The disaster reduction conference was nearing its end. As it concluded, experts in earthquakes, geology, meteorology, and other fields arrived at the Kobe Earthquake Research Institute. News was playing on the television screens in the hall: a tsunami had struck the Shikoku region.
Fortunately, because it had traveled a great distance, the tsunami was only a few meters high when it reached the shore. Even so, the affected areas suffered considerable losses, especially along the coast, where boats and houses were all flattened.
Fortunately, people had received warnings in advance, and coastal residents had fled early, so most escaped unharmed.
The experts were all somewhat somber, especially the Japanese experts. They brought out the data and began studying it together, with Jiang Hao among them. After two days of research, someone proposed that, according to current calculations, kinetic energy was being released in the direction of the Japan Trench. Further investigation was needed to determine the specific danger level. If there truly was a massive release of energy, it could endanger the safety of the Japanese islands, with catastrophic consequences.
The day after reaching that conclusion, the research team received notice that the study was ending there. They were thanked for their previous assistance, and told that Japan would complete the remaining work domestically. The group was then disbanded, and the experts from every country returned home.
The news was abrupt, but the experts did not think much of it. They had been away for half a month and all wanted to go home.
Only Jiang Hao took the matter very seriously.
As Mark, the director of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, was leaving, he asked Jiang Hao whether he was returning to Geneva with him. Jiang Hao shook his head and said quietly, "Mark, I think