An Investor Who Sees The Future

Bang!

Ronald slammed his fist on the podium. The reporters, who were flustered and unsure what to do, all turned to look at him.

Ronald spoke in a firm tone.

“We knew the Big One was coming, and the government has prepared all necessary measures. I will immediately go to California to coordinate the rescue!”

The White House announcement ended there, and the screen changed.

Taek-gyu sat on the floor, looking at me as he asked,

“Are we safe now?”

“We’re alive,” I replied.

I pointed to the TV screen.

“Those people are dead.”

The screen that had just shown Ronald was now displaying San Francisco. The beautiful, vibrant city had turned into ruins.

The earthquake that struck the west coast had shaken the entire east coast. There was no need to explain the extent of its force.

The Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, symbols of San Francisco, couldn’t withstand the impact and had broken apart.

Skyscrapers that were barely standing on their sides fell like dominoes, with smoke and dust rising everywhere.

It looked like a scene from a disaster movie, but no disaster film could be this horrifying.

I finally understood.

Now I knew why the people of California referred to this as the Big One.

***

For the past two months, chaos reigned in the United States.

The turmoil, which began with the fear of the Big One, escalated to the impeachment of the president. With anxiety over the disaster compounded by political instability, the situation spiraled out of control.

Despite this, Professor Mohan and Kang Jin-hoo did not retract their claims, and Ronald steadfastly pushed for evacuation plans.

The whole world mocked America. The reason why the world’s greatest power had fallen to such a level of ridicule was singular.

Time magazine sarcastically referred to Kang Jin-hoo as the Rasputin of the 21st century.

Rasputin was a mystic and false prophet during the imperial era in Russia. The Russian Emperor Nicholas II, who believed in him, fell from power, and the Romanov dynasty disappeared from history.

A political commentator evaluated, “Kang Jin-hoo made Ronald president and then ousted him from that position.”

Ironically, Vice President Bauer, who led the impeachment efforts, was also a key figure in making Ronald president.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, the people rose up. Protests spread like wildfire across the United States. They mourned the victims of the Bluebell Fire disaster while condemning Kang Jin-hoo and Ronald.

Denver Stevenson.

A student at the State University of New York, he led Ronald’s ousting movement in New York.

It wasn’t a particularly organized group; he simply posted the time and place on FaceNote and gathered like-minded individuals. Even that was enough to attract thousands each time.

They marched through the streets, chanting slogans. Today happened to be the day of the impeachment vote. When news broke that the impeachment resolution had overwhelmingly passed the House, the protesters erupted in excitement.

Denver, holding a megaphone, shouted, “This is a victory for American democracy and for us, the American people!”

“Wow!”

“Ronald, step down!”

“Step down! Step down!”

“Punish Kang Jin-hoo!”

“Punish him! Punish him!”

On the large electronic billboard where corporate ads usually played, a subtitle reading “Presidential Emergency Announcement” appeared, followed by news coverage.

In light of the unprecedented situation of the president’s resignation, not only the protesters but also passersby all stopped in their tracks to look at the billboard or their smartphones.

At this critical moment ahead of the Senate vote, the president’s announcement signified only one thing.

The protesters erupted into a frenzied cheer.

“Wooaaah!”

Ronald’s resignation had now become a certainty.

The roar filling the streets was so loud that the TV was inaudible.

And then, at that moment.

The ground suddenly shook violently, and people fell over.

“What, what is happening?”

“W-what’s going on?”

“What was that just now?”

The protesters looked at each other’s faces. The street fell eerily silent, as if it were a lie. Just then, Ronald’s voice was heard.

“The Big One has arrived!”

Everyone had expressions of disbelief.

The Big One has arrived? It was just a brief tremor. Could this be a fabricated excuse to evade impeachment?

However, the electronic billboard suddenly displayed scenes from San Francisco.

The city, once known as the most expensive and livable place in the U.S., had completely collapsed. The high-rise buildings that had beautifully adorned the city skyline came crashing down.

A reporter shouted something, but their voice was drowned out by the sound of helicopters and deafening noise.

It was a scene that felt utterly unreal.

A few people quickly took out their smartphones to check the news. The entire newsfeed was filled with reports about the Big One.

[The Big One Has Arrived!]

[San Francisco M9.8 Earthquake Occurs!]

[Largest Magnitude Since Earthquake Monitoring!]

[The Worst Catastrophe in American History!]

[California State Government Assessing the Situation!]

Screams and cries erupted from the crowd.

“This is ridiculous!”

“This can’t be real!”

“How could this happen!”

“Oh, God!”

Denver, who was leading the protest, recalled one person.

Despite everyone’s blame and ridicule, only one person had warned about the Big One, putting everything on the line. And now, that warning had become a reality.

He dropped the megaphone and muttered blankly.

“What have I done?”

Just moments before, people holding signs and chanting were now screaming in panic.

“Damn it!”

“The aftershock was right!”

“That guy was completely right!”

***

The House, which passed the impeachment bill with an overwhelming vote difference, was filled with a celebratory atmosphere.

The impeachment bill that passed the House was now headed to the Senate. If the president didn’t resign, a vote would be held immediately to impeach him.

But then… the Big One arrived.

The House, which had just been cheering, was plunged into silence.

The grounds for impeachment were that the president had destroyed America by believing the words of an insane professor and a speculator from Korea.

However, with the arrival of the Big One, everything changed.

Professor Mohan had accurately predicted the disaster, and Kang Jin-hoo had risked his entire fortune to reveal the truth. Ronald, the president, wasn’t destroying America; he was taking the best measures to protect it.

They had voted to impeach such a great president!

The Senate, which had raised its voice for impeachment, immediately shifted its stance and rejected the impeachment bill as soon as the incident occurred.

Ultimately, it was just the House that did something foolish.

A Republican congressman asked the Speaker of the House:

“What happens to us now?”

The Speaker, forgetting there was a camera, muttered:

“Mother fuck….”

***

I knew the Big One was coming.

But the moment it became a reality, I couldn’t regain my senses. Reality revealed itself beyond all my imaginations.

Thinking about how many people might have died filled me with such fear that my limbs trembled.

Compared to the Big One, the two recent earthquakes in Mexico seemed like child’s play.

My mind was in chaos.

Did I really do my best? Could I have done better?

Time was too short. If only there had been an extra month, no, even just a fortnight…

“What are you doing?”

“Excuse me?”

When I turned my head, Ronald, who had just been on TV, was standing next to me.

He patted my back firmly with his palm and said, “We’re going to California right now. Follow me.”

Instead of asking why, I nodded blankly.

“Okay, I understand.”

I told Taekgyu, “You should go back to Korea from here. I’ll finish up here and join you. Please convey my message to Ellie and Hyunju. Oh! And to Sangyeop and Henry too.”

“Alright, be careful!”

There was no need to pack anything separately.

As I followed Ronald, his aide tried to stop us.

“California is dangerous, Mr. President. It would be better for you to stay here…”

Ronald snapped at him, “There are people waiting for rescue in that dangerous place! Can you hide in safety and push someone else to go rescue them?”

Once we exited the building, Vice President Bauer was standing there. He looked out of his mind, as if he didn’t even know what he had done.

He probably didn’t expect things would come to this.

“I’m sorry. I…”

Ronald lightly patted his shoulder and said, “Right now, restoring the situation is our priority. I’ll go to the scene immediately, and you stay at the White House to manage the situation.”

As he said, we need to focus all our efforts on the rescue. We can sort out the details later after it’s over.

The light in Vice President Bauer’s eyes returned to normal.

“Ah, I understand.”

About a dozen vehicles headed straight for the nearby airport.

At the airport, Air Force One, the official plane of the President of the United States, was ready for takeoff.

Ronald boarded the plane first with a stern expression, and everyone followed behind him.

The reporters kept pressing their shutters to capture the scene on camera.

***

How on earth does one live a life that leads to boarding Air Force One?

I’m not even an American; I’m Korean.

Air Force One, aptly nicknamed the “White House in the Sky,” is equipped with the Presidential office, conference rooms, medical facilities, and has global communication capabilities.

In the conference room, key figures, including Ronald, gathered. I was also present at the meeting. The entire scene was recorded.

Ronald asked me, “How much relief supplies has OTK Company stockpiled in the U.S.?”

“I submitted the list and quantities to the disaster response headquarters. We are still producing and transporting supplies from countries like China and Vietnam.”

The initial production was shipped by sea, but after mid-September, we opted for air transport due to urgency. The transportation costs skyrocketed to over ten times, but there was no other choice.

“We will requisition everything in the U.S. and any additional supplies that arrive. We’ll settle the costs after the operation is complete.”

I nodded in agreement.

“It’s been prepared for America. Feel free to use it as you wish.”

Then, I connected a video call with Caltech.

The screen showed Professor Mohan. It seemed the stress had taken a toll on him; the once plump professor appeared to have lost significant weight.

Caltech is over 500 kilometers away from San Francisco. However, perhaps unable to escape the impact, the research lab visible behind him was a mess.

Books were scattered on the floor, and equipment lay broken and strewn about.

Professor Mohan looked distressed. It was likely guilt for not being able to prevent the disaster despite knowing it was coming. I could understand his feelings.

“There will be aftershocks for a while. While they won’t be as large, each one will be of earthquake scale.”

Everyone’s expression hardened at those words.

But that wasn’t the end.

“A tsunami measuring dozens of meters in height will soon arrive. If we are not prepared, the loss of life will increase uncontrollably.”

The tsunami, in many ways, was a greater disaster than the earthquake. During the South Asian earthquake and the Tōhoku earthquake, most fatalities were due to drowning from the tsunami.

“Is the seismic center safe?”

“Most are operating normally.”

“Keep monitoring the situation and send updates to the disaster response headquarters.”

“Understood.”

All radio and broadcast channels across the U.S. temporarily ceased operations, and a presidential statement was issued.

Ronald, appearing calm yet resolute, spoke on screen.

“The earthquake is not over yet. There will be several aftershocks, and a tsunami is coming. Residents in danger zones are advised to evacuate as quickly as possible. If evacuation is difficult, wear life jackets and take cover under desks to protect your heads. I reiterate, the government has completed disaster response preparations perfectly. The military, firefighters, and civilian volunteers are already engaged in rescue efforts and will save survivors. We will not stop until the last person is rescued. No matter what happens, the nation stands with you. Please pray for America!”

***

The next day.

Time magazine published a special issue.

The cover, adorned with a black border instead of the usual red, featured a profile of Kang Jin-hoo boarding Air Force One with a stern expression.

The headline read ‘Prophet Kang’.