[Chapter 487: The San Francisco Earthquake]
William White planned to get some exercise. To avoid becoming a greasy old man, he had to maintain his muscle tone.
"Master, there's been an incident. An earthquake hit San Francisco, and from the footage we're getting, it looks really bad."
"Dammit, please don't tell me it's like that one in 1906. That was, what, nearly an eight?"
"It's not that extreme. According to the Seismology Bureau, it's a 6.9."
"Tanner, are you kidding? Anything under seven doesn't count as an earthquake. They happen a few times a year in Japan!"
Tanner couldn't help but think, this guy really wasn't afraid to speak his mind. Sure, there might be a few tremors around four or five, but if they were getting close to seven multiple times a year, would there be anyone left in Japan?
"Master, it might be shallow. Either way, it's pretty serious; overpasses have collapsed, and the airport rail is completely shut down."
"Great, this is looking troublesome. Get Filson over here."
...
With such a major disaster occurring, as America's richest, he couldn't just sit back and enjoy himself. That would make him look like some clueless fool not caring about others.
"Filson, donate 20 million dollars right away. Use our connections to procure tents and medical supplies immediately."
"Understood, sir."
"Check if any of our planes are available. If there is shortage, book some planes available from outside."
"Yes, sir."
Filson left. Most of the company staff were out on holiday, and this kind of urgent matter simply couldn't wait.
It wasn't that William White had any kind of savior complex. His prominence made it clear; if he continued partying, he'd surely be criticized. Especially since he had interests in Silicon Valley, he couldn't turn a blind eye to this situation.
Once the boss sent out the call, NBC clearly needed to activate their emergency response plan. The boss donated money, and his attitude was quite decent. However, everything had to be publicized.
...
"Jason, your parents are alright, right?"
"They're fine, thank God they were on vacation this time. I can't imagine what could've happened if they hadn't left San Francisco."
"Hey, it's not as exaggerated as you think. The 1906 quake was 7.9; this one didn't even hit seven. Jason, you really need to think this through, San Francisco isn't exactly a safe bet."
Jason bitterly smiled; it was easy for him to say. Where on earth could they all go, anyway?
Los Angeles? It wasn't much different. The entire state of California was on a seismic belt, and Los Angeles was just a notch safer. There were no earthquakes, but a serious water shortage and wildfires made it anything but ideal. Simply put, it wasn't suitable for human habitation.
"If you ask me, Australia sounds like the best option. My next step is heading down under."
"Alright, I'll think it over."
...
Two hundred million was a massive donation. The richest man could act this quickly, which truly revealed another side of William White to many citizens.
A good guy.
Well, this wasn't just a 'get out of jail free' card; in fact, being called a good guy was a high commendation. At least, the President sure wasn't getting that kind of praise.
Using his private luxury jets to deliver supplies seemed pretty dubious. The costs were just outrageous.
Stunt?
That didn't quite fit; even if there was a hint of it now, it wasn't the right time to bring it up unless you wanted to be the target of everyone's scorn. The jets William White put forth were more than just his personal rides.
In fact, his company's dozen or so planes were all enlisted for rescue efforts.
Since he had plenty of cash, people thought he should donate a bit more.
You could bank on it; many might think that, but nobody would actually say it. If William White hadn't had such a towering reputation, he wouldn't even have had to bother.
For a long time, folks in the US believed NBC had a somewhat leftist bias. At the very least, they never bothered to take a jab at the Soviets.
It was quite evident that many Soviet television stations often directly cited NBC's material.
After this event, many people's attitudes would shift. At the very least, the Democrats were in a pretty rough spot. They found that NBC was quite cooperative with Washington sanctions, acting a bit like a state-run media during significant disasters.
...
Bush Sr. felt a bit relieved. He knew well that he hadn't performed so well, and the government's response had been rather slow. Yet, it seemed the public narrative had skewed; people were more focused on how to assist those affected.
When he arrived in San Francisco, the first batch of supplies William White ordered had already arrived. Of course, his beloved son managed the entire operation.
There are folks in this world whose skills and smarts might be just average. But their luck? It's through the roof. His son plainly belonged to this group.
William White's help, of course, wasn't without strings attached. He had his own interests in mind. For instance, he didn't want the Justice Department interfering with his company and hoped for greater tax reductions.
Bush Sr. believed, within his power, he had to look after William White's interests. This was especially crucial for his family.
"George, how's the situation?"
"Not good. At least a few hundred injured, and the infrastructure's heavily damaged. If we don't urgently repair the railways, we're going to be in deep trouble distributing supplies to these hundreds of thousands."
"Right, I've arranged for them to expedite repairs. I apologize for disrupting your vacation."
"Dad, I've noticed something."
"Yeah, go ahead."
"The efficiency of the federal response is horrendous. William White's senior executives were on vacation, and the guys left behind clearly aren't his closest allies. But look at the efficiency of his supply chain; it far exceeds that of those bureaucrats. The most mind-boggling part is, from the moment he heard the news, it hasn't even been 24 hours."
Bush Sr. was stunned; he had still been asleep when someone pulled him up. Nobody seemed to bother to wake William White.
Well, that wasn't the crux of the issue; the real problem was this guy's swift response.
"Son, I want efficiency too. But Congress hasn't made any progress. The supplies and funds I brought are for emergency aid. Sigh, as for other funding, no way they'll wrap up the paperwork in under a month."
Young Bush got it; the Democrats had their eyes set on this bill. If his father didn't compromise, the current crisis wouldn't get resolved.
...
William White remained on the island vacationing, and except for those who lived in San Francisco, others were starting to head back.
Jason Garrison's family wanted to return, but William White stopped them. His intention was clear: heading back would only complicate things. Why go back without restored electricity and water?
Natural disasters always brought human misfortunes. The 1906 earthquake had seen its share of calamities.
"Hang tight, Jason. You need to make sure that water and power are back on. Remember, a district without power is a dangerous place."
"Got it, boss."
*****
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