CH152 | Heir

The phone rang immediately.

It was Team Leader Han.

[Sir! This is a disaster! The World Trade Center we leased has been attacked!]

“I’m watching the news right now.”

[Wall Street is in turmoil. Talks of massive short-selling are spreading everywhere.]

“Do not short-sell. In fact, don’t sell a single share.”

[Ah! Breaking news—U.S. stock markets will be shut down for a week.”

“That’s a relief. Stay completely still. Don’t make any moves, even in off-market trading. There’s no need to provoke a furious beast.”

[Understood. We’ll be extremely cautious. The White House is on edge too—we can’t risk becoming a target.]

Perhaps it was the market shutdown, but Han’s voice started to calm down.

“Now’s not the time to worry about stocks. We need to focus on the World Trade Center.”

“Mobilize every piece of construction equipment Taewoo Construction has. We’ll begin recovery operations immediately.”

[I’ll deploy all SAVE Investment’s construction equipment as well!]

The call ended.

Then, another call came—this time from Ahn Deok-hwan, Taewoo Construction’s president.

[Vice Chairman! The World Trade Center—it’s collapsing!]

“Start recovery efforts immediately. The building was closed off, but there may still be people inside—begin rescue operations as well.”

[We’ll use the heavy cranes to slow the collapse as much as possible!]

“I’ll be flying to the U.S. soon. Hang in there a little longer.”

As soon as I hung up, the phone rang again.

It was the Head of Strategic Planning—calling to say he was returning to the company immediately.

Only then did I finally take a breath.

I turned and saw Dimon, staring blankly at the TV screen.

“Snap out of it!”

His voice trembled. “Sir, this isn’t just any incident. Whoever is behind this… all of America’s wrath will be upon them.”

“It’s the work of a terrorist group.”

“And whoever is backing them—whatever country it is—will drown in blood.”

Tears welled up in Dimon’s eyes.

At that moment, I felt just how deeply the American people’s fury burned.

“I’m heading to the U.S. on the next available flight. Are you coming with me?”

“I’ll get ready right away.”

We rushed to Incheon Airport, but with 9/11 grounding flights, getting tickets was nearly impossible.

Only with the support of Taewoo Group and SAVE Investment did we finally secure passage to the U.S.

* * *

The atmosphere had completely changed.

Was this really the America that prided itself on freedom?

Security was unprecedentedly tight, and as we entered New York, the entire city was draped in mourning.

My first priority was to find Ahn Deok-hwan, the president of Taewoo Construction.

The company had set up a base camp near the World Trade Center, but even with my vice-chairman title, I had to go through multiple security checks before I was finally allowed inside.

“Vice Chairman, you’re here!”

“What’s the situation?”

“We used cranes and heavy equipment to control the collapse, preventing further casualties. Thanks to that, we were able to minimize the damage significantly.”

The Taewoo Construction team consisted entirely of disaster response experts.

While Ahn’s leadership played a role, it was their experience with structural collapses that had made the difference.

“How many casualties?”

“Since we sealed off the towers, there were no civilian casualties inside. However… we couldn’t do anything for the passengers on the planes.”

“…I see. What about the neighboring buildings?”

The World Trade Center was a twin-tower complex, and the attack had involved three separate hijackings.

Moreover, both 1WTC and 2WTC were under my company’s lease.

“We had already secured 2WTC, so the damage was minimal. However, some injuries occurred from falling debris.”

“Mobilize every resource Taewoo Construction has. We must keep damage to an absolute minimum.”

“We handled the initial response, but we’ve just been informed that the U.S. government will take over from here.”

That meant our role had come to an end.

Even so, the fact that a private company like Taewoo Construction had stepped up during the initial response would not go unnoticed by the U.S. government.

“Then stay on standby. If they request help, be ready to act immediately.”

“Understood.”

After meeting with Ahn, I headed straight to SAVE Investment.

Even with the stock market shut down, the entire office was buzzing with activity.

Team Leader Han was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even notice I had arrived.

“What’s got you so busy?”

"Sir, you're here!"

Team Leader Han greeted me with urgency, his face haggard from exhaustion.

"With the U.S. stock market shut down, we've avoided major losses, but markets outside the U.S. are in absolute chaos. Korea is no exception."

He gestured toward the monitor displaying the Korean stock market.

The entire chart was bathed in blue—a sign of plummeting stocks.

I frowned. “Not many stocks are rising, I see.”

"90% of KOSDAQ stocks have hit the lower limit. Nearly 98% of all stocks are in decline.”

"So, we can assume almost everything is crashing."

“The only silver lining is that Taewoo Group’s stock remains stable. In fact, Taewoo Electronics and Taewoo Telecom are actually rising.”

“So, we’re among the rare 2% of gainers.”

Han nodded grimly. “Everything else is a disaster. The markets in Korea, Japan, and India are collapsing. European markets are showing signs of a massive sell-off.”

I leaned in to examine the charts more closely.

That’s when I noticed an unpleasant odor wafting through the air.

I turned my head slightly—and found the source.

It was Han’s hair.

I raised an eyebrow. “Have you been here all night?”

“How could I leave during an emergency?”

"You could've at least taken a shower. It's not like we don’t have facilities in the office.”

"There was no time. News of disasters is pouring in from all directions. I couldn’t step away."

There was no doubt—this was an extraordinary crisis.

America was burning with fury, and global markets were collapsing in panic.

But it wasn’t quite the end of the world as Han seemed to fear.

I grabbed his arm and hauled him out of his chair.

“Go clean up. You think straight when you’re fresh.”

“But I—”

“Just do it. We have an executive meeting in 20 minutes, and I don’t want the conference room reeking.”

* * *

20 minutes later

- Emergency Meeting

Han returned, hair still damp, joining David and Dimon at the table.

Everyone looked exhausted, but David, ever the smooth talker, was the first to break the silence.

“We received a call from the White House.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That was fast.”

“They thanked us. Thanks to SAVE Investment's remodeling efforts, casualties were significantly reduced. Taewoo Construction’s quick response also earned their gratitude.”

“I would’ve expected them to be too busy for formalities.”

David smirked. “The media is already praising the initial response. The White House knows this disaster could have tanked Bush’s approval ratings. If not for us, the administration might’ve faced a political catastrophe.”

So, the gift was well received.

As a trade-off for Super 301 sanctions, I had helped minimize the World Trade Center casualties.

In doing so, I had shielded the Bush administration from a devastating drop in public support.

David exhaled, then glanced around the table. “I know it’s not the best time, but... we’re a Wall Street firm. We need to talk about money.”

He folded his hands. “Has anyone heard from the insurance companies yet?”

“We’ve received calls from several insurance companies.”

David adjusted his tie, his voice carrying a hint of amusement. “They sounded completely panicked, wanting to renegotiate the payout terms.”

It was understandable.

The insurance companies were now on the hook for an astronomical sum.

SAVE Investment had leased the World Trade Center for $3.2 billion, but the insurance payout would be at least twice that amount—if not more.

Yet, I felt no guilt.

After all, we had saved them billions.

If we hadn’t remodeled the World Trade Center, tens of thousands would have been injured, and thousands more would have died.

The insurance companies would have faced far greater payouts—compensating for lives lost, medical expenses, and lawsuits.

They owed us more than they’d ever admit.

Of course, from their perspective, the money they had to pay us still felt like a bitter pill to swallow.

“Take your time negotiating the insurance payout.” I said coolly. “We’re not the ones in a hurry.”

David smirked. “Understood.”

Han, now fully recovered from his exhaustion, chimed in. “We’ve also been receiving calls from companies that leased offices in the Trade Center.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What do they want?”

“They’re thanking us. Some even came to our office just to bring us coffee.”

I chuckled. “So, they see us as heroes.”

Heroes who saved thousands of lives.

That would be the new image of SAVE Investment—at least for the general public.

But on Wall Street, an investment firm that plays the hero isn’t necessarily a good thing.

It’s much easier to operate in the shadows when people see you as a villain rather than a savior.

Han hesitated before speaking again. “Sir, should we really just sit back and watch the markets? Even if we don’t touch U.S. stocks, the Korean, Japanese, and European markets are in complete freefall. It’s too good of an opportunity to ignore.”

I gave him an approving nod. He was thinking straight again.

“The world is in panic now, but it will recover quickly. Start buying at the bottom.”

Han frowned slightly. “Are you sure? The White House has all but declared war. If a war breaks out, won’t the markets crash even further?”

I smiled.

“Fear and grief are highly volatile emotions.”

I leaned back, fingers tapping lightly against the table.

“Especially when money is involved. Six months—at most. That’s how long it will take for the markets to recover.”

Han's eyes gleamed with understanding. “I see. Then I'll strategize around bottom-fishing.”

A short-selling strategy would put a target on our backs, drawing unwanted attention from the U.S. government.

But buying stocks at their lowest point?

That was completely above board—and just as profitable.

David leaned forward. “Has anyone officially claimed responsibility for the attack?”

Dimon, who had been quiet until now, exhaled. “Every major group is denying involvement.”

A grim silence settled over the room.

The United States was a powder keg—ready to explode.

Every country was praying that explosion wouldn’t be directed at them.

Even North Korea, usually reckless in its provocations, had gone out of its way to condemn the attack.

That alone spoke volumes.

But not everyone was staying quiet.

“There are some groups claiming responsibility.” Han said, his voice tense.

I steepled my fingers. “Islamic extremists?”

Han nodded. “They’re saying they orchestrated the attack.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“But did they really?”

"The likelihood is high." Han's voice was firm. "Reports are already surfacing that the U.S. military is preparing to deploy to the Middle East."

I sighed.

For years, the Bush administration had been reluctant to engage in foreign conflicts.

With soaring military expenses and a lack of justifiable cause, the government had been pulling back from overseas entanglements.

But now?

That choice had been taken from them.

The World Trade Center was gone—brought down in flames and dust.

War was inevitable.

"Things are going to get chaotic in the Middle East."

Han nodded. "Right now, the U.S. government sees the world in black and white—either you're with them, or you're the enemy. This could escalate into something far bigger than expected."

With us or against us.

Cooperate, or be bombed back to the Stone Age.

The madness was already spreading, and soon, the world would feel its impact.

In a time like this, the best move was to stay in the shadows.

To keep a low profile—and wait.