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Jinseong had a reason for making Lee Yang-hoon fall ill and preventing him from going to America.

That reason was terrorism.

Specifically, a kind of terrorism that would make America very sensitive.

“Hmm.”

Before the rewind, Lee Yang-hoon had flown to America around this time.

It was for investment-related reasons… but I didn’t know the details.

Jinseong wasn’t particularly invested in the Gwangyang Group nor was he interested in it.

However, the reason Jinseong remembered it, even without interest, was that Lee Yang-hoon had gone through quite a bit of distress then. A grand distress that made headlines all over the world.

Hijacking.

An American airplane was seized by terrorists.

Naturally, America lost its mind.

After the 9/11 attacks, hijacking had become America’s Achilles’ heel, and America responded harshly beyond necessary. Before the terrorists could say anything, the military was mobilized to point missiles at the plane, with fighter jets scrambling to encircle it. They even went so far as to threaten the bewildered terrorists with extreme measures “to prevent terrorism” if they didn’t immediately surrender their weapons.

And it didn’t stop there.

America extracted as much information as it could about the hijackers and learned about their families. They even mobilized special forces to take hostage those families using the gathered information.

Of course, officially it was stated that they “requested cooperation from the families to sway the terrorists,” but…

Who would believe that?

Thus, the hijacking was swiftly suppressed.

The terrorists complied, saying they would surrender if their families and their own safety were guaranteed.

And that terrible act of terrorism ended up being just a “failed attempt.”

The aftermath was intense.

The giant that was America had no intention of letting the damn bastards who dared to touch its Achilles’ heel go unpunished and began tearing out anyone related to them from the roots.

Those connected to crime were legally apprehended, and those not connected had the state itself pressuring them. For companies with recorded financial support for the terrorists, the IRS barged in with shotguns, while individuals found themselves visited by men in black suits.

If there were foreigners involved, America expressed its fury to their respective governments, demanding “cooperation.” In areas with less governmental influence, they even used satellites to locate them and dropped agents in.

After such a storm, countless people were socially “killed.”

Stripped of their money, jailed, and sometimes even genuinely killed…

So all the bastards who committed this damn terrorism were uprooted.

And Lee Yang-hoon could not escape this process either.

Was he connected to the terrorism?

Not at all.

He was a clean person with no connections to either the terrorists or any companies involved with terrorism.

But, from America’s perspective, that didn’t matter.

For them, the passengers on that plane were both victims and potential accomplices in the terror, and thus, suspects. Those who had been on that flight had to undergo thorough investigations, and if anything suspicious or illegal was found during that process, they faced “intense scrutiny.”

Fortunately, Lee Yang-hoon did not endure “intense scrutiny.”

He had operated his company decently and had no history of harming American interests.

Moreover, he was cooperative in the investigation, and the company he wished to invest in was also clean and sound.

From America’s stance, there was no reason to apply intense pressure on Lee Yang-hoon, and they continued the investigation fairly kindly.

Yet, no matter how kindly they treated him, a massive investigation operated as one body can’t be light, and Lee Yang-hoon had to endure quite a bit of mental strain.

Additionally, in Korea, media outlets under the influence of other chaebols bombarded the news with reports belittling the Gwangyang Group, tormenting him further, likely causing him to feel drained of hope. Plus, he wasn’t the only one suffering; the wives who boarded the plane with him faced hardships as well…

In Lee Yang-hoon’s case, it felt like he took the wrong flight and hit a streak of bad luck.

“Of course, it’s a blessing in disguise, as I did make some good connections, but…”

He didn’t only suffer.

In the process of cooperating with the investigation, he could form friendships with investigators and American officials.

Moreover, he built camaraderie with other passengers who shared the same ordeal, creating bonds that turned out to be immensely helpful for business…

Not everything was bad.

However.

“While there were some good aspects, it’s hard to call them good things.”

When really thinking about it, it was akin to suffering in a desert only to find an oasis. Enjoying the lush greenery of a hill is already lacking in life; how could one diving into pain and finding slight profit find joy in that?

Thus, Jinseong wished that this time Lee Yang-hoon wouldn’t suffer such hardship.

For Lee Yang-hoon and his wives, and even for Iarin and Iserin, who would have worried about whether problems would arise for their parents.

There were way too many people involved to be chasing after small gains.

That’s why a talisman was given…

“The terrorism isn’t happening.”

Terrorism is not occurring.

The American public is twisted with rage, and countless terrorist groups remain in hiding, countries that used to poke and prod at America have all tucked their tails between their legs, but that situation is not occurring.

“Is the news being suppressed?”

Is it that although incidents occurred, they’ve been silenced?

“There’s no way they could suppress the news.”

No, it couldn’t be.

At least not the America of today; they wouldn’t choose to bury such a massive event.

Especially if it relates to their Achilles’ heel.

The isolationism intensifies.

American supremacy grows stronger.

The neocons occupy the core of America.

America right now is desperate to showcase its power as an overwhelming force.

Naturally, they wouldn’t miss such an opportunity.

Acting more forcefully than necessary and unleashing their wrath to instill fear across the globe, aiming to prove America’s greatness.

“The statement made to terrorists before the rewind—’no negotiations, shooting down the plane is also on the table’ was certainly heartfelt.”

Or, they might have hoped for that.

This massive tragedy could stir American emotions, redirecting their fury at the damn bastards who dared to point a knife at America. Maybe with the chance to incite war to flaunt overwhelming military power.

If the neocons, eager to showcase American strength, planned such a scenario, it would have substantial credibility.

Reflecting on their attitude towards the disputes between Korea and Japan recently… it seemed quite likely.

And with the current America being full of these neocons…

No news is emerging?

Then, it’s appropriate to conclude that nothing has happened at all.

“What a strange thing.”

And this struck Jinseong as odd.

“From my memories, those terrorists seemed quite unusual…”

The terrorists who dared to hijack an American plane were affiliated with a religion.

They were members of a secretive cult that had grown in the Portland area, astonishingly based on Christianity but believing that “high-rise buildings” symbolize sin.

They claimed that high-rise buildings are akin to the Tower of Babel and that the taller the building, the deeper the sin accumulated. They asserted that once a certain number of high-rise buildings reached a specific height, God would become enraged and bring judgment upon humanity.

Consequently, buildings should be heavily regulated not to exceed a certain height, and existing buildings needed to be demolished…

But who would listen to such claims?

Naturally, they were dismissed.

Thoroughly so.

Feeling dismissed, this cult believed it had to act forcefully, which led to the terrorism that turned America’s attention away.

Using individuals trained in underground facilities and the capable beings from their cult, they intended to hijack planes and crash them into high-rise buildings. Their plan was to conduct five consecutive hijackings, crashing planes into high-rises to erase evidence of sin and warn the people.

A ridiculously insane plan under normal circumstances.

Yet they did it.

Why?

Because they were mad.

“Hmm.”

Given how insane they were, it was assumed the same thing would happen again in this timeline…

No news at all?

Something has clearly changed.

“The future is variable—”

Jinseong felt a premonition.

His advanced spirit whispered to him.

This wasn’t just a simple whim or a variable.

Something significant has changed, resulting in the events he was aware of not happening.

There must be something too important to overlook in this matter.

“-Even the tiniest speck of dust or the largest boulder holds the potential for change in the future, and the true substance can’t be known without witnessing it directly.”

Good.

I need to confirm it.

Jinseong made his decision.

He would go to America himself.

 

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