotel with Taekgyu, reviewing the situation and giving instructions while trying to persuade others.
No matter how much I prepared, these were merely measures taken after the disaster occurred. To minimize damage, the government needed to take preemptive action.
But the political sphere seemed not even to have a plan, let alone evacuate people immediately. The Democratic Party criticized Ronald for the evacuation drills conducted earlier.
They argued that unnecessary drills heightened confusion, deceived by misplaced words. The media joined in the attack on Ronald.
With each passing day, I felt increasingly anxious.
Time was truly running out, yet very few believed what I said.
“What is this, the curse of Cassandra…?”
“A woman from Greek and Roman mythology?”
“Yep.”
Cassandra had the gift of foresight but was never believed by anyone, due to a curse from Apollo.
During the Trojan War, when the Greek army withdrew and left behind the wooden horse, Cassandra prophesied that bringing the horse into the city would lead to Troy’s downfall.
But once again, people disbelieved her prophecy and brought the horse into the city, resulting in Troy’s destruction.
Taekgyu said, “For now, wait for the earthquake in Mexico City to happen. Then maybe they’ll believe you.”
“This is insane.”
Now, I had to pray for an earthquake in Mexico City to prevent the earthquake in San Francisco.
What did Mexico ever do to deserve this?
***
September 19, 1:15 PM.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck central Mexico, including Mexico City and its surrounding areas.
Coincidentally, this day marked the anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, which resulted in 40,000 casualties. Just after a memorial event that morning, another earthquake hit Mexico City!
There were widespread power outages and water supply issues across the city, and a rise in robberies took advantage of the lack of security.
Fortunately, Mexico City had maintained its earthquake preparedness and had recently conducted a large-scale evacuation drill following the warnings of the aftershock.
Residents calmly evacuated amidst the chaos. While there could have been significant casualties, the death toll remained under 300.
U.S. media broadcasted the earthquake situation live.
The ground cracked, buildings crumbled like sandcastles. Dozens of high-rise buildings appeared to lean like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, captured on camera.
[Major earthquake of M7.0 or higher strikes central Mexico!]
[Buildings collapsed in the Mexico City earthquake]
[Aftershock predictions proven correct!]
[Professor Mohan accurately predicted the mid-September Mexico City earthquake!]
[Is this a precursor to the Big One?]
[Professor Brown, the likelihood of the Big One remains extremely low…]
Viewers were astonished at the news.
Just before, everyone had felt reassured, believing Professor Mohan’s claims were wrong. But then the situation flipped again.
– What is going on?
– Aftershock predictions were right!
– Is this a precursor to the Big One?
– Does that mean the Big One is coming or not?
A line of people formed to leave San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Those who couldn’t leave due to work sent their families to relatives in other states for safety.
Due to the influx of people leaving the city, accommodations near the California state border were completely booked.
Tourist spots, always crowded with Chinese visitors, saw a sudden drop in foot traffic. Some companies canceled scheduled business trips and events, postponing everything until after October.
The three major U.S. indices plummeted, while safe assets like gold and the yen hit new all-time highs.
The odds on gambling sites, which had dropped to 95 to 5, shifted to 74 to 26.
While I was watching the news with Taekgyu, a call came in.
He bluntly said, “Get over here now!”
“Got it.”
As soon as the call ended, I told Taekgyu, “Pack your bags.”
We immediately left the hotel and boarded a plane.
We arrived at Washington National Airport around sunset. Stepping outside, we saw security personnel waiting from the White House.
We got into the car.
***
Despite the late hour, President Ronald and Vice President Bauer were present in the Oval Office. Both looked utterly exhausted.
After the reports of the Mexico City earthquake, I could imagine chaos had erupted in the White House. That’s probably why they summoned me immediately.
I spoke with them earlier at the airport, and Professor Mohan also received contact from the White House. However, he decided to remain in his lab, believing that would be more helpful.
Ronald looked at me and said, “So, the earthquake really struck Mexico City.”
I nodded.
“Professor Mohan was spot on. I believe Big One will be the same.”
Ronald sighed as he spoke.
“What do you think we should do?”
“As I mentioned earlier, we need to evacuate the residents of San Francisco and Silicon Valley immediately and establish rescue plans.”
Vice President Bauer shot back at me, “If we just evacuate without a plan, our approval ratings will plummet.”
Not long ago, Ronald’s approval rating barely held at 25 percent. But due to the chaos from Big One, it had dropped below 20 percent.
Taekgyu, with an innocent expression, bluntly stated, “Aren’t we out of options for dropping support?”
