An Investor Who Sees The Future

The U.S. government began serious operations after the Mexico City earthquake on September 19.

Due to the limited time available, less than 30% of residents in the highest-risk area, classified as A1, were evacuated.

Fortunately, tourist traffic had already ceased, and many people had voluntarily left the city.

However, millions of people still remained there.

Big One even shook the sea. The surging water column reached a height of 110 meters and traveled at a speed of 1,200 kilometers per hour.

The phenomenon of water receding was observed as far away as Hawaii and Japan.

Aftershocks continued to tremble the ground, and a tsunami warning was issued.

By the time the tsunami reached the coast, its power had significantly diminished. However, it was still strong enough to sweep through the city.

Kwaaaang!

A massive wall of water surged over the coastline and into the city.

“Uah!”

“Help me!”

No matter how hard people ran, they could not outrun the tsunami. The only way to survive was to get to higher ground or to the tops of buildings.

The enormous mass of water overwhelmed the buildings that had barely withstood the earthquake.

San Francisco was completely submerged, and surrounding coastal cities were also inundated. Debris from destroyed buildings, trash, and corpses floated on the surface.

Survivors wearing life jackets were swept along the water, shouting for help.

***

Ronald was known for his autocratic personality.

Whether in real estate, on TV shows, or now as president, he pushed his ideas unilaterally without persuading or compromising with those around him.

This made collaboration with the Democratic-controlled Congress impossible, and his term continued to be chaotic.

CNN and NBC mocked Ronald as a dictator. Yet, this style was proving very helpful now.

In a crisis, a strong leader who can issue commands quickly based on changing situations is essential.

News of aftershocks and tsunamis following the big one came immediately.

I was speechless seeing the tsunami sweep through the city. Ronald and his advisors were equally stunned.

I recalled the tsunami damage from the 2004 South Asian earthquake and the 2011 Tohoku earthquake.

However, this was worse than the two combined.

Satellite images soon arrived.

The tsunami had reshaped the coastline of the U.S. West Coast. San Francisco was completely submerged, and the San Francisco Bay was now connected to the sea.

Water would naturally recede over time, but the immediate problem was critical.

Rescue measures were quickly implemented. Every vessel owned by the government, including the Navy, Coast Guard, and maritime rescue teams, was mobilized for rescue. However, this was grossly inadequate.

Private vessels had been requisitioned before the disaster, but not forcibly. Instead, voluntary participation was chosen, conditional on property tax exemptions. For this purpose, wireless and GPS equipment purchased from Seosung Electronics was equipped similarly to helicopters.

However, to conduct rescues, boats must directly navigate into the danger zones.

How many of them would actually move?

Ronald appealed through broadcasts.

“Now is the time for hope, not despair. The U.S. will deploy all its power to save survivors. We will not stop until the end! Everyone, please join together for the rescue!”

***

The government had distributed life jackets to every household before the disaster struck. Because of this, many people floated on the water wearing jackets.

Among them, some had already become corpses.

The chances of survival after being swept away by a tsunami are slim. Those who managed to take refuge in tall buildings and fell in after they were filled with water survived.

Ross clung to the submerged wreckage to avoid being swept away by the current. His young daughter was clinging to him.

She whimpered, “Dad, I’m scared.”

He spat out the seawater that entered his mouth and replied, “Just hang on a little longer, Vanessa.”

“Where’s Mom?”

“Mom evacuated first, so we just need to get away now. Help will be here soon.”

It was a lie.

The disaster had struck while his wife was briefly outside, and he had no idea of her fate. He had simply escaped the collapsing building with his child. Still, he had managed to grab a life jacket, allowing them to stay alive.

“I should have evacuated the family first.”

Regret is always too late, no matter how fast it comes.

Crying and screams echoed everywhere. Only endless despair filled the air. There was no sign of hope for rescue.

Then suddenly, a motor sound began to be heard from somewhere. Looking up, he saw a fishing boat approaching rapidly.

People shouted toward the boat.

“Over here!”

“Help us!”

Ross also shouted at the top of his lungs, “There’s a child! Please, let her on first!”

But the captain of the boat shook his head and replied.

“There is plenty of room, so no need to rush! Look behind you!”

People turned their heads in unison.

Following the ship, a dozen more vessels were approaching. And far out at sea, an endless line of boats was visible.

From old fishing boats to luxurious yachts owned by enthusiasts, all were making their way toward San Francisco.

Despite the risks of aftershocks and building collapses, hundreds of civilian ships rushed to save survivors!

An elderly man in his 80s, piloting a luxury yacht, took a sip of bourbon and muttered,

“Still, I’m doing something meaningful for my country before I die.”

They threw life vests toward the survivors. Those who got on the boats first pulled up people still in the water.

The yacht, heavily loaded with survivors almost up to its deck, maneuvered away. Other boats followed, picking up more survivors.

In the sky, helicopters continuously flew around, rescuing those on building rooftops. It felt as if the sea was filled with boats and the sky with helicopters.

Human strength cannot prevent natural disasters. However, humans can overcome them!

Journalists pressed their camera shutters repeatedly, captivated by the majestic sight unlike anything they’d ever seen.

A reporter from the BBC, witnessing the scene, shouted in excitement,

“Right now in San Francisco, operations like the Berlin Airlift and the Dunkirk Evacuation are taking place simultaneously!”

***

The cruise ships scheduled to depart were included in the government’s requisition list, remaining on standby in nearby waters, giving up their commercial operations.

Tsunamis exhibit powerful effects closer to the shore than in the open sea.

Therefore, the vessels that were far from the coast did not suffer significant damage.

After the tsunami passed, the cruises quickly headed towards San Francisco. Thousands of passenger cruise ships served as excellent maritime shelters.

Boats loaded with survivors began arriving at the cruises one by one.

Staff distributed pre-prepared blankets and warm tea, guiding survivors to rooms for classification.

Injured individuals were treated by doctors who had already been on board the cruises, while those needing major surgeries were airlifted to nearby hospitals using helicopters available on the cruises.

Great powers unite more strongly in times of crisis.

In the face of an unprecedented national disaster, Americans thought about what they could do for their country.

Endless evacuees flocked to the shelters, while hospitals were overwhelmed with injured patients.

Due to a shortage of operating rooms, simple surgeries and emergency care were conducted even in hallways and patient rooms. Retired doctors and nurses rolled up their sleeves to join the effort, while long lines of people waiting to donate blood formed outside hospitals.

Volunteers also flocked to the shelters, with so many applicants that some had to be turned away.

The worst crisis in American history became an opportunity to demonstrate the resilience of the United States to the world.

***

Rescue measures functioned like interlocking gears. In such a large-scale disaster, finding a precedent for such organized and efficient response is nearly impossible.

This was possible because they had foreseen and prepared for the disaster.

Kiran Mohan accurately predicted the scale and timing of the Big One, Kang Jin-Hoo communicated this to the public and persuaded the administration, and Ronald Stamper issued the necessary directives based on that information.

If it hadn’t been for these three, the United States would have suffered an irreparable blow.

All three played significant roles, but the most crucial was undoubtedly Kang Jin-Hoo.

Professor Mohan is a seismologist, and Ronald is the President of the United States. They were simply fulfilling their respective roles.

But Kang Jin-Hoo is different.

He is an investor, unrelated to the earthquake, and a Korean, not even an American. Yet, despite facing criticism, mockery, contempt, and threats from all sides, he risked everything to alert people to the dangers of the Big One.

That action saved countless lives!

If someone like him isn’t a hero, then who can be called a hero?

Meanwhile, the media, which had been hurling criticisms at Kang Jin-Hoo, collectively shifted their stance and began publishing praise articles.

TIME magazine apologized for comparing Kang Jin-Hoo to Rasputin, and other media outlets also acknowledged their mistakes and offered apologies.

***

Until just a day before Big One broke out, Kang Jin-hoo was seen as the culprit who ruined America.

The anger of Americans was directed squarely at Koreans, and they couldn’t even go out properly.

In Korean communities and schools with many Korean international students, warnings were issued, and travelers were cautious not to reveal their Korean identity.

However, after the Big One erupted, the situation changed 180 degrees.

Kang Jin-hoo became an instant hero who saved America from crisis!

All Americans felt sorry and grateful towards Kang Jin-hoo. Naturally, the treatment of Koreans also changed.

A young Korean couple boarded a flight from Paris to Atlanta. While sitting in economy class and waiting for takeoff, the flight attendant asked,

“Are there any Korean passengers?”

Feeling curious, they raised their hands, and the attendant said,

“The passengers in first class would like to change seats.”

“…What?”

Confused, the elderly American couple from first class approached them and said,

“Thanks to Representative Kang Jin-hoo, our kids and grandson are safe. We want to express our gratitude this way.”

“Oh, no. We didn’t do anything.”

As they continued to decline, other American passengers stood up and urged them to go to first class.

The Korean couple, who had been saving money for their world trip, unexpectedly found themselves in first class for the first time in their lives.

A similar situation occurred at hotels.

“Excuse us? We reserved a standard room; why are we getting a deluxe ocean view…?”

American airlines announced that they would upgrade Korean passengers to business class when there were available seats, and famous hotel chains like Hilton and Marriott announced that they would upgrade Koreans’ rooms to deluxe for free.

Once this information spread, Americans flocked to the bulletin boards to voice their complaints.

“Fill first class with Koreans! What’s the point of leaving empty seats?”

“Is a deluxe upgrade all we get? At least upgrade us to a suite!”

Other businesses followed suit.

Restaurants and bars offered half-price discounts to Koreans, and some places even displayed signs saying, “Free for Koreans.”

At tourist sites, entrance fees were waived for Koreans, and local residents cheered and applauded.

Americans openly expressed their fondness for Korea, shouting, “I love Korea!” With such a warm welcome everywhere, those who were shy had to hide their Korean identity.

In contrast, Japanese and Chinese people pretended to be Korean.

A Korean community member was taken aback when they saw their Japanese neighbor, who proudly wore an rising sun flag T-shirt just days before, suddenly wearing a Taegeukgi T-shirt.