March 2011.
Three months of the new year had already passed.
Looking out from the window, I noticed people dressed much lighter, and the streets were far more crowded than before.
As I was watching the scene outside, both my cell phone and the office phone rang at the same time.
Simultaneously, President Han and the Planning Director rushed into the office, their expressions urgent.
"Chairman! A massive earthquake has occurred in Japan. The magnitude is 7.3, and a tsunami warning has been issued."
"What's the extent of the damage?"
"According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, since the earthquake originated in the ocean, there shouldn't be significant damage."
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake was no minor tremor—it was quite powerful.
That was why President Han and the Planning Director were panicking, but this quake was merely a precursor.
This earthquake was a foreshock, occurring before the main tremor. In a few days, a major earthquake exceeding magnitude 9 would strike.
"Recall all Taewoo Group employees currently on business in Japan. They must return immediately—today, without exception."
"It's very difficult to book flights due to the earthquake's aftermath."
"Then charter a private plane if necessary. Bring all employees' families and relatives back to Korea as well."
I couldn't stop the earthquake.
But I would do everything in my power to minimize the damage.
"Hasn't the earthquake already passed? Is it really necessary to bring all the employees back to Korea?"
"There may still be aftershocks. Even keeping them in Korea for just a month would be enough, and then they can return to Japan safely."
"Are you sure about this? The cost will be substantial."
The Planning Director spoke with a note of concern in his voice.
He thought I was overreacting, and without knowledge of the future, his reaction was entirely understandable.
"Safety must come first. No matter how high the cost, nothing is more valuable than the Taewoo Group employees."
"Understood. I'll coordinate with the airlines to request additional flights. If necessary, we'll charter private planes so that all employees and their families can return to Korea by the end of today."
The cost could range from a few hundred million won to several billion.
But it was something that could be solved with money, so there was no reason to hesitate.
Money could always be earned again, and compared to what Taewoo Group stood to gain from this Japanese earthquake, the expense was negligible.
"How is the Korean government responding?"
"Since it was only a tsunami warning, there hasn't been much action. At most, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is assessing the situation of Korean residents affected."
"I need to meet Governor Choi Jae-seok. Arrange an appointment immediately."
"I'll try to schedule it right away."
"This is urgent. Make sure they understand that Governor Choi needs to see this as an emergency."
"Understood!"
The Planning Director rushed out of the room.
Once he disappeared from view, President Han spoke cautiously.
"Do you think the economic crisis in Japan is starting because of this earthquake?"
"How could I have predicted an earthquake? I knew even a small spark could set off a bomb, but I didn't expect it to be an earthquake that triggered it."
Even if I knew, I couldn't admit it.
Earthquakes were beyond human prediction.
"Though it may sound strange to say, the impact of this earthquake on the Japanese economy will likely be minimal. The damage was so limited that the yen might only drop slightly."
"If aftershocks occur, Japan could face a serious economic crisis. So start the short-selling immediately."
Everyone assumed the earthquake was over and breathed a sigh of relief.
Now was the perfect moment to act—short-selling and targeting the yen.
"Begin the short-selling project against manufacturing companies immediately."
"Use any remaining funds to buy up yen."
"You expect the yen to rise? Wouldn't a major incident normally cause a currency to fall?"
"The yen tends to rise during crises. Remember the 1995 Kansai earthquake? The yen appreciated over 15% within six months."
President Han nodded.
Then, his expression hardened, and he let out a heavy sigh.
"Phew… But are you sure this is alright? If the aftershocks hit hard and the Japanese economy staggers, we'll make a fortune… but…"
"We might be criticized for profiting from a tragedy."
"Even with the quantum fund leading, the criticism won't be negligible. And for this Japan project, the quantum fund will barely participate anyway."
In the end, it was an equal exchange.
Criticism for money.
But with enough money, even criticism could be minimized.
"Prepare massive relief supplies and personnel from Taewoo Group for Japan. If we provide more aid than the Japanese government, the criticism will be minimal."
"How extensive are the relief supplies you're considering?"
"At least one hundred billion won. That way, the media will recognize our sincerity."
Spending one hundred billion won wasn't a problem at all.
The profits from this operation could reach tens of trillions.
"Preparing the supplies isn't difficult. But if no aftershocks occur, everything we gather will go to waste."
"In that case, just donate it to UNICEF. Use over one hundred billion won if needed—gather as many relief supplies as possible. Start immediately."
"Understood. Using Taewoo Trading and Rocket's distribution network, we can collect hundreds of billions worth of supplies today itself."
Rocket's logistics centers already stored a wide variety of items.
And by leveraging the thousands of companies contracted with Taewoo Trading, massive quantities could be secured in a short time.
With help from Amazon as well, obtaining all the necessary supplies would be effortless.
An hour later, I was able to meet Governor Choi Jae-seok at Captain Kang's Korean restaurant annex.
For security reasons, we usually met only in Gyeonggi Province, but this time the situation was urgent enough that we had to use Captain Kang's restaurant as the meeting place.
"I apologize for requesting a sudden meeting."
"Not at all. If Chairman Kim asks, I'd get up even in the middle of the night. But I must admit, I was surprised you wanted to meet in Seoul rather than Gyeonggi."
Governor Choi immediately sensed the gravity of the situation.
I skipped the usual small talk and got straight to the point.
"There's been an earthquake in Japan."
"I heard about that too. It was a magnitude 7, but since it occurred offshore, the damage is minimal. Quite fortunate, isn't it?"
"While this quake caused little damage, earthquakes rarely happen just once."
"Yes, aftershocks occur, but they are weaker than the main shock, so no major issues usually arise."
Governor Choi was more than just a governor.
As the de facto leader of the National Economic Party, he had his own think tank that provided real-time advice on incidents happening both in Korea and worldwide.
He already had detailed information on this earthquake, from its magnitude to the expected impact.
"If this quake was the main shock, that's fortunate. But it could also be a foreshock. Our experts and AI systems at Taewoo Group predict a stronger main quake might follow."
"You're saying a stronger earthquake is expected?"
"Yes. The probability isn't extremely high, but it exceeds 20%."
I used AI as an excuse—Taewoo Group was known for possessing one of the world's most advanced AI systems, making it a plausible explanation.
"Hmm, 20% is a figure we can't ignore."
"I'm asking the National Economic Party to take active measures. Evacuate Korean residents in Japan to Korea."
"The National Economic Party isn't the ruling party. We can't command the Korean government. All we can do is issue statements or hold press conferences to make our voices heard."
"That's all that's needed. The rest will be handled by Taewoo Group. We'll either bring the residents to Korea or move them to relatively safer areas in western Japan."
Governor Choi's forehead furrowed.
Ordering an evacuation wasn't something the opposition could normally do. If no major quake followed, it could even backfire politically.
But it was also an opportunity.
It meant accomplishing something that neither the government nor the major parties could manage. It was a chance to boost Governor Choi's recognition and popularity several times over.
"This is difficult. Can you give me more time?"
"We don't know when the main quake will hit. A decision must be made immediately. If the National Economic Party doesn't act, Taewoo Group will move independently. In that case, it will be much harder to secure the cooperation of the residents."
Businesses are, after all, just profit-seeking entities.
To win the trust of the residents, political backing was necessary. Especially with the National Economic Party, a party with high public favorability, the effect would be even greater.
"This might be a decision that risks my political career."
"Even if no earthquake occurs, the worst you'll get is a few complaints."
"So my position as governor remains safe."
He could keep his position as governor, but this might mean giving up any chance at the presidency.
No voter would elect a president who had made a reckless decision.
"This could be a turning point. As things stand now, you don't have the justification or popularity to run for president anyway."
"Ha… you're forcing me to take a gamble. Very well. I've never gone against your advice, Chairman Kim, so I'll trust you and move forward this time as well."
Governor Choi made up his mind.
It wasn't just the presidential ambitions that swayed him.
If another quake hit, Korean residents in Japan could suffer serious harm.
"Hold a press conference immediately. Taewoo Group will have flights and large buses ready today to evacuate the residents."
"The party will treat this matter as a top priority."
Governor Choi stood first.
His strides were confident, each step signaling the political decision he had made.
I returned to the company with the same decisiveness. Meanwhile, the Chief of Planning had already accomplished much.
"With help from Hyunjin Group, we were able to secure a large number of flights. All airfare will be covered by Taewoo Group. We've also contracted with a major Japanese logistics company to use over 100 buses for five days."
"Good work. Now all that remains is for Taewoo Group to issue a statement."
"Are you planning a press conference?"
"Once Governor Choi finishes his press conference, prepare ours immediately. I'll personally appear at the venue."
It was a kind of preliminary move.
A press conference to secure public forgiveness—a necessary step if we were going to profit from this situation.