Vice President Bauer glared with narrowed eyes, prompting Taek-gyu to feign interest in the office’s surroundings.
“The office is quite cozy and nice.”
“…….”
No one else in the world would act this way in front of the U.S. President and Vice President.
Vice President Bauer exclaimed, “Do you even know what Silicon Valley is?”
I fired back. “Silicon Valley has no silicon in it!”
This was a self-evident statement that many overlooked.
Silicon Valley is a portmanteau of silicon, the element used in semiconductors, and Santa Clara Valley. However, there are no silicon mines in Silicon Valley.
The name originated because, since the 1970s, semiconductor industries and IT companies flocked there.
“The World Trade Center collapsed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and Morgan Stanley’s headquarters was inside. In an instant, the headquarters vanished, along with all equipment and facilities.”
Morgan Stanley managed hundreds of billions of dollars in financial assets. A misstep could have turned into a catastrophic financial disaster.
“Yet, Morgan Stanley resumed operations less than a day after the headquarters fell. This was possible because thousands of employees successfully evacuated just before the building collapsed.”
Even if data backups existed, experts had to manage them. If all the headquarters staff had perished, Morgan Stanley would have faced irreparable damage.
“Silicon Valley exists because it houses leading companies and the people who work in them. As long as they are alive, Silicon Valley can be rebuilt anywhere. But if they all die? Rest assured, the U.S. industry would regress for over a decade.”
Ronald was the only U.S. President in history without political or public office experience. Even as a Republican, he had no significant ties to the party.
This meant he was free from the interests of existing political powers.
As a result, he could draw conclusions based solely on what he deemed right, without worrying about how his decisions might alter the political landscape or how others viewed him.
I thought foresight would lead the future in the right direction. However, there was one question lingering in my mind.
I chose to support Ronald because I saw the signs.
The result was a chaotic American politics marked by a narrow majority, trade disputes, and various scandals.
If Diane had become president, the Democratic majority in Congress would have helped her push her pledges, trade disputes wouldn’t have occurred, and there would have been no Russian scandal or sex scandals.
Why was it Ronald and not Diane?
What was the reason Ronald had to become president?
I felt like I was finally beginning to understand.
When approval ratings are high and the political atmosphere is stable, no one wants to take risks. Instead, it’s in times of chaos that different choices become possible.
I looked directly at Ronald and said, “You once asked me if you could be a great president, right? At that time, I answered yes, but I wasn’t really sure. However, I can now confidently say that this is the only opportunity for that to happen!”
When Ronald entered the Republican primaries, no one was sure he would become president. That doubt remained even after he secured the Republican nomination.
His campaign team, and even his family, didn’t believe in his victory. The only person who was sure he would become president, apart from him, was me.
I was the only one who confidently supported him. And I still held that same level of certainty.
“What will you do?”
Ronald stared at me for a long time. I did not avert my gaze.
“Do you know what will happen if Big One doesn’t come?”
We’d both be finished.
But…
“If Big One comes, you will be the greatest president in history. You might even win the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Ronald chuckled at my words.
“Nobel Peace Prize… that sounds nice.”
He stood up and firmly grabbed my shoulders with both hands.
“Let’s take this opportunity to challenge it.”
Vice President Bauer was so surprised that he jumped up.
“This is ridiculous!”
Ignoring that, Ronald called for his aide.
“Prepare a press briefing.”
Vice President Bauer mumbled, looking incredulous, alternating his gaze between me and Ronald.
“Everyone is crazy. Completely insane.”
***
11:30 PM Eastern Time.
In the White House press room, major U.S. media outlets had gathered. Usually, the spokesperson gives the briefing, but this time Ronald took the stage himself.
He spoke with exaggerated gestures, as usual.
“Effective immediately, we are declaring a national emergency and designating the San Francisco Bay area as a disaster zone. We will evacuate residents in three zones and prepare for the earthquake. An integrated disaster response headquarters under the President will be established immediately, and we will devise all measures to reduce potential damage from the Big One.”
The unexpected announcement left the reporters in shock. Once the initial surprise faded, they all jumped up to bombard him with questions.
“Have you received consent from the ruling party?”
“Is there anything that requires congressional approval?”
“Do you believe evacuations can be completed on time?”
“What is the basis for the Big One?”
“Please respond with specific measures!”
***
We had surpassed the most crucial hurdle of persuading the President.
But the real problem was just beginning. Both the Democratic and Republican parties would strongly oppose, and public opinion would likely worsen significantly.
We booked a hotel near the White House.
Taek-gyu looked at me and asked,
“What if the Big One doesn’t come? Are we going to get executed?”
“You won’t be executed.”
But we could very well get shot on the street.
Now, less than ten days remained.
A Big One alert was issued for the San Francisco Bay Area. For the next ten days, public offices and schools would close, and public enterprises would be forced to halt operations.
Private companies were pressured to either deploy employees elsewhere or send them on leave, while simultaneously offering tax relief incentives.
Personnel were mobilized from fire stations and hospitals across the United States. Only essential staff remained, while others headed toward California.
Military transport planes were deployed to transport supplies. Field rations, tents, clothing, blankets, and medicines were stacked neatly in California.
The National Guard and federal troops began mobilizing for rescue, filling highways with military trucks.
All available resources in the U.S. were converging toward San Francisco.
As concerns over the Big One increased, some measures were expected, but this went beyond anyone’s imagination.
When various measures were announced, not only the U.S. but the entire world was shaken.
[Silicon Valley Paralyzed!]
[What Will Happen to America’s High-Tech Industry?]
[U.S. Economy Comes to a Halt!]
[Stock Prices of IT Companies in Silicon Valley, such as NPL, GOOGL, AMZ, Plummet!]
[Real Estate in San Francisco Crash. Properties Reduced to Half Price!]
[Gold and Oil Prices Surge! Inflationary Pressure Increases!]
[Panic Buying of Essentials in Various Places!]
[Still, the likelihood of the Big One remains below 5%… ]
The Washington Post featured the headline:
[Ronald Stamper’s gone completely crazy!]
Public opinion was also heated.
– Evacuating residents is ridiculous!
– I oppose corporate relocation!
– It’s like relocating all citizens of Seoul to escape the nuclear threat.
– Supermarkets are running out of supplies, and I can’t even buy drinking water.
– Walmart is out of dog food. My puppy is going to starve.
– If it’s going to be like this, wouldn’t it be better to just take a hit from the Big One?
Democratic Representative Lewis Kinkead harshly criticized Ronald in a media interview.
“The president is insane!”
“Isn’t that an extreme expression?”
“No! He’s completely crazy! He’s destroying America by believing the words of a nutty professor and a speculator!”
Even Fox News, which is pro-Ronald and pro-Republican, expressed concern about this action.
Time magazine featured a photo of Kang Jin-hoo on its cover.
The headline was ‘Rasputin Kang’.
***
Shelters must not be too close to danger zones or too far away. Additionally, transportation needs to be convenient for moving supplies and personnel.
Ronald designated a temporary shelter, and we moved various items stored in the warehouse there.
Warren Buffet, who appeared in the media, stated, “I will not comment on the possibility of Big One or Representative Kang Jin-hoo. However, I cannot say that disaster preparedness is completely off track. Berkshire Hathaway will ensure that our subsidiaries produce and supply related items in accordance with government measures. The Coca-Cola plant will also increase the production of bottled water, so please understand that there may be a shortage of cola stock at stores for a while.”
I spoke with Chairman Im Jin-yong.
“We will provide as much support as possible without putting a strain on Seosung Group.”
“Thank you.”
In the current situation, that alone is a significant help.
The White House Situation Room displayed real-time evacuation updates. We needed to complete as many evacuations as possible before the Big One arrived.
But isn’t it said that bad things come in pairs?
Amidst the busy disaster preparedness, another disaster struck within the United States.
***
September 22, 2 AM.
A fire broke out in Houston, the largest city in Texas. The 25-story Blue Bell Tower, owned by the city, primarily housed low-income white residents.
The flames began on the 5th floor and quickly spread up the façade. Nearby firefighters responded to the call, but delays occurred as access for fire trucks was not properly secured.
In just 20 minutes, the fire engulfed the entire building. Most residents were asleep at that late hour and could not escape in time.
Cameras captured people jumping from the building, unable to withstand the flames.
Firefighters battled the blaze for 15 hours before finally bringing it under control, but by then, the building was completely destroyed.
Only a few dozen people were evacuated, and the fate of approximately 400 others remains unclear, with most presumed dead.
In the face of such a major disaster, the governor should have shown up to direct rescue efforts and formulate a response.
However, Governor Martin Albright only appeared at the emergency meeting room 10 hours after the fire broke out.
The fire alarm system did not function, and there were no sprinklers. The most significant issue was the use of flammable sandwich panels on the exterior during renovations.
The renovation, which would not have passed a safety inspection, was made possible because Governor Albright relaxed building regulations after cutting the budget for rental apartments.
As criticism mounted, he deflected responsibility towards the President, despite being a Republican.
“The federal government has moved all available firefighting and medical personnel to California under the pretense of preparing for an improbable earthquake. This led to confusion and increased casualties. Otherwise, we could have saved precious lives!”
While it’s true that his actions had some impact, this statement felt like an excuse after failing in the initial response. Most importantly, he could not adequately explain what he had been doing for 10 hours.
However, discontent over emergency measures and dissatisfaction with Ronald were rampant across the United States, and this tragedy was enough to ignite that frustration.
The media focused more on blaming Ronald than holding Governor Albright accountable.
[At 2 AM today, fire broke out at Houston’s Blue Bell Tower!]
[Confirmed dead: 60, missing: over 350. Most missing presumed dead!]
[The worst fire disaster in American history!]
[More fatalities than the Mexico City earthquake]
[In preparing for the big one, the fire disaster was not prevented]
[President Ronald must take responsibility…]
The belief that there was no further drop in approval ratings was a great misconception.
After the Bluefell Tower fire, even his core supporters turned away, causing Ronald’s approval rating to plummet below 10 percent.
