Upon arriving in California, Ronald set up headquarters in a shelter near Stockton.
His staff warned him it was dangerous, but he didn’t listen. Ronald commanded the situation like a battlefield commander.
Despite being in his 70s, he exhibited incredible stamina. In contrast, I felt like I would collapse at any moment.
I hadn’t slept properly since a few days before Big One’s arrival, and that continued even after it struck.
There was hardly a moment to catch my breath.
Every time an aftershock hit, the shelter shook, and my colleagues turned pale. However, Ronald didn’t flinch.
It was clear he wasn’t an ordinary person.
More and more disaster victims crowded the shelter. Despite stockpiling supplies, everything felt inadequate.
Yet, America’s tremendous production capacity shone through here as well. Immediately, businesses in nearby states responded to the government’s orders, producing and transporting relief supplies and swiftly restoring damaged power and roads.
Relief supplies and rescue personnel from around the world were arriving by airplane. The key was to send them to the right places at the right times.
In some developing countries, relief supplies sit unused in warehouses, never distributed on time.
The disaster response headquarters began checking the number of people and necessary supplies at each shelter to ensure adequate distribution.
Meanwhile, the media, which had been critical of Ronald, restrained sensational reporting and focused on rescue facts.
Each day, miraculous survival stories adorned the news. Some were rescued after being buried under debris because their Samsung smartphone automatically sent their location, and others, swept away by a tsunami, were saved by private vessels patrolling designated zones.
Families who thought they had lost loved ones in the shelter embraced each other, tears flowing.
I smiled at the sight.
While taking a brief break, Ronald approached and placed his hand on my shoulder, saying, “What are you doing? There’s a meeting, so let’s go.”
“Ah, yes.”
“You look really tired.”
“Oh, no, I’m not.”
The truth is, I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.
Please, send me back to Korea…
Ronald slapped my back hard with his palm and said, “A young guy like you can’t be this weak! Get it together!”
“…Yes.”
You have way too much energy!
Once again, I was dragged along by Ronald’s hand without a moment to rest.
***
The U.S. stock market was suspended for a week.
Surprisingly, the shock to the financial markets was not as severe compared to the impact of the big one. Ironically, prior chaos had already caused substantial drops. Additionally, the U.S. government quickly responded, instilling confidence in recovery and reconstruction efforts.
The main reason, however, was that advance preparations had been made.
Silicon Valley is home to headquarters and research labs of major companies like NPL, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook, all within the top 10 by market capitalization in the U.S.
Had these companies suffered irreversible damage, the market would have experienced shocks greater than a financial crisis.
Fortunately, just before the big one struck, IT companies concentrated in Silicon Valley evacuated personnel and critical equipment.
Despite the collapse of numerous headquarters and labs, top market cap companies showcased their resilience.
Google’s search engine, Facebook’s social media, and Amazon’s online shopping platform operated without issues, and NPL and Microsoft proceeded with scheduled software updates.
CEOs collectively mourned the victims and assured that their fundamentals were intact.
Of course, some companies were affected.
In particular, Nikola managed to evacuate personnel safely, but its factory near Silicon Valley halted operations entirely due to damage to the production line.
When the U.S. stock market reopened a week later, top-cap stocks surged, seemingly to recover their previous losses.
The three major U.S. indexes, the Dow Jones (DJIA), NASDAQ, and S&P 500, recorded increases close to 3%.
Large-scale recovery efforts are expected following the earthquake, leading to skyrocketing construction and infrastructure-related stocks.
While safe-haven assets declined, commodity prices and the dollar continued to soar.
***
Big One dealt a significant blow to domestic companies as well. However, Seosung Group was among the least affected.
When Kang Jin-hoo came to order batteries and GPS in preparation for Big One, it seemed crazy at the time. How else could they have suggested consulting a psychiatrist?
But as OTK Company’s subsidiaries began pulling out of Silicon Valley, their perspective shifted somewhat.
Im Jin-yong held Kang Jin-hoo in very high regard. The choice of CarOS as a partner for Seosung Group was partly due to this respect.
Thus, they decided to give faith one more try.
A CEO should not entrust a company’s fate to uncertain endeavors. Therefore, they opted for collaboration only within safe limits to avoid significant losses.
They first planned to relocate the staff and equipment of their Silicon Valley research facilities to elsewhere and established contingency plans in case of emergencies.
The U.S. government demanded that manufacturers force an app update on smartphones located in danger zones for rescue purposes.
Seosung Electronics was the only company to comply with this demand.
It wasn’t without risks. After deciding to follow the policy, a boycott erupted in the U.S., and sales saw a slight decline.
Nevertheless, they pressed on, knowing that if Big One did not occur, losses would be minimal, while the potential gains from its occurrence would be enormous.
And then it actually happened!
As soon as Big One unfolded, Seosung Electronics’ smartphones automatically transmitted rescue requests and various information to the disaster command center.
Thanks to this, the proportion of Seosung Electronics smartphone users among those rescued was overwhelmingly high. The survivors expressed immense gratitude to Seosung Electronics.
NPL and Google announced belatedly that they would force an update in accordance with government policy following the incident, but public reaction was frosty.
Criticism poured in asking why they hadn’t done it sooner if it was possible. Moreover, it contradicted their previous statement claiming, “The government must not invade individual privacy under any circumstances.”
While NPL and Seosung Electronics are seen as the two dominant players in the premium smartphone market, most believe Seosung Electronics is inferior to NPL.
Even though Seosung Electronics had higher sales, NPL’s operating profit margins were overwhelmingly superior due to its premium image leading to much higher sales prices.
While technology may be surpassed, it’s not easy to surpass an image.
However, the current situation presents a golden opportunity to elevate Seosung Electronics’ image to the highest level.
All the GPS and wireless communication equipment used in the structure are Seosung Electronics products, and the other electronic devices in the shelter are the same.
Seosung Electronics products play a significant role in overcoming this disaster!
Chairman Lim Jin-yong said to Director Kim Myung-soo.
“Consult with OTK Company and say that we won’t be accepting payment for products made from now on.”
“What if…?”
“Let’s consider it a donation.”
When thinking about what can be gained in the future, several hundred billion won in product payments is nothing.
“Please load the produced items onto the dedicated aircraft.”
Even though the research institute has been moved, there are numerous Seosung Electronics directly operated stores in the San Francisco Bay area, and there are hundreds of employees from the U.S. corporation working there.
Most have reportedly evacuated safely or been rescued, but as the group chairman, he needed to show a sense of responsibility.
Chairman Lim Jin-yong stood up.
“I will go to California immediately and meet with Representative Kang Jin-hoo.”
***
The U.S. military stationed in South Korea is on high alert.
Soldiers on leave have all returned to their units, and outings and overnight stays are prohibited. With a crisis unfolding in the U.S., it’s uncertain what North Korea might do.
The South Korean military and the U.S. forces have heightened their vigilance, closely monitoring North Korea’s actions.
However, North Korea remained surprisingly quiet. Just yesterday, they referred to Ronald as an “insane old man,” making threats about launching ICBMs carrying nuclear warheads to the U.S. mainland. But once the major earthquake occurred, they swiftly changed their approach and released a statement.
“Our Supreme Dignity has expressed heartfelt condolences regarding the disaster in the United States. Furthermore, if necessary, our Republic is willing to assist in improving North American relations.”
Upon reflection, this response makes sense.
An injured beast should not be provoked. Provocation towards the U.S. is only feasible when the U.S. can retaliate.
Conducting provocations under the current circumstances would be suicidal.
Other countries have displayed similar restraint.
Russia canceled its scheduled airstrikes in Syria, and China has also halted mentions related to trade disputes, opting instead to issue a condolence statement.
European nations, which had been at odds over NATO and the Paris Climate Agreement, issued condolence statements and promised various forms of support.
***
Memorial rallies were held across the United States.
Citizens gathered voluntarily in Times Square, Manhattan, holding candles and American flags.
Those attending the rally honored the victims, cheered on the rescue efforts, and expressed gratitude to Kang Jin-hoo.
Both the American flag and the South Korean flag waved at the rally.
Times Square is famous for having the highest advertising expenses worldwide. Building owners willingly gave up advertising fees, displaying large American and South Korean flags on the electronic billboards.
The wave of American and South Korean flags filling Times Square even surprised Korean netizens.
In fact, it’s not unusual for Koreans to see both flags waving together at rallies, as they often witness this at conservative group protests.
The difference is that this location is Times Square, not Gwanghwamun Plaza or City Hall Plaza, and the people gathering were Americans.
– Could the Parents’ Association really be protesting all the way in America?
– This isn’t a far-right group rally. Don’t misunderstand.
– Who would have thought we’d see American and South Korean flags waving together in the heart of New York!
– It’s true that Kang Jin-hoo carried this hard.
– Despite facing all sorts of criticism, he persistently pushed through and finally succeeded.
– This is what real patriotism looks like.
– Watching this brings tears to my eyesㅜㅜ
– By the way, all the conservative groups in front of OTK Company disappeared after the Big One.
– What’s going to happen to the Parents’ Association now?
– Shouldn’t we be more worried about our leader than them?
– Our leaderㅜㅜ
– Our leader has become the enemy again.
***
Chief Kim Seong-cheol jolted upright in surprise.
“What did you say? Who came to visit?”
“T-That’s, Ambassador Thomas Jung from the U.S. has come to see you.”
“Are you joking right now?”
The subordinate officer spoke with a flustered tone.
“N-No, it’s not a joke. He’s right downstairs.”
I know the ambassador must be extremely busy due to the disaster that occurred in the U.S. But why is he here, not at the Blue House?
Chief Kim looked out the window. He could see foreign correspondents gathering at the entrance. By now, the fact that the ambassador personally came to meet the head of the Korean police must be known externally.
“L-Let him in.”
Ambassador Thomas Jung entered the room.
There’s a hierarchy in diplomacy.
The fact that the ambassador skipped straight to the police chief without going through the Blue House could easily be seen as meddling in internal affairs. The U.S. side surely knew this.
Still, there must be a significant reason behind this action.
Ambassador Thomas Jung, a Korean-American, was fluent in Korean. As soon as he sat down, he got straight to the point.
“I am aware that there has been extreme personal attacks, defamation, and illegal activities targeting Representative Kang Jin-hoo. Why is the Korean police taking no action?”
‘Could this be the reason for his visit?’
Chief Kim cautiously responded, “We will investigate if we deem it necessary…”
Ambassador Thomas Jung replied firmly, “He is a hero in America!”
Chief Kim silently screamed inside, ‘Since when has this been the case?’
Even when the U.S. was in chaos, preparing for the uncertain arrival of Big One, I understand that Thomas, the U.S. Ambassador, had considerable dissatisfaction.
But now, this!
Of course, the situation then and now is very different.
Ambassador Thomas stood up as if he had said everything he needed to say.
‘Keep this in mind: the White House is closely monitoring the current situation.’
After that statement, Thomas left.
Alone, Chief Kim Seong-cheol of the National Police Agency fell into deep thought.
Until now, the police had conducted investigations thoroughly based on the regime’s preferences, just like the prosecution.
Protests by progressive groups were forcefully suppressed, even mobilizing water cannons, while demonstrations by conservative groups were overlooked. The company’s numerous illegal activities were ignored, while collective actions by unions were labeled as illegal strikes and dismantled.
The decision not to investigate various illegal acts by OTK Company was also due to directives from above.
If the truth comes to light, it won’t be a simple matter of resigning. There’s a risk of being imprisoned for abuse of authority.
He would become a criminal in custody wearing prison clothes, rising to the highest ranks of the police.
Thinking this made cold sweat run down his back.
Now is not the time to be wary of the Blue House or the ruling party.
‘Once Kang Jin-hoo returns, everything will come to an end!’
Chief Kim Seong-cheol ordered all police to act immediately.
‘Arrest every single one of those conservative groups that have held illegal protests and the media liars who wrote false articles!’
