Chapter 248: Our Target Is Crude Oil

In the original history, the September 11 attacks, which ended with an assault on the Pentagon, occurred.

Even now, four planes have been hijacked, with three carrying out the terror attacks, and the last remaining plane has gone missing.

Speculation runs rampant about where that plane was headed.

“What a chaotic situation on my inauguration day!”

Thanks to the major incident occurring on his very first day in office, President Bush was rushed to a nuclear bunker on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. to convene a security meeting.

“Let’s hear everyone’s thoughts.”

With a frown etched on his face, Bush opened the meeting with a fierce tone.

However, even Dick Cheney, along with key figures in the Bush administration, struggled to grasp the situation fully.

The confusion and chaos in the room felt overwhelmingly stifling.

“…This could be an opportunity, Bush.”

Breaking the lengthy silence, Dick Cheney spoke up, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What do you mean?”

“Our ultimate goal has always been a strong America.”

Within the Republican Party, particularly among the hardline neoconservatives, influential positions had been filled by those eager to act.

“Does it really matter who did this or why it happened? The incident has already occurred…”

“Are you insane?”

Bush cut off Cheney’s words, staring at him in disbelief.

“America has been attacked. And you think this is what?”

“Hey, Bush. Calm down. We can create a narrative for the attackers at any moment. Isn’t this a chance to showcase America’s strength?”

“Hah…”

“The Pentagon has been attacked. Such an opportunity won’t come around again. I think everyone feels the same way, don’t they?”

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement at Cheney’s words. Not a single individual opposed his perspective.

Bush pressed his temples, feeling a headache begin to throb.

“This gives us the perfect justification for war.”

“It’s your inauguration day, yet you’re discussing war before even running the government? Is this right?”

Bush looked around, seeking agreement, but the responses he received were cold. No one sympathized with his words.

“If we successfully demonstrate America’s might now, no other nation will dare oppose us again. Bush, this is a golden opportunity to cement your name in history.”

Unperturbed by Bush’s stiffened expression, Cheney continued to voice his opinions.

Just then, a National Security advisor burst into the meeting room.

“Mr. President, we have a situation.”

All eyes in the room turned towards the security advisor.

“The Capitol has been attacked.”

Stunned by the shocking news, both Bush and Cheney jumped to their feet.

“What?”

“…A plane has crashed into the Capitol.”

Bush, engulfed in horror, slumped back into his seat.

What if the first attack had targeted the Capitol instead of the Twin Towers?

If it had crashed during the ongoing inauguration ceremony, half of the U.S. government officials—no, perhaps even more—could have perished.

“Should this be seen as a stroke of luck…?”

Thoughts of a showy terror attack lingered in his mind.

Inside the meeting room, a heavy silence accompanied Bush’s musings, permeating the atmosphere.

* * *

Due to the various variables following the attack, the discussions on countermeasures took longer than expected.

“Boss.”

While I was in conversation with Han Gyeong-yeong, Eric suddenly called out to me.

There was a faint tremor in his voice. Turning my head to his direction revealed his pale face.

“…Over there.”

Following Eric’s gaze, I turned my attention to the television that was on.

— Plane crash at the Capitol.

It was a simple sentence, but the repercussions were unimaginable.

‘What is going on?’

My mind was filled with questions.

Originally, the last plane was heading to Washington, D.C., but was forced down into a field in Pennsylvania due to passengers’ interference.

But this time was different. The history I knew had changed.

— My fellow citizens…

Finally, Bush appeared on the screen, delivering a speech through the television.

With a trembling voice, he declared the situation a terrorist attack, stating that any nation or entity connected to it would be held accountable.

— Effective immediately, we will implement SCATANA, the air traffic contingency plan. All flights, excluding military aircraft, are prohibited from taking off from this point onward. All aircraft currently in U.S. airspace must land at the nearest airport immediately, and all flights heading toward the U.S. must turn around and head to the nearest airport immediately.

The Bush administration resorted to extreme measures, closing American airspace.

— Dear citizens of the United States, the symbol of freedom and democracy, and the very foundation of our nation, the Capitol, has fallen to the hands of terrorists. Our pride has been shattered. I warn them on behalf of the United States, they will regret awakening the sleeping eagle.

Bush’s face on TV was filled with fury.

Even after the broadcast ended, the room remained heavy with silence.

The stillness was broken by my one simple statement.

“Alright, let’s finish discussing our countermeasures now.”

Only then did Han Gyeong-yeong and Eric snap back to reality, though they still looked dazed.

The event had occurred already, and we needed to sort through what benefits could be gained and what needed to be sacrificed.

“Boss, I’ll head into the Black Bear headquarters first. We should gather for an emergency meeting to share our thoughts on this matter.”

I nodded at Eric’s suggestion. As seasoned mercenaries, they might have different insights regarding this situation.

Eric stood up and saluted. Once he left the room, it was just me and Han Gyeong-yeong.

“Should we finally relax and talk, hyung?”

“Yeah. I still feel suffocated.”

“Manager, please prepare some liquor for us to have a quick drink.”

As Manager Ma prepared, Han Gyeong-yeong looked lost in thought.

After a moment, it seemed reality struck him as he slapped his cheeks hard with both hands and said.

“This isn’t a joke… As you said, the corporations that stand to gain greatly from this event will certainly come under investigation.”

Now fully grasping the situation, he began to face reality.

As President Bush had personally mentioned it, there was no denying that what occurred was an act of terrorism, not just a mere accident.

“Right. The fury of America will be greater than expected. Both the Republican and Democratic Parties, conservatives, and progressives will unite as one. So how will the neocons in power respond? They will undoubtedly suppress freedoms.”

The era where monitoring people under the pretext of the Patriot Act became legal had begun. But during such times, no one raised concerns about it.

They simply wanted to punish the enemy for attacking their homeland, for their nation.

“That might be the case. But who could possibly have done this? Those insane enough to orchestrate such actions… Mu-hyeok, you know something, don’t you? Your words and actions after hearing about this event were strange. It felt like the storm was finally breaking.”

In response to his peculiar belief, I only smiled and opened the whiskey bottle.

“It’s most likely an Islamic terrorist group.”

“I’d rather it be that. No way would North Korea be involved, right?”

While it was a nation suspect enough to warrant consideration, I’m certain they weren’t involved this time. I shook my head slightly.

“Kim Jong-il wouldn’t dare act so recklessly. He could hardly make a decision to attack Korea immediately. Directly targeting the U.S. would be a suicide mission.”

“That’s true, right?”

Hearing certainty in my voice, Han Gyeong-yeong seemed relieved and raised his glass, downing his drink in one go.

“Hah… What should we do now?”

“First, donate 100 million dollars for recovery efforts under the name Dream High. By now, the stock market must be closed.”

Previously, a terror attack at the Twin Towers occurred before the stock market even opened.

Though New York was paralyzed, it happened before the stock market opened, allowing the U.S. government to close it swiftly.

But this time, the crisis unfolded after the market had opened, and the time taken to close it will be delayed.

“Perhaps…”

“The global stock markets will drop across the board.”

America has been attacked.

It would be a lie to say there wouldn’t be chaos in the financial markets.

Especially in Korea, Japan, and Hong Kong, where the risk of North Korea looms heavily, the stock markets would undoubtedly be devastated.

Consequently, the stock markets in the Middle East, India, and even Europe would plummet.

The global economy was beyond being a single nation’s issue.

“Starting with the Asian markets, then Europe, and finally all over the world, the markets will crash in fear.”

“This is the best chance to make money.”

Han Gyeong-yeong still seemed regretful, but he shook his head and lifted his glass.

“No one will accept options contracts. If someone anticipated this, they would have already made astronomical profits with numerous contracts. This is an event that cannot be compared to the IT bubble.”

“Then the New York market will collapse?”

The New York market had remained resilient even during the IT bubble. That question pointed to that.

“That’s likely. This won’t be a short-lived affair. Prepare to scoop up quality stocks again, just like last time.”

I chuckled while downing the whiskey in my glass.

“For the time being, all entry and exit will be denied. So, we need to lead everything from here. Just listen to me, hyung…”

I slowly laid out what Han Gyeong-yeong needed to do. After hearing all the explanations, he nodded.

“In the short term, commodity prices will drop dramatically.”

“Our target is crude oil. In the short term, focus for six months, and long-term, aim for over a year. Lock in as much physical as well as futures contracts as possible.”

Following the humiliating drop to a few dollars per barrel, crude oil prices eventually rose to thirty dollars in 1999 after reaching a production cut agreement.

Yet due to the September 11 terror attacks, it would inevitably fall to the early ten dollar range once more.

However, as numerous adverse factors coincided such as the Iraq War and strikes in Venezuela, oil prices began to rise uncontrollably.

“With the month-to-month expiry of oil futures, commissions will add up significantly?”

“Still, secure as much as you can. Think of it as a long-term project over short-term profits, and focus on over-the-counter transactions.”

“Leave that to the New York headquarters. They should handle it well since we recently replaced most staff, and now there is no one who challenges my orders.”

Han Gyeong-yeong had swiftly removed the vice president, who constantly opposed his views.

He then warned all traders: anyone who disagrees with my orders should leave the company.

“Understood. Let’s call it a day today, and let’s check on the situation in the morning.”

“Okay. But Japan seemed ready to surrender to us, and now with this crisis from the U.S., they will be completely decimated.”

Han Gyeong-yeong’s words held a hint of humor, and I chuckled in response while raising my glass.

“That’s for Japan to deal with.”

Han Gyeong-yeong lifted his glass as well.

As our glasses clinked, the liquor inside swirled.

Remarkably, before even a day had passed, Kim Jong-il announced a statement through the Korean Central News Agency.

— This incident serves as a stark reminder of the severity of terrorism. As a member of the UN, we oppose all forms of terrorism and any support related to it.

As North Korea’s reaction topped the global list for anti-American sentiment, nations friendly or sympathetic to the U.S. hurriedly declared their condolences and support.

Seeing them scurrying to avoid inciting the wrath of America brought a chuckle to my lips.

As the statement from Kim Jong-il concluded, Han Gyeong-yeong expressed his amazement.

“Wow… if North Korea and Russia are reacting like that, I can’t even imagine how other countries would respond.”

However, knowing that not paying attention now could lead to dire consequences made it hard to ridicule their choices.

“Terrorist groups will likely deny involvement through the CIA or intelligence agencies. But does it even matter?”

“What?”

“The U.S. administration, specifically the neocons, will not let this opportunity slip by. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, they are likely planning to raise America’s influence, which has waned. Besides, we can always create a narrative for the attackers.”

Unlike last time, this was an attack on the Capitol, the heart of American democracy and pride.

As this incident unfolded differently from what I had known, I was also curious where it might lead.

A week had already passed since the terror attack.