It was 8 a.m.
A call came in from Governor Choi Jae-seok.
He must have been extremely busy after winning the Seoul mayoral election, yet he had reached out surprisingly quickly.
"Congratulations. You've secured the Seoul mayoralty for the People's Economy Party," I said.
[What have I done? This is all thanks to you, Chairman. And if you continue to support me, I'm considering a run for the presidency.]
How long I had waited to hear those words.
Governor Choi Jae-seok had finally spoken the words "presidential run" aloud.
"Since it's such a difficult decision, I will fully support you," I assured him.
[The party held meetings over the past few days. If we win the Seoul mayoral election, there's no other way for the People's Economy Party to survive than for me to run for president.]
I wasn't the only one encouraging him.
Even within the People's Economy Party, there were moves to make Choi Jae-seok the presidential candidate.
It was as much for his benefit as it was the party's—this was the only way for the People's Economy Party to survive.
"This election will be very different and far more challenging than anything you've faced so far," I warned.
[My resolve is already strong.]
"When do you plan to announce your presidential candidacy?" I asked.
[The election is still more than a year away. Announcing now would be too early. I plan to declare sometime in the first half of next year. I worry that the momentum behind the People's Economy Party might fade before then.]
The People's Economy Party was currently riding a favorable wave.
Thanks to that wave, they had secured major victories in the local elections and now in the Seoul mayoral by-election.
But momentum never lasts forever.
Governor Choi was rightly concerned that the wind might die down just before the presidential race.
"I will work diligently to ensure the tailwind keeps blowing in favor of the National Economic Party. If my efforts with the fan aren't enough, I'll use a wind machine to forcefully generate the wind for you."
[As long as you do that, I am deeply grateful. We can discuss the details when we meet in person.]
"Thank you for reaching out despite just having finished the elections—you must be extremely busy. At least today, try to enjoy the festival. Once you announce your presidential bid, there won't be a moment to rest, so take breaks whenever you can now."
[Thank you for your concern. I'll see you next time, then.]
After ending the call with Governor Choi Jae-seok, the planning director who had been waiting entered the room.
"Chairman, we have distributed the materials regarding the DDoS attacks to each media outlet. Naturally, we delivered them through a complex process so that no connection to Taewoo Group could be traced."
"Well done. Impatient media outlets will soon rush out breaking news articles online."
"A few outlets have already ignored fact-checking and published breaking news."
The planning director showed several online articles. The headlines were uniformly sensational:
[Election Commission Paralyzed! The Reality: DDoS Attack by the Ruling Party]
[Ruling Party Commits Cyber Terror, Yet Loses By-Election]
[DDoS Attack Conspired Between Ruling Party and Online Gambling Syndicate]
Though they were "breaking news," the articles were not without substance.
Since we provided such detailed materials, quite a few articles contained significant content.
"There's even coverage detailing connections with the Kang Il faction."
"And an article claims that the DDoS attack was requested in exchange for dismissing online gambling charges."
"What's the public reaction? It might still be a bit early to tell."
A few articles breaking online didn't cause any major problem.
Ultimately, the issue only becomes a national controversy if the main media outlets and broadcast news cover the incident.
"There hasn't been a big reaction yet, but we have information that the opposition candidate will hold a press conference soon. Once that happens, the broadcast networks will have no choice but to cover the incident."
"The opposition will be able to pin the responsibility for this election loss on the ruling party, so they'll attack mercilessly."
If the opposition candidate had won the election, this wouldn't have been a major issue.
Before the time loop, the opposition candidate had won, so the DDoS attack's repercussions didn't carry over to the next presidential election.
But this time was different.
The opposition candidate lost, and we had captured decisive evidence and spread it through the media and social networks.
The police and prosecutors also had undeniable proof, so they couldn't avoid investigating the ruling party—and as investigation results were released, the issue would only grow.
"We need to pour gasoline on this fire, right? Leak information that the DDoS attacks targeted not only the election commission but also sites supporting the opposition candidate. The opposition will go wild like fish in water."
"I'll leak it to the media immediately."
"But wouldn't it be unfair if only the ruling party suffered? Leak the information we've gathered about corruption involving the Seoul education superintendent candidate to the ruling party as well."
The more the two major parties fought, the more advantageous it was for the National Economic Party.
Of course, the core supporters might rally as the conflict escalates, but for everyone else, it was a perfect opportunity for the National Economic Party to absorb their support.
"Parliament is going to be extremely chaotic."
"The ruling party is likely to change its name and shift to an emergency committee system to signal reform."
"Changing the name won't let them escape responsibility."
"Exactly. We need to make the opposition tear into the ruling party even more fiercely."
By evening, the main news programs were extensively covering the DDoS attacks.
They devoted more time to the story than to the news about the National Economic Party winning the by-election, and within a day, South Korea was filled with news about the ruling party's DDoS attacks.
**
Two months had passed since the by-election.
Christmas songs had already begun to fill the streets, and everywhere exuded the unmistakable feeling of year's end.
At this time of year, people naturally wanted to spend time with their families. Perhaps for that reason, Chairman Han had returned to Korea a bit earlier than usual.
"Aren't you here in Korea to spend Christmas with your family? Why come here instead of going home?"
"Isn't it the way of Santa to visit late at night? Besides, it's more comfortable here than at home."
Just the addition of Chairman Han made Captain Kang's office feel busier than usual.
"How's the situation in Europe?"
"Beyond Greece and the PIGS countries, all of Europe is now sliding into a financial crisis. Thanks to that, the Quantum Fund has the perfect conditions to play their tricks."
From Europe's perspective, George of the Quantum Fund was nothing short of a devil.
With a single word from him, the euro could wobble, and through that turmoil, we were making massive profits.
"Start gradually retrieving your investments."
"Already, sir?"
"Not the full amount—just enough to pay back the principal and interest to the fintech banks."
"Even after repaying the principal and interest to the fintech lenders, we can still manage at least $100 billion, so it's more than sufficient."
In Japan alone, Chairman Han had already earned more than $50 billion in cash.
Through Europe's financial crisis, he earned an additional $50 billion.
It was now time for us to step back slightly and set the stage for the Quantum Fund to run wild.
"We'll continue withdrawing the investments in phases. Within a year, all funds will be fully recovered to Taewoo Group."
"It's a bit regrettable, but we can't keep making money through currency arbitrage forever. By the way, are you withdrawing the investments because you've decided on other investment targets?"
Had we worked together for so long that he could read my thoughts instantly?
Chairman Han seemed to have understood my thinking in a single glance.
"The main focus is the U.S., though we'll make some investments in Korea as well."
"By 'main focus,' you mean the U.S.? Surely you don't plan to manipulate it like you did Europe?"
"That's out of the question. The U.S. economy is strong enough that even if we interfered, it wouldn't shake it, and if we provoked retaliation, Taewoo Group would be in trouble."
Europe, on the other hand, was divided into multiple countries.
There was the euro to hold some cohesion, but there was no single institution capable of speaking with one voice like the U.S. had.
That made attacking Europe possible.
And it was only possible because we used the Quantum Fund as a shield. In the U.S., no matter what shield we set up, we'd likely get swept away together.
"So, are you planning to invest in undervalued stocks, or create a completely new company, like Amazon?"
"Think of it as both. Have you heard of shale gas?"
"Shale gas… you mean extracting gas or oil from the ground?"
"Sedimentary rock is called shale, and extracting natural gas and oil from those layers is called shale gas. Its development has been active for several years now."
"I've heard about it, but I understand the costs are so high that it's nearly worthless."
Shale gas had been overlooked at the time.
The extraction process was expensive, making the unit cost higher than conventional crude oil.
But with the era of high oil prices, shale gas was gradually gaining value, and technologies to extract it at lower costs were continuously being developed.
"What's the current price of oil?"
"On average, over $110. The Middle East is in turmoil due to the protests for democracy in Egypt, and oil prices keep rising."
The so-called "Arab Spring"—the wave of democratization movements across the Arab world—was a factor.
It not only drove international oil prices up but also increased the strategic importance of shale gas.
The situation was ongoing, and its repercussions wouldn't end even in twenty years.
"With oil at $110, why wouldn't shale gas or oil be commercially viable? Of course, current production technology isn't sufficient yet."
"So, are you planning to invest the profits from this project into shale gas?"
"Exactly. I plan to acquire stakes or even buy companies outright if necessary."
The Shale Revolution.
It was a revolution that would change the balance of oil, long dominated by the Middle East and Russia.
The moment the shale revolution occurred, the U.S. would no longer have to be dragged around by oil-producing nations.
Shale gas was the driving force that could allow the U.S. to grow rapidly for the next twenty years and beyond.
"It might not be easy. As you know, Americans are sensitive about oil, no matter what else they may overlook."
"Exactly why we need to approach it carefully. I've already told David to build connections with the relevant politicians and company officials."
The shale gas business was, ultimately, a game of connections.
Unlike offshore oil fields, shale gas was extracted from vast stretches of land.
Development was only possible by obtaining permits from landowners or by purchasing the land outright.
Environmental issues also arose.
Without political support, the shale revolution would have been impossible.
"Do you really think shale gas will have value? Sure, oil prices have risen because the Middle East is unstable, but oil-producing nations can always lower prices at any time."
"If the unit cost of shale gas drops below $50, it has significant potential. And if it falls below $40, even oil-producing nations won't be able to counter it."
"Still, it seems like a business with limited profit compared to the investment required."
"Of course, I'm not saying we should jump in right now. First, we need to start the groundwork and then invest aggressively when the opportunity comes."
Shale gas, in a sense, was a cyclical business.
Within the next few years, Saudi Arabia would likely launch a low-oil-price offensive. To acquire shale gas companies at a low price during that time, preparation had to start now.