The First Step of the Long Journey
There are those who pack survival bags. People who, in preparation for a disaster, stock up on essential supplies to endure until they can reach a safe haven. Perhaps some might call them overly dramatic. "Disaster supplies? What a waste of time..." they might say. But in truth, there is no reason to look at them that way. It is not wrong for those with the means to prepare for an emergency. As long as they don't go to extremes, blindly trust misinformation, or display signs of delusional disorder, it’s fine. Why stop someone from doing what they want?
What I am doing is no different from packing a survival bag. The scale is just a bit larger, that’s all. Anyway, the minimum preparations are complete. I’ve cleared the first stage of this long, arduous process. Now, I prepare for the next stage, all while watching the world turn.
The Doctor in America was still living a busy life, continuing to share information with me. The group he belonged to called themselves The Prepared. But when I heard that name, I couldn't help but snicker. I mean, it’s a bit... you know. It felt a little like chuunibyou, that middle-schooler syndrome. Perhaps that’s why the Professor just called them P. That, too, hadn't quite shed its childishness, but it was still better than The Prepared. Or was it?
Regardless, P’s activities were impressive. From the start, it was a gathering of top-tier intellectuals. The Doctor was one of them, so the information provided was of exceptionally high quality. It was slightly biased data, but numbers don't lie. Because they focused their perspective on "what could happen due to the explosive growth of plants," the information P sent over felt like a book of prophecies. Predictions that were becoming reality. Moreover, their accuracy was high. That was only natural; they understood the causality perfectly. It wasn't difficult to predict what would happen next based on that. Things that would happen sooner or later. So, I utilized it. It was incredibly useful information for me.
The Doctor told me not to leak this information to the outside world. Well, I agreed with that sentiment. These were things difficult to share with others. Who would believe this? Conspiracy theories and doomsday prophecies are the things people ignore and guard against the most. So, any sane person would surely scoff at these words and let them go in one ear and out the other.
However, even so, I need people. I am confident I can survive alone. I will likely live much longer than others. I’ve made the preparations for it. But surviving alone is meaningless. I want to live a fun life with an advantage in a ruined world, not live a lonely, desolate life in a world where everyone else is dead. If I wanted that, I could just go live on some remote deserted island right now. Why would I be doing all this?
Therefore, I need a minimum number of people. A small group I can use whenever necessary. In fact, thinking about it, joining P would have been the right move. But there, I am just a low-level talent with no particular ability. I couldn't be special there. I couldn't do anything under my own initiative. I don't want to be the tail of a dragon. I want to be the head of a snake.
There seems to be a little time left before the world collapses, so I have plenty of time to prepare. So, I will prepare by doing two things at once. I think that will work.
First, I needed money. Even though I have the loan money and what I had left, it wasn't enough. They say money becomes meaningless once the world ends, but until then, money is everything. So, I have to earn it. But I’m short on time. I know the world is going to end, and I know what’s going to happen. So, there are many ways to make money with that knowledge. However, they take too long. I can't start a business or anything like that. So, I look for a way to make money quickly and easily.
I pondered for a long time, racking my brain. The best method was, as expected, the stock market. A place where I could roll large sums of money and realize profits immediately. I hadn't even looked at it before. I was ignorant of stocks and had no confidence I could make money with them. But not now. I know for certain which stocks will plummet. I just need to figure out how to use that.
What I did was buy put options on airline stocks. I chose the most suitable airline in the US stock market. The one I picked is quite old. And they recently downsized their maintenance staff. So, I bought put options on that stock. The stock is currently at $30 per share. I signed 3,800 contracts with a $25 strike price, expiring in 6 months, for a premium of $1 per share. In other words, I bet about 500 million won that the airline's stock would fall below $25.
Put options are tricky. But I went for it boldly. A strike price of $25 means I can sell the stock at $25 anytime before expiration. In other words, if the stock is at $30 like it is now, I’m doing something stupid. But once the airline stock falls below $24—the strike price minus the premium—I start making a profit. Since one contract is for 100 shares, if the airline stock hits $23, I earn $100 per contract. So, if the stock price hits $23, I make $150,000. At the current exchange rate, that’s about 230 million won. As the stock price falls further, my profit rate will skyrocket. 230 million won for every dollar it drops below $24. It’s an insane amount of money.
So, my job now is to hope something happens to the airline. How ironic. To think I have to pray for an accident or for them to go bankrupt just to make money. But this is something that would happen even if I didn't do this. Airlines are the most vulnerable to the destabilization of weather patterns and the mass proliferation of pollen and spores. It doesn't even have to be an accident. Maintenance costs are already skyrocketing. Aircraft engines are incredibly sensitive. Since they have to lift those heavy machines high into the sky, there is nothing more important. So, aircraft maintenance costs cannot be ignored. But airlines can't just stop flying, either. Maintenance costs will soar, and profits will deteriorate. And if they cut corners? That leads to accidents. Of course, it won't go that far, but... you never know what will happen in this world.
After buying 500 million won worth of put options, my daily routine started with checking the stock price every morning. In truth, if I’d bought 500 million won worth of put options, I should have been watching the stock charts all night. But I didn't. I know it will fall. It’s just a matter of time. So, I don't worry. I just check the price in the morning and glance over to see if there’s any news. And at the same time, I prepare for other things. I have to do more than just build my own front yard. This alone isn't enough.
For the first time in a long while, I called a college classmate. Baek Jin-ho. The third son of the current Seonyang Group chairman. When Jin-ho was in school, the chairman of Seonyang Group was his grandfather. Perhaps that’s why Jin-ho didn't get much attention back then. I and my classmates knew his family background, but we didn't think much of it. No, wait. There were quite a few guys trying to suck up to him, right? Jin-ho just kept those guys at a distance.
Anyway, a year after we graduated, Jin-ho’s father became the chairman of Seonyang Group. So, it became difficult to contact him after that. There was quite a social gap, after all. But now, I do it. I have nothing to lose. If anything, I’m giving him an opportunity, right? So, I reach out with a light heart. Well, I don't expect it to be easy to get in touch.
Surprisingly, it was easy to get in touch with Jin-ho. And I was even able to set up a meeting. Who’s the lucky one here? Well, I haven't even brought up the topic yet, so it’s a bit early to think like that.
"Oh. Jeong-hyeon."
"Long time no see."
A cafe near Yeoksam-dong, where the Seonyang Group headquarters is located. Baek Jin-ho appeared in a neat suit. Team Leader of Seonyang Group’s Future Business Division. That was his title. As the third son, he wasn't the legitimate heir. So, he seemed to be a team leader in a somewhat ambiguous department, not a core business.
"What’s up? You’re the one who reached out. What have you been up to all this time?"
Baek Jin-ho spoke quite affably. Right, he was always like that. He was like that in school, too. He was quite easygoing and didn't show off his wealth. Maybe that’s why I contacted him. To give him a chance. We exchanged some mundane pleasantries and small talk. But that didn't last long. We both knew there was something we needed to talk about.
"I didn't contact you to borrow money or ask for a favor. Don't worry."
"What? I wasn't thinking that. But honestly, I was a little suspicious."
He said that and laughed. Still wearing that good-natured smile.
"Here. Take this."
I handed him a USB drive. He took it, looking bewildered.
"There’s a password-protected file inside. I’ll... give you the password in about three to six months. So, open it then. And let’s talk again."
"What? What kind of fun thing are you doing?"
"It’s meaningless to tell you now. We’ll be able to talk about it by then."
"No. You should at least give me a hint."
"I told you. See you later. You’ll know when the time comes."
I had lunch with Jin-ho and parted ways. Even then, Jin-ho asked me a few more times what it was, with an intrigued expression. With a face that said he was dying of curiosity. But I firmly refused to tell him now. Curiosity needs to grow. Even if I tried to persuade him now, I’d just look like a suspicious con artist. I don't want to be treated like that. So, this is better.
Having planted the seed, now all that’s left is to wait. I’m good at waiting. However, my feelings are a bit complicated. The desire for the world to collapse quickly, and the worry of what to do if it collapses before I’m ready. But in other words, that means either way is fine, right? So, I change my mindset. Thinking that it’s fine if it collapses right away, and it’s fine if it collapses slowly.